Does it ever irk you when a team with sooooo much talent decides that they are bigger than the league, and then picks and chooses when to turn it off and on? When we see this question, are we immediately thinking the 2009 version of the Los Angeles Lakers, now known as the "Lakeshow"?
To you Laker fans, cool it with the Lakeshow nonsense. Yes I know that even my Chicago Bulls championship teams decided to turn it off and on once in a while, just like the great teams of the Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, and even the Spurs probably did every now and then. But lets make something very clear, this version of the Lakers goes above and beyond anything else we have ever seen. They are pretty much toying with teams that have no business even beating them once (let alone 3 times) in a seven game series. As Charles and Kenny put it, its gotten to a point where they are almost disrespecting the league. Oh, and none of those other aforementioned teams named their brand of basketball as a "show".
Let me give you Laker fans a little bit of education here. If you want to be called a "show", the results don't always have to be the same, but the consistancy of effort and passion throughout the duration of the game, each and every time out, does need to be there. Any Tom, Dick, and Harry (or Tammy, Dianna, and Hiliary for that matter) can see this is not the case with the 2009 version of the Lakers. Also, win a championship before you proclaim yourselves as being "The Show", like the St. Louis Rams did before they were deemed "The Greatest Show on Turf".
Even if the Lakers get passed the "Baby Blue Machine", either the "Magic Triks" or the "Cavrabatics" will be next, ready and waiting, to put the reeling "Lakeshow" out of business for at least the rest of the summer, and hopefully, if Kobe has anything to say about it, forever! Just a thought.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Waiting for THE man in the middle
After the NBA Draft Lottery last week, the buzz around the top basketball prospects has gotten louder. After Blake Griffin, there's a clear drop off with the next 2 picks a reported toss up between the highly skilled Spaniard Ricky Rubio and UConn's shot-blocking specialist Hasheem Thabeet.
While scouts are careful to point out that Thabeet's offensive skills are underdeveloped, his stock is entirely based on his length and his potential to be a dominant big man in this league. That fact is - you can't teach 7 foot 3 inches. Whether Thabeet ends up as a Grizzly, a Thunder, or a King, there are going to be some unfairly high expectations placed on the big man to hold it down in the middle. No matter how good Thabeet ends up being, I am pretty certain he is going to fall short.
Why are our expectations for new bigs in this league so high? Why have centers like Greg Oden been such a disappointment? What exactly are we waiting for?
For argument's sake, let consider the two centers who are considered to be at the forefront of the 5: Yao Ming and Dwight Howard. (I am not including Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett in this discussion because they are listed as forwards. Sorry guys, but you wrote yourselves off by claiming that position.) Sure, Yao couples his skill with a grace that doesn't come naturally to others with his size, but his career has been ridden with injuries and his lack of killer-instinct has repeatedly been exploited. Howard's athleticism is unparalleled, but the majority of his offense is created off the boards and when the game is on the line, he's setting screens and clearing out of the paint for Hedo Turkoglu.
Yao and Howard are examples of how we are willing to overlook shortcomings and exaggerate effectiveness of a center just so we can have titans to marvel at. We give them the benefit of the doubt and consider them "dominant" without attaching any caveats. The truth - Yao Ming is a great center "for his time." Dwight Howard is dominant "for his time."
If you disagree with that, consider where they stand in the pantheon of NBA's big men? Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwan, David Robinson account for numerous scoring titles, defensive player of the year awards, All-NBA selections, and all 4 the non-Bulls championships in the 90's.
The Hoya triumvirate of Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, Patrick Ewing represent the most resilient and durable group of centers the NBA has ever seen: Zo played 15 seasons, outlasted FSGS and a kidney transplant, and was perhaps the most intense and emotional player in NBA history; Deke played 18 seasons, won defensive player of the year 4 times, and intimidated the hell out of opponents with just a wave of his finger; and Chewing played 17 seasons, is considered the one of the best players in Knick's franchise history, and starred in his own Snickers commercial!
Looking back a few generations, and you'll find even more dominant big men. Wilt Chamberlain holds NBA all-time records for points (100) and rebounds (55) in a single game; Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scoring; and Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 years and is now the namesake for the NBA Final's MVP award.
I think we are desperately waiting to relive the glory days of the NBA when the best players in the league not named Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird where larger than life, literally. It probably won't be Oden or Thabeet that brings those days back. I don't think Yao or Howard are cutting it today. But there will be someone, some newbie giant that someday will make the 5th position the most important position again.
Until then, we'll have to settle for the LeBron/Kobe/D-Wade show.
While scouts are careful to point out that Thabeet's offensive skills are underdeveloped, his stock is entirely based on his length and his potential to be a dominant big man in this league. That fact is - you can't teach 7 foot 3 inches. Whether Thabeet ends up as a Grizzly, a Thunder, or a King, there are going to be some unfairly high expectations placed on the big man to hold it down in the middle. No matter how good Thabeet ends up being, I am pretty certain he is going to fall short.
Why are our expectations for new bigs in this league so high? Why have centers like Greg Oden been such a disappointment? What exactly are we waiting for?
For argument's sake, let consider the two centers who are considered to be at the forefront of the 5: Yao Ming and Dwight Howard. (I am not including Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett in this discussion because they are listed as forwards. Sorry guys, but you wrote yourselves off by claiming that position.) Sure, Yao couples his skill with a grace that doesn't come naturally to others with his size, but his career has been ridden with injuries and his lack of killer-instinct has repeatedly been exploited. Howard's athleticism is unparalleled, but the majority of his offense is created off the boards and when the game is on the line, he's setting screens and clearing out of the paint for Hedo Turkoglu.
Yao and Howard are examples of how we are willing to overlook shortcomings and exaggerate effectiveness of a center just so we can have titans to marvel at. We give them the benefit of the doubt and consider them "dominant" without attaching any caveats. The truth - Yao Ming is a great center "for his time." Dwight Howard is dominant "for his time."
If you disagree with that, consider where they stand in the pantheon of NBA's big men? Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwan, David Robinson account for numerous scoring titles, defensive player of the year awards, All-NBA selections, and all 4 the non-Bulls championships in the 90's.
The Hoya triumvirate of Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, Patrick Ewing represent the most resilient and durable group of centers the NBA has ever seen: Zo played 15 seasons, outlasted FSGS and a kidney transplant, and was perhaps the most intense and emotional player in NBA history; Deke played 18 seasons, won defensive player of the year 4 times, and intimidated the hell out of opponents with just a wave of his finger; and Chewing played 17 seasons, is considered the one of the best players in Knick's franchise history, and starred in his own Snickers commercial!
Looking back a few generations, and you'll find even more dominant big men. Wilt Chamberlain holds NBA all-time records for points (100) and rebounds (55) in a single game; Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scoring; and Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 years and is now the namesake for the NBA Final's MVP award.
I think we are desperately waiting to relive the glory days of the NBA when the best players in the league not named Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird where larger than life, literally. It probably won't be Oden or Thabeet that brings those days back. I don't think Yao or Howard are cutting it today. But there will be someone, some newbie giant that someday will make the 5th position the most important position again.
Until then, we'll have to settle for the LeBron/Kobe/D-Wade show.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Raven: 100,000 Miles and Counting
The NBA isn’t the only place where amazing happens. Just ask Miami Beach's Robert "the Raven” Craft, about his lifelong journey that started on January 1st 1975. A lifelong journey that has taken him through the Watergate scandal, 7 presidencies, 5 Hurricane football national championships, the rise and fall of Vanilla Ice, and most importantly, the birth of each of the 5 brown guys.So who is this "Raven" character and what about his lifelong journey has this brown guy in such awe?
What if I told you that in the span of 35 years, this man has run the circumference of the Earth (24,901.55 miles) four times? What if I told you that for the last 35 years or so, this man has run 8 miles every single day through physical ailments, pneumonia, inclement weather, and the distraction of beautiful women on Miami Beach? What if I told you that this man’s HDL (good cholesterol) is so high that it’s probably unmeasurable? (That last one was for all you super-nerds out there).
Let us take a collective moment of silence to awe at this ridiculous feat.
[Pause]
A plethora (yes I used a thesaurus) of words came to my mind after hearing this story: insane, psycho, loser, ridiculous, why, seriously, no way, get the hell out of here, and daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaymnnnnnnnn. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the words discipline, determination, and motivation better represented Raven’s feat and attitude on life—an attitude that more of us should have.
So whether it be the residency that you will soon be starting, the triathlon that you will be partaking in, the love of your life that you just can’t seem to find, the interviews that you will soon be going on, or the fear of starting 3rd year medical school, just keep in mind those three words—discipline, determination, and motivation. And remember that the Raven’s journey to 100,000 miles began with a single step.
(Insert Joke Here): Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the NBA by winning the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes by drawing the first pick in the NBA Lottery. The NBA Lottery is one of the more exciting draft processes we have today in sports. The worst team doesn't necessarily get the best pick.
