Well, the precedent has been set. There is nothing we can do about it now. The Thunder officially believe they can beat the Spurs regardless of the circumstances. This is the same thing that happened with the Milwaukee Bucks. At some point, the Bucks won a fluky game against the Spurs, followed that with a close win, and now the Spurs have trouble beating the Bucks twice a season. The Bucks could be 10-42, it does not matter. The Bucks will always play the Spurs close because they show up with impenetrable confidence. And now we have this to look forward to for the next decade every time we play the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nearly every good team has one of these annoying match-ups. The Lakers like to lose to the Bobcats. The Magic like to lose to the Pistons. It’s not necessarily a guaranteed loss, it will just be a closer game than it should be and the lesser team will always have a shot at winning in the closing minutes.
Popovich is really to blame for last night’s loss and a decades worth of close losses to the Thunder. First, the lineups he played were horrendous. If Tim, Tony, and Manu are healthy, there is absolutely no reason that the Spurs should play a lineup that excludes all three. It makes no sense. A lineup without the big three will never happen in the playoffs, so why play it now? All it does is serve to destroy the Spurs' rhythm and give the opposition confidence.
Second, why in God’s name is Jacque Vaughn playing? We have George Hill! What the HELL?!?! Jacque Vaughn entered the game when the Thunder had two seconds on the shot clock. Jacque somehow lost sight of his man, who cut backdoor and received the pass for a lay-up. Jacque fouled the guy and he made both free throws. Two seconds in the game, two points for the Thunder. He played 13 minutes, scored 0 points missing two wide open shots, and had as many turnovers as he had assists, 1. His plus minus was -2. Could George Hill have performed worse? Is it even possible? What Jacque’s stats do not display is that when he is in the game, the other team is essentially playing five on four on the defensive end. They do not guard Jacque Vaughn. This kills Manu’s impact because whenever Manu drives, Jacque’s man is right there to stop him. Also, the guy that Jacque Vaughn guards always has a free pass into the lane. The backup point guard on one of the worst teams in the NBA looked like an All Star because he was matched-up against Jacque. 34 year old Chucky Atkins has averaged 2.9 points, 1.8 assists, and .8 rebounds this season. Against Vaughn, he nearly doubled his production and apparently was EVERYWHERE, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, making both of his free throws. Tell me that he is that effective against George Hill, who is 22 and 6’3” with a 6’7” wingspan. Again, Jacque Vaughn is playing??? I feel like putting my head through a wall.
Third, how many times have you heard a commentator say this? “Wow, what a great decision by the coach. Instead of calling a time out, they decided to push the ball down by one. They completely caught the defense off-guard and got the easy layup for the win!” Maybe once, when the Suns were under D’Antoni? The vast majority of the time you hear, “Well, they had a timeout but chose not to use it because they thought they could catch the defense sleeping. Unfortunately, they got off a horrible shot and lost the game.” Let me go Hubie Brown on you for a second. “If I’m Gregg Popovich, I KNOW that my team is not as athletic as the Thunder. I also KNOW that if I call a timeout, I can advance the ball to halfcourt and draw up a play that could take advantage of the Thunder’s inexperience. If I’m Gregg Popovich, there is NO WAY that I don’t call a timeout here.” Well, he didn’t call a timeout. The play was broken from the start when Tony failed to bring the ball up the court. Passes were deflected, Tim ended up with the ball 20 feet from the basket with three seconds on the shot clock. He threw it to Finley who missed a contested fade-away from 25 feet at the buzzer. Ouch. If Popovich calls a timeout, what are the odds the Spurs take a worse shot? 10%? 5%? I completely do not understand his logic.
Fourth, Kevin Durant absolutely tore the Spurs apart for the first three quarters. Finley, Udoka, and Manu all had their shot to defend him, and all were torched. Guess which two players did not get any playing time last night? Arguably the Spurs’ best two perimeter defenders, Bruce Bowen and George Hill. How does that make any sense at all? I feel like I am taking CRAZY PILLS.
The loss obviously falls on Popovich. Why was he so bad? Did he chug a bottle of Nyquil before the game? Did he total his car? Did he take a look in the mirror for the first time in 20 years? What the Hell was he thinking? Obviously, I’m still irate. I may have to bring back my old website, http://www.heypoppleasestopkillingmyteam.com/
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
West vs. East Which Confernce is Better?
You may have heard ESPN analysts claim that the Eastern and Western Conferences are as close in talent as they have ever been. They like to point out that while the West has nine above average teams, they also have six of the worst teams in the NBA. They claim that the Eastern Conference, while not as top heavy, does not have many terrible teams, so the conferences are fairly even this year. This bothers me to no end. The Western Conference is much better that the Eastern conference and this is why three teams from the Eastern Conference, the Cavs, Celtics, and Magic, have ridiculous records.
