Chattel

Eric Gordon and the NBA Hornets were unable to come to an agreement over a contract extension. Eric Gordon, who won a gold medal at the World Championships, was unable to reach agreement with the worst team in the Western Conference of the NBA. Let's rewind a sec. Eric Gordon is the best player on the Hornets, by far. The Hornets are owned by the league itself. Therefore, the guys who run the game run the trades. If they wanted to create a winning team, they're in a pretty awesome spot. If they wanted to bleed the team of its great players through terrible trades and leave the franchise in such a position that it is cheap enough (by being free of burdensome, non-rookie contracts) to buy during a down economy, they could do so. The team would need good draft picks, though. However, due to other league rules, they would also need to meet minimum salary levels. And, due to the need to keep up appearances in order to sell tickets, they'd have to have a coach and general manager who want to win.

Coach Monty Williams and General Manager Dell Demps have pretty much rocked out. Demps engineered an amazing trade for Chris Paul that was approved by all involved (Lakers, Rockets, Hornets). Until the NBA realized they could veto the trade. David Stern/Stu Jackson did so. Chris Paul went instead to the Clippers who had just signed a proven yet old shooting guard who had come off of the one time amnesty wire. The Clippers signed Chauncey Billups for dirt cheap ($1.1 million for a former Finals MVP) right before realizing they could suddenly trade the previously untradeable (and potential building block) Eric Gordon.

Boom.

Gordon was traded to New Orleans.

Now, the NBA Hornets have not signed Gordon to an extension. Why? Money committed to a player (even an amazing young shooting guard like Eric Gordon) means a higher price for a franchise. David Stern is destroying the value of the New Orleans Hornets so that someone will actually buy the team.

Currently, the Hornets ostensibly have two or three potential buyers. Ostensibly + potential = not so much. The key to finding a buyer in this economy after a polarizing lockout is lowering the purchasing price of the team. To do so, without lowering the value of other NBA teams, means not having many liabilities but having potential. How does one get that in this NBA? Don't sign Eric Gordon for the long term and make sure the team sucks to ensure good draft picks.

It's sad. It's dirty. And hopefully the people of New Orleans realize this and let Stern know they don't need nor want a professional basketball team, despite his hollow post-Katrina promise.

JoePa

We've been remiss in discussing Joe Paterno, his passing, and his legacy. Read this elegy from our friends at Philawdelphia.

“Mr. Paterno is survived by 147,000 grandchildren, 450,000 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.”

Goodbye, Flip

Flip Saunders, coach of the Washington Wizards, was fired today, the day after the Wizards were routed by the Philadelphia 76ers. There's no word yet as to why Ernie Grunfeld, the GM who assembled this terrible team, still has a job.

Prior to joining the Wizards, Saunders had won 587 games and lost 396 games. With the Wizards, a ragtag group of misfits, he went 61-130.

The Plight of Eric Gordon

Eric Gordon is one of the best shooting guards in the League right now. He played on the gold-winning 2010 World Championship team. He kinda got the shaft in being traded from the Clippers to the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets after a suspicious series of events including a segment where he was assured that he would not be traded.

Now, he's waiting on the Commissioner of the NBA to give him a contract extension. From Yahoo!:

Gordon’s agent, Rob Pelinka, has engaged in recent contract talks with the Hornets’ front office, but hasn’t received an official offer. Gordon told Yahoo! Sports on Monday night he was informed by Hornets general manager Dell Demps that Stern must decide whether to extend an offer. The NBA owns the Hornets. Gordon wants to re-sign with New Orleans, but is uncertain if or when Stern will reach out to him or Pelinka.

While I'm sure everything will work out and Stern will deign to give Gordon an extension, the fact that (failed Vancouver Grizzlies General Manager) Stu Jackson is getting a chance to question any and all decisions by Dell Demps reeks.



Can we just rename them the NBA Hornets?

RIP Sarah Burke

"It's what our lives are, being on the hill and there’s a reason for that, it’s amazing, it’s where we met, where we live, and, hopefully, where we die."

