I'll be blogging here all weekend and, of course, you can expect a steady stream of analysis and recommendations at Quickish all (long) weekend long.
I'm spending the weekend down in St. Pete with my siblings, their spouses and my brand-new nephew and niece, plus Mrs. Quickish, my kids and my mom. Lots of fun. Among the festivities, I'm trying to get over to the Rays-Cards game on Sunday with my kids - it would be Gabe's 2nd MLB game ever (after last July's First Game Ever at Wrigley) and Jonah's First MLB Game Ever. It's "Family Day" at The Trop, which is a nice coincidence. We'll see if we can work it out.
So what's on the radar today?
*The NBA Lockout. (As I said earlier this morning: It'll all be OK!)
*The NFL Lockout: Resolved in the next two weeks? Maybe!
*The Big Ten welcomes Nebraska and the Pac-10 becomes the Pac-12. College football was already the 2nd-most-popular sport behind NFL. It will only get more popular this fall, in part strengthened by these two conferences boosting their power and cachet. (I'll call it now: Nebraska will win the Big Ten next year and Utah will finish Top 3 in the Pac-10, behind Stanford and Oregon.)
*MLB at Midseason. All-Star voting ended yesterday. I have always been a fan of having a fairly irrational mix of "players having an awesome first half who deserve to start" and "big name players that fans would like to see." There are some tensions: I think Cleveland's Cabrera has earned a starting spot at SS ahead of New York's Jeter. And yet I'd still like to see Ichiro start in the AL outfield, even if he doesn't deserve it. (Love that Bautista is leading the fan vote in the AL OF.) Anyway, rosters will be announced on Sunday night. It's hard to get too worked up. I'll focus my energy on the "Extra Man" vote next week, which is always fascinating.
*MLB yesterday: That AL Cy race between Verlander and Sabathia is going to be terrific.
If you're not dropping by over the next few days, have a terrific holiday weekend. If you can, pop by Quickish. And if you are at a barbeque or 4th of July party or otherwise hanging out with people this weekend, please let them know about Quickish. That's the best way to get the word out there about it. Thanks!
-- D.S.
Friday, July 01, 2011
07/01 (NBA Lockout) Quickie
I'm an NBA fan and hope they resolve the lockout soon. Realistically, nothing will happen until the late fall and I fully expect the season to start in 2012 - at the earliest - with a truncated (ironically highly compelling) regular season followed by a full playoffs. It's going to be a long slog.
I strongly disagree, however, with the NBA pundits who claim that a lockout will hurt the game with fans. The avid fans will always come back. And, thanks to the strength of the product, there are more avid NBA fans than there have been in years. The avid fans - particularly in the media - might be the loudest critics, but let me repeat: The avid fans will always come back.
The casual fans will come back for the same reason they came around last year: The Heat. The casual fans weren't paying that close attention to the regular season anyway. They found the Heat a supremely compelling story. When the playoffs came around, they tuned in more avidly - nothing about a long lockout or half-season will change the drama of the playoffs.
That's why I argued yesterday that it is a bigger threat to casual fans' interest in the NBA if the Heat lose in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the playoffs than if the NBA loses half its regular season to the lockout.
Which is it, pundits? If the league is better than ever (or at least better than it has been in a generation), what kind of faith do you show in the product or its fans that you think fans would erode because the league isn't active from July to December? Or is the league flimsy enough that a summer of inactivity and fall lockout while most fans are giving their attention to the NFL, college football and baseball playoffs anyway will indelibly harm the league?
I don't think so. I have more faith in the strength of the game than that. I have more faith in the fans -- both avid and casual -- than that.
The lockout will be boring. The lockout will be long-lasting. The lockout will be painful -- but more from the largely irrational hysterics of pundits than any actual lasting damage done to the league.
Avid fans will wait breathlessly for the lockout to end. Casual fans will return in force with the playoffs, as long as the Heat are in the mix. That is the only thing we really know, and that's true whether the season runs smoothly or doesn't start until 2012.
-- D.S.
I strongly disagree, however, with the NBA pundits who claim that a lockout will hurt the game with fans. The avid fans will always come back. And, thanks to the strength of the product, there are more avid NBA fans than there have been in years. The avid fans - particularly in the media - might be the loudest critics, but let me repeat: The avid fans will always come back.
The casual fans will come back for the same reason they came around last year: The Heat. The casual fans weren't paying that close attention to the regular season anyway. They found the Heat a supremely compelling story. When the playoffs came around, they tuned in more avidly - nothing about a long lockout or half-season will change the drama of the playoffs.
That's why I argued yesterday that it is a bigger threat to casual fans' interest in the NBA if the Heat lose in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the playoffs than if the NBA loses half its regular season to the lockout.
Which is it, pundits? If the league is better than ever (or at least better than it has been in a generation), what kind of faith do you show in the product or its fans that you think fans would erode because the league isn't active from July to December? Or is the league flimsy enough that a summer of inactivity and fall lockout while most fans are giving their attention to the NFL, college football and baseball playoffs anyway will indelibly harm the league?
I don't think so. I have more faith in the strength of the game than that. I have more faith in the fans -- both avid and casual -- than that.
The lockout will be boring. The lockout will be long-lasting. The lockout will be painful -- but more from the largely irrational hysterics of pundits than any actual lasting damage done to the league.
Avid fans will wait breathlessly for the lockout to end. Casual fans will return in force with the playoffs, as long as the Heat are in the mix. That is the only thing we really know, and that's true whether the season runs smoothly or doesn't start until 2012.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
06/30 (NBA Lockout) Quickie
That "Charlie Sheen used steroids during the filming of Major League!" was the most interesting news of the day is either incredibly awesome or impossibly depressing.
Perhaps it will distract you from the NBA lockout that is going to start tonight at midnight and last... well, it might last all season. I'd bet that it will certainly last through the end of the year.
Here's the thing: The union will end up caving. At least, they will before the owners do. Hard cap? OK, as a fan I don't care (frankly, if anything, as a fan I think I want a hard cap, because it will reward the teams that are the smartest, not just the ones who can spend $90 million to field a title team). Non-guaranteed contracts? Works for the NFL union. Clawing back salaries? Two words: Rashard Lewis. Go right ahead. (Nevermind it was an idiot owner who OK'ed his salary.)
But here's the real reason the NBA owners will keep their boot on the throat of the union until they get what they want: The surging popularity of the league -- the marquee attraction of LeBron and the Heat -- means that whenever the league returns (even after a full year away), the fans will return at or near last year's levels, exceeding last year's levels by 2103.
The avid fans? They'll be the first ones back. These are the same ones telling you how dire it will be if the league shuts down. Nevermind that they will go right back to promoting the league as soon as it starts back up. And the casual fans? They will do exactly what they did last season: During the regular season, they will watch the Heat, because the Heat are so damn interesting. During the playoffs, they will tune in because the playoffs are fun; they are even more fun if the Heat go far.
And, without diminishing the valid points of the players' union -- who I certainly sympathize with, if don't think they'll succeed on their own behalf -- the league will see a bigger hit to its fan interest from the Heat losing in the conference semifinals of the playoffs than it will if it misses four months and is reduced to a 40-game regular season followed by playoffs (or no season at all, then returning in the fall of 2012).
I suspect the NBA owners know this -- know that the media might make it SEEM dire, but that in reality, the fans will come right back. Hell, this fall? Only the die-hard NBA fans (who, again, will be back at the front of the line WHENEVER the league starts back up) will be paying attention. Everyone else will be watching the NFL and college football until February, when they will finally re-engage with the NBA.
I think the players will fold. I think the league will get its hard cap (however they want to position it - "flex" or whatever nonsense euphemism they use). I think the league will get its non-guaranteed contracts. I think the league will cut existing salaries.
And I think fans will find all of that entirely tolerable, just as I think that the players will learn to live with it -- stars will still be paid a ton, with everyone else nibbling at the margins; that does not seem unreasonable in a star-driven product. I think fans will return like nothing happened; ignore the hysterics in the NBA media. "Armageddon?" Oh, please, spare us.
Now: Is the NFL ready to get the deal done already or what?
-- D.S.
Perhaps it will distract you from the NBA lockout that is going to start tonight at midnight and last... well, it might last all season. I'd bet that it will certainly last through the end of the year.
Here's the thing: The union will end up caving. At least, they will before the owners do. Hard cap? OK, as a fan I don't care (frankly, if anything, as a fan I think I want a hard cap, because it will reward the teams that are the smartest, not just the ones who can spend $90 million to field a title team). Non-guaranteed contracts? Works for the NFL union. Clawing back salaries? Two words: Rashard Lewis. Go right ahead. (Nevermind it was an idiot owner who OK'ed his salary.)
But here's the real reason the NBA owners will keep their boot on the throat of the union until they get what they want: The surging popularity of the league -- the marquee attraction of LeBron and the Heat -- means that whenever the league returns (even after a full year away), the fans will return at or near last year's levels, exceeding last year's levels by 2103.
The avid fans? They'll be the first ones back. These are the same ones telling you how dire it will be if the league shuts down. Nevermind that they will go right back to promoting the league as soon as it starts back up. And the casual fans? They will do exactly what they did last season: During the regular season, they will watch the Heat, because the Heat are so damn interesting. During the playoffs, they will tune in because the playoffs are fun; they are even more fun if the Heat go far.
And, without diminishing the valid points of the players' union -- who I certainly sympathize with, if don't think they'll succeed on their own behalf -- the league will see a bigger hit to its fan interest from the Heat losing in the conference semifinals of the playoffs than it will if it misses four months and is reduced to a 40-game regular season followed by playoffs (or no season at all, then returning in the fall of 2012).
I suspect the NBA owners know this -- know that the media might make it SEEM dire, but that in reality, the fans will come right back. Hell, this fall? Only the die-hard NBA fans (who, again, will be back at the front of the line WHENEVER the league starts back up) will be paying attention. Everyone else will be watching the NFL and college football until February, when they will finally re-engage with the NBA.
I think the players will fold. I think the league will get its hard cap (however they want to position it - "flex" or whatever nonsense euphemism they use). I think the league will get its non-guaranteed contracts. I think the league will cut existing salaries.
And I think fans will find all of that entirely tolerable, just as I think that the players will learn to live with it -- stars will still be paid a ton, with everyone else nibbling at the margins; that does not seem unreasonable in a star-driven product. I think fans will return like nothing happened; ignore the hysterics in the NBA media. "Armageddon?" Oh, please, spare us.
Now: Is the NFL ready to get the deal done already or what?
-- D.S.
RIP Randy Walker, 5 Years Later
Northwestern football coach Randy Walker died of a heart attack five years ago today. This is what I wrote in the Daily Quickie the morning after, one of the first mainstream reactions to the news:
-- D.S.
