Impressive. What the Philadelphia Eagles front office has done since the lockout was lifted has been simply impressive. Not only did they shock the world by adding top free agent prize CB Nnamdi Asomugha, but they acquired a few more nice pieces; most notably CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (via trade), RB Ronnie Brown and DT Cullen Jenkins. They also upgraded their backup QB position by adding Vince Young (who in my opinion is better than a bunch of QB's around the league who will be starters this year). The Eagles even got a 2012 2nd round pick from the Arizona Cardinals in the Rodgers-Cromartie trade (QB Kevin Kolb was delivered from Eagles). But adding the current bodies to the already talented Eagles team, which boasts such studs as Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Trent Cole, is what has some people already calling them the "Dream Team". Some have even started comparing this Eagles team to the 2010 - 2011 Miami Heat of the NBA. Really??? Slow it down folks - these comparisons are way off base.
First of all, you really can't compare football teams to basketball teams; it's a classic apples vs. oranges scenerio. In basketball, one great player has a lot more impact on a team than one great player does in football. It's basic math; basketball teams have only five players that are starters while football teams have twenty-two players that are starters (exluding special teams). As good as the players are that the Eagles acquired, none of them (for the slight except of Asomugha) are considered the best in the league. The "Dream Team" which was the moniker given to the 1992 USA Basketball Olympic team, were not only made up of some of the best players in the league, it was made up of some of the best players in world of all time! Probably never in the history of sports has a nickname fit a team so perfectly. So lets stop that comparison immediately. The Heat - Eagles comparison is a bad one also for very similiar reasons. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade in Miami created a team which boasted three starters which are considered to be the three of the top players in the NBA. Now while Vick and Asomugha may be hailed by some as elite NFL players, I don't see anyone calling Rodgers-Cromartie, Jenkins, Jason Babin or any of the remaining new Philly starters as best in the league. Also the Heat pretty much had to retool their whole team to accommodate their new star players. The Eagles team will still have most of their personnel from last year's campaign.
Now I know that some of this talk was started by some of the new Eagles (Young & Babin) but I think the media and fans have run with their words. The Eagles acquisitions have been great copy for training camp and the "Dream Team" "Miami Heat" chatter has been an excellent complementary piece. But the bottom line is neither title is accurate no matter how Philadelphia's season will play out.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
NFL Lockout Is Over!! Oh-No Flag On The Play....
Are you ready for some football??? I know the answer to that question. Everyone is about "done" with the current NFL lockout. The labor dispute was seemingly coming to an end this past Thursday when 31 of the 32 NFL owners agreed on a deal that the media reported would be approved by the players. It didn't happen...yet. I think most of us is confident from what we are hearing that an agreement really is around the corner and the NFL season more than likely will start on time. But the bottom line is most strike/lockout related situations, no matter what the industry, are not resolved until the 11th hour. Also when your talking about BILLIONS of dollars being divided, it is going to take time to work everything out. Even though there may be some posturing going on by the players at this time, you can't blame them for wanting to make sure they understand this complex deal that they will commit to for ten years. Let's face it, this is not like a month to month lease agreement that they will try to take to Judge Greg Mathis for a small claims settlement if an issue arises. Ten years is a long commitment; most of the players in the league today will not see the life of this agreement and scores more will enter and exit the league within that time period. Nothing is more important than getting it right, right now.
The media is doing a great job keeping us up to date on all the breaking labor dispute news. But hearing every detail, in detail, is part of what is making this issue a little anxious for fans. In no way am I knocking sports journalists for doing their job. The reality is, that in an attempt to resolve a dispute, there are going to be peaks and valleys. In a moment it will look like a touchdown is going to be scored, and just as fast, there will be a fumble out of that endzone for a touchback. So some of the developments of the past couple of days should not be a surprise. In a few more days (hopefully) we will all wipe our brows and scream "finally!!" because the dispute will be over. That's when sports journalist can get back to reporting on what they would rather be informing us about: actual football matters on the field. And then we can put most of the legal and labor minutiae behind us.