As soon as the Clips won, their team president Andy Roeser said, "We’re going to do our due diligence," during a national conference call after the lottery. "Then, we’re going to pick the best player in the draft.” A wise move, but then he followed that up the next day by saying he thinks Griffin is the right fit. Even head coach Mike Dunleavy agreed that Griffin is the player they want. I do believe Griffin is the best player in the upcoming draft; however, a savior he is not. He will end up being just another lost piece with great potential in LA.
In the business world or on a poker table, it is wise never to show your entire hand. Yet, the Clips have already announced that Griffin will be a Clipper. Although the chances of this happening is 99%, what about the option of trading the pick? They completely eliminated many other options by openly proclaiming their love for Griffin. If Griffin is the best player, maybe they should wait for summer league play and let stock to skyrocket. Why not wait for another team to be so anxious that they end up trading for the number 1 pick? The team doesn't have a good history with draft picks. so one would think they would look at all possible routes before making a decision. Guess not! Last year, Pat Riley never said what he was going to do until the Heat were on the clock. He essentially exhausted all other options and chose a player based upon all the information provided.
It's pretty obvious to me obvious why this team has been in the draft lottery more times than any other NBA franchise.
As soon as the Clips won, their team president Andy Roeser said, "We’re going to do our due diligence," during a national conference call after the lottery. "Then, we’re going to pick the best player in the draft.” A wise move, but then he followed that up the next day by saying he thinks Griffin is the right fit. Even head coach Mike Dunleavy agreed that Griffin is the player they want. I do believe Griffin is the best player in the upcoming draft; however, a savior he is not. He will end up being just another lost piece with great potential in LA.
In the business world or on a poker table, it is wise never to show your entire hand. Yet, the Clips have already announced that Griffin will be a Clipper. Although the chances of this happening is 99%, what about the option of trading the pick? They completely eliminated many other options by openly proclaiming their love for Griffin. If Griffin is the best player, maybe they should wait for summer league play and let stock to skyrocket. Why not wait for another team to be so anxious that they end up trading for the number 1 pick? The team doesn't have a good history with draft picks. so one would think they would look at all possible routes before making a decision. Guess not! Last year, Pat Riley never said what he was going to do until the Heat were on the clock. He essentially exhausted all other options and chose a player based upon all the information provided.
It's pretty obvious to me obvious why this team has been in the draft lottery more times than any other NBA franchise.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My favorite Nike puppet
If you've been watching any playoff basketball this season, I'm sure you've noticed the Nike ads featuring the "Most Valuable Puppet" avatars of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. If you haven't, here and here.What I like most about this ad campaign is how the puppets' personalities truly reflect their human counterparts. Lil' Kobe's projects a mellow arrogance, flaunting his extensive playoff and championship experience. Lil' Lebron cannot contain his enthusiasm for the post-season, Ohio, and Chinese food.
I'm assuming these commercials will run through the end of the post-season. Over the course of the next week, we'll see if the real LeBron and Kobe can outlast their marionette mini-me's by meeting in the Finals.
The focus of this article, however, is my favorite Nike puppet - puppeT, singular. It's not about Kobe and LeBron. Flash back about 13 years, and you may recall a loud-mouthed, smack-talkin' figurine by the name of Lil' Penny!
In my mind, the Lil' Penny ad campaign represent some of my greatest memories of the '90s: Anfernee Hardaway's potential, Chris Rock one-liners, Tyra Banks, Gheorghe Muresan, and the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever owned, the Nike Air Penny 2 (photo below). If all that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy feeling, I feel sorry for you.Unfortunately for Penny, we remember little else from his career besides an eastern conference championship and the emotional scars from Shaquille O'Neal's departure for Hollywood and a series of less-than-mediocre comebacks after injury. At least we can still watch the commercials.
Hats off to Nike for creating a series of new (and likely more successful) puppets, but I'll never forget Lil' Penny and the puppet empire that could have been. "If the Academy don't recognize this, we got a problem."Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Enduring a Wall Street Run
This brown guy participated in the American Heart Association's Wall Street Endurance sports are not something the general population considers a sport until the Olympics roll around. Perhaps the idea of intentionally subjecting oneself to grueling physical activity without the prospect of scoring points or necessarily winning anything is strange to us. We're so used to thinking of sports in terms of win-loss records and "the team."
For those who participate in endurance sports, it's all about personal accomplishment. Whether it's running, biking, or swimming, success is about pushing yourself to the limit to achieve your goals without regard to the guy next to you. Sure, it'd be nice to win the race, but getting to the finish line or beating your previous time is usually enough. When you're on the road and in the zone, you have nothing to prove to anyone except yourself.
At least that's been my experience.
Predictions
Alright brownies, I say that we should play a little game here. The Conference Finals are starting tonight, and I say we should predict. The proposed rules are simple and are as follows:
PS- I propose the winner gets to give Jiggly a wet willy since he is not gonna win anyway!
- If the team you pick wins their series, you get 5 points
- If you pick the incorrect team, but pick the number of games the series will go correctly, you will get 2 points
- If you pick the correct team and the number of games correctly, you get 10 points
- The first tie breaker will be the NBA Finals winner
- The second tie breaker will be your two finals teams' average points per game
- If theres a third tie breaker we should never play this game again
PS- I propose the winner gets to give Jiggly a wet willy since he is not gonna win anyway!
Chancey Billups: Mr. Big Shot
Age ain’t nothing but a number. This certainly holds true for 12 year veteran Chauncey Billups who is headed to his 7th straight conference finals appearance. That’s right. I said seven. He holds himself in good company as only Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar have ever accomplished this amazing feat.
So what makes Chauncey so reliable year after year? He doesn’t have Chris Paul’s killer crossover; he doesn’t have Derrick Rose’s speed, and he doesn’t have Deron Williams’ vision. But what he does have is a basketball IQ and leadership mentality that is second to none among NBA point guards.
This season we are witnessing exactly how valuable Billups’ basketball IQ and leadership are to the Denver Nuggets. Billups has completely transformed this team and has led them to a franchise record of 54 wins. But it's not the regular season where Billups’s impact and basketball IQ will be felt. After all, the Nuggets won 50 games last season, so 54 wins is not that much more. But lets take a look at last years playoff run (which was nonexistent) versus this years playoff run. Last year, the Nuggets got completely embarrassed by the Lakers in the first round. Lakers 4 - Nuggets 0. This year, they're 8-2 in the playoffs, winning the majority of their games convincingly. And the two games they lost were very close. Before Billups, the Nuggets lacked maturity - when things got tougher in the playoffs, they couldn't handle it. They shut down, and they lost their cool. This year, it's the Nuggets who have executed. That's no accident - that's Billups's influence.
The Nuggets and Lakers will be an exciting matchup with a much different outcome than last year. If I were the Lakers, I’d brace myself for a tough series. The Nuggets have the firepower, defense, and front line that will cause the Lakers significant problems. Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, they have a world-class point guard and floor general in Chauncey Billups.
Nuggets in 6.
So what makes Chauncey so reliable year after year? He doesn’t have Chris Paul’s killer crossover; he doesn’t have Derrick Rose’s speed, and he doesn’t have Deron Williams’ vision. But what he does have is a basketball IQ and leadership mentality that is second to none among NBA point guards.
This season we are witnessing exactly how valuable Billups’ basketball IQ and leadership are to the Denver Nuggets. Billups has completely transformed this team and has led them to a franchise record of 54 wins. But it's not the regular season where Billups’s impact and basketball IQ will be felt. After all, the Nuggets won 50 games last season, so 54 wins is not that much more. But lets take a look at last years playoff run (which was nonexistent) versus this years playoff run. Last year, the Nuggets got completely embarrassed by the Lakers in the first round. Lakers 4 - Nuggets 0. This year, they're 8-2 in the playoffs, winning the majority of their games convincingly. And the two games they lost were very close. Before Billups, the Nuggets lacked maturity - when things got tougher in the playoffs, they couldn't handle it. They shut down, and they lost their cool. This year, it's the Nuggets who have executed. That's no accident - that's Billups's influence.
The Nuggets and Lakers will be an exciting matchup with a much different outcome than last year. If I were the Lakers, I’d brace myself for a tough series. The Nuggets have the firepower, defense, and front line that will cause the Lakers significant problems. Oh yeah, and if that’s not enough, they have a world-class point guard and floor general in Chauncey Billups.
Nuggets in 6.
A Fair Fan vs. Fanfare
This post is in response to Speaking of Fanfare. After I finished reading this article, I had the same reaction as I had this morning when I heard James Harrison's reasoning for deciding not to make the trip to the White House with the rest of his teammates, WTF?? Oh, and just to set the record straight, I was one of the two fellow Florida brown guys that was called out.