Two Words For You: COACH. WALKER.RIP, Coach Walker. I hope his family, friends and many fans find some semblance of comfort on a difficult day through their memories of him and his lasting legacy.
When a coach performs the impossible, you begin to think he is untouchable.
Randy Walker's death is a stunner -- and that reaction shouldn't be limited to super-intense Northwestern football fans like me. (Frankly, I'm devastated.)
Winning football at Northwestern used to be the biggest oxymoron in sports. Gary Barnett broke through; Walker took it to the next level:
Consistency.
By the end of last season, when Walker led Northwestern to its 3rd bowl appearance in his 7-year tenure, one stat stood out:
He was the first NU coach to lead the program to four seasons with at least six wins since the turn of the century -- the 19th century.
That might not sound like much to a fan of Notre Dame or USC or Oklahoma or Penn State, but to long-suffering Northwestern fans, simply being a perennial contender for bowl eligibility was like becoming a national power.
After the high of Barnett's tenure, Walker delivered year-over-year stability, even as he imported a wild, high-octane spread offense that produced endless dramatic, you-never-know finishes.
That offense was showcased in one of the most entertaining games of the last decade (2000: NU 54, Michigan 51) and in the 2nd-best bowl game last season (Sun: UCLA 50, NU 38); and was even analyzed by some of the top programs in the country (Urban Meyer has called it an influence).
Year after year, Walker had college football's longtime laughingstock in the hunt for a bowl game; week after week, he kept the team in games.
How could a coach whose heart carried a historically horrible program to the fans' bliss of weekly competitiveness die of an apparent heart attack?
It's a result as impossible as his on-field accomplishments.
-- D.S.
06/29 (Gamecocks Repeat) Quickie
South Carolina x 2: Regular readers know that I'm a sucker for repeat champs -- it's a common prediction for me at the start of a season or playoffs, and when it actually happens, it only serves to reinforce my bias.
And so congrats to South Carolina, which re-tooled its pitching staff after winning its first college baseball championship a year ago to win another this year, an umpteen-game CWS winning streak.
(Do I wish it didn't come at the expense of Florida? Sure. Then again, I think most fans would rather lose in the championship game than not make the championship game at all.)
Three things to think about today:
*There's going to be an NBA lockout. No, it will not impact the sport in the long-term, aside from more financial stability for the owners. That the sport has never been better only means the owners have a more stable base from which to squeeze the players.
The avid fans will come back -- they always do. The casual fans will tune in for the playoffs just like they did this spring -- particularly if the Heat make it to the Finals. (Put it this way: A long lockout would have less of an impact on fan interest in the NBA Playoffs than if the Heat got knocked out of the playoffs in the conference semifinals, and we ended up with a Spurs-Magic Finals.)
I am not rooting for a lockout -- I am as eager to get the new season going as anyone. However, if I was David Stern and I wanted serious financial concessions from the players, I wouldn't worry about an entirely theoretical short-term hit to the game's popularity -- it's a myth.
*Cliff Lee is unstoppable: That's three straight complete-game shut-outs, last night's coming against the vaunted Boston lineup. Lee is 5-0 in June with an ERA this month that is so small that it barely registers. And, as many folks have pointed out, despite his streak, he remains just the third-best pitcher on the Phillies this season. Amazing.
*Looking for a fun read today? Try this oral history of "Major League" from this week's SI, the "Where Are They Now?" issue.
Enjoy the day. Quickish will be on top of everything big (along with a few serendipitous goodies), as usual. Pop by!
-- D.S.
And so congrats to South Carolina, which re-tooled its pitching staff after winning its first college baseball championship a year ago to win another this year, an umpteen-game CWS winning streak.
(Do I wish it didn't come at the expense of Florida? Sure. Then again, I think most fans would rather lose in the championship game than not make the championship game at all.)
Three things to think about today:
*There's going to be an NBA lockout. No, it will not impact the sport in the long-term, aside from more financial stability for the owners. That the sport has never been better only means the owners have a more stable base from which to squeeze the players.
The avid fans will come back -- they always do. The casual fans will tune in for the playoffs just like they did this spring -- particularly if the Heat make it to the Finals. (Put it this way: A long lockout would have less of an impact on fan interest in the NBA Playoffs than if the Heat got knocked out of the playoffs in the conference semifinals, and we ended up with a Spurs-Magic Finals.)
I am not rooting for a lockout -- I am as eager to get the new season going as anyone. However, if I was David Stern and I wanted serious financial concessions from the players, I wouldn't worry about an entirely theoretical short-term hit to the game's popularity -- it's a myth.
*Cliff Lee is unstoppable: That's three straight complete-game shut-outs, last night's coming against the vaunted Boston lineup. Lee is 5-0 in June with an ERA this month that is so small that it barely registers. And, as many folks have pointed out, despite his streak, he remains just the third-best pitcher on the Phillies this season. Amazing.
*Looking for a fun read today? Try this oral history of "Major League" from this week's SI, the "Where Are They Now?" issue.
Enjoy the day. Quickish will be on top of everything big (along with a few serendipitous goodies), as usual. Pop by!
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
06/28 (Cardiac 'Cocks) Quickie
Two words: Cardiac. 'Cocks.
(Can I claim credit for coining the phrase "Cardiac 'Cocks?")
I'll admit that I would probably not have watched Game 1 of the College World Series if Florida wasn't in it, playing the defending champs, South Carolina.
I would have followed along via Twitter while doing other things. But I certainly would have tuned in around the 7th or 8th inning or 9th, when things got tense and interesting, the game in the balance. South Carolina scored a clutch run to tie, then won it in extra innings. That's sort of a "thing" for the Gamecocks this year, thus the "Cardiac 'Cocks" nickname.
Even if you aren't a college baseball fan, last night's game is about as exciting as it gets -- the equivalent of a taut NCAA Tournament game won at the buzzer or Cam Newton's amazing comeback at Alabama last November (well, not quite THAT amazing, but amazing enough).
It should be more than enough to get you to tune in tonight for Game 2, in which South Carolina can either clinch a back-to-back national title or the Gators can rebound to force a do-or-die Game 3 tomorrow. Amazing stuff.
****
Wimbledon: Yes, the big stars on the women's side got ousted yesterday, but it's hard not to like Marion Bartoli. It's also hard not to root for Bernard Tomic on the men's side, the 18-year-old Aussie now improbably into the quarters with the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Women's World Cup: Sure, you might not tune in for some of the other countries in the same way you would for the World Cup last summer, but you have to keep an eye on the U.S. They play North Korea at noon on ESPN (if you have a TV) or ESPN3.com (if you can get it at work).
RIP Lorenzo Charles: Where does his title-winning buzzer-beating alley-oop in the 1983 national title game rank among the Tournament's all-time greatest moments? You could make a very strong case that it is No. 1, if you combine in the immediate TV camera cut to Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone -- anyone! -- to give a hug.
Dodgers file for bankruptcy: How soon can MLB get that team sold, with new owners beginning the process of righting the franchise? This is one of the worst ownership situations in recent sports history.
Kentucky gives John Calipari a huge raise: He is underpaid. Substantially. (So are most elite college basketball and college football coaches.)
Calipari's innovation was to arbitrage the NBA's one-and-done rule into creating a safe haven for the top prep players to come to UK, knowing Calipari will give them the closest thing to an NBA qualifying program as exists in college basketball:
They will get playing time, TV time and marketing time -- from a coach who knows that it is in everyone's best interests if he prepares his one-and-dones for the NBA in the same way a top journalism school would focus on preparing its students to work professionally. (There is a really good column in that idea. Maybe later this summer.)
Great stuff popping all morning (and all day) at Quickish. Give it a look (and tell a friend!)
-- D.S.
(Can I claim credit for coining the phrase "Cardiac 'Cocks?")
I'll admit that I would probably not have watched Game 1 of the College World Series if Florida wasn't in it, playing the defending champs, South Carolina.
I would have followed along via Twitter while doing other things. But I certainly would have tuned in around the 7th or 8th inning or 9th, when things got tense and interesting, the game in the balance. South Carolina scored a clutch run to tie, then won it in extra innings. That's sort of a "thing" for the Gamecocks this year, thus the "Cardiac 'Cocks" nickname.
Even if you aren't a college baseball fan, last night's game is about as exciting as it gets -- the equivalent of a taut NCAA Tournament game won at the buzzer or Cam Newton's amazing comeback at Alabama last November (well, not quite THAT amazing, but amazing enough).
It should be more than enough to get you to tune in tonight for Game 2, in which South Carolina can either clinch a back-to-back national title or the Gators can rebound to force a do-or-die Game 3 tomorrow. Amazing stuff.
****
Wimbledon: Yes, the big stars on the women's side got ousted yesterday, but it's hard not to like Marion Bartoli. It's also hard not to root for Bernard Tomic on the men's side, the 18-year-old Aussie now improbably into the quarters with the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
Women's World Cup: Sure, you might not tune in for some of the other countries in the same way you would for the World Cup last summer, but you have to keep an eye on the U.S. They play North Korea at noon on ESPN (if you have a TV) or ESPN3.com (if you can get it at work).
RIP Lorenzo Charles: Where does his title-winning buzzer-beating alley-oop in the 1983 national title game rank among the Tournament's all-time greatest moments? You could make a very strong case that it is No. 1, if you combine in the immediate TV camera cut to Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone -- anyone! -- to give a hug.
Dodgers file for bankruptcy: How soon can MLB get that team sold, with new owners beginning the process of righting the franchise? This is one of the worst ownership situations in recent sports history.
Kentucky gives John Calipari a huge raise: He is underpaid. Substantially. (So are most elite college basketball and college football coaches.)
Calipari's innovation was to arbitrage the NBA's one-and-done rule into creating a safe haven for the top prep players to come to UK, knowing Calipari will give them the closest thing to an NBA qualifying program as exists in college basketball:
They will get playing time, TV time and marketing time -- from a coach who knows that it is in everyone's best interests if he prepares his one-and-dones for the NBA in the same way a top journalism school would focus on preparing its students to work professionally. (There is a really good column in that idea. Maybe later this summer.)
Great stuff popping all morning (and all day) at Quickish. Give it a look (and tell a friend!)
-- D.S.
Monday, June 27, 2011
06/27 (What Now?) Quickie
The NFL is still locked out, with no end in sight. The NBA, coming off its most-watched draft in years, is locking out on Friday. We're officially in sports' slow season.
Oh, the Gold Cup final on Saturday night was compelling -- if frustrating. (Grantland's Bill Barnwell makes the smart point this morning that US Soccer and Bob Bradley continue to make personnel decisions to win now, not win World Cups.)
Baseball deserves -- and will get -- our full attention for the next month or so (or until the NFL resolves its issue). My old editor David Schoenfield makes the point in an ESPN.com blog post this weekend that if you take out the bankrupt Dodgers and spiritless Mets, MLB attendance is up this year. Hell, last night we had a game-winning (if not walk-off) wild pitch during an intentional walk. Adrian Gonzalez is destroying American League pitching. Justin Verlander is must-see every time he pitches, as is Roy Halladay, who had another CG yesterday.