The media is doing a great job keeping us up to date on all the breaking labor dispute news. But hearing every detail, in detail, is part of what is making this issue a little anxious for fans. In no way am I knocking sports journalists for doing their job. The reality is, that in an attempt to resolve a dispute, there are going to be peaks and valleys. In a moment it will look like a touchdown is going to be scored, and just as fast, there will be a fumble out of that endzone for a touchback. So some of the developments of the past couple of days should not be a surprise. In a few more days (hopefully) we will all wipe our brows and scream "finally!!" because the dispute will be over. That's when sports journalist can get back to reporting on what they would rather be informing us about: actual football matters on the field. And then we can put most of the legal and labor minutiae behind us.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Unruly and Violent Fans at a Stadium Near You?
Nowadays, it is tough to be a true fan in sports. It's harder the stay in love with our favorite teams since they seem to have more turnover on their rosters than McDonald's has with its entry level employees. Ticket prices to games have ballooned to absurd levels; compound that with astronomical concession stand and parking prices and it makes it very difficult for folks to make it to a game as much as they would like. On top of it all we currently have two leagues, the NFL and the NBA, that are in labor disputes which could possibly cost fans the opportunity to see games (NFL dispute is ending soon - hopefully). It is all enough to drive us a little batty. But one thing that really puts a damper on the true fan experience is actually caused by fans themselves. Unruly, violent and out of control fans at sporting venues are a bit out of hand. This subject is not discussed nearly enough and I hope that something is finally done about it - soon.
Some fans are really taking the fun out of going to ballparks, stadiums and arenas. Over the years I have witnessed countless verbal abuse, heated arguments and physical fights at sporting events. A couple of years ago I was at a New York Mets home game against the Florida Marlins. A young female arrived late and sat a few rows ahead of me donning a Boston Red Sox cap. A fool in front of her noticed her and just started berating her with uncalled for, nasty language because of her cap. Now mind you, this was a Mets fan not a Yankees fan (not that it would have made it alright if it was a Yankees fan and he clearly had forgotten that Bill Buckner had made it cool for Red Sox fans to visit Flushing). She could not have been anymore than 16 or 17 years old and this "jerk" decides to unload on her as if she had just killed his family. Thankfully, another male fan in her row got him to hush up. If only he would have just kept his focus on the game in front of him, he would not of had to see the Red Sox hat that drew his ire. Instead he disturbs the whole section, which had a decent amount of kids in it and possibly turned off a young lady from coming to the park ever again. All because he had no self control and no respect for others in this public space. Another verbal abuse incident that I witnessed was a bit in reverse, at an NFL game in Philadelphia. As the Philadelphia Eagles were crushing the Dallas Cowboys on the field, I was walking towards a concourse area and heard a loud voice just scolding a Cowboys fan; all kinds of curse words just flying all over the place. I wasn't really too surprised being it was in Philadelphia but as I approached the piercing voice and the Cowboys fan I was shocked to see the orator of these "fine" words was a kid! This girl had to be about 12 years old! And there was what looked to be her parents, right next to her, grinning with pride. I wonder where she learned that behavior??? Now it may be debatable whether this Cowboys fan should have been dressed in Cowboys gear from head to toe in Philadelphia. But what is not debatable is a grown man being subjected to such language from a kid while her parents condone the action. There is nothing wrong with some friendly, consensual verbal jabbing at a game; that actually makes it a little more fun. But if a fan is not a willing participant in your jousting, leave him/her alone.