Tim Thomas Riles Up Conservatives

Last year, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup. As is tradition in major sports played in the United States, the champs (if American) visit the White House. The first hockey team to do so was the 1990-1991 Pittsburgh Penguins, who visited with George H. W. Bush. Being honored by the President is one of those things that isn't really political and is much more of an honor than anything else. Bruins goalie and playoff MVP Tim Thomas decided to skip the opportunity to meet President Barack Hussein Obama because, because, as he stated on his Facebook page:

I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government. Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.

While this Tim Thomas (for us NBA fans, we think of this guy first) has announced his constitutional originalism, he hasn't exactly espoused any political beliefs. Given his statement, the man could be a raving communist intent on tricking the lumpenproletariat into subjection by and for the proletariat. Or, he could be one of those unique-to-America wingnuts that the rest of the world giggles at...even Canada, the birthplace of hockey. Nevertheless, political-minded folks have managed to get their undies in a twist. Take, for example, the wondrous slice of unfiltered Internet commentary that happens in response to a Yahoo! Sports article about Thomas's decision. While Thomas hasn't exactly expressed anything more than dissent to both parties, his statement has created an artificial backlash: reporting of his decision to not attend the traditional White House visit has been deemed part of a liberal campaign of slander. Apparently, the "media" has already judged Thomas to be un-American for not going on the trip. And, therefore, the media is biased and free speech is under attack. Thomas's boorishness aside, it's all a bit ridiculous when you think about it: a player decides not to visit the White House while a Democratic President is there -> the media reports on the no-show -> Republicans get upset and claim that the reporting is somehow indicative of liberal bias and adopt the no-show as a partisan statement, despite the player's explicit statement that the no-show has nothing to do with political parties and all to do with "the Founding Fathers['] vision for the Federal government."

But, President Obama has faced a lot of flack for allegedly: wanting the United States to fail; turning the U.S. into an Islamic Caliphate; being a Nazi; being a Communist; being a Nazi Communist; being a Kenyan anti-colonialist; not being American; hating America; killing Osama bin Laden rather than bringing him to justice; not killing Osama bin Laden fast enough; taking credit for killing Osama bin Laden when in fact he didn't pull the trigger of the gun that shot the bullets that killed Osama bin Laden; falsifying grades at Harvard Law; and, now, using the Bruins for political purposes. So, given the charged (and kind of scarily misinformed) environment, I guess it makes sense that Tim Thomas's nonpartisan political protest should engender racist comments and worse. While I'm not personally acquainted with the man who received more than twice as many electoral votes as his opponent and nearly 10 million more in the popular vote, as a rational human being, I can attest to the fact that most people don't spend years of their lives achieving something only to tear down the meaning of their life's work. Just sayin' that the whole Obama hates America bit is sadly more than a little ridiculous and sullies what could otherwise be pretty appealing sports.

Then again, maybe Tim Thomas had no idea this sort of Boston fan would contribute his sadly popular two cents: "Jimmy" speaks of calling Obama a "chocolate Marxist" as a fortunate "spark of patriotism" that can "erupt into a raging conflagration."

Nick Young is a terrible rebounder

First off, I'm not a statistician. Secondly, this is my first time really playing around with the amazing site Basketball Reference. But, after attending the Wizards-Celtics game on Sunday, I couldn't help but wonder if Nick Young knows that rebounds are available. Nick Young is listed at 6'7" or 6'6", depending where you check. Sometimes, he plays shooting guard; sometimes, he plays small forward. As a guy who uses up a lot of possessions taking often-contested shots, I figured it would behoove him to snag a few caroms if he wants to be viewed as anything more than a chucker (taking 14.4 FGA a game, despite shooting 40.3%). Senor Swaggy P feels otherwise, but here's where he stands compared to other active guards over this and the past four seasons when it comes to percentage of total rebounds: 340th place. Granted, a fair amount of better rebounders are listed ahead of him more than once because, well, they've been better rebounders than Nick Young's best season more than once.

But, 340th place is abysmal, anemic, and appears more terrible when we look at per-36s: 353rd place. That's some rockstar rebounding at 3.6 boards per 36 minutes.

