Cautiously optimistic

NBA fans should take one thing from this offseason … the new CBA has hurt everyone and helped no one. Maybe the NBA players were sneaky-smart during the CBA negotiations. Or maybe they were just as clueless as to how things would shake out. In all honesty, it doesn’t seem to matter. The owners secured a deal that they intimated would help achieve competitive balance. Now that we’ve taken the CBA out for a test drive in the beginning of this free agency period, we see that it was a lot of smoke and mirrors. The new CBA simply disguised the same old handcuffs for the usual NBA dogs.

Dwight Howard is still spurning his small-market team for the bright lights of Broadway (or Brooklyn to be exact). Steve Nash has ditched Phoenix for a chance at a championship in Los Angeles. Deron Williams left Dallas holding a boatload of cash at the altar even though Dallas followed all the rules. At the end of the day, the players still have the power. And that’s a big blow to Stern’s idea of competitive balance.

                

           Competitive Balance is defined as “a market situation where no business is too big or has an unfair advantage.” Is the idea of competitive balance ever a realistic aspiration for a sports league like the NBA? As long as players are the recognizable stars and free agency exists, it seems virtually impossible to legislate competitive balance.

And the usual 27 owners are sitting there with egg on their faces. The problem with the cap that the owners pushed through in the new CBA is that it isn’t a hard cap. A hard cap would ensure competitive balance if for no other reason than teams would be forced to regress to the mean.  Without a hard cap, a crafty executive will figure out loopholes. Teams can still manufacture a situation that will work for them.

                 

           The bottom line is this … the players are winning because they’re still getting paid. The players are still going where they want to go. Players have the option to take less money … which means they can leave. Owners honor players’ wishes out of loyalty … which means they can leave. Miami remains a more desirable location than Cleveland … which means players leave.

Here we go again ...

“Oh no…no, no, no!” That was my reaction immediately following the Ron Artest/Metta (no) World Peace’s elbow connection with James Harden’s head Sunday during the Lakers game. Being a Lakers fan (and general Metta World Peace) fan at that moment put me in quite a bind. On one hand, I genuinely like Metta World Peace…or Ron Artest…whichever name he’s going by at this time. On the other hand, he knows he’s working with two strikes already against him.

Metta makes me feel like I’m back teaching. The same way I felt about a kid who obviously had “good” in him and you were really pulling for him to walk the straight and narrow. When Metta threw that elbow, I knew he’d drawn a line in the sand for observers.

I don’t think Metta acted with the intent to injure Harden…I think he suffers from the same lack of impulse control that afflicts most of us sports fans. Adrenaline causes people to behave inexplicably. Even though Metta is on my team, I can’t exonerate him from all culpability. It seemed to me that Metta intended to clear some space between himself and James Harden. I don’t think he intended to clear space using Harden’s head as punching bag.

Some people think the brouhaha surrounding this is ridiculous. I don’t. Some think this isn’t a big deal. I disagree there, too. Some people think the media is pumping this story up without a good reason. I think the media is well within their right. 

Unequivocally, nobody ever wants to see a repeat of the Malice in the Palace. But the aftermath of that brawl is going to follow Ron Artest (and whatever incarnation he takes) for the rest of his career, if not the rest of his life. It’s definitely going to impact the suspension that is sure to be handed down by the league.

For those who think Artest’s history should have nothing to do with how the Sunday incident is viewed--I think it’s irresponsible for me to agree.

Lin-sanity: How is an unassuming point guard making sports fans out of non-believers?

It’s amazing how Jeremy Lin is living the narrative many in the sports media tried so desperately to ascribe to Timothy Tebow. An underdog rising to the top. Believe me, I understand that it is hard to consider a Harvard graduate an underdog. And to be perfectly honest, in 99% of situations, Lin will not be considered an underdog. But Lin didn’t choose to take 99% of the paths available to him. He didn’t choose to work on Wall Street and dominate the boardroom. He didn’t choose to join his Harvard bretheren and make a move up the ladder to become part of the 1%. When it comes to Lin…he’s taken the road less traveled.