What's more fun than witnessing someone getting verbally abused? Well of course, it is two or more people screaming obscenities at each other! Yay! I'm sure you've seen and heard these conflicts before. You know, the ones where folks are standing up shouting at each other to the left and behind you; then you just can't help but look to see what's going on even though the game is to your right and in front of you. You have to watch because hey, who knows what's coming next? Maybe a fight? Seriously, I can truly do without this nonsense as well. And 99.9% of the time its over something really, really stupid. And usually these shouting matches are in an earshot of children. But who cares? I'm going to get my point across anyway right? "Your team sucks $^&**@". "Well you can suck *&*$#" "F*** you A##$4$$" - and a lot of times, a fight follows that exchange. Punches thrown, bodies slammed over rows of seats....yea exactly what I had in mind when I came to see this baseball game. Heck, a fight even broke out in the stands at a tennis match in the US Open last year (and I thought tennis spectators were suppose to be sophisticated and civilized - LOL). Major League Baseball's opening day at Dodgers Stadium this year may have showcased one of the worst fan altercations ever. After the game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, Giants fan Bryan Stow was beaten into a coma in the stadium's parking lot. Stow, was allegedly beaten by some Dodgers fans because he was wearing Giants gear. Nearly four months later, Stow is still hospitalized and suffering from a brain injury. All because of what??? Though not as serious, I certainly have seen my share of physical altercations at sporting events. I even was a victim of a beer shower (more like a nice sprinkle) from a hurled cup that was intended for a guy a couple of rows ahead of me. Silly me; I was actually watching the game and suddenly felt a little wet. Thanks guy - I appreciated the free brew - not! And now, with technology being what is today, a lot of these incidents are being taped and posted online. If you went to YouTube right now and searched "fans fight" and plug your favorite team next to it, I'm pretty sure you will find at least one (if not more) fight that was recorded and posted that involved fans of your favorite team. I don't know about you but I'm not looking for an undercard for the game I actually paid to see. The professionals on the field will do just fine thank you.
And speaking of the professionals on the field, my fellow fans, can we "bring it down a thousand" with them too? As paying fans you have every right to boo and jeer players, and if your smart, you'll strategically help your team gain that all important home field advantage. What you don't have the right to do is be overly abusive with the language, throw stuff at players (and onto the field) and run on the field of play. It is unbelievable how many cowards live out among us. They yell and throw stuff at players behind the shield of anonymity in the crowd and also "the shield" that players will not want to get in trouble for retaliating if they can spot them out. Just because we pay for tickets, it does not give us the right to cross the line; it only gives us the right to be entertained. If you feel like you're not being entertained, boo or after awhile don't spend your hard earned money anymore at the games. The infamous NBA fight that broke out at the Palace at Auburn Hills back in 2004 was a benchmark "event" initiated by fans. While visiting Indiana Pacers' player Ron Artest and some of his teammates had absolutely no right and no business fighting up in the stands with Detroit Pistons fans, the whole melee never would have happened if Artest didn't have a drink thrown on him (from a fan). And for those fans that love running out onto the field, you do it at your own risk. Fifteen minutes of "stupidity" is not worth being tased or tackled and arrested. But I guess the highlights of it broadcasted around the world (and it going viral) is worth it, in your mind.
Last season, the NFL acknowledged that more fans were enjoying the "home" experience of watching games. The general feeling was that more people own large, HD flat screen televisions and with the success of the NFL's own programming (such as NFL Red Zone and NFL Sunday TIcket) fans now have a competing option to attending games in person. Though there is some truth to this, I think a growing number of fans are actually just more comfortable watching the game at home. While the out of pocket expense aspect of attending a game in person in a tough economy may actually be the leading reason for more fans staying home, dealing with crowds and unruly behavior I believe has to be a factor in that decision as well. If you have vile acts occurring at stadiums, like the fan last year at a Philadelphia Phillies game who purposely vomitted on an 11 year old girl and her father, why would you want to come out and "enjoy" a contest? No doubt alcohol plays a part in some of this disruptive behavior but some of it is just straight selfish attitude. The feeling that some fans get is that the "world" revolves around them regardless of the fact that there are 55,000 other fans at the game as well. It is a mere reflection of our society, a lack of comprehension that we should share space and respect others in public venues. I often hear fans criticize athletes for being selfish and arrogant; it's time for some them to look in the mirror. Come out to the games and have a good time; stop spoiling it for others with your selfish, arrogant and immature attitudes. Nowhere on the back of a game ticket does it say other fans should be subjected to it.