Now I do agree with my fellow brownie that there are many people out there that go for the best team at the time they start following sports and then ride into the sunset. However, I do not feel that this is the majority and this sure as hell is not me!
Lets start with baseball. My favorite team is the Atlanta Braves, who I started watching religiously starting at the age of 4 (circa 1986) mainly because of the national coverage of TBS. Now lets take the win-loss records of the Braves from 86-90 (before 1991, the first year of Atlanta's started their run of 14 consecutive division titles).
Lets go to basketball now. My favorite team is the Chicago Bulls, who I started watching in the late 80s on WGN. I will admit that I was completely mesmerized by Michael Jordan, but who wasn't? Yes, the Bulls do differ from the Braves in that they were a legit team in the NBA when I started watching. However, they were not the best in the late 80s. MJ was not even known as the best player back then. He did not get that label until they won their first championship in '91. Before that, they were losing to the Pistons in the playoffs year after year. Again, more tears and heartbreak. Any Orlando Magic or Miami Heat Sighting? Not until 1990, but my 'loyalty' to the Bulls had already been established.
Now the last of my favorite teams, the Miami Dolphins. Wow, a Florida team? But why? Maybe its because they were the only professional sports team to exist in the state of Florida 20 years ago. And this team has not even come close to winning a championship in my lifetime (poor Dan Marino). Yet more heartbreak, but in this case, still waiting for the euphoria.
My fellow brown guy has a bit of point, as I mentioned earlier, but he is talking about a small minority of fans. People connect with their teams in various ways. Something always sparks the bond, and it does not always have to be the city, town, or country you live in. It could be a nation wide cable network where you just see more of a particular team on television, it could be a player that catches your eye, or maybe you just like that team's style of play. No matter what your reason or story is for picking your favorite team, I think most of us struggle before we feel the euphoria of winning it all. And its that struggle that makes us cry over them even more, makes us hope even more, makes us love them even more, and makes us become more and more 'loyal' to them, as each disappointing year passes.
So to all of you "Speaking of Fanfare" and James Harrison fans, I am not a fan!
Now I do agree with my fellow brownie that there are many people out there that go for the best team at the time they start following sports and then ride into the sunset. However, I do not feel that this is the majority and this sure as hell is not me!
Lets start with baseball. My favorite team is the Atlanta Braves, who I started watching religiously starting at the age of 4 (circa 1986) mainly because of the national coverage of TBS. Now lets take the win-loss records of the Braves from 86-90 (before 1991, the first year of Atlanta's started their run of 14 consecutive division titles).
- 1986: 72 wins 89 losses (last place in division)
- 1987: 69 wins 92 losses (5th place in division)
- 1988: 54 wins 106 losses (last place in division)
- 1989: 63 wins 97 losses (last place in division)
- 1990: 65 wins 97 losses (last place in division)
Lets go to basketball now. My favorite team is the Chicago Bulls, who I started watching in the late 80s on WGN. I will admit that I was completely mesmerized by Michael Jordan, but who wasn't? Yes, the Bulls do differ from the Braves in that they were a legit team in the NBA when I started watching. However, they were not the best in the late 80s. MJ was not even known as the best player back then. He did not get that label until they won their first championship in '91. Before that, they were losing to the Pistons in the playoffs year after year. Again, more tears and heartbreak. Any Orlando Magic or Miami Heat Sighting? Not until 1990, but my 'loyalty' to the Bulls had already been established.
Now the last of my favorite teams, the Miami Dolphins. Wow, a Florida team? But why? Maybe its because they were the only professional sports team to exist in the state of Florida 20 years ago. And this team has not even come close to winning a championship in my lifetime (poor Dan Marino). Yet more heartbreak, but in this case, still waiting for the euphoria.
My fellow brown guy has a bit of point, as I mentioned earlier, but he is talking about a small minority of fans. People connect with their teams in various ways. Something always sparks the bond, and it does not always have to be the city, town, or country you live in. It could be a nation wide cable network where you just see more of a particular team on television, it could be a player that catches your eye, or maybe you just like that team's style of play. No matter what your reason or story is for picking your favorite team, I think most of us struggle before we feel the euphoria of winning it all. And its that struggle that makes us cry over them even more, makes us hope even more, makes us love them even more, and makes us become more and more 'loyal' to them, as each disappointing year passes.
So to all of you "Speaking of Fanfare" and James Harrison fans, I am not a fan!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Speaking of Fanfare…
When is it fair to be a fan? How do we become fans? I for one do not have any respect for fans whose entire basis of loyalty was dependent on the team’s success at the initial time they started watching the sport. Yeah, this is even calling out some of my brown guy entourage - one does not even know where Dallas is on a map and the other hates the Cubs, yet loves the Bulls.
The excuse is, “When I started watching the sport, I followed the best team at the time.” Then, they try to justify it with, “Well, I have been a fan of that team even through the bad times.” The premise is wrong; you were originally a fan of that team because they were good, not because you had a connection with them. They weren’t representing your city, your school, your state, not even your favorite animal. It’s hard for a building to stay up when its foundation is made of crap. When the Olympics roll around, I am not just a fan of the Chinese gymnastic team because they were good when I started watching the Olympics. I am, and always will be, a fan of the USA because I am connected to them.
So, to all those, “Oh they were good when I started watching,” fans, I have one thing to say. I am not a fan.
The excuse is, “When I started watching the sport, I followed the best team at the time.” Then, they try to justify it with, “Well, I have been a fan of that team even through the bad times.” The premise is wrong; you were originally a fan of that team because they were good, not because you had a connection with them. They weren’t representing your city, your school, your state, not even your favorite animal. It’s hard for a building to stay up when its foundation is made of crap. When the Olympics roll around, I am not just a fan of the Chinese gymnastic team because they were good when I started watching the Olympics. I am, and always will be, a fan of the USA because I am connected to them.
So, to all those, “Oh they were good when I started watching,” fans, I have one thing to say. I am not a fan.
Really, ESPN? Do you think we should try vitaminwater??
Wow.
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Screen capture from ESPN.com
After opening the ESPN home page this morning, it's clear that in this economy, ESPN needs every advertising dollar it can lay its hands on. Not much more to say except the vitaminwater commercial is set to great music - "Fanfare" by Black Violin.
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Screen capture from ESPN.comFriday, May 15, 2009
Why Sports are AWESOME
I think I speak for 90% of the male population when I say that sports are awesome. But why? What makes them so interesting? Are we playing the other team? Are we earning the millions of dollars? Are we "livin' the good life"? NO. So what is so appealing?
The standard answer to that question is entertainment. You are looking at the original reality TV show. There is a story behind rivalries and drama in LeBron vs. Kobe, Federer vs. Nadal, Crosby vs. Ovechkin, and Tiger vs. Phil. It climaxes in the middle of the year and during a push for the playoffs (except for college football, different article). There is sadness in defeat, happy endings in championships. Sports really are the perfect Disney story. But I think the answer lies deeper.
Come lay down on the couch. Let's talk it out. I would like to think most of us attempted to play a sport at some point. Whether it was kickball at recess, hitting stones with a branch in your backyard, or getting 8 dudes together and playing tackle football in the snow, we all tried. And unfortunately, we have all also lost. Losing a competitive game is probably one of the worst feelings any of us probably experienced in our young fragile lives. It is even worse if you are the reason your team lost. Please God just don't let it be me that drops that fly ball. Not me that drops that last second touchdown pass. But at the same token, we have also all won (unless you were just a loser). What an amazing feeling to win, and even more exhilarating, to know you were involved in that success somehow.
The standard answer to that question is entertainment. You are looking at the original reality TV show. There is a story behind rivalries and drama in LeBron vs. Kobe, Federer vs. Nadal, Crosby vs. Ovechkin, and Tiger vs. Phil. It climaxes in the middle of the year and during a push for the playoffs (except for college football, different article). There is sadness in defeat, happy endings in championships. Sports really are the perfect Disney story. But I think the answer lies deeper.
Come lay down on the couch. Let's talk it out. I would like to think most of us attempted to play a sport at some point. Whether it was kickball at recess, hitting stones with a branch in your backyard, or getting 8 dudes together and playing tackle football in the snow, we all tried. And unfortunately, we have all also lost. Losing a competitive game is probably one of the worst feelings any of us probably experienced in our young fragile lives. It is even worse if you are the reason your team lost. Please God just don't let it be me that drops that fly ball. Not me that drops that last second touchdown pass. But at the same token, we have also all won (unless you were just a loser). What an amazing feeling to win, and even more exhilarating, to know you were involved in that success somehow.