The NBA schedule is created by following a few rules. First, each team will play each team from the other conference twice, 30 games. Each team will play ten teams from their own conference 4 times, with teams within their division always being one of these, 40 games. The four remaining teams from the conference will be played three times each, 12 games. These games add up to the 82 that make up the regular season. As you can see, a team from the West will play 52 out of their 82 games against other teams from the West.
Now, let’s take a look at the makeup of each conference. In the West, you have nine superior teams and six inferior teams. The superior teams are the Lakers, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, Hornets, Trailblazers, Jazz, Mavericks, and Suns. The inferior teams are the Warriors, Thunder, Timber Wolves, Clippers, Grizzlies and Kings. For argument’s sake, let us assume that every time an inferior team played a superior team, they lost. And when an inferior team played an inferior team or when a superior team played a superior team, they split games. What you would have is exactly what the Western Conference records reflect. The nine superior teams have good records, but nothing extraordinary, because there are nine superior teams all splitting games with each other. The six inferior team’s records are horrible because they cannot beat the nine superior teams, and only have five other inferior teams to split games with. (Note, the Lakers are an anomaly because they stole an All Star, Pau Gasol, from the Grizzlies and gave nothing in return. Their team is loaded with talent.)
In the East, you have three superior teams, and twelve inferior teams. Using the same logic, how would this play out? Well, the three superior teams would have outstanding records, since there are only two other teams they face that they split games with, and twelve inferior teams that they can beat consistently. The twelve inferior teams would have mediocre records, because they spilt with each other, and only face three superior teams that they cannot beat.
Given this logic, it is ridiculous to say that the Western and Eastern conferences are equal. The true measure a conference is the number of superior teams in the conference. The West has nine, while the East has three. It would be more correct to say the West is three times better than the East, than it would be to say the conferences are equal.
The NBA schedule is created by following a few rules. First, each team will play each team from the other conference twice, 30 games. Each team will play ten teams from their own conference 4 times, with teams within their division always being one of these, 40 games. The four remaining teams from the conference will be played three times each, 12 games. These games add up to the 82 that make up the regular season. As you can see, a team from the West will play 52 out of their 82 games against other teams from the West.
Now, let’s take a look at the makeup of each conference. In the West, you have nine superior teams and six inferior teams. The superior teams are the Lakers, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, Hornets, Trailblazers, Jazz, Mavericks, and Suns. The inferior teams are the Warriors, Thunder, Timber Wolves, Clippers, Grizzlies and Kings. For argument’s sake, let us assume that every time an inferior team played a superior team, they lost. And when an inferior team played an inferior team or when a superior team played a superior team, they split games. What you would have is exactly what the Western Conference records reflect. The nine superior teams have good records, but nothing extraordinary, because there are nine superior teams all splitting games with each other. The six inferior team’s records are horrible because they cannot beat the nine superior teams, and only have five other inferior teams to split games with. (Note, the Lakers are an anomaly because they stole an All Star, Pau Gasol, from the Grizzlies and gave nothing in return. Their team is loaded with talent.)
In the East, you have three superior teams, and twelve inferior teams. Using the same logic, how would this play out? Well, the three superior teams would have outstanding records, since there are only two other teams they face that they split games with, and twelve inferior teams that they can beat consistently. The twelve inferior teams would have mediocre records, because they spilt with each other, and only face three superior teams that they cannot beat.
Given this logic, it is ridiculous to say that the Western and Eastern conferences are equal. The true measure a conference is the number of superior teams in the conference. The West has nine, while the East has three. It would be more correct to say the West is three times better than the East, than it would be to say the conferences are equal.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Let's talk Michael Finley
Below is a conversation I had with one of my coworkers concerning Michael Finley. He cannot stand Finley while I have grown to respect his game. Ryan had put together a table demonstrating that Finley plays better against weak opponents.
From: Ryan
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:47 AM
To: Fred
Subject: Can't stand Finley stats
I had a minute so I put this info together about the horrible M. Finley….
I don’t know how this guy even averages 9.6 pts per game, but my thoughts were that he has his best games against the worst teams (which looks to be accurate in the table below). The only bright spot is that he has seemed to do okay against the Lakers, Cavs, and the Hornets somehow.
I still can’t believe the amount of minutes he gets and WHEN he gets his minutes, like at the end of games! Horrendous. I don’t know what Pop’s love affair is with this guy.
From: Fred
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 11:08 AM
To: Ryan
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
I don’t mind Finley. He’s a role player. He’s out there to hit the open three and he is shooting a career best 42% from beyond the arc. And who is Pop going to play over him? Pop screwed up by moving George Hill to the two guard; he has been horrible since they made the change. And I have no confidence in Udoka. He’s been playing alright recently, but he is undersized, can't jump, and slow. He’s also a much more inconsistent shooter than Finley. With Manu out, I don’t know who would be better with Finley’s minutes. Mason can only play so many minutes, especially if he has to run the team when Tony takes a break. And it kills me to admit this, but Bruce has lost a step. And he seems even more lost on the offensive end than normal.
