Tag Archives: NBA

June 1, 2011 · 2:45 pm

Dealing with Game 1 ramifications

Don’t quote me on this but: its over ya’ll.

It has been for a while but we never wanted to admit it.  We talked ourselves into adjmustment periods.  We talked ourselves into the whole “these guys can’t close”, “they aren’t clutch” arguments.  We even went as far as to say “they aren’t THAT good.”

Gulp.

They are.  If these playoffs have been anything its been the Heatles last song in a season long concert of hits.  Some were dicey and murky but in the end, these guys figured it out and have made it work.

Remember when we wondered who would be taking the last shot?  That debate is now moot because it doesn’t really matter.  Lebron and Wade seem to tag each other in in close moments and will their team to victory.

Last night was Lebron’s first Finals victory of many presumably.  If they can lift this squad of ho hums and nobodies then imagine what will happen when they fill out this squad with more talent.  How many Juwan Howards and Mike Bibby’s will forego extra dollars just to ride the James-Wade express to a championship?

This is only beginning folks.  When Dirk Nowitzki lifted up his finger to show the torn tendon that he suffered in the third quarter going for a strip of Chris Bosh- it might as well have been the white flag he was waving.

Jeff Van Gundy said it best: “the difference between the Mavs and the Heat are that Miami has Lebron James and the Mavs don’t.”. Simply put he’s the great game changer.  He pulls 60 regular season victories out of his hat.  He shows great feel and poise for the game.  He has incredible range as evidenced by his third quarter fall away three at the buzzer.  He now has added fourth quarter closer to his reportoire.

There is no place left for any Lebron hater to go.  His game is that good- we’ve always recognized that.  We have nitpicked and enjoyed his misery when he misses but those are Jordan like qualities he possesses.  He’s so good, he makes us hate him but marvel at the same time.

When I was growing up Michael Jordan consistently put an asswhooping on my beloved Knicks when it mattered.  In the playoffs he could not be beat.  It wasn’t close.  In the regular season he was human though he tried not to show it.  The Knicks would beat the Bulls and Knick fans like myself had this false sense of superiority that eventually came crashing down when Mike would eventually turn it to a level that John Starks, Patrick Ewing and Co. could only dream of.

Look at the teams Lebron has vanquished.  It was like his teams never beat the Celtics.  The season series was 3-1 in favor of Boston.  0-3 versus the Chicago Bulls.  Both series went in 5.  Finally the Heat were 0-2 against Dallas this season but after game 1, its 1-0 in favor of the MoHeat-os.

As a Lebron hater its difficult to view him as anything but a coat tail rider and prima donna and every other nasty synonym of loser I can conjure up.  But as a basketball fan I’m in awe.  A great one is forging his legacy before our eyes.  He’s asked for this attention, and gotten it, his whole life.  Now on his sport’s biggest stage he’s teaming up with his friend D-Wade to claim the last bit of relevant gold he has yet to put his stamp on: the NBA championship.

Of course the comparisons to Michael will only intensify.  In the aftermath of these Finals, it will go from Lebron winning his first championship to talk to me when he wins six.  After that, what will Lebron haters like myself do?  Will we ask him to lead his team to a better than 72-10 mark?  82-0?  Hey Lebron, betcha can’t score more than 100 in a game.  Yo Bron, nice triple double but can you do that over an entire season like the Big O?  What will we have?

Why? Because we’ve waited for MJ’s successor for so long.  Because we wanted Lebron to be that dude.  No matter what we say, Lebron is the closest thing we have to MJ.  Maybe not better Scottie, but close enough.  He’s the next version of the MJ type.  The successor, the evolution of the Jordan gene.  We don’t want to admit this but this is what we want.

We want someone to take the reins and ride the horse.  We want to witness greatness and marvel and hate on it.  We want Lebron to be what we know he can be: the best.  Period.

Last night’s late game pull away has been like a script the Heat have acted to perfection this postseason.  Line for line, scene to scene, it was a virtuoso performance by 2 of the best players, and Chris Bosh, who has done a more than serviceable job cleaning up the boards and tip ins that he’s managed to be very good but that’s as far as I’ll go in praising him.

The Heat have never looked like they weren’t in command and their defense has been the catalyst.  The Heat’s speed and ability to cover ground force Dallas’ shooters to not have the kind of open looks and opportunities they’ve been used to seeing these playoffs.  Terry, Peja, Deshaun Stevenson all had hands in their faces as soon as the ball reached them.  One by one they lost their confidence and they folded under the Heat of Miami’s defense.  The Mavs were supposed to be the deeper team, but it was the Heat who gained steam as the game went on.

It all adds up to a Heat game one win and a preview of things to come for several years.  The Heat are only going to get better folks.  Admit the inevitable and just enjoy the ride.

Gulp.

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March 7, 2011 · 11:39 am

Monday Morning or the other

I’m not going to lie.  If we learned one thing this week, its that it is currently Charlie Sheen’s world, we’re all just living in it, waiting for him to tweet his next set of instructions.

In today’s post, I’m going to give you my thoughts on the new Met news about their newest rumored shenanigans.  The NFL just extended itself for another week in order to hopefully get a resolution.  Plus our steady diet of links and things you sing about.  Also my latest on who the Met owner should be and my random thoughts.  So let’s jump in shall we?

Charlie Sheen-ing on Twitter

 