Rather than lament the state of the NFL and NBA -- both of which will return, eventually, and to huge audience numbers, no matter how long it takes to resolve the labor issues -- it's probably more productive to recognize that baseball is entirely compelling this season. Give it a try.
Otherwise, it's going to be a long, slow, boring summer.
(You know what's never boring? Quickish -- constantly updating with the best takes on the biggest topics. Even when it's seemingly slow, Quickish is hopping and popping.)
-- D.S.
Oh, the Gold Cup final on Saturday night was compelling -- if frustrating. (Grantland's Bill Barnwell makes the smart point this morning that US Soccer and Bob Bradley continue to make personnel decisions to win now, not win World Cups.)
Baseball deserves -- and will get -- our full attention for the next month or so (or until the NFL resolves its issue). My old editor David Schoenfield makes the point in an ESPN.com blog post this weekend that if you take out the bankrupt Dodgers and spiritless Mets, MLB attendance is up this year. Hell, last night we had a game-winning (if not walk-off) wild pitch during an intentional walk. Adrian Gonzalez is destroying American League pitching. Justin Verlander is must-see every time he pitches, as is Roy Halladay, who had another CG yesterday.
Rather than lament the state of the NFL and NBA -- both of which will return, eventually, and to huge audience numbers, no matter how long it takes to resolve the labor issues -- it's probably more productive to recognize that baseball is entirely compelling this season. Give it a try.
Otherwise, it's going to be a long, slow, boring summer.
(You know what's never boring? Quickish -- constantly updating with the best takes on the biggest topics. Even when it's seemingly slow, Quickish is hopping and popping.)
-- D.S.
Friday, June 24, 2011
06/24 (Draft Hangover) Quickie
Had a fascinating experience last night watching/following/covering the Draft for Quickish:
As a Wizards fan, I was VERY down on Jan Vesely as the draft pick heading into the draft. He can dunk and... that's about it. Can't shoot (neither jumpers nor free throws), which won't get much better. Can't play D, which won't get much better. In other words: Can't contribute meaningfully on a (distant) future playoff team, which relies on non-star players who can knock down shots and play D.
As the picks went by, I was resigned to the team taking Vesely, and then...
THE KISS.
Vesely's name was called, and he gets up, grabs his 6-foot-5 hoopster girlfriend and gives her a smooch unprecedented in NBA Draft history. I leapt off the couch and cheered. The guy may never be any good, but he is interesting. And if you're not winning titles, being interesting -- in a good way, hopefully -- is the next-best thing. And so Jan Vesely and his girlfriend (and thus my Wiz) were a big winner of the draft. (Aside from superstars like John Wall falling into your lap, you cannot understand how rare it is for the Wizards/Bullets to "win" on draft night, which includes the steal of Chris Singleton at 18 and a solid pick of Butler's Shelvin Mack at 34.)
Other big winners:
*Bobcats (Michael Jordan??): I love Biyombo, so I love Biyombo + Kemba Walker (who I actually had slotted to the Bobcats in my mock draft).
*Kings taking Jimmer: See above "as long as you're not winning, be interesting" theory.
*Kenneth Faried: A double-dip. Not only did the hometown-Newark kid get to walk down from the peanut gallery to the stage, but the Nuggets are a great fit for him.
*Jimmy Butler: Nice story, 1st-round money/guaranteed contract, good fit on a great team.
*Heat: Love Norris Cole.
*Morris Twins: Back-to-back Lottery picks. (HOWEVER! I honestly question whether they will be able to function without the other in their life. A friend last night mentioned the otherwise crippling co-dependency of tennis' Bryan twins, and it seems like an apt analogy. I presume teams did psychological testing on each to make sure they could deal with being split up from their brother, but I'm not sure that would dissuade me.)
And the losers....
*Knicks: Took Iman Shumpert over Chris Singleton (much to the delight of Wiz fans). Appreciate that Shumpert might turn into a defensive stopper, but he's not nearly as much of a sure-thing as a defensive force as Singleton. Spike Lee looked so deflated.
*Cavs: Kyrie Irving? OK, solid. Tristan Thompson? Reach. They would have been better off with Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight.
*Blazers: I loved Nolan Smith... as an early 2nd-round pick. In the early 20s? Yikes.
All in all, a fun night. Catch up at Quickish on the best analysis of each pick as it was made, plus post-draft analysis.
Otherwise, no matter how bad things might seem this morning for you or your team, at least you're not Jim Riggleman.
-- D.S.
As a Wizards fan, I was VERY down on Jan Vesely as the draft pick heading into the draft. He can dunk and... that's about it. Can't shoot (neither jumpers nor free throws), which won't get much better. Can't play D, which won't get much better. In other words: Can't contribute meaningfully on a (distant) future playoff team, which relies on non-star players who can knock down shots and play D.
As the picks went by, I was resigned to the team taking Vesely, and then...
THE KISS.
Vesely's name was called, and he gets up, grabs his 6-foot-5 hoopster girlfriend and gives her a smooch unprecedented in NBA Draft history. I leapt off the couch and cheered. The guy may never be any good, but he is interesting. And if you're not winning titles, being interesting -- in a good way, hopefully -- is the next-best thing. And so Jan Vesely and his girlfriend (and thus my Wiz) were a big winner of the draft. (Aside from superstars like John Wall falling into your lap, you cannot understand how rare it is for the Wizards/Bullets to "win" on draft night, which includes the steal of Chris Singleton at 18 and a solid pick of Butler's Shelvin Mack at 34.)
Other big winners:
*Bobcats (Michael Jordan??): I love Biyombo, so I love Biyombo + Kemba Walker (who I actually had slotted to the Bobcats in my mock draft).
*Kings taking Jimmer: See above "as long as you're not winning, be interesting" theory.
*Kenneth Faried: A double-dip. Not only did the hometown-Newark kid get to walk down from the peanut gallery to the stage, but the Nuggets are a great fit for him.
*Jimmy Butler: Nice story, 1st-round money/guaranteed contract, good fit on a great team.
*Heat: Love Norris Cole.
*Morris Twins: Back-to-back Lottery picks. (HOWEVER! I honestly question whether they will be able to function without the other in their life. A friend last night mentioned the otherwise crippling co-dependency of tennis' Bryan twins, and it seems like an apt analogy. I presume teams did psychological testing on each to make sure they could deal with being split up from their brother, but I'm not sure that would dissuade me.)
And the losers....
*Knicks: Took Iman Shumpert over Chris Singleton (much to the delight of Wiz fans). Appreciate that Shumpert might turn into a defensive stopper, but he's not nearly as much of a sure-thing as a defensive force as Singleton. Spike Lee looked so deflated.
*Cavs: Kyrie Irving? OK, solid. Tristan Thompson? Reach. They would have been better off with Derrick Williams and Brandon Knight.
*Blazers: I loved Nolan Smith... as an early 2nd-round pick. In the early 20s? Yikes.
All in all, a fun night. Catch up at Quickish on the best analysis of each pick as it was made, plus post-draft analysis.
Otherwise, no matter how bad things might seem this morning for you or your team, at least you're not Jim Riggleman.
-- D.S.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
06/23 (Mock Draft) Quickie
I said I wouldn't be doing a mock draft. And yet I couldn't help myself. Each pick earns a single word of analysis that (barely) covers the rationale:
1. Cavs: Kyrie Irving. Safe.
2. T'wolves: Derrick Williams. Trade?
3. Jazz: Enes Kanter. Redundant.
4. Cavs: Tristan Thompson. Surprise!
5. Raptors: Brandon Knight. Lucky.
6. Wizards: Jan Vesely. Sigh.
7. Kings: Jimmer Fredette. Popular!
8. Pistons: Bismack Biyombo. Steal.
9. Bobcats: Kemba Walker. Name.
10. Bucks: Jonas Valanciunas. Promise?
11. Warriors: Klay Thompson. Shooter.
12. Jazz: Kawhi Leonard. Steal.
13. Suns: Marcus Morris. Size.
14. Rockets: Chris Singleton. Defense.
15. Pacers: Marshon Brooks. Sizzle.
16. 76ers: Nikola Vucevic. 6-11.
17. Knicks: Alec Burks. Available.
18. Wizards: Donatas Motiejunas. Sigh.
19. Bobcats: Markieff Morris. Safe.
20. T'wolves: Kenneth Faried. Kahn!
21. Blazers: Kyle Singler. Local.
22. Nuggets: Jordan Hamilton. Backup.
23. Rockets: Tobias Harris. Versatile.
24: Thunder: Justin Harper. Surplus.
25: Celtics: Reggie Jackson. Depth.
26: Mavs: Jeremy Tyler. Riskless.
27: Nets: Jimmy Butler. Solid.
28: Bulls: Iman Shumpert. Backup.
29: Spurs: Davis Bertans. Promise?
30: Bulls: Malcolm Lee. Defense.
(My mock was influenced by the phenomenal Jonathan Givony of the essential DraftExpress.com, whose network and insights are superlative. Here's his latest mock.)
If you are on Twitter, I recommend following Givony (@draftexpress), ESPN's Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider), SI's Sam Amick (@samamick) and SBNation's Tom Ziller (@teamziller).
Have a few fun NBA Draft-related things planned for Quickish today. We'll promote them on Twitter and on the site. For a terrific "Quickish LIVE!" experience to accompany watching the draft on TV, pop by tonight during the draft.
Here are a few of the biggest storylines to watch:
*Trades near the top? The T'wolves don't necessarily want to draft Derrick Williams; they would be thrilled to trade out. If the Jazz go for need (Brandon Knight) over "best player available" (Enes Kanter), watch for a potential deal involving Kanter and the Cavs at the No. 4 spot. (If Kanter is gone, I like the late-breaking momentum that the Cavs take Texas PF Tristan Thompson -- even if he overlaps with JJ Hickson -- over Euro prospect Jonas Valanciunas.)
*Jimmer! The biggest name in the draft could go as early as No. 7 to the Kings, but things get really interesting if the Jazz go big at No. 3, and Jimmer is available at No. 12. They would almost assuredly take him in that case; I think they will never get the chance.
*Kemba Walker sliding? The best player on the best team is also no better than the 3rd-ranked point guard in the draft. I think he'll have a fine NBA career, and he should have a sizable chip on his shoulder if he slips from the Top 5, past the Kings at 7 and Bobcats at 9. Kemba Walker in the double-digits? It could happen, but I think Michael Jordan goes for unexpectedly available glitz at 9.