From: Ryan
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 12:15 PM
To: Fred
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
If you look at him and when he really has an opportunity to affect something in the game, he really doesn’t hit those open threes. George Hill needs to play the backup point and Finley should play about 15 minutes a game. I have much more confidence in Mason’s shot than Finley when he’s not running the backup point and someone else is setting him up for shots. Hopefully Finley will be the one to lose minutes now that Manu is back and not Mason.
I closely watch Finley for his productivity and timeliness of his shots, so this is why I’ve got issues with him.
From: Fred
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:14 PM
To: Ryan
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
I don’t think his job is to affect the game. He needs to hit the open shot, and more importantly, not make a mistake. I cannot think of a single mental error that Finley has made in the closing minutes of a tight game. He is solid defendively, his turnovers are very low, and most impressively, he has the highest +/- of any Spur in crunch time. Check out the Clutch Stats from 82games.com. 82games takes the clutch stats and expands them over 48 minutes so you can get an idea of which players step up in close games. As you can see, Finley commits the fewest turnovers of any Spur during crunch time, and ranks third in rebounds. I think that’s what you want from your fourth option. He’s probably not going to win the game with his individual heroics, but he will not lose it for you and the team seems to perform best when he is on the court. He has a high basketball IQ and this cannot be argued when you consider he has the best +/- of any Spur during crunch time.
From: Ryan
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:47 AM
To: Fred
Subject: Can't stand Finley stats
I had a minute so I put this info together about the horrible M. Finley….
I don’t know how this guy even averages 9.6 pts per game, but my thoughts were that he has his best games against the worst teams (which looks to be accurate in the table below). The only bright spot is that he has seemed to do okay against the Lakers, Cavs, and the Hornets somehow.
I still can’t believe the amount of minutes he gets and WHEN he gets his minutes, like at the end of games! Horrendous. I don’t know what Pop’s love affair is with this guy.
From: Fred
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 11:08 AM
To: Ryan
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
I don’t mind Finley. He’s a role player. He’s out there to hit the open three and he is shooting a career best 42% from beyond the arc. And who is Pop going to play over him? Pop screwed up by moving George Hill to the two guard; he has been horrible since they made the change. And I have no confidence in Udoka. He’s been playing alright recently, but he is undersized, can't jump, and slow. He’s also a much more inconsistent shooter than Finley. With Manu out, I don’t know who would be better with Finley’s minutes. Mason can only play so many minutes, especially if he has to run the team when Tony takes a break. And it kills me to admit this, but Bruce has lost a step. And he seems even more lost on the offensive end than normal.
From: Ryan
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 12:15 PM
To: Fred
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
If you look at him and when he really has an opportunity to affect something in the game, he really doesn’t hit those open threes. George Hill needs to play the backup point and Finley should play about 15 minutes a game. I have much more confidence in Mason’s shot than Finley when he’s not running the backup point and someone else is setting him up for shots. Hopefully Finley will be the one to lose minutes now that Manu is back and not Mason.
I closely watch Finley for his productivity and timeliness of his shots, so this is why I’ve got issues with him.
From: Fred
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:14 PM
To: Ryan
Subject: RE: Can't stand Finley stats
I don’t think his job is to affect the game. He needs to hit the open shot, and more importantly, not make a mistake. I cannot think of a single mental error that Finley has made in the closing minutes of a tight game. He is solid defendively, his turnovers are very low, and most impressively, he has the highest +/- of any Spur in crunch time. Check out the Clutch Stats from 82games.com. 82games takes the clutch stats and expands them over 48 minutes so you can get an idea of which players step up in close games. As you can see, Finley commits the fewest turnovers of any Spur during crunch time, and ranks third in rebounds. I think that’s what you want from your fourth option. He’s probably not going to win the game with his individual heroics, but he will not lose it for you and the team seems to perform best when he is on the court. He has a high basketball IQ and this cannot be argued when you consider he has the best +/- of any Spur during crunch time.
Here are the tables that we were referencing.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tim Playing Hurt? Manu Should be Suspended
I was present for the Celtics game, and watched the losses to the Thunder and Rockets. The Spurs probably should have won all three, but a combination of mental lapses and horrific officiating resulted in three losses for the Spurs. The Spurs now sit ½ a game behind the Rockets for second place in the Midwest Division, third place in the Western Conference.