@charliesheen
Born Small… Now Huge… Winning… Bring it..! (unemployed winner…)
I enjoy Bill Simmons’ podcasts.  There’s one guest in particular I enjoy listening to with whom he’s going to team up at some undetermined date to bring to us sports geeks a new website characterized as “70% sports and 30% pop culture” which even I don’t know what kind of a website that would be.  Either way, the person I’m speaking about is Chuck Klosterman.  Klosterman is probably the most interesting person to speak to because I always come away thinking far deeper about any subject than I normally would have.  Of course in his latest podcast he and Bill discussed this whole Charlie Sheen phenomenon which has been sweeping the nation over this past week.
For those of you living under a rock let me summarize: Sheen and Chuck Lorre, the producer of the hit show “Two and a Half Men” have had a falling out.  Such a falling out that Sheen has gone on multiple media formats blasting the very successful producer of many good shows, none more successful than Mr. Sheen’s.  His tirades on radio and print have become things of legend.
First of all, I think this whole Charlie Sheen is ridiculous.  So ridiculous in fact that it gets me mad.  In conversations with friends I’ve realized that opinion is torn on both sides of the fence on him.  Some people think he’s so cool for doing this and some people can’t believe that this guy is getting pub for this.
I’m kind of in the middle.  Let me explain.
I don’t think there’s anything special about Charlie Sheen.  Nothing.  His acting has never made me stop and take notice.  I’ve never come away talking about his performance in any movie.  He’s on a hit TV show because his movie career died about a decade ago.  I don’t think “Two and a Half Men” are funny but the numbers don’t lie, I’m in the minority.
But what Sheen did this week when he signed up for Twitter was probably the biggest contribution he’s ever made to society and his most remarkable achievement and let me tell you why.   For those not on the social networking sites, its ok.  I don’t think any explanation is necessary.  Social networking sites aren’t for everyone.
But to dismiss its relevance and say its not the present or future would be ridiculous.  Its like saying that the internet was just an ok idea.  That’s reedonkulous, the internet was a GREAT idea and its the most revolutionizing thing ever.  Its also the present and the future of where this world is going.  Everything is being digitized and conformed to appease the internet.  Nobody wants to read a book anymore, we have Ipads that allow us to do that.  We have created newer ways to get the internet and I predict that in about 5 years phone carriers are going to exclusively start offering smart phones.  There won’t be any phones that just make phone calls.
Social networking sites like Facebook or Myspace (yeah that’s still alive but Friendster isn’t- sorry Asians) and Twitter are now the accepted norm of society.  Every form of communication has embraced it by acknowledging corporate pages on their shows and on their products.  Every business has bought in, its time that those of you who still doubt, do too.
But I suppose its just a natural form of progression that we as a society make.  Before it was television.  Think about the three most popular images on television.  I made a Top 3 and here they are:
-OJ Simpson verdict and car chase (tie)
– Man walking on the moon.
– JFK being shot.
When those events happened, it not only elevated those 3 events, it made us stand up and notice in a completely different way.  Our society was having more and more of a dependence on T.V.’s for our information, it merely needed its headline moments.  Every person alive for those three events knew where they were when those things happened.  That kind of event comes along once a generation.
Just like H.G. Wells reading War of the Worlds and scaring the daylights out of his listeners, signature moments on media have become time stamps.  It also defines a generation.
I grew up consuming news through television and newspapers.  Six P.M. broadcasts became appointment viewing.  Then came along the internet.  It started off on slower dial up connections and now almost everyone has some version of high speed connections which have made our consumption of information quicker which has made us less dependent on those television broadcasts.  Why wait for the news when I can watch it online at my convenience or better yet, when I can read up about it online?  The way we are getting news has changed.
My cousin asked me what the big deal about Twitter is.  Its unfair to ask me.  I’m a huge fan of social networking sites.  In fact I’m a social networking whore.  Don’t tell that to my fiance.  I think they are great but I’ve grown a special appreciation for Twitter because I read a lot more cooler things and get more links from that website than anything.  Plus, the challenge of being witty at 140 characters is pretty tough and satisfying.
I’ve discovered plenty of cool material over Twitter and the way celebs have absolutely engrossed themselves in this format makes regular folk like me interested because if they like it, it must be cool.
So consider Charlie Sheen’s arrival and huge fan base on Twitter its first true watershed moment.  I dont know if its the future but Sheen’s crazy antics and his equally puzzling fame which made his record setting Twitter following (over a million in the span of a little more than 24 hours) gave Twitter its breakthrough moment and entered it into the pantheon of great moments in media.  For two days, Charlie Sheen’s stupidity caused almost every single person to blindly worship a guy who’s never been that successful in anything except this T.V. show and you know what?  He wants to ruin that too.
But even bigger than the big moment for Twitter is the truth that can’t be shaken:  the internet has given us the opportunity to change perception.  When used properly, and wisely, the internet can not only revive one’s career but can make one as well.  Bill Simmons became a huge star because of his blog.  The Huffington Post was recently purchased for $350 million.  Betty White became a superstar again because of an internet campaign to get her to host an SNL episode so everyone could remember how funny she was.  Perception can be changed over the internet.
Why?  Because there are too many voices now.  Before there were fewer people with more access.  Now there are too many people in one big bubble trying to get their opinions across that can influence your thought processes.  The internet’s claim is that the flow of information is much greater and that there’s more information being shared but how trustworthy is that information?  A friend of mine said that Charlie Sheen was an icon.
Was he really?  I won’t dispute the notion that he is one NOW.  He’s created a moment that will live on  depending on how long Twitter stays around.  He’s an icon because of his outlandish appearances since this whole story broke.  He’s an icon because he put the most successful sitcom on America’s #1 network on hiatus until this whole thing gets resolved.  To imply he was anything more than an average actor who had access to the business because of his father who was famous would be stretching the truth.  The internet allows US to make up our mind and allows voices to make up our minds for us.  Its the beauty of democracy and a reason why our country is what we are.
We’re confused.  We think Charlie Sheen is an icon.  We believe our opinions are right.   We think our ways are the best.  Fact is, its not entirely true.  Not everything we do is with everyone’s best interest at heart.  But our country has so many voices, democrats, republicans, libertarians, and every other voice that at some point our society will grow tired of every competing voice and will eventually be turned off by the whole thing.  Which eventually will lead to a bunch of citizens who really don’t care about anything other than what’s going on in their very limited social circle.  That its going on with Hollywood socialites isn’t enough, the rest of society will eventually catch up.
Having too much information isn’t bad until one, more skilled writer, makes a better argument than one less skilled writer and an opinion takes hold and becomes gospel.  That’s what’s going on with this whole Charlie Sheen craziness.  His fans are running with the persona and making him out to be this mad scientist preaching truth and this newfound wisdom that nobody else knew about when that’s just not the case.  Here’s what I think: he’s crazy, he’s on drugs, but he’s a smart son of a bitch who understands that using the media to manipulate opinion is the only way to win this war and he’s #winning  the battle so far.
So big props there.

Heat can’t handle the…well…Heat?

@WindhorstESPN: Derrick Rose has scored or assisted on 45.2% of Bulls baskets, highest in league. LeBron is 2nd with 42.9% That sounds like an MVP stat.

That’s a week worth of games.  Three of which that came down to the wire.  Two of which Lebron had the final say in things and completely bricked and 4 losses.  Everyone’s panicking.  Everyone’s gasping.

As well they should.

Michael Wilbon said it best “they were not brought in to be the fourth best team in the East.”  No.  They were going to revolutionize basketball.  A teaming up of this nature had never been done before so there was no reference.  Sure, players had talked their way onto certain teams to form a formidable tandem but never had 3 players so thoughtfully crafted their entrance on to such a stage as the Heatles had done.  They were stars in their prime deciding that together they were going to win multiple championships.  We all were shocked as a public and yet we didn’t quite know what to say except to dismiss it and say it was terrible for the NBA.

But look at the numbers.  They have us caring again and whether they like it or not, its because we don’t want them to succeed.  I had this idea of an article right about the time that the Heat were getting spanked in San Antonio.  They wound up losing, in their most lopsided defeat all season on Friday night.  Of course the great Joe Posnanski beat me to it.  It truly has become remarkably satisfying to root not only against Lebron but against the entire Heat team.

I think if anything has changed its not that I don’t like Lebron, its that I had a hard time dealing with the fact that everyone labeled Chris Bosh a superstar as well.  I just didn’t see him in that light.  Wade and James are in that upper echelon of superstars that can win games and carry teams.  Chris Bosh had never carried a team.  He was the best player on a team but you couldn’t call him the leader of anyone.  He was a follower.  They called him the pet of the group in the introductory press conference for crying out loud.  If that isn’t side bitch status, I dont know what is.

But I’ve been more impressed with his game and his toughness than either of those two.  For some reason I’ve felt that Wade, a player that I enjoyed watching and like and who’s opinion of him hasn’t changed, has regressed.  He’s somehow gotten worse.  People said that in the beginning he and Lebron would have a tough time dealing with each other.  They would find it difficult to work with each other.  But is that truly the case?  Is that what’s going on here?

I think they have no clue.  I said this in my earlier articles about the group but I think this was poorly thought out.  I think they were friends who got drunk one night and thought it would be cool to team up.  They never thought how it would mesh.  They imagined loads and loads of championships.  They said it live.

But out of that animosity built.  Cities that had craved Lebron like fat people in front of buffet felt slighted.  They no longer welcomed him with cheers, but they enjoyed his suffering.  They heaped even more pressure on to his shoulders.  Want to be the king?  Well win a title!  They are 0-6 against the East elite (Bulls and Celtics).  They went 2-2 against the Knicks.  Remember?  They were beating the Knicks up and down the court in their first two contests, but these last two have been anything but.  They still have no answer for Dwight Howard.

This last week wasn’t just a wake up call.  It wasn’t just a reality check.  It was a glimpse into the future.  A future they never saw coming.  A future they thought wasn’t even in the realm of possibilities.  They thought this would be a whole lot easier but if anything they should have seen this coming.

Dwayne Wade in yesterday’s press conference said “the world is getting what they want.  The Miami Heat losing.”  Not only did it NOT bring any feeling of compassion for them, I found it very arrogant.  Were we supposed to feel sorry for you?  Were NBA fans supposed to just throw roses?  Was every team in the NBA supposed to cater to your every wish and desire?

The discussion has been torn on whether this is good for the NBA.  You know, stars picking where they want to go and leaving franchises that drafted them in the dust so they can hand pick their location and get what they want like Carmelo Anthony just did with the Knicks.  I dont have an answer because I dont know if it will bring financial ruin to the NBA.  Will small market team fans care if their team can’t hold on to their stars?  Are OKC fans trembling with fear over the prospect of losing Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant after his contract is over?  Should Kevin Love jerseys just stop selling since we know that he will be out the door so fast in Minnesota?  Dwight Howard has his sights set on New York (Brooklyn and MSG) or L.A..

I dont think its a bad thing these guys are doing this, because I think there is enough talent flowing through these corridors.  I think OKC is on their way to becoming the next San Antonio.  The next small market that wins multiple championships and a team that keeps its star laden nucleus.  But dont take it from me.  I’m not Nostradamus.  I dont know where this thing is headed this offseason when collective bargaining begins.

