History Repeats itself

Greetings Viper fans.




Seeing as how my blog is now a feature on RGVIPERS.com, it is probably a good idea that I start posting on a more regular basis. By the way my thanks to our new webmaster Jonah Goldberg, he is also the Vipers new Media Relations Manager. By the way he also serves as our Home Color Commentator on our radio broadcasts.





Let me just start by saying, RGV is a much better team than the record indicates. The Vipers have had a crazy schedule, even the eight game homestand was crazy. You had the last two D-League Champions, ( Dakota, Idaho) Two other playoff clubs (Sioux Falls, Colorado), and a very solid Utah club that had two NBA Assignees. Right now the Vipers cannot finish games. Coach Moser cant quite put his finger on it. But coaches don't like to make excuses. Since I am the broadcaster and subsequently a Viper apologist I will make the excuse. The Vipers are tired and have little to NO practice time. The first 12 games were in 24 days. 8 home games, against some of the clubs I mentioned, one was a day game with two back to backs. The the first road trip happened. 4 games in six nights in 4 different cities. Game one in frigid Colorado. Only day possible for practice was the Monday before and the floor was not maintained and slippery. Play Tuesday night. Fly for Tulsa on Wednesday, no practice just rest, why? Thursday the game was at 11:00 AM, no shoot around obviously. Win that game. Head over to Tulsa airport, wait, and wait, and wait. Flights are cancelled. Can't get to Des Moines, IA. We bus at 1:00 AM to Kansas City, that's as far as the roads would let us go. Stay the night in a great hotel in KC. Bus at 1:00 pm to Des Moines. Arrive in Des Moines at 5:30om head straight to arena. Play overtime game against Iowa. Fly out next morning at 5:30 AM for Austin. Play Austin on Sunday at 3:00 pm, bus home that night.





Look this is pro basketball, but you tell me that this was an easy stretch of games for a club that needs more practice time and I'll say that you need your head examined. Hopefully these next few days of practice will do the club wonders.





- Next item on the agenda, the assignment of Joey Dorsey. I was excited about the possibility of his assignment since draft day. I knew he wouldn't get any minutes with the big club, but I knew he would make the big club. He is a bruiser, a defensive force and someone who could develop into a strong Ben Wallace type of player. He needs playing time, and he will get a ton of it in RGV. He really is the type of player the Vipers need right now. A strong rebounder ( especially on the offensive side of the glass), shot blocking bruising defender, and a player to take some pressure off of Alton Ford, who can focus more on scoring with Dorsey in the line-up, and also to challenge Alton on the glass. I hope this is an extended assignment. I think it will be, although the Rockets have been mum as to just how long he will be on assignment.





- And now the bad news. Kendall Dartez is the latest Viper to graze in greener pastures overseas as he is off to China. Dartez had some interest from some clubs to join an NBA roster, likely after the showcase, but nothing ever panned out, he got an offer he couldn't refuse. I wish him the best, but now the Vipers will have to search far and wide for another big man, which are hard to find. This adds another hole to this club, who already needed a big, (before Dorsey's arrival), and a sharp shooting three-point specialist. Sadly the Vipers don't get any benefits in the waiver list because of Kendall's departure, that only happens with Gatorade Call-Up.



I am going to try to blog more... our friends over at Ridiculousupside...Who I have added to the blog roll, have challenged me to update more so I will. It's tougher to maybe link as much as I have in the past but I will try.

Untill later...Stay outta the paint

Vipers Game Blog

Halftime Vipers 52 - Wizards 42

Solid first half for Rio Grande Valley although Smush Parker is taking some terrible shots right now. He looks like he is just trying to get into a rhythm but hasn't been able to so far tonight. Craig Winder and Trent Strickland both have 11 points with Winder's coming off the bench. Alton Ford is drawing fouls from any Dakota players the crosses his way and he is making them pay as big Al has 12 points, but most importantly is 8 for 8 from the foul line. As for Dakota the don't have a single player in double figures.  Quemont Greer has nine points to lead the way for Dakota. The Wizards have played all 11 players. Let me just say that Hamed Haddadi is a beast. He needs ALOT of developing... but he is a beast!!

5:44 Remaining 2nd Qtr  Vipers 40 - Wizards 35

Dakota must like spotting its opponents  big leads and coming back. Vipers have led by as many as 12 but the Wizards have brought the game back into close single digits. Craig Winder has looked good off the bench with 9 points including two three pointers. Mo Baker is just a pest defensively and he has also put up seven points...He is a really good player on what could be a good Dakota team.

Second Media timeout 2:44 remaining Vipers 25, Wizards 13

Trent Strickland looks like the Trent Strickland from the weekend. He has nine 1st quarter points and is 4-5 shooting from the field. Quin Humphrey has been agressive in the early going as well with seven points.

Vipers are shooting over 70% from the field right now.. Lets see if they keep it up

Pre Game Versus Dakota Wizards

Hello Friends:

Well the Vipers got the stomach punch of the century in the third quarter of last night's game versus the expansion Erie BayHawks. The Vipers were nearly tripled up, outscored 35-12 in the third and dropped their first game of the season with a 101-86 loss. Personally I think it's better that it happened sooner than later. 

This Vipers team has a ton of talent, but has been developing some bad habits. They turn the ball over too much and think they can turn on a 10-0 run whenever they want. It doesn't always work that way in this league; especially when you play everyone in your division seven times. 

Tonight's opponent is Dakota. We saw Dakota twice last season and it is probably safe to say that they are the San Antonio Spurs of the the D-League and of minor league basketball. They just always win. I don't know what it is that draws people to Bismarck, North Dakota, but they put a winner on the floor year in and year out. They have four championships in the 12 year history of the franchise. One IBA championship, two CBA titles, and one D-League title. Duane Ticknor is their head coach, another minor league coaching legend. The schedule makers were not kind to the Vipers. Four of the first five teams the Vipers have faced this season have coaches with at least one minor league championship on their resume... NOT COOL!!!

The Wizards are 0-2, they suffered a home loss to Iowa to begin their season and started their road swing with a heartbreaking overtime loss to Austin last night despite coming back from a 19 point deficit. So Ticknor and the Wizards are dying for a win, lets hope they can wait till they go home.

Game Two vs. Utah Flash

Greeting my fellow Viper fanatics.

Well game one is in the book and the Vipers came out on top 83-82 to division rival Tulsa. The game ended up being much closer than it needed to be, but outstanding guard play down the stretch by Tulsa kept the Sixers in the game. Trent Strickland played a monster game scoring 24 and hauling in eight boards

Last night was not without its problems, shot clock did not work throughout the game. Public Address announcer Tony Forina had to give 10 second warnings with a countdown at 5 for every possession. There were issues with the live stats as well. Game started a tad late (7:23), and our official webcast NBA Futurecast was not operating.