So, let's look at this season. Of the 54 guards or guard-forwards who have started at least 10 games, Nick Young has the lowest rebounds per game (2.4) of anyone his height who plays at least 30 minutes per game. In other words, he is pretty much the worst rebounding starter at his height in the NBA right now. In terms of percentage of total rebounds this season for guards and guard-forwards starting at least 10 games? Nick Young is 46th out of 54 with his incredible ability to corral 2.8% of available rebounds. The only players with worse rates are mostly point guards, shorter, and rarely, if ever, found playing small forward: Monta Ellis, Raymond Felton, Ben Gordon, Raja Bell, Steve Nash, Luke Ridnour, Devin Harris, and Jeff Teague.

Beckham signs with L.A. Galaxy for 2012 Season

credit Quinn Rooney / Getty Images, via L.A. Times

David Beckham, star midfielder for the L.A. Galaxy, winner of three league championships across two continents (not to mention a UEFA Champions League piece of hardware), and most famous for bending it like... himself, has signed with the MLS Cup winners for the 2012 season, citing his family's preference for remaining in Southern California as a major motivator to not get paid $1 million/month to live in Paris.

Yao Ming, the Politician, and Other Notable International Athletic Stars Turned Politicos

Word has come over the wires that former Houston Rocket star Yao Ming has made his political debut at age 31, only months into retirement. Such a move by Lurch Addams's Chinese half-brother should come as little surprise. Even in retirement, Yao retains superstar status in China. He has a number of endorsement deals, and a brand of wine bearing his name. Although this is a rather modest entry into the political arena—just an appointment to a 142-member regional advisory body without any actual authority—Yao has struck a cautious tone, saying he doesn't want to be "hasty" in raising any proposals. That's probably the right way to go, given the minefield that is Chinese politics. Indeed, Yao sometimes found himself embroiled in political controversy during his playing days over seemingly minor issues, such as where his wife would give birth. Due to Yao's general hilariousness—usually but not always unintentional—he is a new favorite politician.

Given that my previous contribution to the blog was an examination of the relationship between sports and politics, I figured I'd make a top 10:

10. Menzies Campbell, Scotland

I had no choice but to include Campbell because, serendipitously, his nickname is "Ming." A top-notch Olympic sprinter in the 1960s, Campbell helped build the UK's Liberal Democrat Party and is one of the most visible figures in UK parliament.

9. Sebastian Coe, England

Another Olympic sprinter turned member of UK parliament, Coe won consecutive Olympic golds in the 1,500m and set eight world records during his career. He also was the head of London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. I picked the famously charismatic Coe not only for his accomplishments but also because he's a bit of a wild card. For example, when asked about the controversial topic of an all-Great Britain soccer team, he reportedly said, "Yes to 2012 GB footy team. The Scots and Welsh? Fuck 'em"

8. Ken Dryden, Canada

Dryden chose not to stay in his native Toronto to play hockey, instead going to Cornell—ever heard of it?—where he won an NCAA championship. I like him for continuing to buck the system multiple more times in his athletic career. First, he sat out the '73-'74 season rather than accept a lowball offer from the Canadiens, taking the time to finish his law degree at McGill. Then, he retired in his prime, after only a bit more than seven seasons, after wining five Stanley Cups and a slew of top accolades.

7. Dawn Fraser, Australia

First of all, Fraser gets points in my book because reading up on her caused me to learn some new Aussie terminology, including hoick and larrikin. Fraser was also a really, really good swimmer, winning 8 Olympic medals and setting 39 world records. And being a really, really good swimmer makes you a BFD in Australia, which she parlayed into a raft of accolades and a stint in regional parliament. But the best part about Fraser is a story she denies: that she swam a moat and shimmied up a flagpole at Emperor Hirohito's palace to steal a souvenir flag during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

6. George Weah, Liberia

Weah is a former soccer great who won FIFA's World Player of the Year award in 1995. Since then, he has founded the Congress for Democratic Change party in Liberia and run unsuccessfully for both president and vice-president. For reasons unknown, he came to the U.S. to obtain a degree in Business Management from DeVry University in Florida. Weah proved himself a model student by immediately relating his studies to his political career, citing his undergraduate Business 303 course in justifying his political strategy.