All I know is that Lebron and the Heat have made it fun for all NBA fans.  They’ve been fun to root against.  Thanks Lebron.  Thanks Wade.  Thanks Bosh.  Thanks for being jerks and giving fans a reason to care enough to hate on you.

 

Another plea for the Coupons to flee

 

The Coupon family’s resistance to their impending financial doom is getting pretty comical.  They continue to insist that everything is ok while daily evidence continues to mount suggesting otherwise.

This week, it was revealed that the Coupons had exhausted Major League Baseball’s funds and were now in dire straits with national banks who the Coupons had tapped.

The hands to take from are growing far and few between.  The one source they tapped a long time ago, the fan, now actively seeks their removal from among the hierarchy of owners and trust me when I say that the Coupons are up there among Bud Selig’s select few favored.  Its why he approved a $25 million loan for them and did NOT for Frank McCourt, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  If you aren’t among the core of Selig’s fellowship don’t expect to be helped.

Belieee dat.

The type of support the Coupons receive means they are well liked and people believe they are worth the benefit of doubt as it relates to the Madoff scandal and what potential harm it can do to their status as owners of a major league team.

Bud Selig knows how important it is for him that Fred Coupon remains aboard.  He’s long been on Selig’s side as it relates to many of Selig’s initiatives like a slot system for paying drafted players; a reason why many feel the Mets system is so weak.  Fred was also the person who led the charge to have his Bud get appointed Commissioner when Fay Vincent was relieved of his duties.*  Selig knows that losing one of his friends on the board would deal a major blow to anything he wants to accomplish when the next labor bargaining sessions open up.
*= hahahaha

What this week’s revelation tells us is that the Coupons refuse to go quietly and will exhaust every avenue until they are out of options.  This will likely draw out the process for several months and until after a ruling on exactly how much the Coupons will settle for in the Madoff case.  Irving Picard says he won’t settle and that he intends to get the $1 billion he is seeking but that’s all semantics and good tough talk that those involved need to hear.

Good litigators know that settling is not only the quickest way to end things but the threat of a trial and what potential harm can come from dirt being revealed.  But there really is no timetable for an amiable agreement to be put in place and thus the Mets will be in limbo until that happens.

What does this mean for the actual product?  Plenty.  Consider that the Mets will be hamstrung.  Will they have the funds that a new ownership group might bring or will they be pinching pennies as the Coupons continue to cut costs in order to keep their team.

Think about what it means for former franchise cornerstone Jose Reyes.  Reyes will be a free agent after this year.  Will the Mets risk keeping Reyes and letting him walk to a team for just draft picks?  The risk will be huge if Reyes has a big first half and teams line up to pay him.  The Red Sox are rumored to be a favorable trading partner.  I don’t think that makes any sense since top prospect Jose Iglesias will be major league ready in 2 or 3 years and Reyes won’t sign a 2 or 3 year deal with the Sox when he’s entering the prime of his career at age 28.

Sixty million will come off the books next year and the promise of Sandy Alderson to have more financial flexibility next offseason is what Met fans are tolerating but its becoming clearer what their intended purpose was.  To bring in number crunchers who could field competitive teams while operating at lower budgets.

If that’s the case, Met fans who are left sitting in seats in 2011 won’t return in 2012.  No matter what, the product on the field is what dictates everything else.  What the Coupons don’t understand is that New York sports fans care dearly.  If a team underperforms they don’t get a pat on the back and “we’ll get em next year” consolation.  They will get destroyed in the press and fans will turn on them and quick.  That kind of publicity isn’t something easily washed away.

The Coupons haven’t made this process easy.  They have consistently refused the possibility that they need help or that they are in trouble and yet behind the scenes they have asked for help from every possible outlet.  But those wells have run dry.  The one well they should have been able to go to they dried up a long time ago.

Despite all the kind words from prospective buyers of 25% of the Mets they know one thing: in order to get into this exclusive club of baseball owners they have to suck up to Fred Coupon who will hand pick his successor to the throne.  That person must think highly of Bud Selig who then will give the yay or nay to their bids.

The Coupons don’t need to wonder why they are in trouble.  They need only look at newspaper clippings.  Their reputation in league circles is now coming under fire.  Their rep with fans is pretty bad and no matter what they say there seems to always be evidence that comes out that says otherwise.  They no longer decide how this ends.  Their decisions have finally caught up to them.

No disrespect to them, but like many have been screaming: its time to get out Coupons.  Do us a favor.  Leave.  If you truly love the Mets you can’t let this team suffer while you pick up the pieces of your life.  This is clearly more doom than had first been imagined.

The next owner of the Mets should be….

Well, apparently there already is a list and the New York Post just got wind of some of the names on that list.  Apparently 30 groups gave their names and the two most prominent are one headed by a few Goldman Sachs partners which, judging by how much trouble they were in after this financial crisis, perhaps staying away from the public eye would be the best move and the other was a group led by Bobby Valentine the former beloved manager of the last World Series team the Mets fielded in 2000.

I’m bias to Bobby V who I’ve always felt got a raw deal at the end of his tenure in New York and deserved more of a shot there.  So his entry as a bidder makes me very excited.  Obviously more will come out in the following days.  I personally can’t wait.

Random Thoughts:

 

@SI_PeterKing Peter King

Good breakdown of the meaning of the extension by Mike Silver:http://yhoo.it/gULSJ1

 

 

Universally hailed as the best rundown of what Friday’s event meant for football’s labor process.  Basically they decided to delay the lockout by 10 days.  I truly believe that both sides don’t want a lockout but will do so to get what they want.  I do think they are far apart on many issues and just because the deadline was pushed for a week to ten days, it doesn’t mean that something is very close to happening.  Between rookie wage scale (I agree), 18 game schedule (I disagree) and an extra billion off the top (could care less), there must be several other issues that are causing this process to get no-where past the 5 yard line like Adam Schefter had been reporting up until Friday.  They didn’t break bread over the weekend unless leaders met privately.  Nothing is being discussed yet.

– People said I was pretty harsh on Kevin Costner.  Sorry, like I said in earlier Sheen article, I think people are confusing the truth and misinterpreted rememberings.  The internet doesn’t lie.  But people still do.  The facts are there.  Just watch the tape.

– Growing more and more into a Parks and Rec fan.  Love Rob Lowe’s character.  He’s fantastic.

– I think Mad Men is one of the best written shows on television today.  Its no Wire, but the acting, and direction of the show is fantastic.  Don Draper is the definition of cool.

– Got about an hour to blow?  Well, here’s a very interesting article I picked up on my travails through the internet that I thought people would enjoy.  Would love to hear back what people think about it.

-Viggo Mortenson as General Zod?  Very cool.

 

Later in the week, I’m going to write an article about the Knicks.  It needs to be done.  It needs to happen.  I’m going to talk Amar’e and Melo and how well they are meshing.

As always if you have ideas, on how this space can be more improved.  Let me know.

and as always……

 

@RONARTESTCOM RON ARTEST

“peanut butter”
Don’t ask me why I found that hilarious, but I did.

 

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February 19, 2011 · 6:12 pm

Latest On Melo

Throughout the Carmelo Anthony saga the biggest misconception has been this: that there is some mystery that needs solving.

We know that Carmelo wants to be a Knick. The Nuggets and Nets want Carmelo to be a Net. NBA fans of 27 other teams could care less*. But there’s been this constant back and forth about where Melo wants to be.
*= Laker fans don’t care either, except they have that .05% hope that Mitch Kupchak blows this team up and reloads for a run at Dwight Howard after 2012 so they can give Kobe maybe an extra 2-3 years of life on his legs.

Carmelo has been open about where he wants to end up as he could be without completely looking like an ass. He hasn’t led on his current fanbase about a future there that both sides knew was not going to be. He has been as honest as he possibly could be when pressed by media members who repeatedly just want him to admit something that they themselves know he is trained by professionals not to.

If Lebron’s “decision” taught us anything, its this: there are right and wrong ways to go about doing this. We may hate it as a “need-to-know-everything” public but the way this is playing out on the outside is exactly how it should be. Melo and all parties involved need to keep some space between them and the information hounds until something happens.

