I wrote another column for the IDS.
Check it out:
http://bit.ly/jdfMbp
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Are people still going to give a crap about LeBron?
Now that Dallas proved to be the Heatles’ Yoko, can you remember how you felt heading into Game 5?
Overcome with anticipation, right?
Overcome with anticipation, right?
Even though LeBron had proved he could disappear before (the 2010 Boston series), his vanishing act at the end of Game 4 was still mysterious. If you weren’t riveted at that point, you’re probably lying, living under a rock or being a wet blanket.
What would he do next?
Well, you know what comes next; a few more underwhelming performances from the artist formerly known as “King,” some hot Dallas shooting and Mark Cuban gently stroking the Larry O’Brien trophy as he fell asleep on Sunday night.
For the haters, there has to be some sense of vindication. LeBron struggled mightily and even handled is parting shot poorly. For James supporters, there is probably a sense that—after eight seasons—this is who he is.
So are people going to give a crap about LeBron like they did earlier this week? Or has reality surpassed lofty expectations?
What makes an otherworldly talent like James appealing to a sports fan is the unexpected is always at play; the possibility for greatness lingers over what will almost always amount to ordinary.
After consistently failing to meet the loftiest of expectations, all the mystery has been sucked out of James’ aura—or lack thereof.
We expect him to come up short.
Babe Ruth hasn’t turned into a folk hero because he was a common man that ate hot dogs and downed beers, it happened because he hit baseballs really far.
I honestly couldn’t give a damn whether LeBron becomes more self-aware or less egotistical, as long as he realizes his full basketball potential. Expecting athletes to handle themselves with grace and humility is a waste of time.
LeBron is dealing with the same type of thing Tiger Woods has since his saga unfolded. Both, because of media adulation and Nike’s big wallet, were child stars. You might as well call James, Danny LeBronaduce. The expectation that anyone like that could be well-grounded is absurd. Telling someone no after years of saying yes can’t end smoothly.
And that’s where LeBron stands. After being coddled by enablers and coasting on the narrative they created, James is being torn down. Unlike Tiger, though, he can’t fall back on a championship pedigree. Unless he approaches his potential, the self-anointed “King” will never cause the commotion that he did heading into Game 5; that air of mystery no longer exists, it’s, instead, been replaced by an overriding sense of doubt.
People have given up on LeBron James. Call it romantic, but I’m not ready to give up on him or Tiger. I want them to get it.
The realization of once-in-a-generation greatness is too alluring.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
For better or worse, Jordan still rules
It’s been 13 years since Michael Jordan took his final NBA Finals shot; gently nudging Bryon Russell to the side, stepping back and holding the follow-through.
It was the ultimate pose by one of the NBA’s ultimate champions, quickly becoming a time capsule for the not-so-distant past; a picture-perfect ending on basketball’s biggest stage.
But Jordan never left. His Airness’ presence remains, lingering over the NBA like big brother. And these playoffs have been no exception.
In the modern NBA, players, coaches and decision-makers are almost exclusively judged on how they respond to a question: WWJD?
What would Jordan do?
Since he retired the second time, people have been on a never-ending search to find the next MJ. And until these people, who are like wanderers searching for a lake on a desert’s horizon, find him, everyone will be judged by the likely unattainable standard he set. Will the NBA ever see another cold-blooded killer? What about another marketing juggernaut on his level?
In a word: No.
Even though only a little over a decade has passed since Jordan nailed his final dagger, our world has completely changed. Every move is dissected, analyzed and contextualized immediately because of the creation of an—at times—overbearing, 24-hour news cycle. It’s not enough anymore to be just a supremely talented athlete.
Perhaps this can be explained by society’s fascination with the access it’s been given to reality television stars, which has placed an unusual burden on the modern athlete; they must show a side of themselves that could previously be hidden from the public eye.
In 2011, Jordan wouldn’t be able to be Jordan.
This isn’t an indictment on his legendary ruthlessness on and off the court, but a reflection of where society has gone. Do you think his gambling issues would be thrown aside? What would stop internet know-it-all’s from pontificating about his father’s murder? At the click of a mouse, an athlete can fire up a Twitter storm. Asking anyone to match Jordan’s likeability at the peak of his powers is useless because it’s too easy to poke holes in an image crafted by corporations.
Ask Tiger Woods. Ask Kobe Bryant. Ask LeBron James.
It’s not just the media scrutiny and intense public interest that dogs today’s NBA star. Jordan’s aura is palpable; the shadow that he casts makes it impossible for some to fully appreciate his successors’ greatest triumphs.
No matter what LeBron James does during his career, he’ll never be able to win in the court of public opinion. This isn’t a defense of James’ performance during the Finals. It’s apparent, after his “shrinkage” in Dallas, that LeBron deserves criticism. What I don’t understand is the expectation that James should follow Jordan’s lead.
Why does LeBron, who should use his court vision—probably his best skill—in late-game situations, always have to take the last shot? Is an MJ imitation always necessary? Since Jordan ruled the NBA, people look for a team’s best player to go one-on-one in the waning moments of crucial games.