Some fans are really taking the fun out of going to ballparks, stadiums and arenas. Over the years I have witnessed countless verbal abuse, heated arguments and physical fights at sporting events. A couple of years ago I was at a New York Mets home game against the Florida Marlins. A young female arrived late and sat a few rows ahead of me donning a Boston Red Sox cap. A fool in front of her noticed her and just started berating her with uncalled for, nasty language because of her cap. Now mind you, this was a Mets fan not a Yankees fan (not that it would have made it alright if it was a Yankees fan and he clearly had forgotten that Bill Buckner had made it cool for Red Sox fans to visit Flushing). She could not have been anymore than 16 or 17 years old and this "jerk" decides to unload on her as if she had just killed his family. Thankfully, another male fan in her row got him to hush up. If only he would have just kept his focus on the game in front of him, he would not of had to see the Red Sox hat that drew his ire. Instead he disturbs the whole section, which had a decent amount of kids in it and possibly turned off a young lady from coming to the park ever again. All because he had no self control and no respect for others in this public space. Another verbal abuse incident that I witnessed was a bit in reverse, at an NFL game in Philadelphia. As the Philadelphia Eagles were crushing the Dallas Cowboys on the field, I was walking towards a concourse area and heard a loud voice just scolding a Cowboys fan; all kinds of curse words just flying all over the place. I wasn't really too surprised being it was in Philadelphia but as I approached the piercing voice and the Cowboys fan I was shocked to see the orator of these "fine" words was a kid! This girl had to be about 12 years old! And there was what looked to be her parents, right next to her, grinning with pride. I wonder where she learned that behavior??? Now it may be debatable whether this Cowboys fan should have been dressed in Cowboys gear from head to toe in Philadelphia. But what is not debatable is a grown man being subjected to such language from a kid while her parents condone the action. There is nothing wrong with some friendly, consensual verbal jabbing at a game; that actually makes it a little more fun. But if a fan is not a willing participant in your jousting, leave him/her alone.
What's more fun than witnessing someone getting verbally abused? Well of course, it is two or more people screaming obscenities at each other! Yay! I'm sure you've seen and heard these conflicts before. You know, the ones where folks are standing up shouting at each other to the left and behind you; then you just can't help but look to see what's going on even though the game is to your right and in front of you. You have to watch because hey, who knows what's coming next? Maybe a fight? Seriously, I can truly do without this nonsense as well. And 99.9% of the time its over something really, really stupid. And usually these shouting matches are in an earshot of children. But who cares? I'm going to get my point across anyway right? "Your team sucks $^&**@". "Well you can suck *&*$#" "F*** you A##$4$$" - and a lot of times, a fight follows that exchange. Punches thrown, bodies slammed over rows of seats....yea exactly what I had in mind when I came to see this baseball game. Heck, a fight even broke out in the stands at a tennis match in the US Open last year (and I thought tennis spectators were suppose to be sophisticated and civilized - LOL). Major League Baseball's opening day at Dodgers Stadium this year may have showcased one of the worst fan altercations ever. After the game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, Giants fan Bryan Stow was beaten into a coma in the stadium's parking lot. Stow, was allegedly beaten by some Dodgers fans because he was wearing Giants gear. Nearly four months later, Stow is still hospitalized and suffering from a brain injury. All because of what??? Though not as serious, I certainly have seen my share of physical altercations at sporting events. I even was a victim of a beer shower (more like a nice sprinkle) from a hurled cup that was intended for a guy a couple of rows ahead of me. Silly me; I was actually watching the game and suddenly felt a little wet. Thanks guy - I appreciated the free brew - not! And now, with technology being what is today, a lot of these incidents are being taped and posted online. If you went to YouTube right now and searched "fans fight" and plug your favorite team next to it, I'm pretty sure you will find at least one (if not more) fight that was recorded and posted that involved fans of your favorite team. I don't know about you but I'm not looking for an undercard for the game I actually paid to see. The professionals on the field will do just fine thank you.