Hopefully we've worked out the kinks and are ready to go tonight. Tonight the Vipers take on the Utah Flash. Oddly enough, even thought the Vipers only won 21 games last year, the Snakes beat every opponent in the D-League at least once except for one....Who was it...???? Yep you guessed it the Utah Flash.

This is seemingly the model franchise of the D-League. their owner Brandt Anderson is like the Mark Cuban of the D-League. Internet billionaire buys a basketball team, builds sparkling new practice facility, has largest front office in the D-League and is very active in the community. They do a great job in Utah, hence while they will be hosting the D-League showcase in 2009.

Random Notes: I am really digging the Snake Charmers secondary uniforms. They have a huge Vipers logo belt buckle which really stands out. Also I must say the Snake Charmers have improved from year 1 to year 2. A good mix of returnees and rookies. I like the squad Nora.

So far I like what this team has. Some good rebounding ability, great athleticism, good character players, and most importantly, veteran leadership. This team has the potential to be very good, provided there is a contingency plan if a certain Mr. Smush Parker gets a Gatorade Call-up.

TRAINING CAMP STARTS TODAY!

The day has finally arrived. Season 2 of Rio Grande Valley Vipers Basketball begins today. Well at least the training camp part of it. It seems as if the D-League decided to give coaches a couple extra days to get their camps started and whittle down their rosters from 17 all the way down to 10 for opening night.

Speaking with Coach Moser on the Vipers Coaches Show (Every Thursday at 5:00 pm on ESPN 1240) he was stoked about the team he was able to put together for this season. He was especially excited about former Lakers point guard Smush Parker dropping all the way to the 12th spot right into his lap. According to Parker's agent he is excited about the opportunity to showcase his game and get back to the NBA.

I am going to break down the 17 man training camp roster as best as I can. I am still getting to know the team and where they have been so bare with me.

Returning Players

1. G/F - Trent Strickland 6-6 Wake Forest
2. G - Quin Humphrey 6-4 Youngstown State
3. F - Stanley Asumnu 6-5 - Tennessee
4. G - Craig Winder 6-2 - Texas

Evaluation:

Sorry to say it is not the strongest returning line-up in the D-league. The Vipers will sorely miss Ivan Johnson who is a presence on the inside. Jesse Smith is now in Reno and should be a solid role player for that expansion franchise. The most important returnee is without a doubt Trent Strickland. Strickland is the quintessential pro hoops player. He fits into any role you give him. Early in the season Strickland played an off-the bench role but as the Vipers started to lose players to overseas defections he stepped up and filled in nicely and averaged over 13ppg. Strickland should continue to provide valuable minutes to the squad. As for the rest of the squad, Humphrey and Asumnu are very strong defensive players and both played big minutes last year, but they didn't have big nights offensively every night. Humphrey is a big time rebounding guard and both players work hard on both ends of the floor. As for Winder a very good, but streaky shooter. Stepped up for some big games and ran the offense late in the year along side Kris Collins (who is now in Austin).

I like all of these guys and they can all contribute, but will they all make the squad? Who knows. I think Strickland is a lock but not sure who else is. Coach Moser is keeping a tight lip on this. But these guys should know that no one has been guaranteed a spot on the roster or the rotation, they will have to earn it.

Allocation Players/Local Tryout:

1. C/F- Alton Ford - 6-10 - Houston
2. C/F- Kendal Dartez - 6-10 - Louisville
3. G -Damone Morris - 6-3 - Eckard College

EVALUATION -

SIZE!! This allowed Coach Moser to draft best available player and not need. Alton Ford is a familiar name to local hoops fans. He played at Houston Milby who played down here in the Valley in the Los Fresnos Tourney several years ago. He was a McDonalds All-American and was a Clyde Drexler recruit at Houston.. although he never played for Coach Drexler. He has bounced around the NBA and overseas. He is a big body who can score and rebound. Dartez much of the same, although not as big of a body. Long. Can block shots and rebound and has a couple years of D-League expereince. Not gonna light up the score sheet but can contribute off the bench. Damone Morris, the local tryout player,looks like he could be a steal. I am a big fan of small college guys who put up big guys. Why? They play with passion that some big time college program players don't. They play with a chip on their shoulder because they didn't get recruited by the big guys. Morris averaged 17 ppg for NCAA D-2 Eckard College in Florida and looks like a scorer in every sense of the word. I like this pick-up

Drafted Players - by round

1. G - Smush Parker - 6-4 - Fordham - LA Lakers
2. F- Delonte Holland 6-7 - DePaul
3. C- Kurt Looby 6-10 - Iowa
4. G - Alpha Bangura - 6-6 - St. Johns
5. G- Thomas Sanders 6-3 - Texas Pan American - Garnder Webb
6. C/F - Boomer Herndon - 6-10 - Belmont
7. C - Jeffrey Day - 6-9 - Creighton
8. G/F Lance Perique - 6-8 - Georgia State
9. G - Keoni Watson - 5-10 - Idaho
10. F - JR. Harrison - 6-6 - Rice

Evaluation:

Without a doubt the Vipers are thrilled to have a hungry NBA ready guy to lead the offense, until he gets a Gatorade Call-up of course. I like the Smush Parker selection.. Why? I know some of you might be saying, " But A.D.B. he's just going to get called up, won't that hurt us?" Well in a sense, yes. Parker has something to prove, it is always nice to have a guy who is hungry on your team. The other thing is, the Vipers start the season with 8 home games. Personally If I am a Team President, I love this pick because we have an NBA name guy to help put butts in the seat and to help my coach get off to a great start to the season.

Vipers Coaches Show is Back!!

The Vipers den is open for business again. After several months of hiatus the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Head Coaches show is back on the air. You can listen in every Thursday at 5:00 PM on ESPN Radio 1240 AM. As of right now the show is a 30 minute chat with Clay Moser and any other special guests we will have throughout the year. More on that later. However, we are discussing the possibility of doing the show on remote once a month and extending the time to an entire hour. This will give the fans a chance to interact with the show, and potentially win some great Vipers prizes.

We had our first show yesterday, and it went as smooth as possible. I have to say this.. Coach Moser is a great interview. He can give you the nuts and bolts, and he can give you a one liner. He can be serious and funny. But most of all he is informative and straightforward and those are two huge keys for a coach and his dealing with the media. He will make an entertaining guest week in and week out on the Vipers Coaches Show (Thursday's at 5:00 pm ESPN RADIO 1240 AM) .

As for potential guest on the show. The Rolodex is certainly full.. expect D-league President Dan Reed at some point, Daryl Morey (GM of Houston Rockets), Maybe other memebers of the other Rockets and Hornets Basketball operations department. We may be able to get NBA Commissioner David Stern at some point as well. There are all kinds of guests we can get if you have any suggestions, leave a comment, or send an email vipersradio@gmail.com . We will try to make it happen.

That's it for now... be sure to tune in to get all your Vipers info every Thursday!!