I am tired of sports tickers calling deals “imminent” and “very close” according to “sources” that will never be made public. I’m tired of seeing Chris Broussard and Marc Stein and reputable reporters like Ken Berger and Adrian Wojnarowski make informed opinions. I want fact and not some imaginative fiction made to increase page views on sites.

I would at this point rather hear nothing until a trade is made, or read about the other offers after the fact and an informed opinion about why these deals didn’t go through and what made the teams come to terms on what they did.

Sadly I’m in the minority. In some respect, I love this new age of rapid fire information but many times its a whole lot of smoke I have to sift through until I see fire and for people who are as lazy as I am, we don’t like being duped into reading an article that has no basis in truth. Its neither rewarding or fun.

Don’t confuse this with opinion pieces. I love columnists who can offer fresh perspective on any sports story. I just hate reading about the possibility of something happening that hasn’t. Don’t bore me with that. Excite me with (f)actual news.

The Knicks and Nuggets will continue to try and broker the deal that would get Carmelo’s approval while the Nets hope that once the Nuggets and Knicks don’t reach a deal that Melo, desperate enough to get that extension, will approve a deal to the Nets. A deal that has been on the table since last summer.

The amount of players and draft picks it would take from the Knicks and Nets would be huge and I am not going into who has been rumored in either package but you can be certain that this would be a “farm cleaning” kind of a deal that sends both franchises into uncertain futures.

After all, this is about the future as much as it is about the present. This weekend is supposed to be Blake Griffin and the depth of talent that the NBA hasn’t had in a really long time. But the weekend has been filled with rumors of trades and deals and meetings and executives and rap moguls that take it far from what fans want to see- basketball.

Is Melo worth all of this? We won’t be able to tell that until Melo helps deliver a title to whichever team he eventually ends up on. When a player of Melo’s caliber gets traded its a win-now move for the franchise that lands him and anything short of a title makes this deal pointless.

I’ve been of the opinion from day one that the Knicks should wait till free agency to scoop up Melo. If Melo wants to be a Knick so bad and wants to win a title in New York then the Knicks shouldn’t trade away half the team. This is Melo wanting his cake and eating it too. He doesn’t want to leave $20-$25 million on the table especially considering that there will be a new collective bargaining agreement in place.

Which of course brings up the dark horse scenario that could play out. Let’s say that the February 24 trade deadline comes and goes and Melo isn’t dealt. The Nuggets and Melo would be stuck together till a new labor deal is struck- one which could have a franchise tag built in. A tag that the Nuggets could use on their superstar to keep him from going to the Knicks in free agency. Its the only bit of leverage the Nuggets have and its a leap of faith to assume that it would happen.

So the need for Melo to have some resolution to his situation prior to February 24 is necessary.

One thing is clear: the Nuggets and Melo are not leaving each other on good terms. Neither wants to give what the other wants. Is it fair for the Nuggets to take a less than fair offer to help a player who wants to leave? Is it right for the Nuggets to be this stubborn to not deal with the Knicks and risk Melo leaving them without getting a single thing in return?

Here’s the only thing to know. It doesn’t matter talking about it until it happens. Did that make the last couple of hundred words I wrote useless? Maybe. What I do know is that when it happens then there will be something worth talking about. Until then we’re all driving ourselves crazy over something that hasn’t happened.

Atleast I’m trying to convince myself that this is the right course of action. To be honest I’m having a hard time doing it.

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February 14, 2011 · 11:20 am

Monday Morning something or the other- February 14th

I’ve always been a fan of Peter King’s weekly Monday Morning QB article that I decided to use his idea and try to expand it a bit.  I’ve been looking at ways to change the format of the blog to expand my readership and I hope at some point over the next few years, that this idea will atleast spark some of you that read me (I can’t begin to express gratitude to you) to tell your friends so they can tell their friends.  I hope that this new changed up, and perhaps a little more organized, spread will help me attain the one goal that I’ve always sought: world domination.

But on a serious note, if you have any suggestions on ways to make the site better I’m always looking to improve and nothing is fixed on the site.   So feel free to communicate with me at lazyeyeofsports@gmail.com.

I’m sitting here trying to write the article while watching Cee Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow confuse 20,000 in the Staples Center and millions on television as to whether they are watching something real or stuck in a scene from “Inception.”

With that auspicious start, I give you the news that matter to me and I hope everyone else:

MELO WATCH

“Carmelo Anthony said after shootaround that he would ‘take a hard look’ at signing 3-year extension if he’s not dealt by trade deadline.”

@dempseypost Chris Dempsey

With Carmelo watch heading into day ??? Carmelo Anthony scored 50, 29 and 42 but the Nuggets went 1-2 and lost the two games by 5 and 2 points respectively.  Their lone win came against Dallas and they won by a single point.  Amar’e Stoudemire ‘s Knicks went 1-2 and lost by a combined 25 points to the two Los Angeles teams.  So the idea is that the two team up and find a way to beat those teams, right?

That might work, but not if the Knicks decide to trade away the building blocks that will eventually form the heart of the roster.  As much as I would love Melo to join the team right now, this instant, I have enjoyed this season from a basketball perspective because this team has competed.

Which is all New York fans have ever asked for.  This is the city that has the New York Yankees- the most decorated team ever and yet the inner cities of New York make this a basketball town.  This used to be point guard city and most of the talent used to stay within the tri-state area to make it big but its very rare nowadays to see that happen.

With Stoudemire’s presence, that dynamic is changing and we’ve seen that with the St John’s basketball program having a renaissance as well.  Coincedence or not, its good to note that the Knicks are not an embarrassing headline every night for the masses.

But as presently constructed, the Knicks won’t make any noise in the playoffs and as time goes on, Knick fans will grow tired of the bad defense and close call defeats that leave fans heartbroken against much more skilled line ups.  Eventually expectations will far exceed what we see on the court and then we’ll be awoken from this great dream we’ve been treated to.

I think Donnie Walsh realizes this and may be rolling his sleeves to try and trigger a trade, but will Melo be enough and is he the answer?  Only time will tell that.

But in my opinion, I say wait out Carmelo Anthony.  If this past offseason taught me anything its this: New York isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and maybe that’s not enough anymore for athletes to come here and take on the responsibility of bringing this city a championship.  But just because you can’t get the hottest girl at the dance, doesn’t mean you won’t walk away with the right girl.

Think about how much more mature Amar’e is than Lebron and just consider that perhaps one was more mentally capable of handling the pressure than the other.  Maybe decisions will work itself out.  Maybe its time for us to be the Prom King again and let them come to us.  So Melo, either you come in the offseason or you go elsewhere.

Your move.  New York doesn’t need you, you need us.

DOLAN OUT TO TRY AND GET MELO?

“NY will work trade on its terms but knows it can get Melo in free agency. Anyway, Jim Buss has made it clear within org: Bynum is staying.”

@WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski

Speaking of which, did you hear the joke about the owner who wanted to be his team’s GM?  Well that one’s kind of not that funny because every Knick fan is having a mini panic attack as rumors began flying around about  the Lakers possibly entering the trading fray for Melo by dealing away Andrew Bynum straight up for Melo.

First of all- no.  As much as this trade had sense because of the fact that the Lakers were struggling and word began spreading that perhaps Mitch Kupchak was looking to shake up the roster and make a deal so naturally the Melo magnet attracted trade talks with the Nuggets which are absolutely smoke screens.  According to ace scribe Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, CAA (Melo’s agents) were behind this latest piece of fabric-ated trade talk in order to make the Knicks jump into the pool with both eyes close and make a trade so that they could get him that $65 million extension he may not receive if the new CBA comes out and lowers the salary cap.

I was happy to note that there was no leverage until I read further about reports that Knicks owner James Dolan was going over Donnie Walsh’s head to make a move which I can’t begin to describe how disheartening that is, and maddening at the same time.

Dolan can be blamed for many things like keeping Isiah around for as long as he did/does, but if he were to somehow make this trade happen, I can’t see any competent GM being able to run this team.  And why would they?  After working miracles to put the Knicks in the running for Lebron James, Donnie Walsh has still not been given an extension.