And speaking of the professionals on the field, my fellow fans, can we "bring it down a thousand" with them too? As paying fans you have every right to boo and jeer players, and if your smart, you'll strategically help your team gain that all important home field advantage. What you don't have the right to do is be overly abusive with the language, throw stuff at players (and onto the field) and run on the field of play. It is unbelievable how many cowards live out among us. They yell and throw stuff at players behind the shield of anonymity in the crowd and also "the shield" that players will not want to get in trouble for retaliating if they can spot them out. Just because we pay for tickets, it does not give us the right to cross the line; it only gives us the right to be entertained. If you feel like you're not being entertained, boo or after awhile don't spend your hard earned money anymore at the games. The infamous NBA fight that broke out at the Palace at Auburn Hills back in 2004 was a benchmark "event" initiated by fans. While visiting Indiana Pacers' player Ron Artest and some of his teammates had absolutely no right and no business fighting up in the stands with Detroit Pistons fans, the whole melee never would have happened if Artest didn't have a drink thrown on him (from a fan). And for those fans that love running out onto the field, you do it at your own risk. Fifteen minutes of "stupidity" is not worth being tased or tackled and arrested. But I guess the highlights of it broadcasted around the world (and it going viral) is worth it, in your mind.
Last season, the NFL acknowledged that more fans were enjoying the "home" experience of watching games. The general feeling was that more people own large, HD flat screen televisions and with the success of the NFL's own programming (such as NFL Red Zone and NFL Sunday TIcket) fans now have a competing option to attending games in person. Though there is some truth to this, I think a growing number of fans are actually just more comfortable watching the game at home. While the out of pocket expense aspect of attending a game in person in a tough economy may actually be the leading reason for more fans staying home, dealing with crowds and unruly behavior I believe has to be a factor in that decision as well. If you have vile acts occurring at stadiums, like the fan last year at a Philadelphia Phillies game who purposely vomitted on an 11 year old girl and her father, why would you want to come out and "enjoy" a contest? No doubt alcohol plays a part in some of this disruptive behavior but some of it is just straight selfish attitude. The feeling that some fans get is that the "world" revolves around them regardless of the fact that there are 55,000 other fans at the game as well. It is a mere reflection of our society, a lack of comprehension that we should share space and respect others in public venues. I often hear fans criticize athletes for being selfish and arrogant; it's time for some them to look in the mirror. Come out to the games and have a good time; stop spoiling it for others with your selfish, arrogant and immature attitudes. Nowhere on the back of a game ticket does it say other fans should be subjected to it.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Dallas Mavericks NBA Champions!!! Miami Heat 2nd Best For Now....
The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals 105 - 95 to take the series 4 games to 2 and win their very first championship. A lot of experts and fans didn't give the Mavs a shot to beat the Heat, especially after losing Game 3 at home and going down 2 games to 1 in the series. But Dallas jumped back on their horse after that game and proceeded to win the next 3 games in a row to send Miami packing without rings for the summer. Series MVP Dirk Nowitzki was ice cold from the field for a good portion of Game 6, which was very uncharacteristic of him, particularly since he had good looks at the bucket. But Nowitzki hand turned hot as he drove the steak through the heart of the Heat championship dreams down the stretch in the 4th quarter. The Mavs had some key performances by some of their other players like JJ Barea (penetration & shot selection), DeShawn Stevenson (hit some big 3 pointers) and Brian Cardinal (filled in big minutes while Mavs big men were in foul trouble). But no star shined as brightly as Jason Terry for the Mavs as he lit up Miami from the field making 11 of 16 shots (3 of 7 from downtown). Terry really was huge in this game; he held the Mavs' heads above water as Nowitzki was going through his foul trouble and unusual cold streak. He gave the Heat fits with his perimeter game as well as with his drives to the hoop. Terry finished with a game high 27 points but it seemed like he had 50.
The Miami Heat will be kicking themselves all summer about this series. Even though they were down 3 games to 2 going into Game 6 there was a feeling that the Heat could still pull off winning two straight home games to win the title. If LeBron James and Dwayne Wade could have played to their offensive potential, Miami possibly would have been celebrating their 2nd NBA Championship. Surprisingly, neither player showed up big in Game 6. James started off pretty hot but eventually cooled off. Wade never really seemed to get on track offensively. Chris Bosh played a good game but expressed after the game that he wished he had more opportunities (hmm, future problem?). The Heat as a team also missed a ton of free throws in Game 6. They missed 13 to be exact and obviously that had a big impact on the game. But the bottom line is the Heat biggest flaw is their half court offensive. ANY team that tries to run with them will lose. If a team can force them into becoming jump shooters, they will have a chance to succeed. The Mavs forced the Heat into jump shots. They also did the same thing at the end of Game 2, which really was the critical game of this series. In that game the Heat blew a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter when Nowitzki turned up the offense and the team turned up the defense forcing the Heat into an outside game. If the Heat would have won Game 2, I think they would have won the series. But they didn't, so they "didn't".