Back by Popular Demand

Seeing as we have had a lot to report, and I have remained silent on the sidelines. I feel it is about time I catch up with the Vipers blog. After all, I am the Voice of the Vipers. Well this voice has been awful quiet during the offseason, and for several reasons. We didn't have lot to report for a good majority of it, but lately there has been a lot to report now and I thought I would give some brief commentary on the news.

Story 1: Vipers Hire Clay Moser as Head Coach

This was a long time coming but the Vipers finally announced a new permanent Head Coach since Bob Hoffman's departure for Mercer University. I like Moser's resume, I like his demeanor. I like how he is with the media. I haven't spoken to him much. Obviously he has been spending time preparing for the draft and has been doing a lot of scouting etc. But from the little time I have spent with him, he seems like an energetic guy, ready to get back into coaching, (He has been an advanced scout for several years in the NBA) He also has an obvious sense of humor and is obviously very witty. (Which is great for a radio guy like me because he is always there for a good sound bite). I like the hire.. we will see how things go. It's no secret that I was back and forth in my favorability of Hoffman. I was never critical of him. (although he felt otherwise) But I don't think he understood the pro game as well as he should have. He was a great hire for the expansion team. A familiar face who was liked by sponsors and basketball fans alike. Long term though..we figured out he wasn't the right fit. But you live and you learn. As for Moser, so long as he never throws his headset on the table during a postgame interview, he will be ok with me.

Story 2

Vipers Hire Brian Michael Cooper as Team President-

Before I talk about Cooper. Who I think is a tremendous hire, I wanted to share more info on the Vipers front office and ownership. When the team started majority ownership was elsewhere. Ryan Murphy (former Team President) did a great job getting the ball rolling and getting the franchise down here. However it was obvious fairly quickly that there was an extreme disconnect between the Vipers local owners and the Front Office that was hired by the original majority owners. While I don't think anyone is truly right or wrong in these situations, it was fairly obvious that once Alonzo Cantu took the reigns as majority owner that changes had to be made. Our owners are very hands on, which in this situation is very good. They know how to do things first class, they run the Vipers operation as a mini NBA franchise. But, they need people to fit their mindset of how the franchise should be run. Now they finally have their man to head the operation. It was a long time coming, but did they find a good one.

Brian Michael Cooper's resume is so impressive, all that was missing was a military award like a Purple Heart of a Medal of Honor. This guy has had an amazing education, both in the classroom and in his professional life. He is a lawyer by trade, but knows the sports business like the back of his hand. He has worked on some high profile cases involving sports leagues, he has also been a player agent in the NFL and NBA. This guy knows his stuff. I met him the day of the presser and I was impressed by the fact that he had read the blog and said he enjoyed it. That makes me feel good and also tells me that he does his research. He should be an excellent fit for this Vipers franchise.

Time is ticking down to the home opener and I am excited for the season. I will be blogging more as more news becomes readily available. More in the coming days and weeks.

WALSH WINS TWO STRAIGHT FOR DEBUT

Not a bad debut for Brian Walsh as Vipers Acting Head Coach. No one from ownership or from the basketball operations department would admit that this is an audition for Brian Walsh to be the permanent Head Coach of the RGV Vipers, but we all know that it is. Frankly in two games, with the energy that the Vipers have shown, and of course the back to back wins against a team that had won six of seven coming into Dodge Arena, I think Walsh has put himself in a strong position to be named the head coach permanently.

I have been asked by a lot of people in the last week about Brian's credentials and if he should be the coach. I have always begun my answer with, "He has won everywhere he has been." He is a winner, and he knows the minor leagues. I know that Bob Hoffman was probably the right fit last May. Brian Walsh is the right fit this April. He knows the pro game. He is looking to do two things. 1) Put a winner on the floor every night. and 2) Get to the NBA.

We all kind of knew what Coach Hoffman wanted to do when he came back to the RGV last year. We all knew he was going back to the college game at some point. It just happened to be on weird terms. I don't fault Hoffman for doing what he did like some people do. But, here is the thing now, Hoffman was not the right fit, Walsh is.

Walsh won a title in the USBL, been to the final game of the CBA Finals with Dakota, been to the Finals in the D-League with Colorado. I could go on with his resume, but you get the point.

Names aren't going to win you games. They may sell tickets in the beginning, but you know what sells tickets from the midpoint on... WINS. Look at the coaches who are the winners in this league.

Brian Gates (Idaho Stampede)- A long time minor league coach. USBL, CBA, D-League. Never played a minute of college basketball let alone pro hoops, and he is going win (likely) his second straight D-league Coach of the Year award.

Dan Panaggio(LA D-Fenders)-Coached in the CBA and at the NBA level as an assistant. They have also clinched a playoff spot and are plus 30 wins.

Joe Wolf (Colorado 14ers)- Coached in Idaho before Brian Gates...former NBA player but was not a name by any stretch. The were one win from the D-League title last year.

Duane Ticknor. (Dakota Wizards) another minor league guy.... See a pattern here?

I could go on... but you get my point... Give him a chance. He has earned it, and he wants to be here.

Toros Ram Past Vipers

A strong defensive effort from the Austin Toros, and a poor shooting night from the entire Rio Grande Valley roster led to the lowest point total in franchise history as the Vipers fell 110-75 to the Austin Toros Thursday night at the Austin Convention Center. The win for the Toros breaks their four game losing skid, and the loss for the Vipers is their third straight defeat away from Dodge Arena.

The Vipers kept the game close in the first half despite shooting just 31% from the field. They lead for the majority of the first quarter before surrendering the lead at the 4:45 mark on a Serge Angounou bank shot from the wing giving the Toros a 14-12 advantage. The Vipers unfortunately would not sniff the lead for the remainder of the game. The Toros outscored the Vipers 22-18 in the second quarter and led 46-36 at intermission.

After the Vipers closed a 10-point halftime deficit to three, the Toros exploded for a 19-3 run and would lead by 25 at the end of the third quarter. Rio Grande Valley did not fare much better into the fourth as Austin outscored RGV 33-23 and ran their lead to as many as 40 points as the Vipers could not find the answer offensively to the stifling Austin defense. Rio Grande Valley shot just 32% from the field in the loss.

Ivan Johnson led the scoring load for the Vipers with 18 points off the bench. Vipers leading scorer Desmon Farmer was limited to only 17 points on 5-16 shooting. Kris Collins in his second straight start for the banged up Quin Humphrey scored 13 on a poor shooting night for him as well.

The Toros had six players tally double figures, and everyone on their roster scored. Marcus Williams scored 25 to lead the way for the Austin. Justin Bowen added a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards, while DeMarr Johnson scored 19 in the Toros 26th win of the season.

The Vipers 75 points on Thursday, is the lowest point total in the young history of the franchise. The Vipers will play their final game versus their in-state rival on Friday night with a 7:00 pm tip-off at the Austin Convention Center.