Why would Dolan NOT want to give Donnie Walsh an extension?  The man who pulled a rabbit out of his butt and somehow still made this team somewhat relevant.  These are the kind of non moves that, as a Knick fan, scare the bejeezus out of me and convince me that James Dolan is not from this planet and cares very little to not care at all about what the fans want.  Which is simply: STAY THE EFF OUT OF THE WAY!

VISITING THE GARDEN:

The Knicks had some high profile visitors this past week.  Probably the most anticipated, outside of Kobe, was the arrival of Blake Griffin.  I’ve said this often, but a newbie’s debut at the Garden is a very important rite of passage for every superstar to take that next step.  While he didn’t quite have that game- but I will give him this, he got quite the nod of approval from one of the most respected NBA writers in the game; the Post’s Peter Vecsey wrote a pretty cool profile piece on the budding NBA superstar.

HALL OF LAME

Filled up some vacants in Canton, Ohio. I’m stilled pissed about the HOF selection process. Don’t take it personal. It’s just tough love.

@WhitlockJason Jason Whitlock

Every year, the NFL announces its Hall of Fame class and every year people have problems with who got snubbed and so this year was no different because, let’s face it, there’s never a moment where everyone wholeheartedly agrees with everything- unless it has to do with Tom Brady winning the NFL MVP.  But that’s a discussion for a different day.

For today’s big bowl of beef, I give to you Jason Whitlock’s piece on how he would fix the  Hall’s selection process.

I’m a fan of Whitlock’s work usually but I think he’s a bit unfair in this matter.  I’ve never had the pleasure of sitting in on the meeting and can’t speak on some of his allegations that it’s a network of fat white men who love the power they wield over athletes they may/may not have liked during their playing career.  Maybe Whitlock knows something that I don’t and so he speaks from experience but when thinking about what they have to go through I can’t imagine you could’ve walked out of that room without knowing that you would offend some.

Also Whitlock’s idea is beyond ridiculous.  How is he removing the element of favoritism for popular athletes in his version?   I do agree that the whole idea of limiting each year’s entry to 7 people doesn’t make sense.

My big thing about the hall of fame is this (and this applies to every sport):  if the player can’t pass the five second test then they shouldn’t get in.  Pure and simple.  If you say someone’s name and have to think about his candidacy for longer than 5 seconds then he isn’t a hall of famer.  Hall of Fame has changed into the Hall of Very good and its pretty sad.

One day I’ll expand my thoughts on it but for now, you’ll have to make do with that.

Finally, I save you the bad news for last:

NFL SEASON GOING TO BE DE-LABOR(ED)

Text from plugged-in NFL person: “This CBA has no chance. The owners don’t a deal. Take a break – a month off. You won’t miss anything.”
@AdamSchefter Adam Schefter

You know by now that the NFL is headed towards a strike.  Its one of the most unbelievable situations ever in sports when you consider that there’s only ONE issue that’s keeping a resolution: money.

From what I’ve read and heard, its clear that the gulf separating players and owners is $1 billion.  That’s the amount of money that the owners want before the $9 billion annual pot gets split.  They already receive $1 billion in the current CBA, now they want an extra $1 billion to pay for new facilities and etc.

I have a few problems with that.  One, what is etc?  The players have asked to look at the league’s books to see if they have a valid case to ask for that extra money and the owners have thus far not budged which tells me all I need to know.

Secondly, a majority of these facilities are funded through friendly state programs that give them tax breaks and all sorts of financial mumbo jumbo I won’t get into*.  The players can’t be put on the hook for that.  The owners want newer stadiums to generate more revenue.  For themselves.

*= because I don’t know what I’m talking about.

The other major talking points, in no order of importance:

– Rookie Wage scale-  there’s no reason why untested rookies should make more money than proven veterans.

– 18 game schedule-  with the commissioner leading a revolution against concussions I find it hard for him to then turn around and say, in the interest of fans, that an 18 game schedule makes sense.  Really?  NFL fans think of it this way, most teams already rest players during the last one or two weeks with playoff seeds locked up, now imagine a whole month of Curtis Painter at QB for the Colts or a whole month of Matt Flynn in Green Bay?  I wonder how season ticket holders will feel about being treated to that?  Or how about two more games in which a key player can get injured just in time for the playoffs.  The defending Super Bowl champs, Packers, won with 15 players on IR.  That doesn’t happen all the time.

Players in exchange for 18 games want better health benefits.  Sounds reasonable.  Right now the NFL gives 5 years of insurance for players who leave football.  The NFLPA wants ten.

For now, these two items are the most discussed.  One final note about the 18 game schedule, I’m not in favor of it.  I see no point.  The reason the NFL is the most popular sport is because its appointment television.  The lack of games gives each one a significance.  Why would the NFL want more games and threaten a watered down product come the playoffs?  Staying healthy is so difficult in a sport as physical as football.  Could you imagine this years Super Bowl QB matchup if it were “Charlie Batch vs. Matt Flynn”?  It wouldve been a nightmare game.

I listed how I feel about each.  What about you?  What changes would you want?

The real shame in this match up of billionaires and millionaires is that the regular everyday fan stands to lose.

I was always under the assumption that the NBA was headed to a lockout as opposed to the NFL because the NBA was losing money.  But I lacked the foresight to realize that the NBA HAS to make a deal because it would behoove them.  The talent level has never been better and attendance is rising in the major markets (thanks Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire).

But the NFL is making too much money and that means that neither side is willing to budge from their spot because they both feel they are the bigger reason for the success.

Buckle up fans, we’re in for a long and bumpy road.

——Other News and Notes————-

With this section thought I’d rattle off some other cool links and worthwhile newstories that I found interesting and it hopefully isn’t with dated material that will grow old and stale with fans.

– A very cool article written by Jason Fray who writes for Fear and faith in Flushing which is a blog about the Mets.  I didn’t just pick his article for that reason although I’m not going to lie- he did win major points for it.  I would agree with what he had to say though in this new age, demand beats out anything.  The writer with the exclusive is the champion and in today’s day and age that guy doesn’t need to be the one with the press pass.  Facing normal citizens in the arena of journalism is as tough these days as it is facing your peers in a who’s got the line up card first.

But I still do manage to follow like twenty beat writers for the Mets.  Overlapping doesn’t bother me one bit.

–       Finally, SI’s Joe Lemire wrote a great article about the origins and cult following of the enduring game that spawned fantasy sports itself: Strat-O-Matic.  The game has a huge following and it still prints and still sells now even having a computerized version.

Follow up note to this piece:  I messaged him on Twitter to tell him good job and also that its not a game I could see myself purchasing because most of my friends/cousins don’t like baseball as much as I do and so I would be left with no one to play the game with (stop laughing) and he replied by saying that he had plenty of games by himself which I’m not ashamed to admit was enough to sell me on the game.

I am an only child.

ON TAP

This week I’m tentatively looking at making two posts.  One will appear either Tuesday or Wednesday which will focus on the five most pressing questions for both the Mets and the Yankees heading into Spring Training.  Also later in the week, if I can figure it out in time perhaps I will be able to do my very first podcast.  Let’s hope it will happen.

Again, this space won’t look like this next week.  I’m in the midst at looking for sponsors and who knows what will happen.  This space is always looking for a bit of change and I may change the whole layout of the piece to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to understand all this info that I will be disseminating.

Okay kids, hope you have a Happy Monday and happy Valentine’s Day!

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December 5, 2010 · 2:24 pm

Thoughts on Lebronaclypse

It was Apocalypse Now. It was happening, Lebronaclypse. TNT had turned on to live coverage of Heat-Cavs aka Le-Traitor’s return. No music, just audio of Cleveland- the victim.

That’s what they were. Make no mistake, Thursday night every city looked at Lebron as a villain because we felt sorry for Cleveland. Because ESPN wouldn’t stop playing that Top 10 Cleveland’s most suckiest moments countdown.* And let’s face it, after “The Decision”, everything about Lebron seemed to have a bad vibe.
*= I mean Cleveland HAD to be booing ESPN too right? I mean for months their reporters gave Cleveland zero chance to retain Lebron. They kept making snarky remarks about how sad Cleveland was pre-Decision if Lebron were to leave and the worst was that countdown. If I were Chris Broussard, I’d steer clear of Cleveland for a while till this blows over, oh wait, it won’t.