I could spend the next thirty minutes describing each horrific call that doomed the Spurs. The no-call on Yao Ming's putback immediately comes to mind. What drove me crazy about that game was reading Shane Battier's comments that if Bonner had made the last second three for the win, the Rockets would have locked arms and not left the court till they were given the win. As if the game was called perfectly up until that point and it would have been thievery to count that shot. Not only did the Rockets get the go ahead bucket off of a horrendous no-call, but moments later the Spurs were called for a ghost foul that cemented the Rockets' victory. The Spurs should have locked arms after Ming's offensive goal tending and not played until the refs made the more than obvious call.
While the officiating is nothing short of disgraceful, the most upsetting thing I saw was Tim Duncan playing on one leg. The guy is clearly playing hurt. It pains me to think about, but he is playing 50 to 60% right now. He seems to lack his normal explosiveness off his drive. This is forcing him to take more contested outside jump shots, and since he does not have the lift from his legs, he shoots short in the second half. When healthy, Yao cannot get close enough to Tim to challenge his jumper. If Yao gets close, Tim would normally put the ball on the floor, take his two steps in the lane, draw contact and make his patented running hook. In his current state, this shot is not an option for Tim. Against Perkins and Yao, Tim could not get the separation from the defender on his drive, and they would get a piece of the ball. Yes, he gets fouled the majority of the time, but the referees are awful and have not made this call since the All-Star break. The referees seem to not understand that if you hold a player down with one arm, it’s very easy to get a piece of the ball when the shot is taken. Apparently holding is no longer a foul in the NBA, unless it’s a point guard 35 feet away from the basket.
So, what are the Spurs chances with Tim playing at 50% and Manu playing at 75%? I don’t want to think about it. Imagine how good this team would be with all three of its stars playing at 100%. They should have beat the Celtics and Rockets with a hurt Tim and absent Manu.
What really killed the Spurs this year was Argentina. If Manu does not play on his already injured ankle during the off-season with the Argentine national team, he probably gets enough rest for it to heal and does not require surgery. If Manu does not miss any time, Tim does not have to carry the load for 50 games this season and is fresh coming into the playoffs, rather than playing on one leg.
This has to be addressed in the much talked about mediations between the Players’ Union and David Stern, right? Players that are being paid millions of dollars should not be allowed to play during the off-season without the consent of their employer. To me, it’s similar to what happened in Golden State this off-season with Monta Ellis. During the offseason, Monta rode a scooter, which was specifically forbidden in his contract, and injured himself. He was suspended by the team without pay for most of the season. Manu should also be suspended for his poor decision making. He knew he was hurt. He knew the Spurs were counting on him this year. He knew how much money they were paying him. And he still chose to play hurt during the off-season, perhaps costing the Spurs a chance to win the championship this year. He should give half his salary to Tim for forcing him to carry the team in his absence. Who knows how this will affect the rest of Tim’s career. Did Manu just shave two productive years off the end of Tim’s career? No one is talking about this, but I promise it’s on Pop’s mind, Tim’s mind, the Spurs’ minds. If a player decides it’s more important to him to play for his nation than it is to make millions of dollars playing a game, then that’s his decision. But he should not have the option to play hurt, costing his employer millions in the process, and fans like you and me a season during an ever-closing championship window.
I could spend the next thirty minutes describing each horrific call that doomed the Spurs. The no-call on Yao Ming's putback immediately comes to mind. What drove me crazy about that game was reading Shane Battier's comments that if Bonner had made the last second three for the win, the Rockets would have locked arms and not left the court till they were given the win. As if the game was called perfectly up until that point and it would have been thievery to count that shot. Not only did the Rockets get the go ahead bucket off of a horrendous no-call, but moments later the Spurs were called for a ghost foul that cemented the Rockets' victory. The Spurs should have locked arms after Ming's offensive goal tending and not played until the refs made the more than obvious call.
While the officiating is nothing short of disgraceful, the most upsetting thing I saw was Tim Duncan playing on one leg. The guy is clearly playing hurt. It pains me to think about, but he is playing 50 to 60% right now. He seems to lack his normal explosiveness off his drive. This is forcing him to take more contested outside jump shots, and since he does not have the lift from his legs, he shoots short in the second half. When healthy, Yao cannot get close enough to Tim to challenge his jumper. If Yao gets close, Tim would normally put the ball on the floor, take his two steps in the lane, draw contact and make his patented running hook. In his current state, this shot is not an option for Tim. Against Perkins and Yao, Tim could not get the separation from the defender on his drive, and they would get a piece of the ball. Yes, he gets fouled the majority of the time, but the referees are awful and have not made this call since the All-Star break. The referees seem to not understand that if you hold a player down with one arm, it’s very easy to get a piece of the ball when the shot is taken. Apparently holding is no longer a foul in the NBA, unless it’s a point guard 35 feet away from the basket.
So, what are the Spurs chances with Tim playing at 50% and Manu playing at 75%? I don’t want to think about it. Imagine how good this team would be with all three of its stars playing at 100%. They should have beat the Celtics and Rockets with a hurt Tim and absent Manu.