Pre Game Austin vs RGV 3/20

Well its time for the Vipers to return to the city where we last saw CJ Watson. The Vipers played some entertaining games versus the Toros this year. Most specifically this one back on January 5th a Double OT defeat to the Vipers and see the end of CJ Watson tenure with RGV and he went out with a 42 point explosion.

Celebrity watch: Round Rock Express broadcaster Mike Capps is in the building. We hope to have him for a halftime interview. Also The Monitor's Sports Editor Wade Baker is in the building as well.

End of 1st qtr--

Vipers 18
Toros 24


Vipers started strong and sputtered out at the end of the period. Ivan Johnson is a difference maker and the big news is Ian Mahinmi is in foul trouble again as he picked up two quick fouls.


5:06 Remaining 2nd Qtr
Vipers 33
Toros 38

The game has slowed down a bit and there have been more missed shots. Both teams are playing pretty good defense. Ivan Johnson is on the bench, but he continues to play well for the Vipers as he is sitting with 12 points now and has a huge block shot off the backboard.

LAST ROAD TRIP; COACH HOFFMAN NEWS

Well I am sure a lot of you were wondering where I have been lately. Well lets just say first of I was recovering a bit after a long last weekend. Calling three games in three nights in two cities with travel mixed in took its toll on my body and voice So I am waiting till Wednesday to blog on a great many things.

First, congrats to the Vipers on their big win over Austin at the Dodge on Sunday. They have been playing great basketball lately. Even in their loss in Tulsa they have been fighting hard for each and every minute. I like this team. I like being around them. They are fighters and they work hard. They deserve a better hand than they have been dealt. Oh and here is a interesting fact, if the Vipers can win these next two games in Austin, they will have split the season series with the Toros. I think they can do it. They are a very different team without Keith Langford, and the Vipers are a very different team with Ivan Johnson. I am expecting at least a split in Austin. They aren't the same dominant team without Kris Lang and Keith Langford.

Secondly, congrats to the Houston Rockets on their 22 game winning streak. I know there are still a lot of people including this guy who think the Rockets are not a true title contender, and maybe they aren't but you have to give them credit for making history over the last month and a half. This is a fun team to watch and it completely exemplifies what the D-League is about with all the former D-Leaguers that are on their roster. The energy is back in Houston for basketball, and it was wonderful to see Toyota Center packed and rocking at the opening tip. I have been to the Toyota Center and seen the late arriving crowds, or the non existing crowds. I was a kid when they won their back-to-back titles and I remember how raucous The Summit would get. I am really enjoying this ride by Houston. Title or not this year, they are winning games without their biggest star. Take your hat off to them, they have earned it.

Also I am sure you have all heard by now that Vipers Head Coach Bob Hoffman has interviewed for the vacant head coaching position at Mercer University. There is always a ton of movement in college basketball around this time, check out the current death pool on this nice page on ESPN.com. It is no secret that Coach Hoffman is a much more comfortable in a college environment. It is one of the things that is hard about pro coaching, especially in the D-League where you can lose players all the time to either Europe or to the NBA. Whichever situation is chosen I will be happy for coach, because he always makes the best move in which to take care of his family, which is admirable. If coach does decide to leave I would nominate Vipers Assistant Coach Brian Walsh for the job. He is a winner, and knows the minor leagues like the back of his hand.

NOTES: Stay tuned for my March Madness Blog...FYI The D-League announced team #16 this week, and as I predicted it is in Erie, PA. Also it should be noted that the former Vipers owners Mark Pollock and Steven Demetriou are involved with the project. Expect the Cavs affiliation to move here. The question now is will the Vipers be down to only two affiliates. It looks that way, as the D-League is at 16 teams teams now which is more than half of the NBA's 30 teams. The Spurs and Lakers have their teams, so that drops the NBA total to 28 and the D-League total to 14. A perfect fit for two affiliates each. We know one will be Houston , will New Orleans be the other? Or could we see another Eastern Conference team? This news also popped up about one of the best teams in the ABA...boy that was an oxymoron huh, that's like being the best hockey player in Mexico. Sounds like they want in the D-League, but who knows how serious their application will be taken serious. It wouldn't be a first for the D-League to admit an ABA team, but your talking about an outrageous boost in expenses, especially with the team being in Canada. I just don't see it happening.

Vipers Comeback Falls Short at Tulsa

Tulsa, OK; March 14, 2008-

Despite falling behind by 18 points on a hot shooting night by the Tulsa 66ers, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers fought their way back to tie the game at the end of regulation, but ultimately fell short of the win. The Vipers fell to the Tulsa 66ers 123-117 in overtime at Expo Square Pavilion Friday night. The Vipers loss now guarantees a below .500 season for the first year franchise. The loss is their second straight overall and on the road.

The Vipers fell behind early, due to the sizzling start by Tulsa. The 66ers shot 80% from the field and from three-point range in the first quarter and led 43-27 after the first period. Tulsa would relinquish their double-digit lead only twice for the next two quarters. Tulsa led 87-75 after three quarters.

A 16-8 run to start the 4th quarter pulled RGV to within four points and prompted an immediate timeout from 66ers Head Coach Joey Meyer. The Vipers did not lead for the entire game until there was 2:53 remaining in regulation when Kris Collins scored to give RGV a 103-102 lead. The Vipers would lead just once more in the rest of the game.

Tulsa led by three points in the final minute of regulation until Desmon Farmer tallied a three-point play that tied the game at 108. Rio Grande Valley had a chance to win it with 2.7 seconds remaining in regulation, but Trent Strickland’s runner in the lane fell short, forcing overtime.

Adam Harrington was lights-out from the outside for Tulsa. The former Auburn Tiger scored a season high 36 points before fouling out. Harrington hit two big threes in overtime on back-to-back possessions to give the 66ers a six-point lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Farmer scored a new Vipers franchise record 44 points in the Viper loss. Farmer was four points away from his career high set last season as a member of the 66ers. Five other Vipers scored in double figures including Ivan Johnson’s 14 points and 12 rebounds in his Viper debut. Kris Collins was two assists away from a double-double after scoring 14 points of his own.

Rio Grande Valley will play three straight games versus the Austin Toros with the first being at Dodge Arena on Sunday night. Tip-off for Sunday’s game is 5:00 pm.

Vipers at Tulsa

Last 10 games of the year, can't hold anything back now. I am sure that is what both team's are thinking as the two Southwest Division foes renew acquaintances for the first time since February 1st. The Vipers did not fare well the last time they played here but it was also the first time RGV had Desmon Farmer on their roster. Since then Desmon has been a big time scorer for the Vipers since then, including the 40 points he put up on Monday versus Colorado.

BREAKING NEWS:
Milwaukee releases David Noel, so his assignment with Tulsa is also over and he will not play.