Here is my point. Somewhere along the line, we all hated being responsible for a loss, but enjoyed being the reason for a win. I think watching competitive sports allows us to have the best of both worlds. Yeah, it sucks when your favorite team loses, but for you personally, life goes on - you didn't lose that game, you didn't drop that ball. Most of the time you don't hold on to those losses beyond a few weeks. But if your team wins, it was all about "us" - "we" WON. Ten years later, it was US that won that time. How can it get much better then that? Its a win-win situation. This brown guy likes those odds.
Culpability Resides with SVG
This article is in response to Can Stan? Really?? Maybe We Should Blame it on Kryptonite Instead.
The person most responsible for the Magic’s downfall this postseason is SVG- STAN VAN GUNDY. He might look like a teddy bear, but he bares more of a resemblance to Ron Jeremy. The uproar of getting rid of Van Gundy did not start after their most recent 4th quarter melt down; it actually started when they struggled down the stretch of the regular season which then started to translate in the postseason.
Let me start off by first thanking SVG for the job he has done with the organization. I believe he is a good coach, and the wins differential from his tenure with the organization proves that without a shadow of doubt. He brought some new life to the organization that was treated like some ugly girl that no one wanted to touch….I’m talking to you Mr. Billy Donovan. (Also, I believe Billy Donovan is on crack if he thinks the University of Florida program is better than the University of Kentucky program.)
SVG made the Magic relevant again in the NBA; however, to think that he made the team of players into superstars is ABSURD. Did he really do a fine job with Hedo or did Hedo finally get the playing time he deserved (Average playing time in Sacramento 21 mins/game and with Orlando 32 mins/game.) My fellow brown guy also made reference to Rashard Lewis aka the worst max franchise player in NBA history. Rashard Lewis is actually playing worse in Orlando when compared to his Seattle days. In his last few years in Seattle, he was averaging 20pts/game and 6 Rebounds/game. Those numbers are better than his average Orlando Magic numbers. The numbers never lie! With that said, I attribute the much love Rashard has received to being in a market with at least some publicity and actually maturing his game. How many people know that Griffey Jr is playing baseball right now in Seattle?
Now to the player that irks me most, Mr. Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston). I 100% agree with the my fellow brown guy in that Magic losing Nelson was monumental especially considering the career year he was having. However, to suggest Rafer Alson is a legitimate point guard is irrational. Does a 5:2 assist turnover ratio sound good to you? I do believe Rafer was the best option available, but who isn’t when compared to Tyronn Lue. The one stat that makes me despise Rafer the most and illustrates why Houston traded him besides just the age issue is a 38% field goal percentage. How many shots do you see him take a game and say to yourself ‘DON’T SHOOT THAT,’ because missing open shots is one thing but forcing jumpers and teardrops in the lane is another.
Now to the person the critics believe is mainly responsible, my superhero and yours, Dwight Howard. Dwight needs to take the frustration at his coach and turn it into energy on the court. I agree to be dominant you got to be assertive. Kobe, Lebron, and Wade all dominate NBA games because they make sure when it matters, the ball is in their hands. If you agree Dwight has no offensive game and that he is just good to give the ball to get a double team which enables the 3 point shot, then why would Van Gundy not let Dwight touch the ball for a good 7 minute span in the 4th?
In conclusion, why can’t Magic fans demand a coaching fire? They are more talented than the Celtics, yet display no heart or calmness. The coach’s job is to fire up his group but also to know when to push the players’ buttons. How many times do you see Phil Jackson yelling? Van Gundy did a great job to this point, but why should fans settle for the 2nd round just because they didn’t get there the year before. Maybe the next coach can take them to the next level. How many people believe Jon Gruden is better than Tony Dungy? NOT EVEN CLOSE. Yet, I highly doubt Dungy would have been able to bring a Super Bowl to Tampa.
Just a thought.
The person most responsible for the Magic’s downfall this postseason is SVG- STAN VAN GUNDY. He might look like a teddy bear, but he bares more of a resemblance to Ron Jeremy. The uproar of getting rid of Van Gundy did not start after their most recent 4th quarter melt down; it actually started when they struggled down the stretch of the regular season which then started to translate in the postseason.
Let me start off by first thanking SVG for the job he has done with the organization. I believe he is a good coach, and the wins differential from his tenure with the organization proves that without a shadow of doubt. He brought some new life to the organization that was treated like some ugly girl that no one wanted to touch….I’m talking to you Mr. Billy Donovan. (Also, I believe Billy Donovan is on crack if he thinks the University of Florida program is better than the University of Kentucky program.)
SVG made the Magic relevant again in the NBA; however, to think that he made the team of players into superstars is ABSURD. Did he really do a fine job with Hedo or did Hedo finally get the playing time he deserved (Average playing time in Sacramento 21 mins/game and with Orlando 32 mins/game.) My fellow brown guy also made reference to Rashard Lewis aka the worst max franchise player in NBA history. Rashard Lewis is actually playing worse in Orlando when compared to his Seattle days. In his last few years in Seattle, he was averaging 20pts/game and 6 Rebounds/game. Those numbers are better than his average Orlando Magic numbers. The numbers never lie! With that said, I attribute the much love Rashard has received to being in a market with at least some publicity and actually maturing his game. How many people know that Griffey Jr is playing baseball right now in Seattle?
Now to the player that irks me most, Mr. Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston). I 100% agree with the my fellow brown guy in that Magic losing Nelson was monumental especially considering the career year he was having. However, to suggest Rafer Alson is a legitimate point guard is irrational. Does a 5:2 assist turnover ratio sound good to you? I do believe Rafer was the best option available, but who isn’t when compared to Tyronn Lue. The one stat that makes me despise Rafer the most and illustrates why Houston traded him besides just the age issue is a 38% field goal percentage. How many shots do you see him take a game and say to yourself ‘DON’T SHOOT THAT,’ because missing open shots is one thing but forcing jumpers and teardrops in the lane is another.
Now to the person the critics believe is mainly responsible, my superhero and yours, Dwight Howard. Dwight needs to take the frustration at his coach and turn it into energy on the court. I agree to be dominant you got to be assertive. Kobe, Lebron, and Wade all dominate NBA games because they make sure when it matters, the ball is in their hands. If you agree Dwight has no offensive game and that he is just good to give the ball to get a double team which enables the 3 point shot, then why would Van Gundy not let Dwight touch the ball for a good 7 minute span in the 4th?
In conclusion, why can’t Magic fans demand a coaching fire? They are more talented than the Celtics, yet display no heart or calmness. The coach’s job is to fire up his group but also to know when to push the players’ buttons. How many times do you see Phil Jackson yelling? Van Gundy did a great job to this point, but why should fans settle for the 2nd round just because they didn’t get there the year before. Maybe the next coach can take them to the next level. How many people believe Jon Gruden is better than Tony Dungy? NOT EVEN CLOSE. Yet, I highly doubt Dungy would have been able to bring a Super Bowl to Tampa.
Just a thought.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Twitter me this, Twitter me that
About two months ago, I jumped on the bandwagon and became one of the ~5 million (probably more) Twitter users. Not that I need another distraction - between web-surfing, blogging, tweeting, and facebooking (is that a word?), I've got my hands full of "-ings" I'd rather be doing than working.
But over the past few weeks, I've found that Twitter has helped me consolidate all of my procrastination activities into one central terminal. I just pull up my favorite Twitter client on my iPhone, and I'm instantly updated with this morning's headlines, last night's American Idol results, today's woot, and the Big Cactus's most recent act of "Shaqness." In short, I am able to satisfy all my time-wasting desires, 140 characters at a time.
I'll get to the part that's relevant to 5brownguys... What I like the most about Twitter is the way that athletes have embraced it. (It was Charlie Villanueva's infamous half-time tweet that actually inspired me to sign-up.) Where a lot of actors and musicians tend to have Twitter feeds that are very 3rd person in nature and likely managed by publicists or poorly-paid interns, athletes have taken a more organic approach, giving us a real glimpse into their professional and personal lives.
Lance Armstrong tweets multiple times a day; he posts his training schedule, photos from rides, Lance Armstrong Foundation updates, and drug test results. He even shares the details of his day-to-day family life, where he's eating dinner, and when he's at his son's flag football games. When Lance broke his clavicle in Spain this March, I heard it from him before it hit ESPN!
While the NBA and many of its teams seem to be using Twitter primarily as a marketing tool during the playoffs, a large number of ballers have jumped onto Twitter. Steve Nash and Jason Richardson join their "very quotatious" teammate as Sun's tweeters. We can follow Paul Pierce's and Dwight Howard's path through the playoffs. Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler can keep us up to speed on their summer vacation plans. Even the legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has joined the party.