It’s why we see late-game offenses that run as smoothly as clogged toilets.
With the expectation that players must finish like Jordan, it makes me wonder whether people could fully appreciate Magic Johnson if he had played after Michael. Sure, Magic would never have to answer questions if could be clutch—see the 1980 Finals—but he was more playmaker than shot-taker.
Kareem and James Worthy both won Finals MVP’s with Magic dishing out passes. In the context of Jordan’s late-game mercilessness, this may seem weak to some. Or more importantly, it may seem unbefitting for a “king.”
No, LeBron isn’t Magic, but he probably would be vilified for trying to be.
Even Dirk has had to deal with Jordan’s shadow during the Final. Imagine if Nowitzki was unable to play or didn’t close well in Game 4 because of his flu. If Dallas had failed to comeback—especially if he was missing shots at the end of the game—Dirk’s performance would always be compared, unfairly, to MJ’s 38-point epic in the ’97 Finals.
Dirk wasn’t dry-heaving or laboring off the court like MJ, so a loss could have tainted his legacy because his performance wasn’t “Jordan-esque.”
Even though he isn’t the one winning rings anymore, Jordan still resonates. We can’t make it through the Finals without him mattering.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as we appreciate future talents for who they are.
Friday, June 3, 2011
15 reasons to remember Shaq
How will we remember Shaquille O’Neal? As a bigger-than-life force that may have left a little diesel in the tank, but never failed to deliver a laugh or two. Here are 15—one for each all-star selection—reasons/moments that will make the big fella a hard one to forget.
1) Shaqploitation: Do you remember Shaq’s Burger King commercial? You know, the one where he throws down a one-handed jam while wearing a Shaft-esque trench coat. Only Shaq could pull that off. “He’s the man who can jam over any man…SHAQ!” Can you dig it? I knew that you could.
2) Shaq’s Godfather Analogy: After arriving to Miami, Shaq described his relationship with the three star guards he had teamed up with. “The difference between those three is the Godfather trilogy. One is Fredo (Penny Hardaway), who was never ready for me to hand it over to him. One is Sonny (Kobe), who will do whatever it takes to be the man, and one is Michael, who if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it over to Dwyane.” No one goes to Vegas and messes with Shaquille.
3) Kazam: I can’t decide if this is something to remember or forget. Shaq doubling as a rapping genie. It must have been 1995
4) Shaq in Black: Shaq’s arrival to Biscayne Bay. O’Neal hopped out of the back of a tractor trailer that was appropriately labeled “Diesel Power.” On his way up the podium, with a water gun in hand, Shaq showered Heat fans that had been waiting in the July sun. The man made an entrance.
5) Nicknames: Shaq. Wilt Chambernezy. Diesel. Superman. Shaq Fu. M.D.E (Most Dominant Ever). The Big Aristotle. The Big Deporter. Shaqtus. The big fella is the only athlete that should ever have license to come up with a nickname.
6) Rapping: Shaq, true to form, loved to drop a few lines. “Hey, Kobe, how does my ass taste?” Priceless.
7) Breaking Backboards: Some probably forget that Shaq used to be a (relatively) skinny kid. When he played for Orlando, he was a true force-of-nature. The man even forced the NBA to put up better supports for the baskets. The one he took down at the Meadowlands Arena caused a long delay.
8) Burning Bridges: Unfortunately, O’Neal tended to go out swinging when he left town. He ditched Orlando for Hollywood and took some shots at Penny on the way out. The Lakers chose Kobe, so Shaq fired shots towards Los Angeles. When things turned sour in Miami, he nailed everyone from Chris Quinn and Ricky Davis to Pat Riley and Wade. He even stole a reality TV show from Steve Nash when he was bolting Phoenix. In his prime, Shaq said he didn’t want to turn into a ring-chasing vagabond, but that’s exactly what he became.
9) The Sacramento Queens: An all-timer from the Diesel. When referring to the possible threat from the rival Kings, Shaq said, “We're not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Not at all. I'm not gonna be doing this all year, going back and forth with them. Nobody cares that we won last year, this is a new year, so we just need to focus on a new year. Like I said, I'm not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Write it down, take a picture, send it to them. I don't care."
10) The alley-oop: The Lakers capped off an impressive, 15-point comeback with a sweet alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq. It’s a moment that will live on through forever.
11) Sheriff Shaq: While he wasn’t policing the basketball court, Shaq liked to fight crime off of it. Hopefully he didn’t plan on patrolling the streets. Couldn’t you see some guy just blow past Shaq with some old lady’s purse?
12) Bye, Stan: The seminal “Godfather” moment of Shaq’s career. Unhappy with the man he later referred to as “The Master of Panic,” Shaq had Van Gundy “whacked.” Popular narrative has Riley looking like the bad guy, but this one was on Shaq.
13) Rings!: Shaq won four of them. At the peak of his powers, he was an unstoppable force and has the hardware to prove it.