ALSO FYI: Congratulations goes out to UTPA beat writer Jason McDaniel's marriage to his fiance' Sylvia today.

End of the 1st Quarter-

Vipers-27
Tulsa-42

Vipers trail after a red hot first quarter from the Tulsa 66ers. Adam Harrington, who has stepped up his game recently has 12 1st quarter points. The 66ers shot 80% from the field 16/20 in the first period of play.
Note: Ivan Johnson had his first basket as a Viper. Offensive rebound and a thank you very much dunk... Welcome to RGV Ivan.


2nd Qtr update--5:49 remaining

Vipers-36
Tulsa - 49

66ers have cooled off a bit, but the Vipers can't seem to close the game as of yet.


2nd Qtr update 2:28 remaining

Vipers -43
Tulsa- 61

Vipers can't find their touch and the 66ers can't miss. Chris Ellis has been a beast for them. He has at least three dunks in this game. The offesnive sparkplug Kris Collins has finally hit a hoop.

3rd Quarter Update--

Vipers 60
Tulsa 68

The Vipers have started the third quarter on a 12-3 run including back-to-back threes from Desmon Farmer and are within 8 promting a Joey Meyer Time-out.


End of 3rd Qtr-
Vipers 75
Tulsa 87

A twelve point differential is doable, but will be difficult. A back and forth quarter saw the Vipers pull within eight. However this 66er squad stops any rally the Vipers throw at them. Desmon leads all scorers with 26 points.

4th Quarter Update 8:11 remaining.
Vipers 91
Tulsa 95

A nice run by Rio to start the 4th. 16-8 run to be exact. Desmon Farmer, Ivan Johnson and Trent Strickland all have 3-pointers. They are within 4. Lets see if they can keep it going.


4th Qtr Update- 3:14 remaining.

Vipers 101
Tulsa 102

Well they kept it going. The Vipers and 66ers both want this game. Joey Meyer Time-out. Vipers have possession. Stay tuned.


4th Quarter Update- 25.7 remaining.
Vipers 108
Tulsa 108

Big and-one by Desmon Farmer Tulsa ball...


2.7 remaining.

Adam Harrington misses a potential game winner. Vipers rebound. Timeout


End of Regulation
Vipers 108
Tulsa 108

After a horn blunder.. The Vipers got it into Trent Strickland who missed a runner in the lane to send the game into overtime. Great Comeback by the Vipers!!!


End of Game
The Vipers were outscored 15-9 in the overtime and fell 123-117. Desmon Farmer scored a Franchise record 44 points but the Vipers comeback fell a few possessions short. Stay tuned for the release.

Final Stretch for the RGV Vipers

Every time I get involved in a homestretch of a season it has always been under different circumstances. There is something about the final 10 to 15 games of any season that is interesting. Sometimes you are involved in the playoff races, sometimes you are way ahead and clinched your playoff spot weeks ago and are trying to make sure you are healthy and clicking come playoff time. Other times you are the team on the outside looking in and trying to play the spoiler roll. Then there are sometimes where you are just bad, and have nothing to play for at the end.

We are still in the playoff hunt, but lets face it, the teams that are in front of us are going to have to completely have a tailspin for us to crack the postseason. We are in that spoiler roll and making sure we have the right core of talent to build on for next year. Recruiting will only be that much easier for the Vipers next year because of the core we have assembled for next year.

But I want to get back on the topic of the last few games of any season. It is just odd how everyone and every team will look at these last few games differently. For example in 2004 when I was broadcasting with the Edinburg Roadrunners, we clinched a playoff spot in June and the playoffs weren't until late August. The team didn't let up but the last few days what did Chad Tredaway do? He set up his rotation for the playoffs. Made sure all the bullpen arms got their work in, and tinkered with the line-up to make sure he had the right one come day one of the playoffs. What happened, well the team went 6-0 in the postseason and we hoisted the championship trophy.

Well what about my first year with UTPA. We had a team that had won only 2 D-1 victories the entire season, and frankly just went through the motions the final 10 games. It wasn't fun. Plus the kids had nothing to look forward to. No postseason tournament since they weren't in a conference, and no hope what so ever about being the in NCAA tournament.

This is really my first year in the spoiler roll. Oddly enough our arena mates seem to be in the same boat. Frankly, it has some advantages. There is no pressure, the games are exciting because we are playing hard because our guys are playing for pride and for jobs on either the Vipers or other D-League teams next year. Plus, we are trying to keep the teams we are facing out of the playoffs.

FYI: We aquired Ivan Johnson from Anaheim in a very odd trade. Not because it was the first 3-team trade in D-League history. No. It was because we traded a player that not only never played for us, but we traded a guy who we thought we were going to get assigned to us all season long in Adam Haluska. He was with the Hornets, got hurt. Was wearing a boot for a few months and seemed like a perfect fit for a New Orleans assignment. It never happened, Haluska was then traded, oddly enough to our other affiliate in Houston in the Bonzi Wells trade. So we thought he we will finally get him since there is no way he will be in their rotation. Well he wasn't in Houston's plan at all and was released. He signed a D-League contract and we claimed him and sent him to Iowa. Probably better for Adam, he played college ball at Iowa, he is from Iowa and will help them draw some fans. Plus we needed a big man anyways. So lets hope Ivan make basket.... many of them.

Also Todd had Coach Hoffman on this week on Living the Beat, or Riding the Beat, or Beating the Beat, Or whatever his little videocast is called. Frankly I am a little hurt that I haven't been a guest on the show yet. But, you know what, Todd has his reasons, and I am not going to get all "feelings" like this guy did when I didn't place him on my blogroll. HA HA.. kidding Brian...only kidding. By the way I just found out Brian is a sports genius...How? He Stumped the Schwab!! ... Here is the info

Well I will close this post, I will try to be more frequent here over the course of the weekend. A lot of people ask why I don't post more and why my post's are so long. Frankly it is because I need time to write, something interesting to write about, and the motivation to write. I love to write and when I write, I write long and take a lot of time with posts, because I want my readers to be well informed with the information I present.

By the way, I welcome comments and e-mails. E-mails at vipersradio@gmail.com or comment below. I would love to have a mail-bag every so often to answer your questions. Even if they are for some of the guys, or Coach Hoffman I will be happy to pass the question along and post the answer here.

Until next time...Stay out of the paint...

FINALLY CLIMBED THE 14ers!!

It took seven tries but Sunday the Vipers were able to finally scale the 14ers with a 114-110 overtime victory at Dodge Arena. It was one of those "Everyone contributed", and "It was a team effort" type games. While this was true, the Vipers rode the backs of two guys. Desmon Farmer and Kris Collins. The game was more about Collins down the stretch. He scored 8 points in the overtime alone and frankly was stellar and just in a zone. In fact he made a sick reverse lay-up a lot like this guy did in his return from basketball in 1995. Broncs' play-by-play man Jonah Goldberg thinks I should embed it in the blog so here it is for all you lazy blog readers who can't click on the link.