No, Twitter wont give you box scores, fancy statistics, or in depth analysis, but it can give you a great snapshot of what is happening NOW straight from the horse's mouth. Having this kind of access to the thoughts of your favorite athletes really brings them down to Earth and makes you realize that despite their superstar talent, they are regular people, just like you and I. Personally, I find that very inspiring - it gives my tweets/blogs/facebook posts some meaning. Take Shaq for example. Sure, my circle of Twitter followers is many orders of magnitude smaller than Shaq's (he'll probably hit 1 million any time now), but he's tweeting on his BlackBerry at the same time that I'm on my iPhone. If his words can reach so many people, maybe mine can to.
Tweet tweet.
--
If you are interested in finding your favorite athletes on Twitter, there are plenty of useful tools to locate them such as We Follow.
But over the past few weeks, I've found that Twitter has helped me consolidate all of my procrastination activities into one central terminal. I just pull up my favorite Twitter client on my iPhone, and I'm instantly updated with this morning's headlines, last night's American Idol results, today's woot, and the Big Cactus's most recent act of "Shaqness." In short, I am able to satisfy all my time-wasting desires, 140 characters at a time.
I'll get to the part that's relevant to 5brownguys... What I like the most about Twitter is the way that athletes have embraced it. (It was Charlie Villanueva's infamous half-time tweet that actually inspired me to sign-up.) Where a lot of actors and musicians tend to have Twitter feeds that are very 3rd person in nature and likely managed by publicists or poorly-paid interns, athletes have taken a more organic approach, giving us a real glimpse into their professional and personal lives.
Lance Armstrong tweets multiple times a day; he posts his training schedule, photos from rides, Lance Armstrong Foundation updates, and drug test results. He even shares the details of his day-to-day family life, where he's eating dinner, and when he's at his son's flag football games. When Lance broke his clavicle in Spain this March, I heard it from him before it hit ESPN!
While the NBA and many of its teams seem to be using Twitter primarily as a marketing tool during the playoffs, a large number of ballers have jumped onto Twitter. Steve Nash and Jason Richardson join their "very quotatious" teammate as Sun's tweeters. We can follow Paul Pierce's and Dwight Howard's path through the playoffs. Chris Bosh and Tyson Chandler can keep us up to speed on their summer vacation plans. Even the legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has joined the party.
No, Twitter wont give you box scores, fancy statistics, or in depth analysis, but it can give you a great snapshot of what is happening NOW straight from the horse's mouth. Having this kind of access to the thoughts of your favorite athletes really brings them down to Earth and makes you realize that despite their superstar talent, they are regular people, just like you and I. Personally, I find that very inspiring - it gives my tweets/blogs/facebook posts some meaning. Take Shaq for example. Sure, my circle of Twitter followers is many orders of magnitude smaller than Shaq's (he'll probably hit 1 million any time now), but he's tweeting on his BlackBerry at the same time that I'm on my iPhone. If his words can reach so many people, maybe mine can to.
Tweet tweet.
--
If you are interested in finding your favorite athletes on Twitter, there are plenty of useful tools to locate them such as We Follow.
Can Stan? Really?? Maybe We Should Blame it on Kryptonite Instead
After the horrible 4th quarter the Orlando Magic played in their Game 5 series against the Boston Celtics, all hell broke loose. The Magic wasted yet another golden opportunity and are now down 3 games to 2 in this crucial Eastern Conference Semifinal. Superman then proceeded to blast his coach Stan Van Gundy afterward, saying "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Even more bizarre, the next day, the "Off with Van Gundy's Head" uproar began with "Fire Van Gundy" facebook groups, tweets, articles, you name it.
Wait a minute, did I hear this correctly? Fire Van Gundy? At first I just thought the Orlando fans were just frustrated with that heart breaking loss, understandably so. But as the day went along, I came to the realization that they were not joking, they really wanted this guy out, like before Game 6 begins. With the opinion that this is totally absurd thinking by fans, I took the time to try and process why their fans would feel this way. The conclusion? Sorry Magic fans, your thinking is still totally absurd.
Say what you want, Van Gundy has led you to 52 and 59 wins respectively in his first two years as head coach of the Magic. That comes out to a 68 percent win percentage. When is the last time the Orlando Magic won 59 games in a season? When is the last time the Orlando Magic even mattered in this league? I can't even remember what Lil' Penny looks like anymore (at least I'll always remember how Tyra looks though). The Magic went 40-42 in 06-07, just before Van Gundy took over. That season the Magic made it to the playoffs as an 8th seed, and were quickly swept out of the first round by the 1st seeded Detroit Pistons, but it gave the fans hope that good times were not too much farther away. However, I don't care what anybody says, nobody could have predicted 59 wins 2 years later. That is an improvement of 19 wins in 2 seasons. Remarkable!
Over these last two years under the Van Gundy era, there have been players that have thrived in his system. The first one that comes to mind is Hedo Turkoglu, who has always known as a pretty good player in Sacramento coming off the bench. Now he is a really good player, a starter, and known as a Mr. 4th quarter. Nobody thought he could ever be this clutch. Or how about Rashard Lewis, known as a classic underachiever in Seattle with loads of potential. He fit right into Van Gundy's system and now has made a name for himself as a deadly 3 point shooter with a surprisingly good post game. Maybe JJ Reddick, who, to put it bluntly, was a nobody till the second half of this season. Oh, and this team actually plays defense now, something it has not done for years. Point being, yes Superman opens these guys up, but you have to give the coach credit for knowing his players and putting them in roles in which they can succeed. And there is no question Van Gundy has done just that!
Now lets go back to something that everyone seems to forget, and that is the Jameer Nelson injury. When the country found out that he was going to be lost for the season, we all said the Magic are done. Then the Rafer Alston trade happened, which was a great trade for them, but sorry Magic fans, you are probably still done. The reason you are losing to the Celtics ( I know minus KG) is for two reasons, and the first has to do with the loss of Nelson. The Celtics weakness without KG is their pick n' roll defense, as we all saw in the Chicago series. The Magic are a much better pick n' roll offense with Nelson than they are with Alston. I love Rafer, I think he's a legit point guard, but he can't get Orlando over the hump, plain and simple (theres a reason why Houston was willing to let him go). With Nelson, there is no question in my mind that this series is already over, especially without KG. I understand that Magic fans are frustrated that they can't finish off a Boston team minus KG, but you have to remember the Magic lost their engine in Nelson, which then becomes almost as detrimental as losing KG. Imagine if the Cavs lost Mo Williams, where would the Cavs be now?
Finally I saved the best reason for last. Gotta go back to Superman's quote "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Sorry to burst the 'S' off your chest Dwight, but lets get one thing straight, you are NOT a dominant big man. You are a dominant dunk artist. You are a relentless rebounder. You are an amazing shot blocker and defender. You play every game like its your last, and we love watching you play, but you are NOT dominant. Dominant players beat you defensively and offensively, and unfortunately, you are only half way there.
Howard has alot of work to do offensively. Right now, he doesn't have many moves in the post. He does have monster offensive nights, but thats when he can use his quickness and strength to get around defenders and dunk the ball. The problem with Dwight is when he goes up against someone that can actually play some defense, aka Kendrick Perkins (gosh I hate him). He can't get around Perkins and Dwight is limited to what he can do offensively. So to blame Van Gundy for not getting him the ball enough at the end of games is a bit unwarranted. By the way, he is also only a 59% free throw shooter, which just adds to his liability at the end of games.
I think people should cut this guy a little slack. He's a great regular season coach. Yes, he has not brought you to the promised land yet and he's a little too hyper sometimes, I understand. But give him more than two seasons to prove it (especially since this year still is not over yet). Van Gundy has had postseason success in the past going back to his days in Miami. He came within one game of the NBA finals. A healthy Dwyane Wade in Game 7 gets him there. And oh, Orlando fans, stop listening to Shaq's whole "Master of Panic" thing, he lost all his credibility when he said his soap opera with Kobe was all a publicity stunt. Give me a break!
So to all you Orlando fans, goodluck in Game 6. Stop blaming the coach and stay away from the kryptonite!
Wait a minute, did I hear this correctly? Fire Van Gundy? At first I just thought the Orlando fans were just frustrated with that heart breaking loss, understandably so. But as the day went along, I came to the realization that they were not joking, they really wanted this guy out, like before Game 6 begins. With the opinion that this is totally absurd thinking by fans, I took the time to try and process why their fans would feel this way. The conclusion? Sorry Magic fans, your thinking is still totally absurd.
Say what you want, Van Gundy has led you to 52 and 59 wins respectively in his first two years as head coach of the Magic. That comes out to a 68 percent win percentage. When is the last time the Orlando Magic won 59 games in a season? When is the last time the Orlando Magic even mattered in this league? I can't even remember what Lil' Penny looks like anymore (at least I'll always remember how Tyra looks though). The Magic went 40-42 in 06-07, just before Van Gundy took over. That season the Magic made it to the playoffs as an 8th seed, and were quickly swept out of the first round by the 1st seeded Detroit Pistons, but it gave the fans hope that good times were not too much farther away. However, I don't care what anybody says, nobody could have predicted 59 wins 2 years later. That is an improvement of 19 wins in 2 seasons. Remarkable!