I even had an article written up about how selfish Lebron was- you know piling on. There were reports about him already wanting coach Erik Spolestra out. Maverick Carter- his best friend/business adviser/consigliere was planting stories in the press. Chris Broussard- the go-to reporter for Lebron’s camp was the pipeline for information leaks.

The problem was, many in the press had grew tired of his act. Spolestra was Riley’s hand picked successor and a well respected coach in the eyes of basketball scribes. So reporters started remembering little tidbits of Lebron during the Olympics that fit the new national mindset on Lebron: child superstar turned big baby. Attention seeking crybaby who needed things to go his way and wanted NO part of the struggle.

Which is what made the mash up of Lebron’s commercial and Michael Jordan’s excuses Nike commercial so great for people of my generation: Jordan was the best, who built his game on the time honored tradition of hard work- the kind that built up the country and Lebron represented the new school- immensely gifted but only interested in the shortest path to glory- the kind that put this country in the mess that its in today.*
*= I realize that I’m reaching BIG TIME with this, but work with me, its mostly for effect.

With that said, we knew everyone would focus on Lebrons every movement, his facial twitches and we’d harp on every show of emotion.

Fast forward to the open of the program and there was no music, just a shot of Lebron entering the arena. Ernie Johnson with a brief set up and then “BOOOOOOOO”. That’s all you heard. I was literally ready for anything at that moment. They wouldn’t allow fans to take bottles into the arena- beer was flowing but only into paper cups. The National Guard was called in and extra security was in the house. Kenny Smith called the atmosphere “Game 7 like” and for game 19 of an 82 game schedule, that’s a big deal.

But everyone was focused on Lebron. The camera was fixed on him for a few minutes, following everything. But Lebron kept cool and something else happened that I wasn’t prepared for: Lebron embraced the atmosphere.

I was sure that he would crack. That the city would will the Cavs to a victory and Lebron would press and try and do too much. If the stories were true, then he wasn’t strong enough to handle it and would crumble like a house of cards. I bought into it. Add on to the fact that the Heat were a mystifying 10-8 entering the game.

The Heat who talked about multiple championships in their introductory public self congratulating ceremony, the team that was going to threaten the 96 Bulls for greatest team of all time label, were a less than Jordan-esque 10-8 heading into the Cleveland showdown. Somewhat of a letdown considering how much trouble the league was supposedly in.

But out came Lebron and he was singularly focused. A different Lebron showed up. He went through the crowd and began to start shoot around and as he touched the ball he began to immediately do dunks, but the kind you perform during dunk contests. But the kind you do with extra emphasis to intimidate. The kind you do to send a message: Let’s set things straight Cleveland, I’m still one of the two best players on the league and physically may be the most impressive specimen ever. I’m not just going to beat you, but for every time you boo, I’m going to show you it only serves to motivate me.

He had that snarl about him that made him more noticeably intriguing. He made his first two shots. He was playing a bit tougher on defense. He was taking over games and allowing the Lebron who was in Cleveland to manifest itself in his old playground. I began to watch more and realize that two things had happened:

Lebron’s killer instinct was beginning to take form and Cleveland had no shot. Lebron, for all his lack of P.C. and unawareness, still has the talents to take a team to the Finals. We have never questioned his physical ability, but this move shocked the heck out of traditionalist fans who wanted to see a superstar deliver. Especially one that’s supposed to be one of the two best players in the league.

But Lebron had that look in his eye thursday that if its all about basketball, removed from the B.S. of all the extra curriculars, Lebron is still the most physically gifted talent the NBA has and he’s only ENTERING his peak. That’s what everyone wanted to see. 38 points in 30 minutes. 5 rebounds. 8 assists. Blowout victory. That’s the Lebron we expected all season. The turbo that was on for the last two seasons was in full effect Thursday night.

Even Cleveland had to witness. At some point, even the boos faded. Lebron began chatting it up with the Cav bench and to be honest, it was then that I was most scared for him. Thursday night was supposed to be the cherry on a crap sandwich Lebron was supposed to eat if you believe in karma. Lebron was supposed to miss every shot. Cleveland should have had its victory. But once again Cleveland was a victim and at this point I don’t think anyone cares. All the crap Lebron took, he came out on the other end of Thursday night looking every bit the golden child he was in Cleveland for the first seven seasons. Cleveland went back to its position as a tortured city and the world was put back in its axis. I kept watching to see Lebron.

For some reason I kept thinking to his pre-game dunks and the most telling moment was when it came time to do his ritualistic powder toss. He did it. Powder flew and the boos grew, and he looked around and like any classic wrestling villain, he stared at the crowd and embraced the hate. All of the insults muted by each other and it was just rambling nonsense in his ear. It was the moment that I got the inkling that this night would not end up the way that most Lebron haters would like it to. This night was about Lebron and he would make it about him and do everything he could to destroy the Cavs. He was facing more than just the Cavs, he was facing his own immortality. All the hate must have crested in his mind and if this one game did unlock the Lebron most feared when he signed with the Heat, then this was a bigger win for the Heat than anyone couldve imagined.

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July 13, 2010 · 11:01 pm

New York and the NBA after “The Decision”

New Yorkers are incredibly resillient.  That much I’m sure of.  So recovering from the mess that was Lebron took only a few hours.  We’re a city that moves so quick that tourists complain about our rudeness.

We’re not walking fast, you’re just walking slow.

So no wonder that yesterdays press conference to announce 4 new players to the Knicks roster was met more with answers of what was to come than what wasn’t.

Allan Houston, the Knicks GM-in-training, knows about defeating the Miami Heat.  He lives on in New Yorkers hearts for his teardrop shot to shock the Heat during the 99 season. A season where an 8th seed like them beat a 1 seed like the Heat, a scenario that the Knicks could find themselves in this season.

Projected records so far have the Knicks winning between 38-42 games which would be, at best, a 12 game turnaround.  Its entirely possible that the Knicks could be the surprise team if you buy into all the doomsday theories of the Knicks going back to irrelevance now that Le-Bum spurned New York’s advances.  If we had anything over the past two years, it was hope that Lebron was on his way like a knight in shining armor to save the day.

But that prince turned into a frog instead.  He became Hollywood Hogan and went AWOL on the good guy list.  Now he’s the villain universally.

My question is..was that…a good thing?  Hear me out Knick fans.  Maybe I’m just sipping from the kool aid a bit too much but I’m thinking pretty clear, I promise.

My points are all purely circumstantial so I have nothing to stand behind but a hunch.  What if Chris Paul’s reported announcement of his own big 3 wasn’t all talk?

If you haven’t read the newest rumor to drive Knick fans crazy, here it is.  Marc Berman, the Knicks beatwriter for the New York Post, said that in a speech during friend Carmello Anthony’s wedding, which James was also in attendance for, said he, Melo, and Amare would form their own Big 3 in New York to challenge the one in South Beach.

How much truth lies in that statement remains in question.  Remember Knick fans, Lebron started flirting with coming to New York two years ago too.  So let’s hold our horses and not get set up again.

Ok, so let’s start imagining a scenario I’ve been thinking about since this newstory leaked.  What if this Big 3 forming in Miami sparked an idea in the minds of all free agents to be that the only way to assure yourself of greatness is to be teamed with a really good squad and form your own super team?  What if guys like Chris Paul and Deron Williams (both free agents in 2012) want a championship badly enough that they would let statistics be damned and join forces to make it happen?

It makes sense now that the discussion on the superstars are changing.  If stars no longer care about competing against each other then expect more super teams to come together.

So now the only relevant topic left is to scout potential landing spots for that kind of star power and all signs point to New York being the last glamour spot left in the NBA for stars to really shine on a huge stage.  The Knicks and Nets can basically play up the image part of being a champion in New York now that its become clear what this generations stars are after.  Its not about individual glory.

Which brings us to David Stern’s comments regarding Lebron’s exit strategy.  He said his decision making was poor and he wished he had informed Dan Gilbert, the crazy owner of the Cavs, sooner than he had about him leaving as opposed to a nationally televised audience.  The interesting part is how Stern views this shift.  Its bigger than you think.