The Vipers need continue on this trend if they want any shot of sniffing the playoffs. Hey I know it seems like a longshot. But stranger things have happened. Sorry Frank Mentesana, but the Mets did blow a huge division lead to miss the playoffs last year. Maybe the Vipers can be like the Phillies.

Anyways we get Colorado for the final time tonight. Frankly I do not want to see them again. They have killed us this year. Bring on Tulsa and the ABQ. We have a ton of games left with them.

D-League Expansion

If any of ya'll know me you would know that one of the pieces of news I find most intriguing when it comes to minor league sports is expansion, team movement, and team foldings. I have been in professional sports for six years now. I have worked for two teams that have folded (In Harlingen and in Edinburg), a baseball league that has folded. I have seen a new league formed in the old league's place. I have seen countless teams relocate, added, and fold in the Central Hockey League, Arena Football 2, all over indy baseball and even in the D-League and CBA. It evens happens in the NBA Heck in the last decade this team has played in three different cities and frankly judging by these numbers, they could stand to move again.

Memphis used to be in Vancouver, Charlotte was added after these guys moved, The Nets are supposed to move here. The Sonics are set to move here. So even in the NBA these type of things happen. Heck even this year in the CBA we have seen one team cease operations, and another cancel their remaining home games, when did the CBA become the ABA?

But I digress. The D-League is growing and will continue to grow and will never die at least not on David Stern's watch. The D-League is his baby and his way to pull a fast one on this idiot coach of the New York Team. Remember Isiah Thomas owned the CBA ran it into the ground and tried to sell it to the NBA??? The David Stern said.. yeah um no... let me start my own league.

We have already hear the announcement of one team for next season. Reno, Nevada. Which technically isn't really an expansion team, it is basically a re-location of the dormant Ft. Worth franchise, but its a new town. Reno is a rapidly growing city, they will be getting a Triple-A baseball team down the road and frankly indoor sports make much more sense in Reno than baseball. Just my opinion. I love baseball, but Nevada is a desert. I am not going to watch a game in the desert. Sorry not happening.

There will be a second new team. Yes Two New NBA D-League Teams...AH AH AH AH although there is talk the league will still have 14 teams next year. Does that mean the end for Bakersfield or Anaheim who frankly have more people on staff than in the stands? But if the league is at 16 next year, the D-League will be officially past the halfway point of a one-to-one affiliation. Which is the D-League's eventual goal. Also expect the 09-10 season be another 4 team boom. There are plenty of markets interested and a lot more NBA teams interested in a set-up like Los Angeles and San Antonio have with their D-League teams. Don't be surprised to see Toronto, Cleveland, and Dallas get involved sometime soon.

There are many rumors as to who the other expansion team is for next year. Portand, ME? Frisco, TX? Youngstown, OH? Harlem, NY? Trenton, NJ? Manchester, NH? Buffalo, NY? Hamilton, ONT? Or maybe some old CBA towns like this one or this one?

I have a hunch that this town in Pennsylvania will be the lucky winners this year. However don't expect the rumored Cleveland affiliation to last for more than one season, if the Cavs succeed in taking over this building.

Coach Hoffman and I discussed expansion on last week's coaches show.

WARNING!! SHAMELESS PLUG: Vipers Coaches Show Friday's at 5:00 pm on ESPN RADIO 1240AM

It is always exciting to see the new towns join the league. It will add some variety to the league and maybe ease on the travel. I can see a scenario in which the League changes the Divisions around a bit and perhaps have a Northen and Southern Conference. 16 teams might also see a playoff expansion. Obviously if the league also ever went to a one-to-one affiliation the Rockets would be our team. It would be nice to see more people embrace the Rockets down here. I know, I know this is Spurs country. But, you can't tell me you didn't root for the Rockets during their title years. In fact a lot of Spurs fans were freakin Bulls fans in the 90's anyway. But logistically the Rockets would be our team farm system wise. The Spurs have Austin. The Mavs will likely place a team somewhere, probably in Frisco. The Rockets have the Valley. To me that is just perfect.

Who Wants to .... MUTUMBO!!!

Well apparently I have..SNAKEBIT, again no pun intended, the Houston Rockets, one day after I post about the Rockets being a team to be reckoned with in the Western Conference... this happens. I officially put a hex on the Houston Rockets and I am ashamed. I also, just last week bought a Rockets Shooting Shirt since I had very little Rockets gear with the new logo. So for all my fellow Rockets fans, my bad.

By the way Yao being out does theoretically mean more minutes for the 2000's NBA version of Robert Parrish who happens to be Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo...Or just Dikembe. I have always been a fan of his finger wag and who could forget this memorable photo when the Nuggets became the first 8 seed to win a playoff series

Ok so after Tuesday's win over Fort Wayne we know that RGV is officially better than both the Iowa Energy and now the Mad Ants. I seem to believe we are a middle of the pack team. I think we are also better than Bakersfield, Anaheim as well. The team has definitely improved since the 10 game losing skid. Tremendously. We have had wins over LA and Albuquerque, now if we can just get over this stigma of playing Colorado and beat them I think we can make a nice respectable run to a 20+ win season.

We have a lot of time off before our next game against the 14ers..because the Dodge has been taken over by this great event which I will be partaking in this weekend.

Also... My next blog will be on Expansion of the D-League and the state of minor league basketball stay tuned.

Stuck in Harlingen.. For Now

After a weekend of being away from the team. Yes, it has been killing me being away from the team. I am trying to rejoin the squad for their final game of the four game road swing in Broomfield, Colorado. Only problem is there is some sort of fog/visibility issue in Houston of all places. Honestly, has anyone ever heard of weather delays in Texas? That's like a baseball game being called off for rain in the Sahara. So although I am still scheduled to make it to Colorado with plenty of time, there are still no flights going in or out of Houston. Meaning all connections will be severely delayed as well

Luckily my cousin Michelle is a Southwest Airlines gate agent and can re-route me if need be. I am still waiting on an update. We will see if I have to find yet another pinch-hit broadcaster in Colorado.

Let's do a quick re-cap. RGV split their two games in the ABQ accomplishing a couple of things with the win Saturday. They broke a 15 game losing streak within the Southwest Division and earned their first win over Albuquerque this season. This leaves Utah and Colorado as the only teams RGV has yet to defeat this season. They will have another chance with the 14ers tonight, and my money is on the Vipers as they have played very well against them lately and.. the 14ers are without these guys... they are in Cleveland.

I will give an update later...for now I will be forced to surf the net to deviate from my boredom


PS. The Rockets are playing tremendous basketball. I know the RGV is technically Spurs country, but give Yao, T-Mac and the boys some props on their winning streak. Besides the Rockets are our local affiliate.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears....(Airports and People at Them)

In tribute to Peter Griffin I have decided to post a semi-regular entry on "In The Key" on things that really irk me or tick me off and I am affectionately referring to it as "You Know What Really Grinds My Gears".