*Bismack Biyombo: He has the most potential of anyone in the draft. In a relatively weak draft, where there will be plenty of busts and mediocrities, where's the risk if you take him and he is a bust? At a minimum, he can be a terrific rebounder and shot-blocker off the bench. On the other hand, his ceiling is higher than anyone else in the group. If you are calculating the expected value of awesomeness, Biyombo gets the highest grade. Whoever drafts him will be one of the night's biggest winners.
*Draft fashion and tears from moms (and players): It's a universally appealing part of the NBA draft night -- the players trying to look good. But the most drama is always when the moms of the players cry when their sons' names are called. Forget what happens on the court down the road; this is a moment of realized potential.
Enjoy the draft. We'll have "just enough" coverage throughout the day on Quickish, complete with any well-sourced rumor-mongering to keep things spicy. Then be sure to drop by Quickish tonight throughout the draft -- whether you are watching it on TV and want a sidebar or whether you are skipping it on TV and just want to get the best of real-time commentary from Twitter. Quickish is here to help.
-- D.S.
1. Cavs: Kyrie Irving. Safe.
2. T'wolves: Derrick Williams. Trade?
3. Jazz: Enes Kanter. Redundant.
4. Cavs: Tristan Thompson. Surprise!
5. Raptors: Brandon Knight. Lucky.
6. Wizards: Jan Vesely. Sigh.
7. Kings: Jimmer Fredette. Popular!
8. Pistons: Bismack Biyombo. Steal.
9. Bobcats: Kemba Walker. Name.
10. Bucks: Jonas Valanciunas. Promise?
11. Warriors: Klay Thompson. Shooter.
12. Jazz: Kawhi Leonard. Steal.
13. Suns: Marcus Morris. Size.
14. Rockets: Chris Singleton. Defense.
15. Pacers: Marshon Brooks. Sizzle.
16. 76ers: Nikola Vucevic. 6-11.
17. Knicks: Alec Burks. Available.
18. Wizards: Donatas Motiejunas. Sigh.
19. Bobcats: Markieff Morris. Safe.
20. T'wolves: Kenneth Faried. Kahn!
21. Blazers: Kyle Singler. Local.
22. Nuggets: Jordan Hamilton. Backup.
23. Rockets: Tobias Harris. Versatile.
24: Thunder: Justin Harper. Surplus.
25: Celtics: Reggie Jackson. Depth.
26: Mavs: Jeremy Tyler. Riskless.
27: Nets: Jimmy Butler. Solid.
28: Bulls: Iman Shumpert. Backup.
29: Spurs: Davis Bertans. Promise?
30: Bulls: Malcolm Lee. Defense.
(My mock was influenced by the phenomenal Jonathan Givony of the essential DraftExpress.com, whose network and insights are superlative. Here's his latest mock.)
If you are on Twitter, I recommend following Givony (@draftexpress), ESPN's Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider), SI's Sam Amick (@samamick) and SBNation's Tom Ziller (@teamziller).
Have a few fun NBA Draft-related things planned for Quickish today. We'll promote them on Twitter and on the site. For a terrific "Quickish LIVE!" experience to accompany watching the draft on TV, pop by tonight during the draft.
Here are a few of the biggest storylines to watch:
*Trades near the top? The T'wolves don't necessarily want to draft Derrick Williams; they would be thrilled to trade out. If the Jazz go for need (Brandon Knight) over "best player available" (Enes Kanter), watch for a potential deal involving Kanter and the Cavs at the No. 4 spot. (If Kanter is gone, I like the late-breaking momentum that the Cavs take Texas PF Tristan Thompson -- even if he overlaps with JJ Hickson -- over Euro prospect Jonas Valanciunas.)
*Jimmer! The biggest name in the draft could go as early as No. 7 to the Kings, but things get really interesting if the Jazz go big at No. 3, and Jimmer is available at No. 12. They would almost assuredly take him in that case; I think they will never get the chance.
*Kemba Walker sliding? The best player on the best team is also no better than the 3rd-ranked point guard in the draft. I think he'll have a fine NBA career, and he should have a sizable chip on his shoulder if he slips from the Top 5, past the Kings at 7 and Bobcats at 9. Kemba Walker in the double-digits? It could happen, but I think Michael Jordan goes for unexpectedly available glitz at 9.
*Bismack Biyombo: He has the most potential of anyone in the draft. In a relatively weak draft, where there will be plenty of busts and mediocrities, where's the risk if you take him and he is a bust? At a minimum, he can be a terrific rebounder and shot-blocker off the bench. On the other hand, his ceiling is higher than anyone else in the group. If you are calculating the expected value of awesomeness, Biyombo gets the highest grade. Whoever drafts him will be one of the night's biggest winners.
*Draft fashion and tears from moms (and players): It's a universally appealing part of the NBA draft night -- the players trying to look good. But the most drama is always when the moms of the players cry when their sons' names are called. Forget what happens on the court down the road; this is a moment of realized potential.
Enjoy the draft. We'll have "just enough" coverage throughout the day on Quickish, complete with any well-sourced rumor-mongering to keep things spicy. Then be sure to drop by Quickish tonight throughout the draft -- whether you are watching it on TV and want a sidebar or whether you are skipping it on TV and just want to get the best of real-time commentary from Twitter. Quickish is here to help.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
06/22 (Pre-Draft) Quickie
Some fun NBA draft speculation today: Spurs shopping Tony Parker to the Raptors or Kings? Nuggets shopping Raymond Felton to the Kings? Suns shopping Nash to the T'wolves?
But here is my favorite annual draft speculation: Projecting which players will thrive and which players will fizzle. Obviously, "fit" matters a lot. So do expectations: If Kyrie Irving is closer to the next Mike Conley than the next Derrick Rose, is that good enough? (Spoiler: Irving will be better than Conley but not nearly as good as Rose.)
I think Irving is solid, if not spectacular. I think Derrick Williams certainly looked the part of star last March, but I worry about his willingness (and fit) to be a full-time power forward. But he is obviously loaded with potential.
My favorite player in the draft is Bismack Biyombo, for a lot of reasons: I think he has the most potential, mostly owing to his insane physical measurements, but also due to his Garnett-level motor and willingness to work to get better. He played in a league last year that is so much better than college basketball that national champ UConn wouldn't win a single game, and he led that league in blocks despite limited minutes.
His offense is also very limited, yes, but the NBA is becoming a league where a player can be Top 5 in rebounds and blocks -- as Biyombo aspires to (and has the talent to) -- with limited offense and still be a huge contributor. (His offense will only get better, btw.) I think we'll look back and people will wonder how any team passed on him. (He is also a fascinating, thoughtful guy -- see this Q&A.)
I think the draftniks are totally underestimating where Biyombo might go, and I think he ends up in Toronto with the No. 5 pick. (I'm not going to mock the entire draft, don't worry.)
More players I like (Early- to mid-1st round): Chris Singleton, Tristan Thompson, Marshon Brooks, Nikola Vucevic, Kenneth Faried. Late-1st to 2nd-round steals/sleepers: Jimmy Butler, Charles Jenkins, Nolan Smith, Jeremy Tyler, Malcolm Lee, Norris Cole.
1st-round players I don't like: Jan Vesely (he can't shoot -- like, at all -- and he can't play D; what's not to love? undoubtedly, he will end up with my Wizards), Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, the Morris twins, Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, Iman Shumpert, Jordan Hamilton.
Five players I want to like but fear they won't end up being particularly good: Enes Kanter, Jimmer Fredette, Kawhi Leonard, Jonas Valanciunas, Tobias Harris.
More tomorrow -- maybe a few more draft predictions. In the meantime...
*NFL Lockout: Is there a glimmer of hope coming out of the owners' meeting yesterday? What we DID see was a nice little bit of p.r. judo by the league -- now, if the players balk, they will look like the ones who are getting in the way of a deal being done.
*CFB: UNC scandal-ish. How can anyone at the NCAA office buy that an assistant coach and a tutor with close ties to the head coach were acting as rogue agents within the program? What a joke.
*CWS: Heading for a Florida-South Carolina final? Both teams are undefeated in Omaha.
Pop by Quickish today for the latest NBA Draft scuttlebutt, the top analysis on the day's biggest stories and recommendations for great things to read.
-- D.S.
But here is my favorite annual draft speculation: Projecting which players will thrive and which players will fizzle. Obviously, "fit" matters a lot. So do expectations: If Kyrie Irving is closer to the next Mike Conley than the next Derrick Rose, is that good enough? (Spoiler: Irving will be better than Conley but not nearly as good as Rose.)
I think Irving is solid, if not spectacular. I think Derrick Williams certainly looked the part of star last March, but I worry about his willingness (and fit) to be a full-time power forward. But he is obviously loaded with potential.
My favorite player in the draft is Bismack Biyombo, for a lot of reasons: I think he has the most potential, mostly owing to his insane physical measurements, but also due to his Garnett-level motor and willingness to work to get better. He played in a league last year that is so much better than college basketball that national champ UConn wouldn't win a single game, and he led that league in blocks despite limited minutes.
His offense is also very limited, yes, but the NBA is becoming a league where a player can be Top 5 in rebounds and blocks -- as Biyombo aspires to (and has the talent to) -- with limited offense and still be a huge contributor. (His offense will only get better, btw.) I think we'll look back and people will wonder how any team passed on him. (He is also a fascinating, thoughtful guy -- see this Q&A.)
I think the draftniks are totally underestimating where Biyombo might go, and I think he ends up in Toronto with the No. 5 pick. (I'm not going to mock the entire draft, don't worry.)
More players I like (Early- to mid-1st round): Chris Singleton, Tristan Thompson, Marshon Brooks, Nikola Vucevic, Kenneth Faried. Late-1st to 2nd-round steals/sleepers: Jimmy Butler, Charles Jenkins, Nolan Smith, Jeremy Tyler, Malcolm Lee, Norris Cole.
1st-round players I don't like: Jan Vesely (he can't shoot -- like, at all -- and he can't play D; what's not to love? undoubtedly, he will end up with my Wizards), Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, the Morris twins, Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, Iman Shumpert, Jordan Hamilton.
Five players I want to like but fear they won't end up being particularly good: Enes Kanter, Jimmer Fredette, Kawhi Leonard, Jonas Valanciunas, Tobias Harris.
More tomorrow -- maybe a few more draft predictions. In the meantime...
*NFL Lockout: Is there a glimmer of hope coming out of the owners' meeting yesterday? What we DID see was a nice little bit of p.r. judo by the league -- now, if the players balk, they will look like the ones who are getting in the way of a deal being done.
*CFB: UNC scandal-ish. How can anyone at the NCAA office buy that an assistant coach and a tutor with close ties to the head coach were acting as rogue agents within the program? What a joke.
*CWS: Heading for a Florida-South Carolina final? Both teams are undefeated in Omaha.