Stern’s marketing made his stars huge.  In the early 80’s basketballs ratings were so poor that the Finals were shown on tape delay on CBS.  Magic and Bird brought the NBA back with their rivalry and MJ took it to a whole other level.  Basketballs popularity skyrocketed with MJ’s emergence.  The marketing job they did on Jordan and helping take his accomplishments and multiply its importance was and remains why we view Jordan the way we do.  Stern always had a star to build around.  Like the sun to the rest of the planets orbiting around it.

Its why when Jordan left, the discussion was where the NBA would find its next Jordan.  How could you follow that act up?  It took years and years before fans were able to accept that there was no next Jordan.  Remember Harold Miner? T-Mac? Vince Carter?*  All good players but never nearly as great as we as fans thought they’d be.
*= I especially hate Vince Carter because I was almost positive he was the next best thing.  He came from Jordan’s alma mater, North Carolina, and he had all the easy athleticism that made Jordan so enjoyable to watch even though he was beating my franchise down.  But his injuries never seemed genuine and he quit on the franchise that invested in him.  I just had very little respect for a man who I felt was wasting his talent and not using it which is why I suppose this Lebron “Decision” irks me too.

If championships are the only category to worship then Russell is the champ.  If its scoring ability its Kareem.  But because of his flair and the commercials and the aura he built with the marketing dollars, we all ceded that it was Jordan.  I believe Jordan was the greatest because you just knew when you were watching him that you were going to be treated.  A singular talent like him shined brightest on the bright stage as if he did it without a supporting cast, as if there was no Pippen.

Need a more contemporary example?  Everyone that watched the Finals know that Gasol outplayed Kobe in game 7, but Kobe, with a 6/24 shooting performance won the series MVP.  Why?  Because Kobe is the biggest star.  Kobe basically had to show up in order to win the MVP.

The NBA is a star’s business and Stern was a master in pushing his sports top athletes.  He understood that and he made it profitable.  So when he sees Lebron make a business decision personal to join friends in search of championships, he’s seeing his biggest meal ticket ruin what could be millions more in branding and other things.

Now Stern has to sell the team to fans as opposed to two separate entities.  He can’t just market Lebron by himself.  He has to market him with Wade.  Wade and Lebron are close enough to assume sporting headlines in matchups against each other.  Remember the NBA on NBC ads? “Jordan and the Bulls vs Ewing and the Knicks.” Who but the Lakers can match in star power?

Stern’s anguish was evident during the press conference.  He looked like he went to happy hour a few hours prior to the presser.  He looked tired and stressed like he’d been on multiple conference calls to sort out the mess that he knew he was in.  Imagine having crafted your business one way and now having to change it even slightly not because of your customer base but because of your employees.

Stern doesn’t have his heir apparent to Kobe.  It could be Wade but he had Lebron fitted for that crown.  Now its up in the air and Stern has to wonder what it means for the future of his stumbling league if stars are leaving smaller market teams to join together and form super teams then Stern will have an even bigger problem.

Guys talking about joining together publically?  The biggest star in the game coming out of this with more trash flying at him than Hulk Hogan when he made the heel turnV  Stern now has a PR and business problem at hand.

But Stern’s loss may end up being New York’s gain.  What if the summer of 2010 ended up shifting the thinking among young stars.  If a guy like Lebron cedes he can’t lead a team by himself then everyone may begin feeling the same and by the time your done in a few years you have 5 or 6 really really good teams and a bunch of bad ones.  Its natural to assume that the NBA will be in trouble and Stern should be worried about how this summer has gone but you think Miami Heat fans are worried about the state of the NBA?  Well if it benefits New York then neither should we.  New York is resillient, we will get through the hate.

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February 15, 2010 · 7:37 pm

Ten Things I learned while watching All Star Weekend

Honestly, its been ages since I sat myself down through the entire All Star Weekend and forced myself to watch it.  Here are ten things that I learned while watching All Star Weekend:

1.  Tyreke Evans is a beast, but he was smart to share that award with DeJuan Blair. Blair had 22 points and 23 rebounds.  He played more minutes than anyone in the game for a reason.  In these All Star contests, the coaches give every guy an opportunity to play but give the hot hand most of the playing time.  Evans is a spectacular player but Blair is the guy who really stole the show.  Its amazing what guys with a chip on their shoulder can do?  How do teams like the Spurs end up with guys like this?  Isn’t it easy to see that his work ethic was extraordinary?  The first round is littered with talented blue chip prospects you hope will mature into great players but the second round is filled with players you need to score high on the “i’m going to work my butt off in the gym to prove I belong on an NBA roster” scale.  Blair is described as many as one of the most likeable and personable people you will meet which of course is always a plus and he was selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round by the Spurs.  When I heard he went in the second round, I knew that whatever team selected him would have a steal and of course it had to be the Spurs.  He’s going to be a double double machine who is not afraid to use his wide frame and bulky build to punish opponents down low which he showcased in the Rookie-Sophomore game during all star weekend.  Tyreke may have walked away with the MVP award, but everyone walked away wowed by DeJuan Blair.

2. The DUNK contest should no longer be the premiere event of ASW, unless they get a major name to participate. There’s an APB going out to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and any other basketball player who fancies himself a great dunker.  Since Vince won it, I’ve never been really wowed by a dunk contest.  Every year the originality has been sucked out of it by the fact that there are so many “we’ve seen this done” dunks repeated and worse missed a few times and then done.  Nate won it for the third year in a row but does it really matter?  That’s how bad the Knicks are, even when their players are winning awards its for pointless things like the dunk contest.  I Facebooked on Saturday that perhaps I was spoiled as a youngster watching the likes of Michael Jordan, and Clyde Drexler and Vince Carter participate in the dunk contests.  Don’t ever expect to see that kind of star power happen today.  Imagine if LeBron were to lose the dunk contest? How hard would it be for him to have the tape of that dunk contest mysteriously disappear?  Probably not that hard.

3. PRIDE is lacking. Which naturally leads us to the problem with All Star games in general.  Really there’s no incentive for the players to put on a show other than pride.  You know when pride kicks in?  with about 7 minutes left in the All Star game.  These guys don’t compete hard against each other.  Familiarity usually breeds contempt but not in this case.  Bill Simmons, the page 2 writer, made a good point a few years ago when he said that a lot of these guys grew up together.  They played on AAU teams and in summer travel leagues.  They stayed with each other.  Got their first blackberries together and have been texting each other box scores since they were 13.  So how do you expect two friends to be super competitive with nothing on the line?  You can’t.  Not even for normally hyper competitive guys like LeBron and Carmello and D-Wade.  Back in the day, Jordan and Magic and Bird all fought for alpha dog status.  It meant something to them because they came in as loners.  Imagine going to a conference and meeting everyone for the first time in a competitive setting.  You know no one.  You don’t owe them anything or have any link to any one there.  If you channel your normal hyper competitiveness into that room, you’ve got a bunch of highly talented guys trying to be “the man” for lack of a better term.  Now THAT would be sensational.  You don’t have that.
All Star games are not meant to do that but that’s the beauty of basketball.  The NBA is the only sport that can actually have an entire weekend filled with activities to showcase individual ability.  The 3 point contest, the Slam Dunk, HORSE (which as a basketball fan you have to LOVE, although it does need some minor tweaks), and skills competitions are all great ways for fans to see how truly athletic and gifted these guys really are at specific things.  No other sport can claim to have events that truly showcase the wide range of abilities like this.  I mean the NFL, if it were to make a big deal of those QB competitions and skills competitions may come close but it doesn’t so we can’t say that.  The NBA properly uses these events to showcase their talent.  If we raised the pot for the winners of some of these competitions or added a few wrinkles to some of the events, maybe just maybe players might give a damn but with so many outside factors and the globe more tightly connected than ever thanks to facebook and youtube and camera phones, players are more protective of their image and scared to fail because of the possibility that everyone will have the ability to see it in almost real time.

4. Craig Sager can wear normal suits, but his outfit altogether can’t be normal.  Has anyone in sports ever solely kept a career alive thanks to his wardrobe?  He mumbles when he talks, has the creepiest smile in America, and no NBA player feels comfortable enough to look him in the face when they talk.  Would anyone be surprised if we come to find out that his suits were actual human skin painted to those colors?