What really killed the Spurs this year was Argentina. If Manu does not play on his already injured ankle during the off-season with the Argentine national team, he probably gets enough rest for it to heal and does not require surgery. If Manu does not miss any time, Tim does not have to carry the load for 50 games this season and is fresh coming into the playoffs, rather than playing on one leg.
This has to be addressed in the much talked about mediations between the Players’ Union and David Stern, right? Players that are being paid millions of dollars should not be allowed to play during the off-season without the consent of their employer. To me, it’s similar to what happened in Golden State this off-season with Monta Ellis. During the offseason, Monta rode a scooter, which was specifically forbidden in his contract, and injured himself. He was suspended by the team without pay for most of the season. Manu should also be suspended for his poor decision making. He knew he was hurt. He knew the Spurs were counting on him this year. He knew how much money they were paying him. And he still chose to play hurt during the off-season, perhaps costing the Spurs a chance to win the championship this year. He should give half his salary to Tim for forcing him to carry the team in his absence. Who knows how this will affect the rest of Tim’s career. Did Manu just shave two productive years off the end of Tim’s career? No one is talking about this, but I promise it’s on Pop’s mind, Tim’s mind, the Spurs’ minds. If a player decides it’s more important to him to play for his nation than it is to make millions of dollars playing a game, then that’s his decision. But he should not have the option to play hurt, costing his employer millions in the process, and fans like you and me a season during an ever-closing championship window.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Defining Sports
Ever since high school I often found myself debating what exactly constituted a sport. I would argue with participants of the less popular activities over why basketball and football were superior. In order to validate my feelings toward the lesser activities, I developed criteria that an activity must meet in order to be considered a sport, and not just a leisure activity. Below I will list my criteria and discuss.
1.) There has to be defense.
When I say defense, I am not talking about simple physical constraints such as water or the lack of oxygen. I am referring to opponents whose objective is to beat you. Defense is a key to any popular sport. It brings the best out in everyone by injecting competitiveness. Without defense, you often here, “He really is battling inner demons,” or “It’s about self-discipline and concentration.” That is fantastic, but when you have defense not only do you have to battle yourself, you also have to battle someone who will do anything they can to prevent you from succeeding.
So with our first requirement, we have defined swimming, track, car racing or any of its derivatives, and golf as leisure activities. While we are on swimming, how can a guy who only swims win 6 different gold medals? I know this has been brought up before, but it upsets me every four years. Shouldn’t swimming get a single gold medal? Since a great swimmer can win so many gold medals, I think that next year there should be a medal awarded to the best freethrow shooter, the best three point shooter, the best rebounder, the best dunker, the best team, the MVP of the league, and the best defender. That way the best basketball athlete could also win 6 gold medals. When a guy as goofy as Michael Phelps can be the greatest Olympic champion of all time, it’s time to reevaluate the system. Clearly, something is not right.
2.) The sport requires top physical condition and its players peak in their 20’s, and decline in their 30’s.
At first look, this rule would seem to invalidate baseball. We’ve all seen fat pitchers on the mound who clearly are not in top condition. However, the other positions require conditioning so I will not let the pitchers destroy the entire sport, although they do not help baseball’s case. In addition, recently players have been peaking in their 30’s, but it has become obvious that this was due to steroids, so baseball gets a pass here also.
Top physical condition is important because it implies that the sport is extremely challenging and players must be in their prime as human beings to compete at the highest level. So, we can define bowling, darts, and golf as leisure activities. You should notice that many of the leisure activities violate more than one of the requirements. This only further condemns them.
3.) The sport must draw paying spectators.
If people do not want to watch the sport, it is not a sport. So, this pretty much encompasses all sports played by women with the sole exception of tennis. This requirement is also interesting because you can apply it at the national and international level. This requirement can be used to rank sports in your local area.
For example, in Texas the hierarchy would consist of football and basketball on top, then baseball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and finally rugby. Another way to look at this is that the best athletes will play football and basketball first, then baseball, then soccer, etc. So, if you are playing lacrosse in Texas, you probably got cut by the football team. However, in the Northeast, lacrosse and hockey may be on the same plateau as basketball and football. At the international level, football may be last and soccer or rugby would come in first.
Regardless, this requirement identifies leisure activities such as water polo, dodge ball, and other activities of that nature that no one cares about. One could argue that activities can switch from ‘sport’ to ‘leisure activity’ depending on the location. For example, in Texas nobody wants to watch lacrosse or rugby, so these could be considered leisure activities. In Mexico, no one wants to watch football.
So swimming, golf, track, water polo, cheerleading, dancing, dodge ball, car racing, gymnastics, cycling, and every sport played by women aside from tennis are all leisure activities. Okay? Glad we got that cleared up.
1.) There has to be defense.