Pop by Quickish today for the latest NBA Draft scuttlebutt, the top analysis on the day's biggest stories and recommendations for great things to read.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
06/21 (Midweek-ish) Quickie
I am a huge NBA Draft junkie, so the next 72 hours or so are a bit antsy for me. Tomorrow, I'll have a list of prospects I'm high on and prospects who I think will be a bust.
Meanwhile:
Albert Pujols: Him being out 4-6 weeks isn't enough to derail the Cards' playoff chances, but they might just be enough for him and the team to come to a deal. All for that development.
Oregon football: I like the way Spencer Hall put it -- they are either cheating or impossibly stupid, for paying $25,000 for an out-dated scouting report from a "recruiting expert" who happened to have a close connection to a top-ranked RB who ended up in Eugene.
Wimbledon: Love the Isner-Mahut rematch today, but while you're waiting for that, Grantland has a fabulous read from Run Of Play's Brian Phillips about Roger Federer. You'd think we were all tapped out of great writing about Federer, but Phillips delivers.
NFL Lockout: Big meeting today with owners evaluating the latest CBA proposal -- there will be no vote, but there will certainly be a temperature taken about whether there are enough naysayers to scuttle a potential deal.
(Big NBA lockout meeting, too, but it feels like this doesn't have nearly the urgency yet.)
Dodgers mess: Good for MLB for rejecting the team's cynical TV deal with Fox. Keep squeezing McCourt right out of the team. Among Bud Selig's other legacies, this one would be a pretty good one (only sort of making up for selling the team to McCourt to begin with).
Lots of great reads at Quickish today. Check 'em out all day long!
-- D.S.
Meanwhile:
Albert Pujols: Him being out 4-6 weeks isn't enough to derail the Cards' playoff chances, but they might just be enough for him and the team to come to a deal. All for that development.
Oregon football: I like the way Spencer Hall put it -- they are either cheating or impossibly stupid, for paying $25,000 for an out-dated scouting report from a "recruiting expert" who happened to have a close connection to a top-ranked RB who ended up in Eugene.
Wimbledon: Love the Isner-Mahut rematch today, but while you're waiting for that, Grantland has a fabulous read from Run Of Play's Brian Phillips about Roger Federer. You'd think we were all tapped out of great writing about Federer, but Phillips delivers.
NFL Lockout: Big meeting today with owners evaluating the latest CBA proposal -- there will be no vote, but there will certainly be a temperature taken about whether there are enough naysayers to scuttle a potential deal.
(Big NBA lockout meeting, too, but it feels like this doesn't have nearly the urgency yet.)
Dodgers mess: Good for MLB for rejecting the team's cynical TV deal with Fox. Keep squeezing McCourt right out of the team. Among Bud Selig's other legacies, this one would be a pretty good one (only sort of making up for selling the team to McCourt to begin with).
Lots of great reads at Quickish today. Check 'em out all day long!
-- D.S.
Monday, June 20, 2011
06/20 (Rory) Quickie
There is the Big thing about Rory McIlroy and there is the Bigger thing.
The Big thing is the storyline of Rory -- and he claimed "first-name-only" sports-star status this past weekend -- coming back from the Masters collapse to obliterate the field in Bethesda. That, on its own, is a fairly huge sports story in 2011; I'd rank it in the Top 5.
The Bigger thing is the void in golf left behind by Tiger's implosion and subsequent on-course mediocrity (let alone his absence at the US Open) that Rory has filled up, with a vibe that is fairly labeled "anti-Tiger" on a lot of levels:
Rory is young (Tiger is old). Rory is healthy (Tiger is not). Rory is fresh-faced (Tiger sexts a half-dozen women other than his ex-wife). Rory has that "easy" swing without a ton of childhood pressure (Tiger comes across as mechanical in his swing-adjustment strategies). Rory seems like a good guy (Tiger seems like kind of a jerk). Rory is a champion (Tiger is a distant former champ).
Golf fans and sports fans needed a "new Tiger" and Rory is a perfect candidate. He may or may not fulfill his potential -- Tiger's 20s represent the greatest stretch by any golfer ever, including Nicklaus -- but for now, he is more than enough: Rory isn't the next Tiger; he is the anti-Tiger.
****
MLB: How can you not love octogenarian Jack McKeon coming back to the Marlins? If Florida wasn't going to contend -- and they aren't -- being interesting isn't a bad alternative.
Pujols injured: Ack! I'm scheduled to see the Cards play the Rays in Tampa during July 4 weekend; I sure hope Pujols can play. I'm not holding my breath.
NBA Draft: I'm not sold on Kyrie Irving as an elite NBA PG -- he's no Rose or Wall, and I'm not even sure he's that much better than Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker.
And so I totally buy the idea of the Cavs using their No. 1 pick on the draft's best player available -- Derrick Williams -- then their No. 4 pick on Knight or Walker.
Father's Day: Spent most of the day with Mrs. Quickish's extended family, then the late-afternoon in an airplane row with my two kids, the 5-year-old asleep leaning on my shoulder and the 2-year-old clenching my hand for a little in-air security to go with his blankie. All in all, not a bad way to spend the last few hours of Father's Day.
-- D.S.
The Big thing is the storyline of Rory -- and he claimed "first-name-only" sports-star status this past weekend -- coming back from the Masters collapse to obliterate the field in Bethesda. That, on its own, is a fairly huge sports story in 2011; I'd rank it in the Top 5.
The Bigger thing is the void in golf left behind by Tiger's implosion and subsequent on-course mediocrity (let alone his absence at the US Open) that Rory has filled up, with a vibe that is fairly labeled "anti-Tiger" on a lot of levels:
Rory is young (Tiger is old). Rory is healthy (Tiger is not). Rory is fresh-faced (Tiger sexts a half-dozen women other than his ex-wife). Rory has that "easy" swing without a ton of childhood pressure (Tiger comes across as mechanical in his swing-adjustment strategies). Rory seems like a good guy (Tiger seems like kind of a jerk). Rory is a champion (Tiger is a distant former champ).
Golf fans and sports fans needed a "new Tiger" and Rory is a perfect candidate. He may or may not fulfill his potential -- Tiger's 20s represent the greatest stretch by any golfer ever, including Nicklaus -- but for now, he is more than enough: Rory isn't the next Tiger; he is the anti-Tiger.
****
MLB: How can you not love octogenarian Jack McKeon coming back to the Marlins? If Florida wasn't going to contend -- and they aren't -- being interesting isn't a bad alternative.
Pujols injured: Ack! I'm scheduled to see the Cards play the Rays in Tampa during July 4 weekend; I sure hope Pujols can play. I'm not holding my breath.
NBA Draft: I'm not sold on Kyrie Irving as an elite NBA PG -- he's no Rose or Wall, and I'm not even sure he's that much better than Brandon Knight or Kemba Walker.
And so I totally buy the idea of the Cavs using their No. 1 pick on the draft's best player available -- Derrick Williams -- then their No. 4 pick on Knight or Walker.
Father's Day: Spent most of the day with Mrs. Quickish's extended family, then the late-afternoon in an airplane row with my two kids, the 5-year-old asleep leaning on my shoulder and the 2-year-old clenching my hand for a little in-air security to go with his blankie. All in all, not a bad way to spend the last few hours of Father's Day.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
RIP Len Bias, 25 Years Ago Today
Len Bias died 25 years ago today.
On that day, I was 13, growing up in suburban DC and just figuring things out as a sports fan. Len Bias was my favorite player. His death was shocking to me in a profound way.
He -- what he was and what he could have been -- is missed to this day. I didn't want the day to go by without saying something.
Here is Bias' finest moment as a basketball player, one of the most sublime sequences in college hoops' history:
On that day, I was 13, growing up in suburban DC and just figuring things out as a sports fan. Len Bias was my favorite player. His death was shocking to me in a profound way.
He -- what he was and what he could have been -- is missed to this day. I didn't want the day to go by without saying something.
Here is Bias' finest moment as a basketball player, one of the most sublime sequences in college hoops' history:
Friday, June 17, 2011
Happy Father's Day 2011: "Daddy, Who's Winning?"
"Daddy, who's winning?"
My 5-year-old Gabe may or may not have a vivid recollection of his earliest sports memory. I am not sure I have one. But I will always remember the summer he became a sports fan, and that is far more meaningful to me than my own history.
The gateway drug was the NCAA Tournament back in March. I went through the bracket with Gabe, telling him the team names, the mascots and -- to his pointed question -- if they were good. He had this incredible sub-regional where, certainly without my help, he picked Richmond over Vanderbilt and, far more improbably, Morehead State over Louisville.
Overall, he had a mostly reasonable bracket -- like most with reasonable brackets, his picks fell off a cliff somewhere around the second weekend. He had Florida winning it all (the same result his bracket had in 2006, when his mom picked his bracket for him while he was in utero, with Florida winning the title, and finishing in the Top 10 out of more than 10,000 entries in the Daily Quickie readers bracket group).
Gabe wanted daily -- even game-by-game -- updates on his bracket, down to the percentile he was in compared to all brackets nationally. There is something about the sheer volume of games in the NCAA Tournament that can turn a 4-year-old into a die-hard sports fan: Games on all day and all night, with mom and dad glued to the TV, shouting or muttering about upsets and brackets, a scoresheet he can use to compare himself to all the other fans out there.
The tournament ended in early April; he turned his attention to baseball. A day-care classmate was a die-hard Yankees fan -- all of a sudden I'm hearing about "CC Sabathia is my favorite player." He is a New York kid; we are not a New York sports family (even if I had already taken Gabe to see his first college hoops in person at nearby St. Francis College, then to the Garden to see the Knicks, with a couple of trips out to Coney Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones in between). It could have been worse -- the peer pressure could have been toward the Red Sox.
In the middle of April, his fandom accelerated with the start of the NBA Playoffs -- he became obsessed. He wanted to learn every team -- city and nickname -- and wanted to know every result, every night. My kids share a bedroom adjacent to our living room, and after their bedtime, I would settle in on whatever game happened to be on that night. Then, from the top bunk:
"Daddy, who's winning?"
This is not "Daddy, I'm thirsty" or "Daddy, sing me a song" or "Daddy, my pillow fell on the floor." I couldn't help but answer him, even if it only got him more fired up. He wanted to know the score -- and I would be derelict as a parent and a sports fan not to tell him.
He was very specific about it: I couldn't just say "The Celtics," because then he would reply, "Against who?" The Knicks. The Celtics are beating the Knicks. "The New York Knicks?" Yes. "The Boston Celtics?" Yes. [Beat] "What's the score?" The Celtics are winning by 8. "No, what's the SCORE?" Celtics 54, Knicks 46. "8 points!" Yes. Five minutes later: "Daddy, who's winning?"
(At least with basketball, the score changed frequently. With hockey, it was "It's STILL zero-zero, Gabe!")
