All posts by fighton1984

DUBS OT: No Steph/Draymond, No Shot – Raptors Blowout Warriors By 53

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

Without injured Steph Curry and Draymond Green the Warriors were blown out by 53 points on Friday night by the Raptors. Ray and Joe talk about some of the worst losses in NBA history and discuss the apparent lack of motivation for a playoff spot. Is James Wiseman regressing? Does Nico Mannion belong in the NBA right now? Important questions for Golden State as they struggle on the current road trip.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: Author Scott Howard-Cooper Talks About His Book “Steve Kerr, A Life”

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

We know Steve Kerr as the successful Warriors coach with three NBA titles, but there’s so much more to the man. Scott Howard-Cooper, an award-winning sports journalist, has authored an in-depth biography (coming out on June 15) assessing the life and career of Kerr. Scott joins Ray and Joe to talk about Steve Kerr, A Life. It’s a special podcast and a book you won’t want to miss!

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray With Scott Howard-Cooper

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: Lackluster Effort in LA, Wiseman Sits 1st 3 Qts, Are Oubre/Wiggins On Way Out?

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

The Warriors dropped four games in a row for the first time this season with a blowout loss to the LA Clippers. James Wiseman sat the first three quarters as discipline after missing a Covid test during the All Star break. Ray and Joe talk about if that was the right way to handle the situation. We also discuss whether or not the Warriors should trade Kelly Oubre and/or Andrew Wiggins before the deadline in two weeks. And, you’ll hear what we think about the new rotation with rookies Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: Poole Shines In 3rd Straight Loss In Phoenix, On To the All Star Break

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

The Warriors dropped three games in a row for the first time this season with a loss at Phoenix heading into the All Star break. Ray and Joe discuss the way Jordan Poole and James Wiseman performed in a game that didn’t include resting starters Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Kelly Oubre.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

Catch It! The NCAA Tournament Is Back In a Very Different Way

BALL, GLOVEWelcome to CATCH IT! — Joe Castellano’s personal observations about what’s going on in the world of sports.

Nobody was dancing. There were no shining moments. No upsets. No buzzer beaters. No cinderella stories. No Sister Jean from Loyola Chicago on TV.

No NCAA tournament in 2020. It was really just the beginning of a strange year in life and in sports.

But now as we try to get back to “normal” after dealing with that bad version of a Virus, the 2021 NCAA tournament is upon us with a different look. All of the games from the First Four to the Final Four will be played in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The bracket will be much different this season. As Andy Katz points out: NCAA.COM. . Can you imagine a tournament without Duke or Kentucky? North Carolina as a 10 seed? Michigan State as an 11 seed?

When it comes to information for betting on March Madness games, this is a great resource. Keep in mind that most sportsbooks will not offer a moneyline on games that have a spread greater than 15 points so don’t focus on those #1 vs #16 matchups, but you can still bet on some heavy favorites. Every game in the second round will be available for wagers. We all like to predict the National Champion and it can be quite lucrative even if you pick a #1 seed or other fairly high seed. In the last tournament in 2019, #1 seed Virginia won the title and the payoff was $950 on a $100 bet made three weeks before the tournament started. Runner-Up Texas Tech was a #3 seed and if they had won the final game in overtime the payout would have been $4,000 on a $100 wager! Picking the Final Four teams is an easier proposition and most sportsbooks will open future lines for each regional winner once the tournament field is established on Selection Sunday.

Sports Illustrated writers did a great job of breaking down some tournament topics: SI.COM.

Personally, I have a rooting interest for two schools, USC and Siena. As a 1984 USC grad I was happy to watch the Trojans perform as the best team in the Pac-12 this season. Maybe it’s time for them to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1954! But, I fear that Oregon might be the team from the conference that makes a deeper run in Indy.

As Kevin Sweeney from SI points out, the Ducks are “loaded with dynamic playmakers in the backcourt like Will Richardson and Chris Duarte, and versatile pieces up front like LJ Figueroa and Eugene Omoruyi. The Ducks dealt with injuries and COVID-19 issues that prevented them from having a full roster for much of the season, but now that they are healthy, I certainly wouldn’t want to see them in my quadrant of the bracket.”

I was the radio play-by-play voice of the Siena Saints from 1998-2002 and had a chance to call two NCAA tournament games. In 1999 under Paul Hewitt, Siena lost to Arkansas in the first round. Then in 2002 under Rob Lanier, the Saints lost to eventual champion Maryland, also in the first round (Siena had the lead for awhile in that one).  The Saints are the best team in the MAAC heading into their conference tournament so I like their chances of getting to Indy. Katz predicts a #15 seed for Siena and a matchup with #2 Alabama. Since #15 are 8-132 all time against #2 seeds it seems like a tall order to expect the Saints to advance, but consider some of the recent upsets-#15 seeds have won four first round games in the last eight NCAA tournaments. This might be the season the Saints do some damage: NCAA.COM.

Good luck with those brackets!