5. The NFL isn’t the only league in trouble. After the withdrawal of the NFL wore off, the attention quickly shifted to Dallas where David Stern was bombarded with questions about a possible strike looming in the NBA in 2011.  The Players Association apparently ripped to shreds the Owners latest proposal and are not willing to take a paycut to allow owners to have some breathing room as the economy recovers.  Its a tough sell for Memphis fans who really have no ties to their NBA team to sell out every night when their team is barely in playoff contention.  The problem has always been to put an NBA team where it fits.  Not where the guy with the deepest pockets are willing to spend on a team.  Putting a team smack dab in the middle of college basketball country will always be an epic fail and the people who love expansion don’t see that.  Developing a winner takes time and when you are expanding a recession will undoubtedly cause the team to take a hit.  Players have to accept the truth that the league is losing money hand over fist (the NBA is reporting an average of $200 million lost each year over the last 3), and guaranteed contracts will be impossible in the upcoming CBA.  Perhaps partially guaranteed contracts with long term contracts having an out after 3 seasons.  Who knows what kind of details need to be worked out but what we do know is that several teams are in the red and have been for a few seasons now and the CBA must be reworked to fix that.

6. Charles Barkley is by far the best pre game, halftime and post game entertainer in all of sports broadcasting. Since like I said, its been a while since i’ve solely concentrated on basketball, I forget how great it is to have a Charles Barkley around.  I imagine production meetings going on and Barkley walking in, then going to the toilet after about two minutes and sitting there for the duration of the meeting since you know Taco Bell offers you lots and lot, its especially good after you smoked lots of pot.  He walks out with toilet paper sticking to the bottom of his shoe (there’s no relevance to the rest of the comment but come on, you know that’s how it plays out) and he goes out there and totally wings the entire show.  He’s by far the only person with carte blanche to say whatever he likes on national television and rarely see anything more than a slap to the wrist for doing that.

The three best Charles Barkley moments from the All Star Weekend:

A. McLovin coming on to the set (I know he has a real name but I refuse to write it and if he knew what’s best for him, he had better embrace that name for the rest of his life).  Charles looked admiringly at McLovin, and not in a nice way.  He had finally found a guy that Kenny “the Jet” (the most overblown nickname ever by the way.  He was never that good to get a cool nickname like that) Smith and Ernie Johnson (white guys with black people names hall of fame) might look at as more ridiculous than Sir Charles (who by the way has my favorite mock nickname I’ve ever heard given to him by Hall of Fame sportswriter Peter Vecsey: Sir Cumference).  But of course what was unexpected was McLovin thinking the exact same thing about Charles.  He finally had the chance to be on stage with someone that people thought was on the same speed as him.

B. Charles Barkley’s funniest comment of the weekend: “you ever notice how gatorade doesn’t work on players who suck?”  Very true Sir Charles.  This was while you saw Nate Robinson take a chug from his gatorade bottle.

C. Barkley looking like a proud kid when David Stern gave him a compliment.  Look, even I get a little frightened when I hear David Stern speak but it was funny to see the oversized personality that is Charles Barkley address the commissioner in a slightly less demonstrative way.  Stern is an imposing figure for a small guy, but Barkley’s back pedaling and look of sadness when the commissioner gave Kenny Smith a compliment at the expense of Barkley and then paid Barkley a compliment two minutes later was about as revealing to you how scary Stern is and how much of a kid and crazy figure Barkley is.  You just never know with him.

7. I’m convinced NBA players are the least interesting people on the planet.  I had an interesting conversation this weekend about Dwight Howard.  Ever notice how we get all giggly about anything Dwight does and how we gush about his childish acts and get all gaga about it?  I realized why after about two David Aldridge interviews with Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade about how absolutely boring these guys really are.  They don’t even know how to formulate proper sentences.  OF COURSE DWIGHT HOWARD is funny, compared to most NBA players he’s Dave Chappelle. Dirk Nowitzki, God bless him, looked like the least comfortable man on the planet saying “everything is bigger in Texas.”  Its as if he had a cue card and was reading it monotone.  In fact he was walking off as he said it.  He wanted no part of the big stage.  Kobe Bryant always looks pissed off while being interviewed.  I hear LeBron James talk and I just wish he didn’t go to “Clyde Frazier teaches English 101”.  You know, using big words in the wrong context.  Meanwhile there’s only two superstars who I could see being a normal human being outside the court with their friends: Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.  I mean normal in the context of you or I behave with our friends.  I understand that stars operate on a different universe and different rules apply to them.  I would put LBJ on this list but LeBron falls short in one key area.  Amidst all the hype that surrounds him, all the commercials and everything else, looks like a guy that teammates naturally gravitate to.  Bill Simmons a few weeks ago talked about presence.  Jordan had the presence.  That being, the ability to make everyone in an arena or whatever setting they are, stop what they are doing and just watch a person’s every move.  What’s more, Simmons wrote, LeBron knows its and embraces it by putting on shows during pre game warm ups and horsing around.  LeBron is the rare superstar who’s comfortable in his own skin and willing to embrace all that comes with the hype and all the pomp and circumstance.  In that way, LeBron is normal because he hasn’t allowed himself to get caught up in everything around him and looks like a kid when he plays.  But his major flaw other than his language skills is the fact that LeBron needs to be the leader of the group.  He HAS to be.  Every group has that guy who needs to plan the trips and makes the phone calls to find out what everyone is doing or names the email chain you’re in and LeBron is that guy.  He would automatically be the leader of your group whether you wanted him or not.  He knows no other way.  He’s the alpha dog which I will get to more on the LeBron sweepstakes handicap article I will eventually do.  Those guys end up leaving the group and being replaced or he learns to be able to blend in better and not insist on being that guy.  No two ways about it.

Nash and Howard on the other hand are so similiar, they just look like goofy kids.  What sealed it for me for Nash was him accepting the Skills Challenge trophy and doing the goofy “strain to lift the trophy” thing but this article (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2010/02/11/steve-nash-is-the-most-internetiest-basketball-player-in-the-world.aspx) should further prove to you why any guy that takes himself that seriously could fit into any group.  Also Howard is always smiling and always putting on a show and never afraid to be silly.  When David Aldridge asked him about the Shaq controversy (who’s approaching bitter old man status real soon), you could see the pained expression as if telling David through his facial reaction that he did NOT want to talk about this and didn’t feel comfortable being serious.  That right there did it for me.

Otherwise, no other player seems that interesting to me and I despise listening to them talk.

8.  Steve Nash had the best weekend in all of sports. He went to Vancouver to carry the Olympic flame in his native Canada.  Flew to Dallas the next day and won the Skills Contest and then Sunday got almost as loud a reception as his good friend Dirk Nowitzki.  Its easy to see why so many NBA ball players love him and love playing with him but very few can say that they had that kind of weekend.

9. Dallas Stadium raised the bar for all sports All Star games. No doubt the NBA was smart to capitalize on the new Dallas stadium before even the NFL had a chance to (think Super Bowl 2011), but the NBA’s brain trust couldn’t have foreseen how successful the game was going to be.  Granted the competitive level got to normal with about 7 minutes left, but guys were genuinely trying to do the best dunks just so they could run back look up to the rafters at that beautiful screen and see them on the humungo jumbotron.  Granted pride is no longer part of the conversation for All Star games, but certainly guys angling for plays of the game and MVP’s were most certainly trying their hardest.  But how does the NBA address that next year when it comes to Staples?  The flash and the intrigue of having an NBA game at Dallas stadium has come and gone.  How does the NBA make it matter for NBA players next year when they are in a regular arena?  The fact that its in Hollywood will only affect the extra curricular downtown LA area and also Vegas (its only 3 hours away).

10. Everyone wants to be LeBron’s teammate. Just look at the East Squad’s entrance and the West squad’s entrance.  Its clear that LeBron’s repoire with his fellow players is so high and it makes him so likeable to everyone involved that its hard to hate the guy.  He commands attention and respect even from veterans.  We know how great a teammate KG is, even at the All Star Game he was acting like it was  regular season game, at the edge of his seat and cheering on his teammates, but even he takes a backseat to LeBron.  LeBron gets all his teammates involved and the genius of him to do the group intros is further proof of the extras that LeBron just naturally brings.  I see why Cleveland fans think that he’s developed this repoire with his teammates in Cleveland, but if the All Star game proved anything, he can build that up with just about anybody.  Just give him a few minutes, he can teach David Lee how to shimmy.

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