Our ritual in the morning during the playoffs involved him coming out of his room and joining me on the couch. He would ask me who won -- eventually I figured out that I could earn a smile by telling him before he could ask. And I would fire up the highlight clips on my laptop and show him what happened, pointing out the players and big plays.
The kids have a mini-hoop in their room, and in the evening it would become the place where the inkling of NBA dreams would be played out, Gabe taking the role of Durant or Dirk before flinging up some crazy errant shot or camping out under the basket and cramming the ball through the flimsy plastic orange rim, posterizing his 2-year-old little brother.
Gabe has his NBA favorites: Whether it is his age or simply the paternity, Gabe is a front-runner. The team that is winning the game or the series would become a favorite. Losers would fall by the wayside. Allegiances would shift with the scoreboard and the series tally.
For a little while, it was the Bulls. For a long while, it was Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Then it was the Heat. And the Mavericks. He knew "Nowitzki" had a "v" sound -- I'm sure the actual spelling would confuse the hell out of him.
Finally, there were only two teams to pick between, the Heat and Mavericks. He started with the Heat after Game 1, flipped to the Mavericks after Game 2, then back to the Heat after Game 3 -- hey, just like most sportswriters -- then settled in with the Mavericks for Games 4, 5 and 6, waking up on Monday morning to the news of me telling him the Mavs had won the title. He pumped his fist and hissed "Yesss!"
Between mid-March and now -- just three months -- Gabe has become a sports nut. But he is hardly athletic; this isn't about him flashing skills as a player, like some of those bitty YouTube legends where you spend less time saying "Wish that was MY kid" and more time wincing at everything that is behind that video clip.
Gabe has become a sports fan, which for me is a much more important development in his life. It has become a way for us to connect, part of the cycle of parents and kids -- yes, in honor of the weekend, fathers and sons -- sharing sports fandom.
It is important to me that he came by it of his own curiosity and interest. Undoubtedly, that I consume a lot of sports and talk about it and have made it part of my job has exposed him to it. Maybe, consciously or not, he saw it as a way to connect with me, to win my approval and attention. But I want him to enjoy it for its own sake, and I will let that take whatever course it might -- even if he wants to be a Yankees or Heat fan. Even if he loses interest in sports.
There is an urge for sports-fan parents to loop your kid into sports as fast as possible, precisely so you CAN share this thing that has been such a big part of your own life. I have pictures of Gabe in Gators gear in his first weeks home from the delivery room. All I can say from the experience -- to young dads and future dads -- is the best thing in the world is to let it happen on its own timetable, in its own way. It is so much more satisfying for both of you.
One of my earliest sports-fan memories as a kid was of my father saying the name of a city and me reciting back the name of its NFL team. More than 30 years later, I found myself a couple of Sundays ago sitting with Gabe at the dining room table. I had drawn a rough outline of the United States. First, Gabe wanted me to label all the NBA teams on the map in their proper cities. Then MLB. Then the NFL. Then the NHL. The map filled up and I could see him committing the cities and nicknames to memory. (Any graphic designers who want to make a slicker version of this for me with team names and logos, shoot me a note. Happy to pay you for the effort.)
Gabe wanted to know who the good teams were. He giggled when he would mention a team name and I would say, almost sounding like Charles Barkley, "Them? Oh: They're TERRIBLE." He finds it particularly amusing that I am a fan of the "terrible" Wizards while he is a fan of the champion Mavericks. Or Heat. Or Thunder. Or Bulls. All going in the "great" teams bucket. He wants to understand: Who's good. Who's not. And, most interesting to deal with: Why?
There are an insane number of amazing things about being a dad... about being a parent. For parents who are sports fans, that first inkling of fandom from your kids has been one of the most remarkable moments I have experienced -- those first hours, days and weeks he has spent as a fan, in front of the TV or just talking about sports.
Those will become literally tens tens of thousands of hours of his life to be spent in front of the TV or at the game or prepping for a fantasy draft or reading great sportswriting or just talking about sports with his friends -- or his dad (or mom). He is signing up for years of joy (and frustration) and the unlimited account of social currency that comes with being a fan. And, as I will remind him later when his team inevitably lets him down, he came to it willingly.
It all started with the simplest and most fundamental question in sports: "Who's winning?"
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.
-- D.S.
For more, check out VarsityDad.com, a site I created a few years ago to investigate the idea of raising an all-star athlete sports fan and have updated irregularly since. With Gabe's life as a sports fan really only now starting to kick in, the site will become increasingly active as a real-time memoir of stories, photos and interesting things I find to share with you -- and other fans/parents share with me -- that might relate to your own parenting, either now or down the road.
06/17 (Father's Day) Quickie
In honor of Father's Day weekend, I put together a little thing about the season -- this season -- my older son became a sports fan. I will publish it in full here later this afternoon, but you can get a sneak-peek over at Quickish now.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
06/16 (Riot) Quickie
The post-game riot in Vancouver sort of eclipsed the Bruins' winning the Stanley Cup, didn't it?
Have to say: I thought that picture of Mark Cuban at the urinal holding the NBA championship trophy while peeing was going to be the photo of the year, or at least the month... or at least the week.
And then there was that photo of the couple making out on the ground during the riot, with riot police in the foreground of the picture. It has mesmerized fans everywhere.
So some fans in Vancouver are dopes. And it is heartening to see people (and authorities) taking to Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter to try to ID some of the more dickish (and criminal) ones so they can be held accountable.
Meanwhile, let's not take away from the (entirely fair) triumphalism emanating from Boston and Boston sports fans around the nation, so many of whom have been rooting for the Bruins for at least 8 weeks.
I'm no Boston sports fan (except for my man-crushes on Theo Epstein and Bill Belichick), but I can totally root for Bruins goalie Tim Thomas -- any athlete who is my age and can perform at such a high level (not to mention the circuitous path he took to stardom) is OK by me.
And so Boston sports enjoys some sort of "grand slam" of pro titles in a mere 7 years -- NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL -- with another Red Sox title on the way (and possibly another Pats title). Would the rest of the country please step up?
Meanwhile:
*LeBron vs. "Hate": I'm going on Hoopspeak.com's live video show at 3 ET today and I hope we'll get to talk about this. I really do think it is entirely overblown, and not even 96 hours removed from the Heat losing on Sunday night, the story is already in the rear-view (until next May or June or so).
*US Open: I grew up in Bethesda, so I have a particular affinity for the tournament being played there -- although I'm glad I'm not in the area right now to battle the congestion. Sounds like the Congressional C.C. folks made 18 a monster, which will help the drama. But no Tiger means a substantial drop-off in interest from all but the most avid golf fans. (Sort of like if the Heat hadn't made it to the NBA Finals.)
*NBA Draft a week away, and my Wizards are in the mix with the most intriguing rumor-mongering: Swapping the No. 6 pick plus freakishly athletic (yet monumentally dumb) center JaVale McGee for the No. 2 pick, presumably Derrick Williams, who could team with John Wall to form the Durant-Westbrook of the East. It's a lot to pay for Williams, but I'm coming around.
So many great things on Quickish today -- lots of Bruins title/Canucks riot stuff this morning, with plenty of great recommendations coming throughout the day. Please check it out (and pass it on to your friends and colleagues).
-- D.S.
Have to say: I thought that picture of Mark Cuban at the urinal holding the NBA championship trophy while peeing was going to be the photo of the year, or at least the month... or at least the week.
And then there was that photo of the couple making out on the ground during the riot, with riot police in the foreground of the picture. It has mesmerized fans everywhere.
So some fans in Vancouver are dopes. And it is heartening to see people (and authorities) taking to Facebook and Tumblr and Twitter to try to ID some of the more dickish (and criminal) ones so they can be held accountable.
Meanwhile, let's not take away from the (entirely fair) triumphalism emanating from Boston and Boston sports fans around the nation, so many of whom have been rooting for the Bruins for at least 8 weeks.
I'm no Boston sports fan (except for my man-crushes on Theo Epstein and Bill Belichick), but I can totally root for Bruins goalie Tim Thomas -- any athlete who is my age and can perform at such a high level (not to mention the circuitous path he took to stardom) is OK by me.
And so Boston sports enjoys some sort of "grand slam" of pro titles in a mere 7 years -- NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL -- with another Red Sox title on the way (and possibly another Pats title). Would the rest of the country please step up?
Meanwhile:
*LeBron vs. "Hate": I'm going on Hoopspeak.com's live video show at 3 ET today and I hope we'll get to talk about this. I really do think it is entirely overblown, and not even 96 hours removed from the Heat losing on Sunday night, the story is already in the rear-view (until next May or June or so).
*US Open: I grew up in Bethesda, so I have a particular affinity for the tournament being played there -- although I'm glad I'm not in the area right now to battle the congestion. Sounds like the Congressional C.C. folks made 18 a monster, which will help the drama. But no Tiger means a substantial drop-off in interest from all but the most avid golf fans. (Sort of like if the Heat hadn't made it to the NBA Finals.)
*NBA Draft a week away, and my Wizards are in the mix with the most intriguing rumor-mongering: Swapping the No. 6 pick plus freakishly athletic (yet monumentally dumb) center JaVale McGee for the No. 2 pick, presumably Derrick Williams, who could team with John Wall to form the Durant-Westbrook of the East. It's a lot to pay for Williams, but I'm coming around.
So many great things on Quickish today -- lots of Bruins title/Canucks riot stuff this morning, with plenty of great recommendations coming throughout the day. Please check it out (and pass it on to your friends and colleagues).
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rooting Against LeBron, Cont'd
Really enjoyed this argument from SI's Joe Posnanski about why it's OK to root against LeBron.
He incorporates the nuance that is missing, both from the idiot extremists on the "hate" side who don't represent the vast majority of fans in this LeBron situation...
...and from the moralizing harpies who would tell me who (and how) I can and can't root for (or against) because they presumptuously equate my nominal enjoyment at LeBron's failure with "hate," a notion that is offensive, to me and to folks who really have to deal with "hate."
I'm a pretty big believer that the fans' first amendment -- not too far off from the real First Amendment -- for sports fans is this and absolute:
As a fan, you have the right to cheer -- or boo -- for anyone or any team you want, at any time.
You can be a die-hard, you can hop on and off bandwagons. You can wear authentic jerseys, you can wear a pink hat.
Whatever: It's your right as a fan to be a fan however you want to be, including the essential right to boo.
(Should you be a dick about it? Absolutely not. But staying on the benign side of everything -- jeering included -- is probably a fair goal. Are there social norms that come along with the vocalization of fandom and might reject a fan who strays too far from the orthodoxy? Sure. But, in the end, I'll defend any fans' right to express their fandom how they want... with the clear caveat: As long as they aren't infringing on other fans.)
I go back to what I said this morning: The vast majority of fans rooted against LeBron benignly, and the vast majority of media hand-wringing over the rooting against LeBron misappropriated words like "hate" in ways that don't reflect how things really are with most fans.