I'd like to congratulate the Dallas Mavericks on winning the 2011 NBA Finals. It's great to see veterans like Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler finally get their championship. Also it's nice to see Mav's owner Mark Cuban finally win it all. Love him or hate him, he is a player's owner and the kind owner that a fan loves because he does almost anything to make his team a winner. He and his organization has endured some ugly playoff experiences, with one just occurring last season. But today, they are the champs (even swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on their way). The Heat will be taking a lot of "heat" all summer about their failure to win the Larry O'Brien trophy, but the truth is, they had a good season. I thought it was silly for folks to predict them to win more than 72 regular season games and win the title all in their first year of playing together (see http://klassybreeze.blogspot.com/2010/11/hating-heat.html ). For them to make it all the way to the NBA Finals in the first year of playing together as a unit is pretty remarkable. Give this team time to gel a little more and add another piece or two. I fully expect to see them back on this stage again - very soon.
The Miami Heat will be kicking themselves all summer about this series. Even though they were down 3 games to 2 going into Game 6 there was a feeling that the Heat could still pull off winning two straight home games to win the title. If LeBron James and Dwayne Wade could have played to their offensive potential, Miami possibly would have been celebrating their 2nd NBA Championship. Surprisingly, neither player showed up big in Game 6. James started off pretty hot but eventually cooled off. Wade never really seemed to get on track offensively. Chris Bosh played a good game but expressed after the game that he wished he had more opportunities (hmm, future problem?). The Heat as a team also missed a ton of free throws in Game 6. They missed 13 to be exact and obviously that had a big impact on the game. But the bottom line is the Heat biggest flaw is their half court offensive. ANY team that tries to run with them will lose. If a team can force them into becoming jump shooters, they will have a chance to succeed. The Mavs forced the Heat into jump shots. They also did the same thing at the end of Game 2, which really was the critical game of this series. In that game the Heat blew a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter when Nowitzki turned up the offense and the team turned up the defense forcing the Heat into an outside game. If the Heat would have won Game 2, I think they would have won the series. But they didn't, so they "didn't".
I'd like to congratulate the Dallas Mavericks on winning the 2011 NBA Finals. It's great to see veterans like Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler finally get their championship. Also it's nice to see Mav's owner Mark Cuban finally win it all. Love him or hate him, he is a player's owner and the kind owner that a fan loves because he does almost anything to make his team a winner. He and his organization has endured some ugly playoff experiences, with one just occurring last season. But today, they are the champs (even swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on their way). The Heat will be taking a lot of "heat" all summer about their failure to win the Larry O'Brien trophy, but the truth is, they had a good season. I thought it was silly for folks to predict them to win more than 72 regular season games and win the title all in their first year of playing together (see http://klassybreeze.blogspot.com/2010/11/hating-heat.html ). For them to make it all the way to the NBA Finals in the first year of playing together as a unit is pretty remarkable. Give this team time to gel a little more and add another piece or two. I fully expect to see them back on this stage again - very soon.
Monday, March 21, 2011
2011 NCAA Tournament - March Madness or March Mediocrity?
The 2011 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament is down to the Sweet Sixteen. The first weekend of the tournament has given us what we have come to love about March Madness, last second buckets and major upsets (including a #1 seed, Pittsburgh going down). But unfortunately we have also seen a display of some questionable and mediocre play, something that we have not become accustomed to observing.
