on the topic of cars, sports, girls

Just kidding about the girls (i’ll save that for another conversation).  Since some have commented on my last post. 

I sometimes kick myself for not getting the STI (additional 13k) back in 2003, but looking back, it would have been the incorrect move since I made a career switch a year earlier from science to corporate life (the transition phase was buying used textbooks for really cheap at libraries and book fairs across Florida and Georgia and selling them online for a profit).  I had only been in the company for 4 months then and was on the bottom of the pay scale.  The money I saved that day eventually went to pay for my sister’s college tuition–a much better investment.  So in the end, I’m happy with the decision not to go with the STI. 

I’ve got my eyes on possibly another Subaru, a VW GTI (sport), Audi A4/S4, Saab 9-3 Sport, Lexus IS 250/350 (manual transmission only in the 250…).  A car with personality that’s also not on everyone’s wish list (BMW, Mercedes, etc). 

I’ll need to replace my stock brake pads (front and rear) with some aftermarket (Axxis Ultimates) ones for better braking.  After that, get my stereo fixed (hasn’t worked since late 2003). 

I’m not a huge soccer fan, but I do like wearing soccer apparrel (preferrably without team logos).  Usually very lightweight and breathable for outdoors stuff and not too thuggish-looking (unlike basketball apparrel) for casual wear.  But I sense that Italy will win on Sunday. 

While the officiating during the Finals wasn’t all that great (though not nearly as bad as that of the SuperBowl), what did the Mavs in was their passive play in the second half of Games 3,4, and 6, where they just settled for the jump shot.  The fact that they didn’t drive to the basket all that much also meant that they missed out on some opportunities to get some calls, since the odds of a player driving to the basket getting a call is greater than someone taking a jump shot (the article on 82games misses this point).  The ‘touch’ foul in Game 5 was questionable, although I thought the call in Game 6 where they called a foul on Nowitzki when it seemed like Wade initiated the contact was more dubious.      

Maybe it started with poor rebounding which meant less fast breaks (the Mavs’ offense is built on medium-fast tempo).  It was ripe for the Mavs’ taking, considering how ineffective Shaq was in the series.  If Dirk had been a tad more aggressive on the offensive end down the stretch (not sure why he was seen guarding Wade towards the end of ballgames…a clear mismatch), perhaps the Mavs probably would’ve won the series.  

I personally wasn’t a big fan of the J.J. Redick selection (especially coming off a DWI).  DeShawn Stevenson (who they’re trying to re-sign) is a pretty good defender though, so maybe that’s a good balancing act?