Anyway, Posnanski's take is a smart one that normal fans don't need to read to feel OK about rooting against LeBron, but perhaps anti-booing moralists need to read to grasp what happened this week.
-- D.S.
He incorporates the nuance that is missing, both from the idiot extremists on the "hate" side who don't represent the vast majority of fans in this LeBron situation...
...and from the moralizing harpies who would tell me who (and how) I can and can't root for (or against) because they presumptuously equate my nominal enjoyment at LeBron's failure with "hate," a notion that is offensive, to me and to folks who really have to deal with "hate."
I'm a pretty big believer that the fans' first amendment -- not too far off from the real First Amendment -- for sports fans is this and absolute:
As a fan, you have the right to cheer -- or boo -- for anyone or any team you want, at any time.
You can be a die-hard, you can hop on and off bandwagons. You can wear authentic jerseys, you can wear a pink hat.
Whatever: It's your right as a fan to be a fan however you want to be, including the essential right to boo.
(Should you be a dick about it? Absolutely not. But staying on the benign side of everything -- jeering included -- is probably a fair goal. Are there social norms that come along with the vocalization of fandom and might reject a fan who strays too far from the orthodoxy? Sure. But, in the end, I'll defend any fans' right to express their fandom how they want... with the clear caveat: As long as they aren't infringing on other fans.)
I go back to what I said this morning: The vast majority of fans rooted against LeBron benignly, and the vast majority of media hand-wringing over the rooting against LeBron misappropriated words like "hate" in ways that don't reflect how things really are with most fans.
Anyway, Posnanski's take is a smart one that normal fans don't need to read to feel OK about rooting against LeBron, but perhaps anti-booing moralists need to read to grasp what happened this week.
-- D.S.
06/15 (Game 7) Quickie
I'm still thinking about LeBron, and what I ended yesterday's post with stuck with me:
That enjoying LeBron's failure now is entirely acceptable -- I find the scolds telling fans that they are morally wrong to root against LeBron or deficient in cheering his failure (which is hardly "hate," by the way) to be insufferable. But if we are still jeering his failures five years from now, the Decision has morphed from something disqualifying about LeBron to something corrosive about us.
That said, it is as useless to worry about where we'll be five years from now as it is to assume LeBron can't/won't win one along the way -- chances are, he will.
For now, 48 hours of schadenfreude (11 months, if you insist) are an entirely appropriate response. Are some of the reactions more intense than most? Sure -- but let's not mistake the extreme examples for "everyone." My take is that most fans casually enjoyed LeBron's failure, then have moved on to other things.
What I really want to talk about is tonight's Stanley Cup Game 7. The Quickish Facebook Question of the Day is asking where a Stanley Cup Game 7 ranks among all standard events in a sports year (presuming there IS a Game 7 in any given title series).
My take was that it clearly falls behind the Super Bowl (and probably the college football national title game), but also falls behind the first two days of the NCAA Tournament. But it stands right up there with Game 7s of the NBA Finals or the World Series -- in the case of the NBA this year, it is bigger than a Finals that end in 6 games (although the TV ratings for the final game of the NBA Finals will clearly be greater than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, understanding that has a lot more to do with LeBron than the NBA itself).
So a Stanley Cup Game 7 is, at best, the 3rd-biggest sports event of any given year, but no worse than Top 5. That's pretty good for a niche sport like the NHL. (It is no coincidence that the NFL, college football and NCAA Tournament are the most nationally celebrated events of the sports year -- not to mention single-game playoffs, not "best-of" series in which series can end before both teams face a do-or-die situation.
Ranking is probably unnecessary -- something is either "must-see" or it isn't. On this count, tonight's game certainly qualifies, even if you couldn't care less about hockey. Enjoy it.
-- D.S.
That enjoying LeBron's failure now is entirely acceptable -- I find the scolds telling fans that they are morally wrong to root against LeBron or deficient in cheering his failure (which is hardly "hate," by the way) to be insufferable. But if we are still jeering his failures five years from now, the Decision has morphed from something disqualifying about LeBron to something corrosive about us.
That said, it is as useless to worry about where we'll be five years from now as it is to assume LeBron can't/won't win one along the way -- chances are, he will.
For now, 48 hours of schadenfreude (11 months, if you insist) are an entirely appropriate response. Are some of the reactions more intense than most? Sure -- but let's not mistake the extreme examples for "everyone." My take is that most fans casually enjoyed LeBron's failure, then have moved on to other things.
What I really want to talk about is tonight's Stanley Cup Game 7. The Quickish Facebook Question of the Day is asking where a Stanley Cup Game 7 ranks among all standard events in a sports year (presuming there IS a Game 7 in any given title series).
My take was that it clearly falls behind the Super Bowl (and probably the college football national title game), but also falls behind the first two days of the NCAA Tournament. But it stands right up there with Game 7s of the NBA Finals or the World Series -- in the case of the NBA this year, it is bigger than a Finals that end in 6 games (although the TV ratings for the final game of the NBA Finals will clearly be greater than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, understanding that has a lot more to do with LeBron than the NBA itself).
So a Stanley Cup Game 7 is, at best, the 3rd-biggest sports event of any given year, but no worse than Top 5. That's pretty good for a niche sport like the NHL. (It is no coincidence that the NFL, college football and NCAA Tournament are the most nationally celebrated events of the sports year -- not to mention single-game playoffs, not "best-of" series in which series can end before both teams face a do-or-die situation.
Ranking is probably unnecessary -- something is either "must-see" or it isn't. On this count, tonight's game certainly qualifies, even if you couldn't care less about hockey. Enjoy it.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
06/14 (LeBron...Yes, Still) Quickie
A day removed from Mavs win/Heat fail -- and it was as active a day for good analysis of a single event as we've had this year -- and I can't stop thinking about LeBron.
Not LeBron, specifically, but more about the "What LeBron hath wrought" situation, the national frenzy of schadenfreude that he not only didn't win the title, but that he played so poorly in not doing it; the most direct reason the Heat didn't win the series was LeBron's late-game failings.
I think my position is fairly reasonable:
(1) Any fan is entirely within their rights to dislike LeBron, root for his failure and enjoy it when that failure happens.
(2) Many/most fans do not resent LeBron for leaving Cleveland for Miami -- although some might not have liked him abdicating the role of leading a team to a title, in hindsight he was never going to lead a team to a title... he is merely the most talented second-fiddle in NBA history.
(3) Where the resentment really kicks in is (a) The Decision, then (b) the Celebration, where the Big Three gaudily announced themselves and their intention to win many titles. At that point, how could you NOT root against them, then revel in their failure?
Here is the key counter-factual, the historical fiction that needs to be written: If LeBron didn't have The Decision and instead simply put out a modest press release announcing his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami, fans would have found the choice a bit ungainly, but without nearly the resentment of the spectacle of the Decision. If the Big Three didn't have the absurd pep rally and claim a stake to many titles, fans would have settled in to see if they can win their first, without nearly the glee when they failed.
It is rare in sports history that we can isolate the root cause of such a dramatic situation, but in this case, we can. Save for The Decision, LeBron and the Heat go through the season and the playoffs disliked, yes, but hardly loathed. Their failure cause for cheering, not jeering.
Then again, without the Decision (or, to a lesser extent, the Celebration), the interest in this Heat team -- which, make no mistake, was the engine behind the NBA's surge of popularity this season -- would not have been nearly as great. So the trade-off is that we wouldn't have cared as much, the emotional roller-coaster wouldn't have been as intense.
Some -- particularly in the media, which feels disingenuous -- might think that we would have been better off without the intense dramatics that led to the intense reactions of the past 24 hours.
That is entirely untrue. What happened over the past 36 hours was close to unprecedented in sports -- the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl was close, but lacked the laser focus on a single athlete; in that case, the rest of the nation was more rooting against Boston sports fans as a group, rather than the Pats players specifically, let alone individually.
Ultimately, I agree it is corrosive that this might extend another year... or two... or five. This past year -- this past month -- was so much fun for most fans, so cathartic. But if it continues for another half-decade, it will compound whatever LeBron's original sin might have been. I'm not sure fans will get tired of rooting against LeBron, if only because the expectation remains -- despite this season -- that he will eventually win a ring (or rings). But with such intensity?
I'm not sure LeBron going his entire career without a ring ever earns him sympathy from fans -- The Decision was that toxic.
Given the eventuality that LeBron will win a title, the healthiest perspective is to appreciate the national event that was rooting for LeBron over the past year and particularly over the past week. The feeling has a lifespan of a year. It will be fascinating to see if fans care as deeply about LeBron's failure a year from now (if it even happens) or if this was as intense as it gets.
If this past week marks as intense as it gets, I think it was a fun, healthy year spent. If the NBA is still dominated by fans rooting against LeBron -- for his failure -- years from now, his Decision will have had far worse consequences for us than him.
-- D.S.
Not LeBron, specifically, but more about the "What LeBron hath wrought" situation, the national frenzy of schadenfreude that he not only didn't win the title, but that he played so poorly in not doing it; the most direct reason the Heat didn't win the series was LeBron's late-game failings.
I think my position is fairly reasonable:
(1) Any fan is entirely within their rights to dislike LeBron, root for his failure and enjoy it when that failure happens.
(2) Many/most fans do not resent LeBron for leaving Cleveland for Miami -- although some might not have liked him abdicating the role of leading a team to a title, in hindsight he was never going to lead a team to a title... he is merely the most talented second-fiddle in NBA history.
(3) Where the resentment really kicks in is (a) The Decision, then (b) the Celebration, where the Big Three gaudily announced themselves and their intention to win many titles. At that point, how could you NOT root against them, then revel in their failure?
Here is the key counter-factual, the historical fiction that needs to be written: If LeBron didn't have The Decision and instead simply put out a modest press release announcing his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami, fans would have found the choice a bit ungainly, but without nearly the resentment of the spectacle of the Decision. If the Big Three didn't have the absurd pep rally and claim a stake to many titles, fans would have settled in to see if they can win their first, without nearly the glee when they failed.
It is rare in sports history that we can isolate the root cause of such a dramatic situation, but in this case, we can. Save for The Decision, LeBron and the Heat go through the season and the playoffs disliked, yes, but hardly loathed. Their failure cause for cheering, not jeering.
Then again, without the Decision (or, to a lesser extent, the Celebration), the interest in this Heat team -- which, make no mistake, was the engine behind the NBA's surge of popularity this season -- would not have been nearly as great. So the trade-off is that we wouldn't have cared as much, the emotional roller-coaster wouldn't have been as intense.
Some -- particularly in the media, which feels disingenuous -- might think that we would have been better off without the intense dramatics that led to the intense reactions of the past 24 hours.
That is entirely untrue. What happened over the past 36 hours was close to unprecedented in sports -- the Giants beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl was close, but lacked the laser focus on a single athlete; in that case, the rest of the nation was more rooting against Boston sports fans as a group, rather than the Pats players specifically, let alone individually.