Over these last two years under the Van Gundy era, there have been players that have thrived in his system. The first one that comes to mind is Hedo Turkoglu, who has always known as a pretty good player in Sacramento coming off the bench. Now he is a really good player, a starter, and known as a Mr. 4th quarter. Nobody thought he could ever be this clutch. Or how about Rashard Lewis, known as a classic underachiever in Seattle with loads of potential. He fit right into Van Gundy's system and now has made a name for himself as a deadly 3 point shooter with a surprisingly good post game. Maybe JJ Reddick, who, to put it bluntly, was a nobody till the second half of this season. Oh, and this team actually plays defense now, something it has not done for years. Point being, yes Superman opens these guys up, but you have to give the coach credit for knowing his players and putting them in roles in which they can succeed. And there is no question Van Gundy has done just that!
Now lets go back to something that everyone seems to forget, and that is the Jameer Nelson injury. When the country found out that he was going to be lost for the season, we all said the Magic are done. Then the Rafer Alston trade happened, which was a great trade for them, but sorry Magic fans, you are probably still done. The reason you are losing to the Celtics ( I know minus KG) is for two reasons, and the first has to do with the loss of Nelson. The Celtics weakness without KG is their pick n' roll defense, as we all saw in the Chicago series. The Magic are a much better pick n' roll offense with Nelson than they are with Alston. I love Rafer, I think he's a legit point guard, but he can't get Orlando over the hump, plain and simple (theres a reason why Houston was willing to let him go). With Nelson, there is no question in my mind that this series is already over, especially without KG. I understand that Magic fans are frustrated that they can't finish off a Boston team minus KG, but you have to remember the Magic lost their engine in Nelson, which then becomes almost as detrimental as losing KG. Imagine if the Cavs lost Mo Williams, where would the Cavs be now?
Finally I saved the best reason for last. Gotta go back to Superman's quote "You've got a dominant big man, let him be dominant". Sorry to burst the 'S' off your chest Dwight, but lets get one thing straight, you are NOT a dominant big man. You are a dominant dunk artist. You are a relentless rebounder. You are an amazing shot blocker and defender. You play every game like its your last, and we love watching you play, but you are NOT dominant. Dominant players beat you defensively and offensively, and unfortunately, you are only half way there.
Howard has alot of work to do offensively. Right now, he doesn't have many moves in the post. He does have monster offensive nights, but thats when he can use his quickness and strength to get around defenders and dunk the ball. The problem with Dwight is when he goes up against someone that can actually play some defense, aka Kendrick Perkins (gosh I hate him). He can't get around Perkins and Dwight is limited to what he can do offensively. So to blame Van Gundy for not getting him the ball enough at the end of games is a bit unwarranted. By the way, he is also only a 59% free throw shooter, which just adds to his liability at the end of games.
I think people should cut this guy a little slack. He's a great regular season coach. Yes, he has not brought you to the promised land yet and he's a little too hyper sometimes, I understand. But give him more than two seasons to prove it (especially since this year still is not over yet). Van Gundy has had postseason success in the past going back to his days in Miami. He came within one game of the NBA finals. A healthy Dwyane Wade in Game 7 gets him there. And oh, Orlando fans, stop listening to Shaq's whole "Master of Panic" thing, he lost all his credibility when he said his soap opera with Kobe was all a publicity stunt. Give me a break!
So to all you Orlando fans, goodluck in Game 6. Stop blaming the coach and stay away from the kryptonite!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
NBA rigged?
This brown guy isn't a conspiracy theorist. Logically speaking, I think there's way too many people involved and too much money riding on this system for it to be corrupt.
The NBA is considered one of the premiere sports leagues in the world from an executive and athletic standpoint. Players and coaches build their whole lives and careers around it. Maybe the prospect of millions of dollars in salary may sway a small handful of players, coaches, or refs to stay quiet buy into a corrupt system, but not 1000s of athletes over the years. Not in front of an international stage. Not in the day of the athlete-slash-businessman where credibility and integrity extends beyond the basketball court.
This being said, I can understand how "rigging" can be perceived. A few bad calls, a lop-sided trade, maybe the release of a prominent executive from a team's front office - these things happen and surely fuel suspicions of conspiracy. Sure, it's become apparent over the last few weeks that the refs have NO IDEA what a flagrant foul is, but I don't think it's a matter of corruption. The definitions of flagrant fouls in the NBA's rule book are ambiguous and insufficient, and because of that the refs are open to interpret it as they see fit. The NBA has recognized that, and whether they have to rewrite the rule book or take all the refs back to school, something WILL be done about it at the end of the season.
If the NBA was rigged, the league would have toppled years ago.
The NBA is considered one of the premiere sports leagues in the world from an executive and athletic standpoint. Players and coaches build their whole lives and careers around it. Maybe the prospect of millions of dollars in salary may sway a small handful of players, coaches, or refs to stay quiet buy into a corrupt system, but not 1000s of athletes over the years. Not in front of an international stage. Not in the day of the athlete-slash-businessman where credibility and integrity extends beyond the basketball court.
This being said, I can understand how "rigging" can be perceived. A few bad calls, a lop-sided trade, maybe the release of a prominent executive from a team's front office - these things happen and surely fuel suspicions of conspiracy. Sure, it's become apparent over the last few weeks that the refs have NO IDEA what a flagrant foul is, but I don't think it's a matter of corruption. The definitions of flagrant fouls in the NBA's rule book are ambiguous and insufficient, and because of that the refs are open to interpret it as they see fit. The NBA has recognized that, and whether they have to rewrite the rule book or take all the refs back to school, something WILL be done about it at the end of the season.
If the NBA was rigged, the league would have toppled years ago.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Kobe Bryant: The black mamba or the harmless black garden snake??
The Lakers have the most talent of any NBA team, a proven system, and a Hall of Fame Coach. So why are they tied 2-2 in a series where the Houston Rockets are playing without the top center in the league and a prolific scorer in Tmac?
It’s this simple: The Lakers don’t have the desire to show up every night and crush the other team, and that is going to cost them later in the playoffs. That lack of killer instinct, leadership, and determination falls on the shoulders of Kobe Bryant. He claims to be the “black mamba” (which by the way can inject up to 400 mg of neurotoxin in one bite, of which only 100 mg is needed to kill the average man), but Kobe Bryant looked more like the “black garden snake” on Sunday night (which by the way carries such a small amount of venom that a bite would leave us in no more pain and danger than a simple insect bite).
On that crucial game four, any one of the five brown guys (Mrinal, Tarun, Jigar, Apat, or Gijo) could’ve come off the bench and guarded Kobe Bryant. Here are his “potent” stats: 7/17 on 15 points shooting and -12 net points given up while he was on the court. Unacceptable for the so called the best player in the NBA.
I’m tired of this constant comparison to Michael Jordan. He is nowhere near Michael Jordan. Jordan would have scorched the Rockets for 50, crushed their spirits, and would be going back to Chicago with a commanding 3-1. Now Kobe Bryant is going back to LA with the series tied at 2-2 and a depleted Rockets team replete with confidence. Until Kobe can find a way to bring out his passion and killer instinct EVERY single night against any team, I think it’s fitting that we call him the “black garden snake”
And in the meantime, we can give the term “Black Mamba” to Lebron James until Kobe can prove himself.
It’s this simple: The Lakers don’t have the desire to show up every night and crush the other team, and that is going to cost them later in the playoffs. That lack of killer instinct, leadership, and determination falls on the shoulders of Kobe Bryant. He claims to be the “black mamba” (which by the way can inject up to 400 mg of neurotoxin in one bite, of which only 100 mg is needed to kill the average man), but Kobe Bryant looked more like the “black garden snake” on Sunday night (which by the way carries such a small amount of venom that a bite would leave us in no more pain and danger than a simple insect bite).
On that crucial game four, any one of the five brown guys (Mrinal, Tarun, Jigar, Apat, or Gijo) could’ve come off the bench and guarded Kobe Bryant. Here are his “potent” stats: 7/17 on 15 points shooting and -12 net points given up while he was on the court. Unacceptable for the so called the best player in the NBA.
I’m tired of this constant comparison to Michael Jordan. He is nowhere near Michael Jordan. Jordan would have scorched the Rockets for 50, crushed their spirits, and would be going back to Chicago with a commanding 3-1. Now Kobe Bryant is going back to LA with the series tied at 2-2 and a depleted Rockets team replete with confidence. Until Kobe can find a way to bring out his passion and killer instinct EVERY single night against any team, I think it’s fitting that we call him the “black garden snake”
And in the meantime, we can give the term “Black Mamba” to Lebron James until Kobe can prove himself.