Obviously traveling is part of the routine when you are a professional broadcaster. I have ridden in buses for 15 and 16 hour trips when I was doing baseball. I have been in a ton of airports and in airplane after airplane. I have gotten pretty good at this traveling thing. My frequent flier miles prove it. Here is the problem, there are way to many morons who are flying nowadays and they make traveling in airports and airplanes unbearable. People act like they have never flown before. Maybe some of them haven't. That is no excuse.. LEARN. You are pissing frequent travelers like me off.
First off... When they are boarding an aircraft.. listen to the gate agent... when she says rows 20 and higher... she doesn't mean row 19. Row 5... She means rows 20 and higher... But idiots still get in line to get on the plane and clog the process because they put their oversized carry-on in the overhead bin in Row 7... while my ticket which has me in the back of the plane has me waiting behind this dude when he shouldn't even be boarding the plane yet.

Secondly, learn how to get through security. Ever since 9/11 there is a pretty extensive security process now. It is for your safety and mine. But, there is still a way to expedite the process. YES EVEN YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF!!! AND YOUR COAT. You are already in line get your laptop out already. Why wait and hold up the line! No a bottle of water is not allowed anymore. LIQUIDS... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT THEM IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE!! The secuirty process is long enough. Read These Before you ever get on a plane PLEASE!!

Also, the moving walkway is wide for a reason, if you are going to be lazy stand to the right, the left side is for people to walk to move along the long corridors faster! Move out of the way!! I know you want to talk to your friend about the awesome new shoes you bought...DO IT STANDING ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE WALKWAY/ESCALATOR!!

That is all....

On the Road again...

The boys left this morning for Denver and I am still here. Why? Well for those of you who don't know I am still taking classes at Texas-Pan American and I have a big exam to get ready for. Hopefully I do better than this kid did. The owners felt it was also better for me to go up the day of the game. Hey I am not complaining. I get to take my exam... um yay? But, I also get those extra frequent flier miles on Continental. Gotta love it. I also will not be calling the games in ABQ this weekend. and yes I refer to it as ABQ because I can never spell Albuquerque correctly. I will be announcing this boxing event on Friday so I will re-join the team back in Colorado for the Monday game the following week.

ABQ is a beautiful town though so I am gonna miss the travels. Coach Hoffman found a broadcaster he knew during his travels that will be filling in. I am sure the RGV will be glad to hear a different voice for a change.

I have to say I didn't get to see any of the NBA All-Star game. For one we had a game and after all my post-game duties were finished I wasn't about to follow a meaningless game that was already in progress. So I joined my former Sportsline producer Danny "The Danny" Castillon at a local watering hole... Hey I am not gonna say who... no free advertising on In The Key... I joined Danny to watch this WWE PPV. Yes I know its fake..But whatever its entertaining.

Vipers Versus Los Angeles Pre-Game

The D-League gets officially jipped during NBA All-Star Weekend. But hopefully that will be to the benefit of the Vipers today versus Los Angeles. Lets see, as the NBA prepares for its mid-season classic the D-League has three games on the slate. Although this one got postponed

Wait. Aren't we supposed to be using the D-League to promote the NBA in non-NBA markets? Shouldn't we want the D-League fans to be turning on TNT tonight at watching the All-Star game? Seems a little counterproductive to me.

Well I said that I thought there were three elite teams in this league earlier. Well the D-Fenders are one of them. It is hard to believe sometime that they play in, for the most part an EMPTY building since they play before the Lakers at STAPLES Center. Being close to the Lakers has helped the D-Fenders that is for sure. They run the triangle offense which of course is run by Phil Jackson and the Lakers, so if any of these guys get called up, they can fit right in with the Lakers.

Speaking of which, the Lakers have sent a player back down to the D-Fenders for further development. Coby Karl, the cancer survivor and son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. He is a good scorer who tends to be on the flashy side, sometimes a little too much. Solid player but definitely needs some time in the D-League before he can contribute on an NBA roster.

Should be a tough test for the boys tonight, but if they have a defensive effort like they had against Iowa and can keep it close, they deffiniltye have a chance to steal one tonight at home. Lets also hope Jelani McCoy and Sean Banks are a little road weary from their All-Star travels.

We'll see what happens.

Notes:
I have added Brian Sandalow's Killer Bee blog to my blog roll since apparently his feelings were hurt that it wasn't on their initially. He has denied this, but several FOBs have confirmed his displeasure with my not having him on the initial roll. So you can check out the Sandman on the right hand side.

OH HOW SWEET IT IS!!

Well it finally came. the nasty 10-game winning streak is over. I have to say it has been a long time coming. The guys certainly have earned wins a long time ago, but for some odd reason the scoreboard always seemed to favor the Vipers opponents. However, one win is fine and dandy like sour candy. But, it is still just one win. The Vipers have to build on this. I am reminded by Lou Brown's speech in Major League. "We won yesterday, if we win today that's 2 in a row, we win tomorrow that's called a winning streak. It has happened before!" I know we can turn this thing around and make it interesting. It will be a tough road to climb. But, the Vipers play a ton of games within the division and still a ton left at Dodge Arena. They may need to play .850 basketball the rest of the way. Stranger things have happened. It should be a fun ride.

The Indians of course made the playoffs and movie baseball history was made. I think there are 3 elite teams in this league (Los Angeles, Idaho, and Austin). Everyone else I think is a beatable team for the Vipers, but as we saw in the game on February 8th, the Vipers can match Austin hoop for hoop at times to. So going on a streak like Idaho went on, may be unlikely, but certainly very possible. I believe in these guys. I always chat with Quannas White, he is kind of my buddy on the team. We'll eat lunch together or what have you on the road. Anyways, he is a true floor general and although he doesn't light up the stat sheet, he makes his presence felt. He is an extension of Bob Hoffman on the court. Bob and Q have a great relationship, you can tell just by watching them in game situations. There is a reason Quannas has been MVP of minor league clubs in the past. He will be one of the big reasons this thing gets turned around.

By the way I have to say that FOB, Todd Mavreles our Vipers beat writer, who like me has covered every single pro sports team, is the ultimate flirt. I don't remember the exact quote from last night, or who it was directed towards. But, Todd "The Todd" Mavreles" is a ladies man.. so girls.. watch out.

Well we have reached the All-Star Break.. If you want to call it that. We have games bookending the break. We aren't sending anyone, which sucks in a way. But lets face it none of our starters were full time starters all season so it would have been tough for any of them to beat out any of the deserving guys that made it and CJ... although selected is an NBA guy now.. he isn't going to the game. So our guys actually get some much needed rest, unlike LA who has two of their best players competing in the game and having to fly in from New Orleans early Sunday to join them here in the Valley for their 5:00 pm game with us. Advantage RGV I think??