 

 

Catch It: 5 Seasons Of Cherished Memories With Joe Altobelli In Rochester, New York

BALL, GLOVEWelcome to CATCH IT! — Joe Castellano’s personal observations about what’s going on in the world of sports outside of The Sports Virus Podcasts

Today the baseball world lost a great man when former World Series winning manager Joe Altobelli passed away at the age of 88.

I had the privilege of spending five seasons working alongside Joe in the radio booth covering the Rochester Red Wings (1998-2002). He was a kind soul with an easy going personality. Everyone loved Alto.

Every night he had great baseball stories to tell, whether it be from winning the 1983 Series with the Baltimore Orioles or from his days managing the San Francisco Giants. I loved to reminisce about my hometown Giants with Joe, asking him what it was like to manage Jack Clark (my favorite player when I was in high school) or about his memories of Mike Ivie’s grand slam against the Dodgers in 1978. He had the Giants in first place for a while that season.

He always told Cal Ripken stories and was proud of playing him every inning of every game during his record playing streak.

Joe could also tell stories about his playing days (I can still hear him describing how he broke his toe nail every season with a foul ball and it would grow back by Christmas) and about the legendary teams he managed in Rochester in the 1970’s. He made Rochester his home and eventually became known as “Mr. Baseball” in Rochester.

He was so passionate about teaching the game. Another source of pride for him was when (as a Cubs coach) he helped develop Mark Grace from an average defensive first baseman to a gold glover.

I learned so much about the game of baseball from Joe. From how a manager should run a pitching staff, to defensive positioning, to lineup strategies, I had a lesson every broadcast and I was soaking it up. Sometimes he would just ask a question like “Would you send the runners here?” That would turn into another teaching moment for me and the listeners.

He was also an expert on how to deal with being in AAA when a Major League career might seem like a pipe dream for a player or even a broadcaster. “Don’t wish your life away” was his mantra. I never forgot that because even though one might wish for the future, the present is what’s important.

It’s a bummer that the Red Wings didn’t win another title with Alto in that booth. We won the Governor’s Cup in 1997, the year before he started broadcasting with me. Then the team fell flat in the years when we were together. But, that doesn’t diminish the joy we had and the cherished memories I have of that special time in my life.

Thanks Joe and rest in peace.

Please email all comments and questions to: [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow us on FACEBOOK. and TWITTER.

Artwork courtesy of: Suzie Armagost.

DUBS OT: Dunk City, Draymond’s Revenge vs Hornets Result In 1st 3-Game Winning Streak

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

Draymond Green admittedly gave away a recent game in Charlotte with a late double technical, so Friday night he was looking for revenge against the Hornets at Chase Center and he got it with a career high 19 assists as the Warriors won three straight games for the first time this season. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 27 points on 11/15 FG as Golden State shot 61% from the field in a game that featured numerous dunks and other easy baskets for the Dubs. Ray and Joe take a close look at why Oubre is playing well, discuss holes in the second unit and assess the very challenging upcoming schedule.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: No Centers, No Draymond, But Bazemore Helps Dubs Pull Off Comeback W vs MIA

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

With James Wiseman (wrist) and Kevon Looney (ankle) still out and Draymond Green sitting with a sore ankle the Warriors still pulled off a stunning comeback from down 19 points to beat Miami in overtime on Wednesday night. Ray and Joe discuss how Kent Bazemore (26 points) led the attack and Steph Curry came up with key three-pointers after a miserable first three quarters of shooting. Green’s Monday comments about treatment of NBA players are also topic of conversation.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: 20 Turnovers Doom Dubs In House of Horrors, Should GS Push Envelope On Curry Minutes?

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

Steph Curry followed up his 57-point game in Dallas with a 32-point effort and more sensational shots in San Antonio, but the result was the same – a close loss. 20 Golden State turnovers were a big part of the reason the Warriors dropped a game in San Antonio for the 41st time in the last 44 games there. Ray and Joe debate when Curry should come back into the game in the 4th quarter of close games after Steve Kerr explains his big picture viewpoint.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Featured photo courtesy of CBS Sports
Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)

DUBS OT: Another Big Curry Night, But Dubs Not “Big” Enough vs Celts – Time To Trade Oubre?

Welcome to the DUBS OT 

Basketball Podcast

Hosted By

Joe Castellano

Ray Woodson

Updated weekly on TheSportsVirus.com 

The Warriors were already without center James Wiseman (wrist injury, out 7-10 days) when Kevon Looney also went down with a twisted ankle in a 111-107 loss to the Celtics. Ray and Joe dissect the game which included a 38-point night from Steph Curry. Kelly Oubre wasn’t at his best and we are left to wonder if his days in San Francisco are numbered.

Click Here And Listen To Joe & Ray

Featured photo courtesy of “Golden State of Mind”
Listen to our other Podcasts all year long.

DUBS OT is also available on ITUNES.

facebook logo<Connect With Us On Social TwitterMedia>

(Click on Facebook and Twitter images to interact with TheSportsVirus)