Ultimately, I agree it is corrosive that this might extend another year... or two... or five. This past year -- this past month -- was so much fun for most fans, so cathartic. But if it continues for another half-decade, it will compound whatever LeBron's original sin might have been. I'm not sure fans will get tired of rooting against LeBron, if only because the expectation remains -- despite this season -- that he will eventually win a ring (or rings). But with such intensity?
I'm not sure LeBron going his entire career without a ring ever earns him sympathy from fans -- The Decision was that toxic.
Given the eventuality that LeBron will win a title, the healthiest perspective is to appreciate the national event that was rooting for LeBron over the past year and particularly over the past week. The feeling has a lifespan of a year. It will be fascinating to see if fans care as deeply about LeBron's failure a year from now (if it even happens) or if this was as intense as it gets.
If this past week marks as intense as it gets, I think it was a fun, healthy year spent. If the NBA is still dominated by fans rooting against LeBron -- for his failure -- years from now, his Decision will have had far worse consequences for us than him.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 13, 2011
On the Failure of the Heat and the Success of the Mavericks
With all due respect to the Mavericks -- and I'm not sure that has ever been framed with such sincerity or enormity -- the story here is that the Heat lost and that LeBron performed terribly.
The Heat and LeBron have been the linchpin of the NBA season -- of the NBA universe -- since The Decision a year ago. We saw that on Opening Night. We saw that throughout the season. We saw that in the playoffs -- first against the Celtics, then against the Bulls, finally against the Mavs.
Outside of the Olympics, there has never been a team that has generated such a national rooting interest -- even if it is rooting against -- than LeBron's Heat.
You cannot begrudge any fan who joined this group, and I don't understand the folks who find those of us (outside of Cleveland) rooting against LeBron and the Heat to be petty or somehow morally derelict.
In fact, LeBron's Heat have managed to bring together fans of all types -- kneejerk haters, thoughtful pragmatists, purists and "new schoolers." This is mainly the result of The Decision and its follow-up preseason "Coronation." I never begrudged LeBron his decision, only his Decision.
That LeBron failed so epically at the biggest moment of his career only underscored the epic sense of schadenfreude. (Ironically, the much-maligned Chris Bosh played very well in the Finals, and his candid, thoughtful comments after the game were both humanizing and welcome.) It is very possible LeBron does not have a champion's killer instinct.
And that last statement is where we reach -- even stretch -- the boundaries of what we can say here.
What we know is that in Year 1 of LeBron's Heat, they failed. They (and we) get to live with that failure until next spring, when they will have another chance. If they win then, this year might not be forgotten, but it will be significantly mitigated. And if they don't win next year, they will have another shot in 2013, then 2014, then 2015. Even then, LeBron will be a year shy of Dirk's NBA service time before he won a title.
Chances are, the Heat will eventually win a title -- maybe more than one. What this initial run underscored was that the star power alone will not get it done. It will get them close, but it will not get it done. The Mavs will be even better next season. So will the Thunder. So will the Bulls.
By June of 2013, the movement of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams will have likely created another "superteam" (although it's worth wondering if Howard sees Dirk and wonders if it is indeed possible for the Magic to build a champion around him, even if it takes a decade or more).
The point is that it is as reckless to assume the Heat will win a title in the future as it was for anyone to assume they would win one this season. The confounded expectations were among the many reasons this Mavs championship/Heat failure was so delightful.
For now, there is a very unique dual celebration: For the Mavs and the impressive way they won a championship, yes, but even more for the celebration of the failure of LeBron's Heat in the most interesting way possible.
*****
And that is where the Mavs come in: Led by a single star player who never abandoned the franchise, least of all in the summer of 2010, where he quietly signed an extension with the team and understood that the chemistry of vets and talents would give him a shot at a ring. I completely buy the narrative that this was a triumph of chemistry and execution and low profile (even, in these Finals, for Mark Cuban!) over talent and glitz and hype.
But it was so much more than that -- it was a rejection (if in a small sample size) of the "superteam" in favor of the "single-star-plus-perfect-supporting-cast," not unlike Hakeem's Rockets of the mid-90s. It was a triumph for the brilliant coaching mind of Rick Carlisle. It was a new model that says you can take a brilliant difficult-to-replicate European 7-footer and team him with savvy, hungry vets and 3-point shooters and win a title. It was the validation of Mark Cuban, long the most interesting and innovative owner in sports.
These Mavs -- improbably -- became incredibly fun to watch and easy to root for. A lot of that was a function of the fact they were playing the Heat -- any team (even the Lakers!) would have been easy to root for against the Heat. But these Mavs had so many great stories, played so well and proved so worthy of a championship that they were the ideal team to win the title this year, the ideal team to quash LeBron's superteam Heat.
*****
And so what next? If you thought the Heat story got some closure, you'll be so disappointed. The story reboots as soon as today -- Heat 2.0. In fact, if anything, it is even more compelling and complicated -- and, yes, annoying when presented ad nauseum -- now that the Heat have come so close only to fail so big. As it was this year, everything up until the moment the Heat are eliminated from the Playoffs -- the summer, the regular-season, the early-rounds of the playoffs -- are formalities. Dissected, to be sure, but ultimately meaningless when framed against the ultimate question: Championship or Failure.
Don't let the avid NBA fans distract you -- the league hasn't been more popular or compelling since the Jordan Era. That is 98% because of LeBron's Heat. Oh, the other nuances of the NBA might be wonderful for the die-hard NBA-heads, but for the casual masses that make up the TV ratings and interest levels cited by the die-hard NBA fans and pundits, the story is entirely about the Heat. That is why the pending labor showdown is game-set-match for the owners (more on that later this week). The point is that if the NBA has never been bigger, it is mostly because of the Heat and everything in its gravitational pull.
For now, we can content ourselves to some schadenfreude, to some celebration of a great champion and to looking ahead to offseason things we love (the draft) and loathe (labor talk).
But if nothing else, with the Heat losing in the way they did and to whom they did, the NBA just got even more compelling.
-- D.S.
The Heat and LeBron have been the linchpin of the NBA season -- of the NBA universe -- since The Decision a year ago. We saw that on Opening Night. We saw that throughout the season. We saw that in the playoffs -- first against the Celtics, then against the Bulls, finally against the Mavs.
Outside of the Olympics, there has never been a team that has generated such a national rooting interest -- even if it is rooting against -- than LeBron's Heat.
You cannot begrudge any fan who joined this group, and I don't understand the folks who find those of us (outside of Cleveland) rooting against LeBron and the Heat to be petty or somehow morally derelict.
In fact, LeBron's Heat have managed to bring together fans of all types -- kneejerk haters, thoughtful pragmatists, purists and "new schoolers." This is mainly the result of The Decision and its follow-up preseason "Coronation." I never begrudged LeBron his decision, only his Decision.
That LeBron failed so epically at the biggest moment of his career only underscored the epic sense of schadenfreude. (Ironically, the much-maligned Chris Bosh played very well in the Finals, and his candid, thoughtful comments after the game were both humanizing and welcome.) It is very possible LeBron does not have a champion's killer instinct.
And that last statement is where we reach -- even stretch -- the boundaries of what we can say here.
What we know is that in Year 1 of LeBron's Heat, they failed. They (and we) get to live with that failure until next spring, when they will have another chance. If they win then, this year might not be forgotten, but it will be significantly mitigated. And if they don't win next year, they will have another shot in 2013, then 2014, then 2015. Even then, LeBron will be a year shy of Dirk's NBA service time before he won a title.
Chances are, the Heat will eventually win a title -- maybe more than one. What this initial run underscored was that the star power alone will not get it done. It will get them close, but it will not get it done. The Mavs will be even better next season. So will the Thunder. So will the Bulls.
By June of 2013, the movement of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams will have likely created another "superteam" (although it's worth wondering if Howard sees Dirk and wonders if it is indeed possible for the Magic to build a champion around him, even if it takes a decade or more).
The point is that it is as reckless to assume the Heat will win a title in the future as it was for anyone to assume they would win one this season. The confounded expectations were among the many reasons this Mavs championship/Heat failure was so delightful.
For now, there is a very unique dual celebration: For the Mavs and the impressive way they won a championship, yes, but even more for the celebration of the failure of LeBron's Heat in the most interesting way possible.
*****
And that is where the Mavs come in: Led by a single star player who never abandoned the franchise, least of all in the summer of 2010, where he quietly signed an extension with the team and understood that the chemistry of vets and talents would give him a shot at a ring. I completely buy the narrative that this was a triumph of chemistry and execution and low profile (even, in these Finals, for Mark Cuban!) over talent and glitz and hype.
But it was so much more than that -- it was a rejection (if in a small sample size) of the "superteam" in favor of the "single-star-plus-perfect-supporting-cast," not unlike Hakeem's Rockets of the mid-90s. It was a triumph for the brilliant coaching mind of Rick Carlisle. It was a new model that says you can take a brilliant difficult-to-replicate European 7-footer and team him with savvy, hungry vets and 3-point shooters and win a title. It was the validation of Mark Cuban, long the most interesting and innovative owner in sports.
These Mavs -- improbably -- became incredibly fun to watch and easy to root for. A lot of that was a function of the fact they were playing the Heat -- any team (even the Lakers!) would have been easy to root for against the Heat. But these Mavs had so many great stories, played so well and proved so worthy of a championship that they were the ideal team to win the title this year, the ideal team to quash LeBron's superteam Heat.
*****
And so what next? If you thought the Heat story got some closure, you'll be so disappointed. The story reboots as soon as today -- Heat 2.0. In fact, if anything, it is even more compelling and complicated -- and, yes, annoying when presented ad nauseum -- now that the Heat have come so close only to fail so big. As it was this year, everything up until the moment the Heat are eliminated from the Playoffs -- the summer, the regular-season, the early-rounds of the playoffs -- are formalities. Dissected, to be sure, but ultimately meaningless when framed against the ultimate question: Championship or Failure.
Don't let the avid NBA fans distract you -- the league hasn't been more popular or compelling since the Jordan Era. That is 98% because of LeBron's Heat. Oh, the other nuances of the NBA might be wonderful for the die-hard NBA-heads, but for the casual masses that make up the TV ratings and interest levels cited by the die-hard NBA fans and pundits, the story is entirely about the Heat. That is why the pending labor showdown is game-set-match for the owners (more on that later this week). The point is that if the NBA has never been bigger, it is mostly because of the Heat and everything in its gravitational pull.
For now, we can content ourselves to some schadenfreude, to some celebration of a great champion and to looking ahead to offseason things we love (the draft) and loathe (labor talk).
But if nothing else, with the Heat losing in the way they did and to whom they did, the NBA just got even more compelling.
-- D.S.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