When I say defense, I am not talking about simple physical constraints such as water or the lack of oxygen. I am referring to opponents whose objective is to beat you. Defense is a key to any popular sport. It brings the best out in everyone by injecting competitiveness. Without defense, you often here, “He really is battling inner demons,” or “It’s about self-discipline and concentration.” That is fantastic, but when you have defense not only do you have to battle yourself, you also have to battle someone who will do anything they can to prevent you from succeeding.
So with our first requirement, we have defined swimming, track, car racing or any of its derivatives, and golf as leisure activities. While we are on swimming, how can a guy who only swims win 6 different gold medals? I know this has been brought up before, but it upsets me every four years. Shouldn’t swimming get a single gold medal? Since a great swimmer can win so many gold medals, I think that next year there should be a medal awarded to the best freethrow shooter, the best three point shooter, the best rebounder, the best dunker, the best team, the MVP of the league, and the best defender. That way the best basketball athlete could also win 6 gold medals. When a guy as goofy as Michael Phelps can be the greatest Olympic champion of all time, it’s time to reevaluate the system. Clearly, something is not right.
2.) The sport requires top physical condition and its players peak in their 20’s, and decline in their 30’s.
At first look, this rule would seem to invalidate baseball. We’ve all seen fat pitchers on the mound who clearly are not in top condition. However, the other positions require conditioning so I will not let the pitchers destroy the entire sport, although they do not help baseball’s case. In addition, recently players have been peaking in their 30’s, but it has become obvious that this was due to steroids, so baseball gets a pass here also.
Top physical condition is important because it implies that the sport is extremely challenging and players must be in their prime as human beings to compete at the highest level. So, we can define bowling, darts, and golf as leisure activities. You should notice that many of the leisure activities violate more than one of the requirements. This only further condemns them.
3.) The sport must draw paying spectators.
If people do not want to watch the sport, it is not a sport. So, this pretty much encompasses all sports played by women with the sole exception of tennis. This requirement is also interesting because you can apply it at the national and international level. This requirement can be used to rank sports in your local area.
For example, in Texas the hierarchy would consist of football and basketball on top, then baseball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and finally rugby. Another way to look at this is that the best athletes will play football and basketball first, then baseball, then soccer, etc. So, if you are playing lacrosse in Texas, you probably got cut by the football team. However, in the Northeast, lacrosse and hockey may be on the same plateau as basketball and football. At the international level, football may be last and soccer or rugby would come in first.
Regardless, this requirement identifies leisure activities such as water polo, dodge ball, and other activities of that nature that no one cares about. One could argue that activities can switch from ‘sport’ to ‘leisure activity’ depending on the location. For example, in Texas nobody wants to watch lacrosse or rugby, so these could be considered leisure activities. In Mexico, no one wants to watch football.
So swimming, golf, track, water polo, cheerleading, dancing, dodge ball, car racing, gymnastics, cycling, and every sport played by women aside from tennis are all leisure activities. Okay? Glad we got that cleared up.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Fantasy Baseball
As we approach the end of our NBA fantasy basketball season, my friend asked me if I wanted to organize a fantasy baseball league. Fantasy baseball is apparently the best fantasy experience because this is where fantasy began and the statistics are much more developed than those of basketball.
However, I have many issues with baseball and shot his thought down without hesitation. First, I’m not in the best shape of my life. I do not work out religiously and do not watch what I eat. I’m not fat, but I’m not cut either. And here resides my first issue. Why am I going to watch a sport that pays “athletes” who are in worse shape than I am? So, you are a professional athlete being paid millions of dollars and cannot keep yourself in shape? I don’t get it. And do not kid yourself. These guys have bellies. They are definitely not in their best physical condition. And the other thing I cannot make sense of is that apparently, all these guys were using steroids. Roger Clemens, I’m looking at you. How can you use steroids and still be fat? It’s ridiculous. This is how un-athletic baseball is, it has players on steroids that still cannot keep themselves in shape. Hey Roger, when is the last time you ran a mile? College? High School? It was a long time ago, I can promise you this much.
Have you ever thought about heaven and hell? My heaven would consist of an infinite number of HD TV’s, half constantly playing March Madness games and half playing NBA playoff games. Hell would consist of TV’s playing WNBA games. Seriously, it’s time to put the WNBA to sleep. When I think of women’s basketball, I think turnovers, missed layups, and an inability to jump. It’s basically like watching 20 Jacque Vaughn’s square off. And this is on TV? It’s dumbfounding. But I digress, purgatory would definitely have baseball on the TV’s. Think about it. If you arrived to purgatory and all that was on was baseball, would it even surprise you? I would think, ‘Yup, that’s about right.’