Jeremy Lin decided to shuck “expectations” and follow his dreams. Those dreams have led him to a point that he might never have reached otherwise – even with his Harvard education and connections. Jeremy Lin is now the “next big thing” in the NBA. He is doing things we haven’t seen anyone do before.In his first four starts, Lin averaged 27.3 points per game. Nobody in NBA history has done that before.

Should Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni get some of the credit? Sure, after all, his system is built on showcasing the point guard. But the Jeremy Lin phenomenon is not smoke and mirrors. The dude can play a little bit.

Now, during Tebow’s unbelievable romp through the 2011 NFL season, there are more than a handful of times when I asked myself “How is this happening? How does this dude keep winning games?” Like many others, I was willingly allowing the wool to be pulled over my eyes. Tebow’s magic was partly due to smoke and mirrors and partly due to a good defense who kept the game in reach. That’s not the case with Lin. I’ve never once asked myself “How is this happening?” Anyone with eyes can see it. Lin can hit shots. He’s smart with the basketball. He makes good decisions.

He’s not LeBron. He’s not Kobe. But nobody is asking him to be. People are ready to accept Lin and I haven’t met one person who isn’t glad to be along for this ride.

Game 6 was EPIC!

I’ve been a sports fan for a pretty long time. In fact, let’s keep it real…being a sports fan is something that has defined my life. Part of being a sports fan is being able to celebrate or commiserate with other fans in the fraternity. There’s a certain excitement that takes over that is enough to give you goosebumps…if you understand what it’s like to be a fan.

The comeback win by the Cardinals last night was one of those special moments. I very rarely find myself without a rooting interest in a sports contest so this was a treat for me. I got to sit back and just enjoy the tension of the moment.

It was truly incredible to see this Cardinals team come within one strike of their baseball lives…not once, but twice to rebound and win the game to force a Game 7.

Communist or Confucius?

September 11^th 2001…those three words are still powerful enough to bring many Americans over the age of 21 to the emotional brink. The events of that day are ever present in the back of our minds and were brought back to forefront by the assault and killing of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. forces last month. The jubilation seen on countless television stations here in America was understandable although this exuberance was more typical of the inhabitants of distant lands, distastefully cheering the demise of American soldiers or civilians.

Twitter had not hit the scene in 2001…the news of the events in New York traveled the “old fashioned” way…through 24 hour cable news and text messages. With Twitter now providing faster, less filtered information to the public, we are apt to find ourselves in situations with celebrities and athletes that can quickly become uncomfortable…something that Rashard Mendenhall has recently discovered. As a running back and NFL champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mendenhall has become accustomed to the adulation and blind devotion that usually accompanies an athlete of a certain status. After the death of Bin Laden, Mendenhall took to Twitter to make his voice heard.

The question that arises from this circumstance is, once again, how can we judge free speech? Rashard is right to ask the question “What kind of person celebrates death?”. Time and time again, the Al-Jazeera images of Arabs celebrating the death of innocent American citizens have been burned into my memory. When I saw those images I asked the exact same question “What kind of person celebrates death?”. What makes my question shameful is that, like many Americans, its undertone asked, “Who are these other irrational people who are behaving so despicably?” Rashard’s last tweet that asked, “How would God feel about your heart?” is a question that haunts me. Like many Americans, I hold anger in my heart toward Bin Laden and the hijackers. I want the survivors and victims of 9/11 (the parentless children, widows and widowers) to have the peace they have sought for so long. Mendenhall has a right to want people to follow the Golden Rule and do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. It is also conceivable that some would rather choose an eye for an eye.

On the surface this argument is about patriotism and loyalty to our country. The undercurrent of the response to Mendenhall seems to have very little to do with how much he loves the United States of America. The many tweeters who decided to give Mendenhall a piece of their mind received the following response: “There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to think”. This comment got me thinking about why Mendenhall’s comments in particular touched a nerve in so many people. Is it because he is an athlete saying these things? Is it because he is a black athlete saying these things?

With the advent of Twitter and other similar technologies, athletes are more accessible than ever before. For better or worse, the curtain has been lifted and I don’t think we will ever dial back the clock to the “good ol’ days” when athletes were seen and not heard (except for what the League wanted you to see and hear). Some sports fans would rather keep their athletes in a very specific box—one in which they can imagine the athlete to be exactly who they want them to be. A reflection of themselves, albeit with more muscles and a better 40 time.

Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 Preview

The Heat is on…both literally and figuratively. The Heat has bounced back from a lackluster Game 1 to turn in two impressive performances in a row. In Games 2 and 3, James, Wade and Bosh combined to score 63 and 73 points respectively. The Bulls in no way exhibited the trademark defense of a Tom Thibodeau coached team. In the locker room before, during and after the games, we can all be sure that Thibodeau wasn’t in love with the fact that his team is allowing James, Wade and Bosh to account for more than 75 percent of Miami’s scoring in the last two games. The inexperience of the Bulls crunch time players is a real disadvantage that was highlighted at the end of Games 2 and 3. In the last two minutes of each of those two games, Chicago has floundered. With one too many silly turnovers, pointless fouls and defensive lapses the frustration has been palpable. The pressure now rests squarely on the Bulls two award winners. Unfortunately for Chicago, only Derrick Rose has a physical impact on the game. The bottom line is that he needs help. When faced with double and triple teams aimed at taking the ball out of his hands, Rose has not been able to count on the production of his teammates which had been so consistent throughout the earlier rounds. The Bulls need more than 1 point in 29 minutes from Joakim Noah like they got in Game 3. Carlos Boozer needs to have a dominating performance on the inside and on the boards rather than a quiet 26 points. It is crucial that Rose light the fire in his teammates tonight before Game 4. In Game 1 Rose had a +14 plus/minus when in the game. In Game 2 Rose’s point differential was -12 and in Game 3 -13. As presently constructed, Derrick Rose has to be a better all around player to claim victory for Chicago.

Chicago now has a tight window, less than 12 hours, in which they need to reclaim the identity that brought them this far. Aside from the second half of Game 1, Miami has been the more poised, confidant and aggressive team. Both teams entered this series with astronomical expectations that included visions of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Even though the outcome of Game 4 will not technically determine the series, the Bulls are playing for their season and a right to that trophy on Tuesday night.

Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals

“The Heat can’t hang”. “The Bulls play harder”. “There is no way the Heat can contend with the offensive rebounding ability of Chicago’s bigs”. All of these statements seemed to characterize the Eastern Conference Finals after the Bulls outscored the Heat by 21 in the second half of Game 1 after the two teams had played to a draw at halftime. It seemed as though the Bulls were headed down the road to prove their worthiness to all those who doubted them due to their inexperience. The storyline seemed to fit perfectly…the NBA is transitioning to a “new guard”. Out with the old and in with the new. The Spurs? Taken down by the young boys from Memphis. The Lakers? Gone Fishin’. Three of the four teams filling out the Conference Finals docket are among the youngest in the league. The Bulls by far have the reputation of being the hardest workers left in the postseason. It is this reputation (along with the 21 point drubbing they handed out Sunday night) that opened the door for all of the doomsday prophecies that the media was so quick to ascribe to the Heat.

Now the scene shifts to Miami for a Game 3 on Sunday that will be crucial to determining which team will end up victorious. The Bulls have been very good all season in games following a loss but after the Game 2 victory, Miami has now snatched home court. The stakes cannot get higher. In a best of seven series, the winner of Game 3 wins the series over 75% of the time. The Heat has a good chance to bring the Bulls their first consecutive loss of this postseason. The keys to a win are not a secret—contain Noah and Boozer on the boards, do not allow Rose to penetrate deep and open the game up for outside shooters like Korver—but the X’s and O’s are not the only determining factors. The Heat needs to do as good a job at maintaining their defensive intensity, effort and focus as they did in Game 2. They seemingly have a distinct advantage over the Bulls in the next two games being that the Bulls have not been the same team away from the United Center. It is the inexperience of the Bulls players compared to the relative experience of the Heat players that might turn this series.

The spirit of the fans here in Miami is one of confidence. On the streets of South Beach, Stephen Taylor stated that "The Heat DON'T lose at home!"--A quote that typifies the general sentiment of many of the Miami fans that are chomping at the bit for another chance at taking down the Bulls Sunday night.