Friday, May 8, 2009
NHL: We dont got teeth or brains
While every American is watching the NBA playoffs, there are other postseason games occurring every night. These games are the product of one of the worst things in professional sports today, the NHL.
I know many people hate David Stern and Bud Selig, but Gary Bettman is by far the worst. He talks about expanding, bringing the NHL to national prominence; however, he has yet to sign on a major tv deal. As I understand it, if you want people to watch your games, you must BROADCAST them on television. Instead, the few of us, who watch any sport regardless of recognition or not, have to go to a local bar or order the Versus channel.
I am understanding in the fact that the NHL does not have the money to advertise on ESPN, but how many have heard of UFC before they started advertising on ESPN. Even they understood, Spike TV can carry you oh so far. Just like any businessman does, sometimes you have to take initial losses to reap future rewards; however, Bettman and the rest of the NHL owners refuse to use logic. I actually do like watching Sidney Crosby highlights on SportsCenter and then am like, "why am I getting excited about a sport, I CAN'T even watch on cable television."
Also, as much as I loathe the length it takes for the NBA to get through a postseason, I cant understand why in the first round of the NHL playoffs they play 4 games in one night, and even one night I recall seeing 5 games scheduled. While that many games can be reasonable, but not if they are occurring at essentially the same time. Even the NBA starts playoff games at 7pm, then a lag for the next 8pm game. Besides the TV deals, the NHL needs to contract and put the product in places that will appreciate it. For example, Toronto Maple Leaf games are one of the hardest tickets in sports comparable to the Green Bay Packers. That city could easily absorb two NHL teams, but instead it places two NHL teams in sunny Florida. Again, put more teams in Canada where fans can actually watch and appreciate the sport, if Mr.Bettman refuses to cater to Americans.
Peace out
I know many people hate David Stern and Bud Selig, but Gary Bettman is by far the worst. He talks about expanding, bringing the NHL to national prominence; however, he has yet to sign on a major tv deal. As I understand it, if you want people to watch your games, you must BROADCAST them on television. Instead, the few of us, who watch any sport regardless of recognition or not, have to go to a local bar or order the Versus channel.
I am understanding in the fact that the NHL does not have the money to advertise on ESPN, but how many have heard of UFC before they started advertising on ESPN. Even they understood, Spike TV can carry you oh so far. Just like any businessman does, sometimes you have to take initial losses to reap future rewards; however, Bettman and the rest of the NHL owners refuse to use logic. I actually do like watching Sidney Crosby highlights on SportsCenter and then am like, "why am I getting excited about a sport, I CAN'T even watch on cable television."
Also, as much as I loathe the length it takes for the NBA to get through a postseason, I cant understand why in the first round of the NHL playoffs they play 4 games in one night, and even one night I recall seeing 5 games scheduled. While that many games can be reasonable, but not if they are occurring at essentially the same time. Even the NBA starts playoff games at 7pm, then a lag for the next 8pm game. Besides the TV deals, the NHL needs to contract and put the product in places that will appreciate it. For example, Toronto Maple Leaf games are one of the hardest tickets in sports comparable to the Green Bay Packers. That city could easily absorb two NHL teams, but instead it places two NHL teams in sunny Florida. Again, put more teams in Canada where fans can actually watch and appreciate the sport, if Mr.Bettman refuses to cater to Americans.
Peace out
The Most Legit League
Without question, today was a sad day in Major League Baseball. Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, probably the second best slugger in the game today (next to Albert Pujols), tested positive for hCG (Human Chrionic Gonadotropin), a banned substance according to Major League Baseball's drug policy. This continues to happen again and again to a point where 4 of the top 10 (and if you take it further, 8 of the top 25) homerun leaders of all time have either raised serious doubt or have tested positive for PEDs. From Rafael Palmiero's finger pointing to Congressmen, Sammy Sosa forgetting how to speak English, Roger Clemens' "I only took Lidocaine in the butt", and A-Roids "my cousin made me do it" have caused many to believe that the MLB has lost its credibility and describe the league as a "joke".
If there is anything positive to take away from this situation however, is the realization that the only league left that is not a "joke" is the MLB (excluding the NHL of course because who cares about that league anyway).
Every year in the NFL, there are a handful of cases where players (some hall of fame worthy) are caught taking PEDs. NFL players do not receive the backlash the MLB players do. Take the Albert Haynesworth and Shawne Merriman cases. Both tested positive, but today Haynesworth is known as the best Defensive Tackle in the game, so much in demand that Washington gave him over $100 million. The year Merriman got caught, he was still in the running for defensive player of the year (finishing second to Jason Taylor). Do any of us even remember that they were caught? And even if some of us do, will we think less of them as players? Do we say that they should not be in the Hall of Fame? I think not. Both of these players will most likely go to the Hall of Fame and their past doping habits becoming a distant memory.
My problem with the NFL isn't so much their steroid policy, as there are many aspects of it that I agree with (the suspension time, banning players from the Pro Bowl that year, etc). What irks me is the hypocrisy of the league. When I hear Roger Goodell saying "Michael Vick needs to prove to the league that he is sorry before reinstatement", it really pisses me off. To all you animal activists out there, I am not defending Vick's actions. I am simply saying that the last time I checked, steroids and most PEDs are illegal too, and I didn't hear Goodell saying that Merriman and Haynesworth needed to prove their sorrow for their actions. Hell, he (Goodell) even let Merriman go to the Pro Bowl the year he was caught. Furthermore, Vick made a horrible decision, but he did not cheat the game, Haynesworth and Merriman did! Oh, and no matter what Vick does from here on out, he will never get Hall of Fame consideration.
As for the NBA, lets not even get started with that one. Read T's article "Where Dirty Happens" and then come talk to me for the extra mustard about that league being rigged, and then it will be simple to come to the conclusion the NBA is the biggest joke of jokes. I hate David Stern!
The truth of the matter is, Manny (and all those other "great" players) will never be seen the same no matter how "great" they were or are. They will all more than likely lose their shot at the Hall of Fame, their careers tainted forever. Manny's .348 batting average along with his 6hr and 28 rbi in the first 27 games played, leading his team to a 21-8 record just doesn't matter anymore. Maybe he can still come back and help lead his team to the World Series, that much is to be seen. However, his shot at the MVP (and any award for that matter) along with the Hall of Fame is gone.
But this is how it should be. If you cheat, you pay the price. If you mess with the integrity of the game (listening Stern?), you pay the price. If you disrespect the greats that came before you, you pay the price. Major League Baseball finally gets it! They have implemented a strict policy, and if you don't abide by it, regardless of who you are, you will PAY THE PRICE! So for once, lets put our hands together for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, finally someone won't let MANNY be MANNY!
If there is anything positive to take away from this situation however, is the realization that the only league left that is not a "joke" is the MLB (excluding the NHL of course because who cares about that league anyway).
Every year in the NFL, there are a handful of cases where players (some hall of fame worthy) are caught taking PEDs. NFL players do not receive the backlash the MLB players do. Take the Albert Haynesworth and Shawne Merriman cases. Both tested positive, but today Haynesworth is known as the best Defensive Tackle in the game, so much in demand that Washington gave him over $100 million. The year Merriman got caught, he was still in the running for defensive player of the year (finishing second to Jason Taylor). Do any of us even remember that they were caught? And even if some of us do, will we think less of them as players? Do we say that they should not be in the Hall of Fame? I think not. Both of these players will most likely go to the Hall of Fame and their past doping habits becoming a distant memory.
My problem with the NFL isn't so much their steroid policy, as there are many aspects of it that I agree with (the suspension time, banning players from the Pro Bowl that year, etc). What irks me is the hypocrisy of the league. When I hear Roger Goodell saying "Michael Vick needs to prove to the league that he is sorry before reinstatement", it really pisses me off. To all you animal activists out there, I am not defending Vick's actions. I am simply saying that the last time I checked, steroids and most PEDs are illegal too, and I didn't hear Goodell saying that Merriman and Haynesworth needed to prove their sorrow for their actions. Hell, he (Goodell) even let Merriman go to the Pro Bowl the year he was caught. Furthermore, Vick made a horrible decision, but he did not cheat the game, Haynesworth and Merriman did! Oh, and no matter what Vick does from here on out, he will never get Hall of Fame consideration.
As for the NBA, lets not even get started with that one. Read T's article "Where Dirty Happens" and then come talk to me for the extra mustard about that league being rigged, and then it will be simple to come to the conclusion the NBA is the biggest joke of jokes. I hate David Stern!
The truth of the matter is, Manny (and all those other "great" players) will never be seen the same no matter how "great" they were or are. They will all more than likely lose their shot at the Hall of Fame, their careers tainted forever. Manny's .348 batting average along with his 6hr and 28 rbi in the first 27 games played, leading his team to a 21-8 record just doesn't matter anymore. Maybe he can still come back and help lead his team to the World Series, that much is to be seen. However, his shot at the MVP (and any award for that matter) along with the Hall of Fame is gone.