If someone told you the score to a baseball game, would you still watch it? Unless you are completely obsessed with baseball, the answer is 'no.' If someone told me that the final score of a baseball game was 3-2, I can guarantee you that there is no way I would watch this game. However, if someone told me the Celtics beat the Lakers 99-98, the likelihood of me watching the game just increased. If I found out the Cardinals beat the Steelers 35-33, I would want to see this game. This is because basketball and football are just more exciting than baseball. There is more action, more points scored, and better athletes. I know I could not play basketball or football professionally, but whenever I see a baseball pitcher I think I have a chance at the MLB. If I injected the steroids directly into my throwing arm, could I get my fastball into the 90’s? If so, I’d get a contract.
Baseball homers like to tell themselves that people who do not like baseball just don’t understand the intricacies of the game. They say, “Well, you never played so you just cannot appreciate it.” This is absurd. Baseball is not as complicated as baseball homers like to believe. It’s similar to how counting cards was portrayed in the movie 21. Counting cards does not require a gifted mind from MIT. All you do is add 1 and -1 over and over again. Similarly, just because people like to say baseball is overly complicated does not make it true.
My final thought on baseball is, how will it survive the recession? I’ve seen the stands while watching Sports Center. Does anyone go to the games? Whenever a homerun is hit, they zoom into the stands to show a fat guy leaping over 3 empty rows of seats to secure the ball. How are they going to pay CC Sabathia millions this year and survive? By the way, CC gets a $161 million contract and McDonald’s sales increase by 5% during the worst recession in decades…. Coincidence? I think not.
However, I have many issues with baseball and shot his thought down without hesitation. First, I’m not in the best shape of my life. I do not work out religiously and do not watch what I eat. I’m not fat, but I’m not cut either. And here resides my first issue. Why am I going to watch a sport that pays “athletes” who are in worse shape than I am? So, you are a professional athlete being paid millions of dollars and cannot keep yourself in shape? I don’t get it. And do not kid yourself. These guys have bellies. They are definitely not in their best physical condition. And the other thing I cannot make sense of is that apparently, all these guys were using steroids. Roger Clemens, I’m looking at you. How can you use steroids and still be fat? It’s ridiculous. This is how un-athletic baseball is, it has players on steroids that still cannot keep themselves in shape. Hey Roger, when is the last time you ran a mile? College? High School? It was a long time ago, I can promise you this much.
Have you ever thought about heaven and hell? My heaven would consist of an infinite number of HD TV’s, half constantly playing March Madness games and half playing NBA playoff games. Hell would consist of TV’s playing WNBA games. Seriously, it’s time to put the WNBA to sleep. When I think of women’s basketball, I think turnovers, missed layups, and an inability to jump. It’s basically like watching 20 Jacque Vaughn’s square off. And this is on TV? It’s dumbfounding. But I digress, purgatory would definitely have baseball on the TV’s. Think about it. If you arrived to purgatory and all that was on was baseball, would it even surprise you? I would think, ‘Yup, that’s about right.’
If someone told you the score to a baseball game, would you still watch it? Unless you are completely obsessed with baseball, the answer is 'no.' If someone told me that the final score of a baseball game was 3-2, I can guarantee you that there is no way I would watch this game. However, if someone told me the Celtics beat the Lakers 99-98, the likelihood of me watching the game just increased. If I found out the Cardinals beat the Steelers 35-33, I would want to see this game. This is because basketball and football are just more exciting than baseball. There is more action, more points scored, and better athletes. I know I could not play basketball or football professionally, but whenever I see a baseball pitcher I think I have a chance at the MLB. If I injected the steroids directly into my throwing arm, could I get my fastball into the 90’s? If so, I’d get a contract.
Baseball homers like to tell themselves that people who do not like baseball just don’t understand the intricacies of the game. They say, “Well, you never played so you just cannot appreciate it.” This is absurd. Baseball is not as complicated as baseball homers like to believe. It’s similar to how counting cards was portrayed in the movie 21. Counting cards does not require a gifted mind from MIT. All you do is add 1 and -1 over and over again. Similarly, just because people like to say baseball is overly complicated does not make it true.
My final thought on baseball is, how will it survive the recession? I’ve seen the stands while watching Sports Center. Does anyone go to the games? Whenever a homerun is hit, they zoom into the stands to show a fat guy leaping over 3 empty rows of seats to secure the ball. How are they going to pay CC Sabathia millions this year and survive? By the way, CC gets a $161 million contract and McDonald’s sales increase by 5% during the worst recession in decades…. Coincidence? I think not.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Spurs, Lakers Preview
As we get closer and closer to the playoffs, games against possible playoff opponents carry more meaning. In these games it’s important to ask, “Who needs this game more?”
In this case, the answer is clearly the Lakers. Before beating the Rockets in Houston yesterday, the Lakers lost to three Western Conference teams on the road in a row: Denver, Phoenix and Portland. If the Lakers want to feel confident on the road come playoff time, they will need to start playing much better away from LA.