I don't like bashing college athletes about their play because the reality is, they are young and still learning. Some of these guys are just 18 years old and less than a year out of high school. Then they are suddenly thrusted into the national spotlight and a lot of analyst expect them to handle pressure that grown experienced men would have trouble with. But there are some basketball plays that are just that, basketball plays. No matter what level of basketball an athlete is playing, certain mistakes shouldn't happen. Fouls should not be commited at certain points of the game. There should be a certain amount of urgency when you need a bucket and there are less than 10 seconds on the clock; strolling with the ball like your trying to impress a young lady is going to get you sent home. You must impose your will on lower ranked, inferior teams; not doing so will ultimately get your fellings hurt. Even the referees had some mediocre games. Qustionable foul calls/non-calls and issues with time (clocks & counts) have had folks scratching their heads all weekend.
These are just some of the things that we witnessed this weekend that has made this great pastime of ours slighty less spectacular. Don't get me wrong, the games were still interesting and fun to watch but the errors so far seem to be more pronounced and painfully obvious.
I don't like bashing college athletes about their play because the reality is, they are young and still learning. Some of these guys are just 18 years old and less than a year out of high school. Then they are suddenly thrusted into the national spotlight and a lot of analyst expect them to handle pressure that grown experienced men would have trouble with. But there are some basketball plays that are just that, basketball plays. No matter what level of basketball an athlete is playing, certain mistakes shouldn't happen. Fouls should not be commited at certain points of the game. There should be a certain amount of urgency when you need a bucket and there are less than 10 seconds on the clock; strolling with the ball like your trying to impress a young lady is going to get you sent home. You must impose your will on lower ranked, inferior teams; not doing so will ultimately get your fellings hurt. Even the referees had some mediocre games. Qustionable foul calls/non-calls and issues with time (clocks & counts) have had folks scratching their heads all weekend.
These are just some of the things that we witnessed this weekend that has made this great pastime of ours slighty less spectacular. Don't get me wrong, the games were still interesting and fun to watch but the errors so far seem to be more pronounced and painfully obvious.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Deron Williams Traded To Nets; Buyer Beware?
Caveat emptor! The New Jersey Nets have acquired outstanding point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two first round picks. On the surface, this is not a bad trade for New Jersey. The Nets have received arguably the best point guard in the NBA. Williams is a special player and even though I really like Harris, it makes sense to give him up along with Favors and at least one first round pick (maybe a second, as they did, to seal the deal). But Williams has only one year left on his contract after this season and if they don't secure him for more years, this trade could blow up on the Nets.
The Nets will be moving into their brand new digs at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn in the 2012 - 2013 season. Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov is intent on making his team formidable by the time they become the Lords of Flatbush (Avenue). Obtaining Williams would be a good first step but if he decides for whatever reason to depart after next season, the Nets will be left empty and of course the chips they gave up to get him will have been wasted. Williams could be a good enough piece to convince other great players to come to Brooklyn if he decides to stay. Though the team will still play second fiddle initially to the New York Knicks in New York City, Brooklyn will still be attractive to Williams and other potential free agents. The Nets will enjoy the benefits of being a New York team and will absolutely be embraced by Brooklynites, especially the younger ones. In addition, Prokhorov's boldness along with partner Jay Z's presence will also help the appeal of the team. I recommend that they hire Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as their Assistant PR/GM, because there is probably no one else on earth that can sell Brooklyn like he can. The Nets should give Markowitz Williams' phone number right now. He'll have Williams wrapped up and signed by this summer!
This trade could indeed be the start of something special for the Nets. But they clearly took a big risk; they have to hope Williams stays past next season. If he bolts, it would be a black eye for the organization (especially if he goes to the Knicks, which it has been rumored a preferred destination for him) and may set them back further than they would like.
The Nets will be moving into their brand new digs at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn in the 2012 - 2013 season. Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov is intent on making his team formidable by the time they become the Lords of Flatbush (Avenue). Obtaining Williams would be a good first step but if he decides for whatever reason to depart after next season, the Nets will be left empty and of course the chips they gave up to get him will have been wasted. Williams could be a good enough piece to convince other great players to come to Brooklyn if he decides to stay. Though the team will still play second fiddle initially to the New York Knicks in New York City, Brooklyn will still be attractive to Williams and other potential free agents. The Nets will enjoy the benefits of being a New York team and will absolutely be embraced by Brooklynites, especially the younger ones. In addition, Prokhorov's boldness along with partner Jay Z's presence will also help the appeal of the team. I recommend that they hire Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as their Assistant PR/GM, because there is probably no one else on earth that can sell Brooklyn like he can. The Nets should give Markowitz Williams' phone number right now. He'll have Williams wrapped up and signed by this summer!