But this is how it should be. If you cheat, you pay the price. If you mess with the integrity of the game (listening Stern?), you pay the price. If you disrespect the greats that came before you, you pay the price. Major League Baseball finally gets it! They have implemented a strict policy, and if you don't abide by it, regardless of who you are, you will PAY THE PRICE! So for once, lets put our hands together for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, finally someone won't let MANNY be MANNY!
The NBA: "Where dirty happens?"
Something I've noticed more during this year's NBA playoffs than in previous years are the seemingly dirty plays that go down. This is time of year when stakes are their highest, teams turn it up a notch, and games get more physical; as expected, some players are hitting particularly hard.
What really shocks me though, both as a fan and as a proponent of fair play and sportsmanship, is that the NBA is doing a half-assed job in regulating it all. The results of their so-called "reviews" are so inconsistent
Now, I can understand the suspensions given to Howard and Fisher; the NBA ruled those consistently with the rule book. But $25 for K-mart while Rondo gets away with shot-putting Hinrich? Skip-to-my-Lou gets suspended for a bitch-slap upside the head, but Rondo gets away with a face-rake?! Bryant could have shattered Artest's airway, but since Kobe is one of the NBA's poster-children, he gets a meaningless foul upgrade. Artest so much as raises his eyebrows after taking an elbow to the trachea and HE gets tossed?!!
Something is not right here. Maaaaybe you can excuse the refs for miscalling the fouls (techs vs. flagrant-1 vs. flagrant 2) because they are made in the heat of the moment. But Stu Jackson and David Stern (and the other powers that be) need to take a closer look at these plays next to each other and be a little more consistent with their decisions.
I doubt that the NBA has never seen fouls like this, or that their rules are so ambiguos that it is difficult to be consistent when levying penalties. I may be shooting from the hip here, but seems to me it has everything to do with the histories that Artest, Martin, and (to a lesser extent) Alston have with the league. But is it fair to hold a player's history against him, especially after they've paid their dues (literally and figuratively) to the NBA, started over in new cities, and made their peace with their past? Is it fair for the refs and the NBA front office to lower their tolerance for the NBA's "troublemakers" and be more lax with more celebrated players or players from more storied franchises?
I think not.
What really shocks me though, both as a fan and as a proponent of fair play and sportsmanship, is that the NBA is doing a half-assed job in regulating it all. The results of their so-called "reviews" are so inconsistent
- Rajon Rondo wraps his fingers around Brad Miller's face in Game 5 of Bulls-Celts first-round match up. NBA review. No further action.
- Rondo then drags Kirk Hinrich from just outside the lane to the sideline and then launches him into the scorer's table in Game 6 of the same series. NBA reviews. No further action.
- Dwight Howard cracks Samuel Delambert over the head with an elbow after a shot is made in Game 5 of the 76ers-Magic first-round series. NBA reviews. Howard gets 1-game suspension.
- Kenyon Martin shoves Dirk Nowitzki to the ground after a physical post-up play in Game 1 of Nuggets-Mavs second-round series. NBA reviews. Martin get $25,000 fine.
- Rafer Alston slaps Eddie House in the head after House scores 3 of his 31 points in Game 2 of Magic-Celts round 2. NBA reviews. Alston gets a 1-game suspension.
- Derek Fisher premeditates and delivers a body checks on Luis Scola while Scola sets a pick in Game 2 of Lakers-Rockets second-round series. NBA reviews. Fisher gets 1-game suspension.
- Kobe Bryant lands a nasty elbow to the chest/neck of Ron Artest while battling for a rebound in same game. Artests tries to plead his case, Kobe pretends to be the bigger man, and Ron-Ron gets tossed. NBA reviews. Bryant's elbow is upgraded to a Flagrant 1. No further action is taken.
Now, I can understand the suspensions given to Howard and Fisher; the NBA ruled those consistently with the rule book. But $25 for K-mart while Rondo gets away with shot-putting Hinrich? Skip-to-my-Lou gets suspended for a bitch-slap upside the head, but Rondo gets away with a face-rake?! Bryant could have shattered Artest's airway, but since Kobe is one of the NBA's poster-children, he gets a meaningless foul upgrade. Artest so much as raises his eyebrows after taking an elbow to the trachea and HE gets tossed?!!
Something is not right here. Maaaaybe you can excuse the refs for miscalling the fouls (techs vs. flagrant-1 vs. flagrant 2) because they are made in the heat of the moment. But Stu Jackson and David Stern (and the other powers that be) need to take a closer look at these plays next to each other and be a little more consistent with their decisions.
I doubt that the NBA has never seen fouls like this, or that their rules are so ambiguos that it is difficult to be consistent when levying penalties. I may be shooting from the hip here, but seems to me it has everything to do with the histories that Artest, Martin, and (to a lesser extent) Alston have with the league. But is it fair to hold a player's history against him, especially after they've paid their dues (literally and figuratively) to the NBA, started over in new cities, and made their peace with their past? Is it fair for the refs and the NBA front office to lower their tolerance for the NBA's "troublemakers" and be more lax with more celebrated players or players from more storied franchises?
I think not.
It must be that time of the month for the Atlanta Hawks
Wow...Did you see that Cavs-Hawks game? Let me start off by saying, the Cavs would be killing the Heat as well.
My only problem is the Hawks are not a team, they are just a bunch of players put together. They have no offensive sets. Their main play is isolation Joe Johnson, followed by isolation Mike Bibby, followed by isolation Josh Smith. I must admit at least it worked in the regular season, but please that stuff is not going to work on the Cavs or any other team left in the playoffs that can play reasonable defense. Even while watching the game today, I was willing to bet someone on the Hawks was going to get injured, and BAM - Joe Johnson, ankle injury. It wasn’t like Johnson was doing anything in the game up till that point anyways. He had more than 5 inches on Delonte West and still refused to post him up. So now, Atlanta fans can say, "Hey we would have taken the series to at least 5 games if Johnson played."
Now to their big off-season signing, Josh Smith. He literally ran into the lane and just threw up his hands every time (similar to what LeBron James does with the powder before tip-off). Josh Smith thought this move would get some calls from the refs. I got some news for you, Josh Smith…YOU SUCK!! That means no pity calls - you’re not D-Wade, LeBron, Paul Pierce, or Kobe Bryant.
My only problem is the Hawks are not a team, they are just a bunch of players put together. They have no offensive sets. Their main play is isolation Joe Johnson, followed by isolation Mike Bibby, followed by isolation Josh Smith. I must admit at least it worked in the regular season, but please that stuff is not going to work on the Cavs or any other team left in the playoffs that can play reasonable defense. Even while watching the game today, I was willing to bet someone on the Hawks was going to get injured, and BAM - Joe Johnson, ankle injury. It wasn’t like Johnson was doing anything in the game up till that point anyways. He had more than 5 inches on Delonte West and still refused to post him up. So now, Atlanta fans can say, "Hey we would have taken the series to at least 5 games if Johnson played."
Now to their big off-season signing, Josh Smith. He literally ran into the lane and just threw up his hands every time (similar to what LeBron James does with the powder before tip-off). Josh Smith thought this move would get some calls from the refs. I got some news for you, Josh Smith…YOU SUCK!! That means no pity calls - you’re not D-Wade, LeBron, Paul Pierce, or Kobe Bryant.
I have a suggestion that might make this series a bit more entertaining. I say Lebron James should either sit out the entire series or whenever one team gets a lead of more than 20 points, he has to play for the opposing squad. Remember when we were kids and the best player was so much better than the rest? It was only fun if he helped out both squads or if he didn’t play. ALL TIME QB! It may be far-fetched, but this is the NBA, where amazing happens, right?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
5 Brown Guys hits the ground running
For years, five brown guys have challenged each other, played devil's advocate, and engaged in seemingly endless debate about sports. We've spent countless hours on our mobiles and computers throwing around statistics, dropping minutiae, and forcing our opinions on one another.
In attempt to be slightly more productive (at least from our perspective), we've decided to move our squabbles from behind closed doors and subject the public to our rantings. We present to you the 5 Brown Guys sports blog.
We don't claim to be athletes. We don't claim to be experts. But we know what we like, and perhaps more importantly, we know what we don't like. For what it's worth, you'll get to hear about both.
Hope you enjoy it.
-5 brown guys
In attempt to be slightly more productive (at least from our perspective), we've decided to move our squabbles from behind closed doors and subject the public to our rantings. We present to you the 5 Brown Guys sports blog.
We don't claim to be athletes. We don't claim to be experts. But we know what we like, and perhaps more importantly, we know what we don't like. For what it's worth, you'll get to hear about both.
Hope you enjoy it.
-5 brown guys
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