If you have a chance check out the D-League Dream Factory.. which is the D-League version of All-Star Saturday. It is all tonight the details are on the link above. It will stream live on D-League.com at 9 pm ET. The D-League All-Star Game will also stream live and be aired on NBA-TV at 3pm ET.

More posts this weekend guys...

Waiting impatiently....

People always ask me what I do when the team isn't playing and I am not preparing for a game. Well the answer to that question has always been different. When I was working in baseball I would say, well we play everyday for the most part so our off days I am usually catching up on sleep. When I was calling Texas-Pan American hoops I was usually travelling on those off days. (They try to make sure the guys and myself included, were going to class as much as possible) or I was working a desk job. So this is really the first unique situation where I have so much time in-between games. Frankly its never racking. But I don't nervously

I won't work on my notes until the day of the game. The stats won't be right unless I do. So I spend a lot of my time catching up on what is going on in RGV and College and Pro sports. I check out this site daily because I like to catch up what is going on with new baseball parks and sports arenas being built. But to be honest with you during this off-time in between games I am trying to catch up with local and pro sports that aren't the D-league. One of the things that happens to you is you get so engulffed in the team you are covering, you neglect all other sports around you.

No joke I was at the Taco Ole in Edinburg a few days ago paying at the register for my fine mexican dining. When a lady stopped me and said, "Hey you are one of the guys from Action 4 Sports X-tra aren't you." (One of my many side gigs because I am the RGVs media hog). I said yes ma'am, Alex Del Barrio nice to meet you. She brought up some high school football rumor she had heard from Rio Grande City and I had no idea what she was talking about. I obviously had not been abreast of this situation regarding the RGC football program or anything RGV sports other than the Vipers. A 16 of 18 stretch on the road will do that to you.

Even though our FOB (Friend of the Blog) Todd Mavreles beat me to the punch. Did anyone see former Viper forward Steve Novak knock down the game winner versus Sacramento on Wednesday. If not here is the You Tube of it....God Bless the internet.



While we are on a You Tube rush... I felt the need to include this McDonalds commercial for a hockey stick promotion. funny stuff


More after the game...Vipers taking on the Iowa Energy on Valentines Day

These are the ones hurt

In case you think that the travelling broadcaster does not have a rooting interest in the team he is employed by, think again. They hurt. In fact I would argue that a radio play-by-play man hurts the worst (emotionally) after a loss (other than the obvious coaches and players). I would love to tell you that I could care less who wins, and that calling the game is all that matters. This is not the case. I love what I do, and I love the teams I call games for. I am on the edge of my seat in the final moments of every close game and I hurt just like any big fan would hurt. I have had the opportunity to call games for some pretty good teams, and some pretty bad ones. But, I don't think I have ever been a part of a team that has had so many things go wrong for them in a sudden tail spin. I try to call the games down the line. I will say when we got hosed, and I will also say when I think we caught a break from these guys. I do have some journalistic integrity, but I also know who signs my pay-checks. It is all about playing that balance.

This team has too much talent to not get out of this. I spoke with Vipers assistant Brian Walsh in the post-game show yesterday after the game versus Colorado. We talked about how once this team finishes out a game, this whole thing will turn around. This team is getting leads against good teams, but putting the finishing touches on it is what is lacking right now. Things are going to get better, they already have been, but this team needs and deserves a win... bad.

So going back to the amount of emotion I put into my job. I threw my headset at one point during the overtime period during a time-out. Now the right-ear piece is no longer audible. I do have a history of this. So for those that think I dont care. I am violent with $400 headsets upset at losses.

By the way, I think I may have gotten in trouble with Jesse Smith's girl friend after I mentioned in Friday night's broadcast that Smith bore a striking resemblance to this WWE Legend. Trent Strickland agrees with me, Smith doesn't. Although he did say ,"Well if you guys think so, The Undertaker is awesome." So problem solved I guess. Comment and let me know what you think of our Viper center's resemblance to the phenom.

That's it for now. If you have questions feel free to send them to vipersradio@gmail.com. I will be happy to include them on the blog and maybe have a mail bag section every month.

-ADB

The Inagural Voyage

Seeing as everyone else in the world of sports, especially all the relevant sports media folks in the valley, are partaking in this new internet fad of blogging. I figured it was about time that I joined this fraternity of the blog. Afterall I am ADB and I have felt the need to be involved with just about every professional sports franchsie in the Valley. Furthermore since I am the radio play-by-play voice of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the newest team in the RGV and I travel with the guys I feel I can give the Viper fans all the inside info they would enjoy to read about, and get to read about all the trials and tribulations of being on the road. I have to say I was inspired by Mr. Todd Mavreles who also coined the name of the blog. He has his own Viper blog so make sure you peek in.

Well I would like to say things have been going well in Viper land, but they haven't. The team has dropped nine in a row and it seems likes the hurdle is getting harder and harder to climb over. We have been snakebitten this year (no pun intended). Twenty different players have worn Vipers uniforms. Lets re-cap and count like this guy. The Vipers have had two season ending injuries (Kevin Bookout, Chris Taft), three players leave for greener pastures overseas (Jarred Merrill, Gabe Muoneke, Kenny Taylor), one Gatorade Call-Up (CJ Watson), and four players assigned by NBA teams that have come and gone, (Steve Novak, Aaron Brooks, Cedric Simmons, Shannon Brown). AH AH AH. Sorry I was a big fan of The Count.

Anyways back to the basketball. Anytime you go through roster changes like this it is going to hurt. I was talking to Killer Bees broadcaster Rich Bocchini (here is his blog)about this and he was reminded when the Boston Red Sox had virtually depleted their farm system through trades to help the big league roster throughout the 90's thus rendering the Triple-A PawSox with an overabbundance of players who either weren't ready for Triple-A or had to take time to get acclimated to their surroundings. Thus the team suffered in the win-loss column while several of the top Red Sox farm hands were blossoming elsewhere. Not the same situation exaclty here but when you lose leading scorer after leading scorer your record is going to suffer. The Vipers have done what is asked of the D-League. DEVELOP. The Vipers have the first Gatorade Call-Up to sign a contract for the remainder of the season in Watson, while sending three players to bigger and better deals elsewhere. I have no doubt that if even one of those scorers was still here the Vipers would not be at the bottom of the SW Division.

Tonight is a big one versus Colorado. The Vipers trail the 14ers by 7 games for the final playoff spot. If the team is going to drive towards the post-season it has to happen tonight. By the way I know what you are thinking.."ADB, What the heck is a 14er?" Great you should ask luckily wikipedia has that answer for us. I think this is a winable game for the guys. It is at home and we played the 14ers tough the last few times out. This is the night... I can feel it. I wont guarnetee it, but I will say we are due for a good game and a win.

Stay tuned to the blog. It should be fun.