This trade could indeed be the start of something special for the Nets. But they clearly took a big risk; they have to hope Williams stays past next season. If he bolts, it would be a black eye for the organization (especially if he goes to the Knicks, which it has been rumored a preferred destination for him) and may set them back further than they would like.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Carmelo Anthony Goes To the Knicks
Finally! After a nauseating amount of reports over the last few weeks of where Carmelo Anthony may or may not go, the Denver Nuggets have sent him to the New York Knicks. As you probably already heard a "few" times, it had been speculated that the New Jersey Nets and the Knicks where the top suitors for Anthony. The bottom line is Anthony wanted to become a Knick; he would have been a Net a long time ago if he didn't care about going to New Jersey. Since Anthony was in the last year of his current contract, he held a big bargaining chip in this deal because if he would have been traded to any team like the Nets he could just finish out the season and sign with the Knicks next season. No team in their right mind would have given up true value to the Nuggets unless they could have had Anthony sign a contract extension. With the trade deadline approaching this week, it was in the best interest of the Nuggets to trade Anthony so they would at least get something back in return. Otherwise, they just would have lost him to free agency in the off season.
The one thing that was working against the Nuggets was the apparent want of Anthony to only go to the Knicks. The Knicks of course knew of Anthony's desire to play at the Garden so they were willing to play the cat and mouse game hoping they wouldn't have to give up much or anything to get Anthony. But the Nuggets can thank the Nets for showing a strong interest in obtaining Anthony; the Knicks definitely didn't want to lose Anthony to another team, especially to their neighbors the Nets. So the Knicks themselves wound up parting with more players than I'm sure they would have liked. They reportedly have shipped Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and some draft picks to the Nuggets for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman (who the Knicks originally drafted in 2006). The Minnesota Timberwolves were also part of this deal; they received Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks in exchange for Cory Brewer. It will be debated whether the Knicks gave up too much. I think that they did, considering they seemed to have leverage against the Nuggets. But getting a player of Anthony's caliber I think ultimately will be worth the price. The Knicks probably won't contend for a title this season but combining Anthony with Amare Stoudemire will make a solid foundation for what could be a championship team with a couple of more added pieces (the Knicks will have to get better on defense over time as well).
Now that the drama of this trade situation is over, I'm sure Anthony, the Knicks, the Nets and the Nuggets are relieved and everyone can get back to playing basketball. But there are still a couple of more days left before the NBA trade deadline. Could there possibly be another blockbuster trade on the horizon?
The one thing that was working against the Nuggets was the apparent want of Anthony to only go to the Knicks. The Knicks of course knew of Anthony's desire to play at the Garden so they were willing to play the cat and mouse game hoping they wouldn't have to give up much or anything to get Anthony. But the Nuggets can thank the Nets for showing a strong interest in obtaining Anthony; the Knicks definitely didn't want to lose Anthony to another team, especially to their neighbors the Nets. So the Knicks themselves wound up parting with more players than I'm sure they would have liked. They reportedly have shipped Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and some draft picks to the Nuggets for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Renaldo Balkman (who the Knicks originally drafted in 2006). The Minnesota Timberwolves were also part of this deal; they received Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks in exchange for Cory Brewer. It will be debated whether the Knicks gave up too much. I think that they did, considering they seemed to have leverage against the Nuggets. But getting a player of Anthony's caliber I think ultimately will be worth the price. The Knicks probably won't contend for a title this season but combining Anthony with Amare Stoudemire will make a solid foundation for what could be a championship team with a couple of more added pieces (the Knicks will have to get better on defense over time as well).
Now that the drama of this trade situation is over, I'm sure Anthony, the Knicks, the Nets and the Nuggets are relieved and everyone can get back to playing basketball. But there are still a couple of more days left before the NBA trade deadline. Could there possibly be another blockbuster trade on the horizon?
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