In addition, the Spurs team that the Lakers will face in the playoffs will be much improved from the team they face tonight. In the playoffs, (crossing my fingers,) we will have a healthy Manu Ginobili and Drew Gooden. These players allow the Spurs to give opponents different looks on both ends of the floor. Basically, this means that the Spurs will play tonight’s game with half their playoff playbook. If the Lakers cannot beat this shorthanded Spurs team, they surely will have doubts about beating a much improved Spurs team in the playoffs, regardless of what the national media has to say. And on the other side, the Spurs will beam with confidence if they can secure the win. In fact, I would argue that if the Spurs keep this game close, they will have the mental edge if they meet the Lakers in the playoffs.
Some may point out that the Lakers are also shorthanded, as Andrew Bynum is out. However, it is much more likely that the Spurs will have a healthy Ginobili and Gooden than the Lakers will have a healthy Bynum. Remember, this same scenario played itself out at this time last year. Bynum was playing great and suffered a knee injury. It required surgery and the Lakers continuously said he would be ready by the playoffs. But this did not happen and he missed the entire season. He had knee surgery again, the Lakers claim he will be healthy again, so do not be surprised if he misses the playoffs, again.
As for my pre-game prediction, this one is a tough call. This game means more to the Lakers so expect them to come out with something to prove. Lamar Odom will play with a chip on his shoulder because he was suspended for leaving the Lakers’ bench during an altercation in Portland, and this is the game after the suspension. The Lakers lost a great game to the Spurs last time they were in San Antonio, even though Kobe Bryant did everything humanly possible to win the game, so will be motivated by the memory. As for the Spurs, they have won three in a row in impressive fashion. Tony Parker has been playing fantastic, averaging 26 ppg since Manu went down with the injury. Roger Mason has averaged 16 over the last several games as he too has stepped up in the absence of Manu. And most importantly, the Lakers played Houston last night and it was close. If the Spurs can keep the game close, keep an eye on the fatigue factor. It could have a big influence in the final 3 minutes. Bottom line, Spurs by 6. I could see the Spurs with the ball up by 4 points with 30 seconds left. The Lakers foul, Spurs make both pushing the lead to 6. Lakers make an uncontested layup to cut it back to 4. Lakers foul again, Spurs make both and are up by 6 as time expires. It feels like that kind of game.
In this case, the answer is clearly the Lakers. Before beating the Rockets in Houston yesterday, the Lakers lost to three Western Conference teams on the road in a row: Denver, Phoenix and Portland. If the Lakers want to feel confident on the road come playoff time, they will need to start playing much better away from LA.
In addition, the Spurs team that the Lakers will face in the playoffs will be much improved from the team they face tonight. In the playoffs, (crossing my fingers,) we will have a healthy Manu Ginobili and Drew Gooden. These players allow the Spurs to give opponents different looks on both ends of the floor. Basically, this means that the Spurs will play tonight’s game with half their playoff playbook. If the Lakers cannot beat this shorthanded Spurs team, they surely will have doubts about beating a much improved Spurs team in the playoffs, regardless of what the national media has to say. And on the other side, the Spurs will beam with confidence if they can secure the win. In fact, I would argue that if the Spurs keep this game close, they will have the mental edge if they meet the Lakers in the playoffs.
Some may point out that the Lakers are also shorthanded, as Andrew Bynum is out. However, it is much more likely that the Spurs will have a healthy Ginobili and Gooden than the Lakers will have a healthy Bynum. Remember, this same scenario played itself out at this time last year. Bynum was playing great and suffered a knee injury. It required surgery and the Lakers continuously said he would be ready by the playoffs. But this did not happen and he missed the entire season. He had knee surgery again, the Lakers claim he will be healthy again, so do not be surprised if he misses the playoffs, again.
As for my pre-game prediction, this one is a tough call. This game means more to the Lakers so expect them to come out with something to prove. Lamar Odom will play with a chip on his shoulder because he was suspended for leaving the Lakers’ bench during an altercation in Portland, and this is the game after the suspension. The Lakers lost a great game to the Spurs last time they were in San Antonio, even though Kobe Bryant did everything humanly possible to win the game, so will be motivated by the memory. As for the Spurs, they have won three in a row in impressive fashion. Tony Parker has been playing fantastic, averaging 26 ppg since Manu went down with the injury. Roger Mason has averaged 16 over the last several games as he too has stepped up in the absence of Manu. And most importantly, the Lakers played Houston last night and it was close. If the Spurs can keep the game close, keep an eye on the fatigue factor. It could have a big influence in the final 3 minutes. Bottom line, Spurs by 6. I could see the Spurs with the ball up by 4 points with 30 seconds left. The Lakers foul, Spurs make both pushing the lead to 6. Lakers make an uncontested layup to cut it back to 4. Lakers foul again, Spurs make both and are up by 6 as time expires. It feels like that kind of game.
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