14) Shaq Claus: For all of his perceived faults, Shaq was a big kid at heart. At Christmas, he always wore a Santa Claus hat and passed out gifts to kids. I’ll always respect Shaq’s goodwill.
15) L.S.U.: When he eventually graduated from LSU, Shaq dubbed the school “Love Shaq University.” For most, it was the first place we got to see a young O’Neal throw down dunks and grab rebounds.
It certainly wasn’t the last time we saw him. For all of his immense talent, I will remember Shaq the most for his humor. He was one-of-a-kind on and off the court. Thanks for the good times, big fella.
1) Shaqploitation: Do you remember Shaq’s Burger King commercial? You know, the one where he throws down a one-handed jam while wearing a Shaft-esque trench coat. Only Shaq could pull that off. “He’s the man who can jam over any man…SHAQ!” Can you dig it? I knew that you could.
2) Shaq’s Godfather Analogy: After arriving to Miami, Shaq described his relationship with the three star guards he had teamed up with. “The difference between those three is the Godfather trilogy. One is Fredo (Penny Hardaway), who was never ready for me to hand it over to him. One is Sonny (Kobe), who will do whatever it takes to be the man, and one is Michael, who if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it over to Dwyane.” No one goes to Vegas and messes with Shaquille.
3) Kazam: I can’t decide if this is something to remember or forget. Shaq doubling as a rapping genie. It must have been 1995
4) Shaq in Black: Shaq’s arrival to Biscayne Bay. O’Neal hopped out of the back of a tractor trailer that was appropriately labeled “Diesel Power.” On his way up the podium, with a water gun in hand, Shaq showered Heat fans that had been waiting in the July sun. The man made an entrance.
5) Nicknames: Shaq. Wilt Chambernezy. Diesel. Superman. Shaq Fu. M.D.E (Most Dominant Ever). The Big Aristotle. The Big Deporter. Shaqtus. The big fella is the only athlete that should ever have license to come up with a nickname.
6) Rapping: Shaq, true to form, loved to drop a few lines. “Hey, Kobe, how does my ass taste?” Priceless.
7) Breaking Backboards: Some probably forget that Shaq used to be a (relatively) skinny kid. When he played for Orlando, he was a true force-of-nature. The man even forced the NBA to put up better supports for the baskets. The one he took down at the Meadowlands Arena caused a long delay.
8) Burning Bridges: Unfortunately, O’Neal tended to go out swinging when he left town. He ditched Orlando for Hollywood and took some shots at Penny on the way out. The Lakers chose Kobe, so Shaq fired shots towards Los Angeles. When things turned sour in Miami, he nailed everyone from Chris Quinn and Ricky Davis to Pat Riley and Wade. He even stole a reality TV show from Steve Nash when he was bolting Phoenix. In his prime, Shaq said he didn’t want to turn into a ring-chasing vagabond, but that’s exactly what he became.
9) The Sacramento Queens: An all-timer from the Diesel. When referring to the possible threat from the rival Kings, Shaq said, “We're not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Not at all. I'm not gonna be doing this all year, going back and forth with them. Nobody cares that we won last year, this is a new year, so we just need to focus on a new year. Like I said, I'm not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Write it down, take a picture, send it to them. I don't care."
10) The alley-oop: The Lakers capped off an impressive, 15-point comeback with a sweet alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq. It’s a moment that will live on through forever.
11) Sheriff Shaq: While he wasn’t policing the basketball court, Shaq liked to fight crime off of it. Hopefully he didn’t plan on patrolling the streets. Couldn’t you see some guy just blow past Shaq with some old lady’s purse?
12) Bye, Stan: The seminal “Godfather” moment of Shaq’s career. Unhappy with the man he later referred to as “The Master of Panic,” Shaq had Van Gundy “whacked.” Popular narrative has Riley looking like the bad guy, but this one was on Shaq.
13) Rings!: Shaq won four of them. At the peak of his powers, he was an unstoppable force and has the hardware to prove it.
14) Shaq Claus: For all of his perceived faults, Shaq was a big kid at heart. At Christmas, he always wore a Santa Claus hat and passed out gifts to kids. I’ll always respect Shaq’s goodwill.
15) L.S.U.: When he eventually graduated from LSU, Shaq dubbed the school “Love Shaq University.” For most, it was the first place we got to see a young O’Neal throw down dunks and grab rebounds.
It certainly wasn’t the last time we saw him. For all of his immense talent, I will remember Shaq the most for his humor. He was one-of-a-kind on and off the court. Thanks for the good times, big fella.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
For Dirk, the heat is on
We're going to mix it up here a little bit. I wrote a column about Dirk Nowitzki's legacy that was posted on the IU Sport Com website. Instead of just copying and pasting it here, I added the link below
Check it out: http://iusportcom.com/prosports/basketball/for-dirk-the-heat-is-on/
Check it out: http://iusportcom.com/prosports/basketball/for-dirk-the-heat-is-on/
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