5. Marat Safin, Russia

Formerly the world's No. 1-ranked men's tennis pro, Safin won election to the lower house of Russian parliament just last month, as a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russian party. As with Yao and China, Safin is the biggest name in a large group of former athletes (mostly Olympians) to enter politics. Safin has always been a colorful figure, but it's a bit ironic (or maybe not at all?) that the notoriously colorless Pete Sampras was the one to predict that Safin will become Russia's president in 20 years. Safin, for his part, did not disappoint with his own take on his political debut, proclaiming, "I could be the best looking guy in the Duma. But that's only because all the other guys are over 60."

4. Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria

Unlike the rest of this list, Borisov has never been an elite athlete. But he does have the distinction of playing professional soccer in Bulgaria at age 52—while also serving as the country's prime minister!—albeit for a third-division club. Even better, Bulgarians voted him the country's top soccer player, in landslide over Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov, to express their disgust with Bulgaria's poor showing in European competition. To Borisov's credit, after winning the poll he recommended doing away with it.

3. Manny Pacquiao, Philippines

What isn't to like about Pac-Man? He has almost single-handedly kept his sport on life support during a low period, fighting across a dizzying array of weight classes and prompting Bob Arum to declare, "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard." Still at the top of the boxing world, Pacquiao has continued to fight while serving in his country's legislature and also doing some acting, even discussing a potential project with Sylvester Stallone. But, he still has yet to sign up for the fight everyone's been waiting years for: a showdown with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

2. Imran Khan, Pakistan

In the Pakistani equivalent of water-cooler conversation, there aren't many topics that can compete with cricket and political corruption. Imran Khan is a leading figure in both areas, if not the figure. And he's assumed that status with consummate flair. In 1992, a the tail end of his career, he promised that underdog Pakistan would its first world cricket championship. And then it did, against England, its former colonial ruler. Now, 20 years later, he has built the "Movement for Justice" party that he founded into a major political force, based upon a platform of anti-corruption and social justice. He has gathered crowds of over 100,000 in each of Pakistan's most important cities, Karachi and Lahore,and upset the delicate two-party balance that previously reigned. Indeed, Khan's latest prediction, that his party will dominate the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite having only one seat in its 15-year history, seems plausible. If so, his supporters will get to trade in their Obama-referencing "Yes We Khan" shirts for some new ones reading, "Yes We Did."

1. Yao Ming, China

Yao's head and shoulders above the crowd—at least literally—and he's from a rapidly emerging world superpower. This could be big, so I'll give him the number one spot for now due to his "huge upside potential."

O-Town Tragedy

As the saga of Dwight continues, the Magic front office has become something of a joke. Well, not Stan Van Gundy. He's still a shrill hedgehog of horror who can coach the hell out of a bunch of role players. But I'm talking about Otis Smith and Bob "I'll just have a couple glasses of wine and then call my star player to beg him to stay" Vander Weide. With Vander Weide gone, let's talk about Otis.



Otis Smith somehow has a job, still. Even in this economy. Even with Kevin Pritchard unemployed.

Otis Smith is the guy who, along with Ernie Grunfeld, can be blamed in part for the NBA lockout: then with the Sonics (RIP), Lewis agreed to a sign-and-trade 6 year, $118 million contract. Lewis didn't live up to his prior scoring and rebounding ways. At all.

But, Otis Smith is the guy who got Rafer Alston on short notice (after Jameer Nelson's big shoulder injury) for Mike Wilks, Brian Cook, Adonal Foyle (who was waived by Memphis and re-signed a month later by Smith), and a 2009 first round pick (that the Grizzlies turned into Demarre Carroll). In 2009, the Magic made the NBA Finals thanks in large part to Rafer Alston. Good trade? Good enough, but turning those four guys into a point guard no longer in the league? Eh. That trade was won by Houston, who acquired Kyle Lowry.

Following the Magic's loss in the 2009 Finals, Smith looked to regroup for another run. Hedo Turkoglu, the point-forward, had left for much greener pastures in Toronto where he would whine and dine himself out of the rotation. In a trade with New Jersey, Smith netted Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson in return for Rafer Alston and Tony Battie. New Jersey liked the move because the Nets thought they could land LeBron and possibly another marquee free agent in 2010. Otis Smith presumably liked the move because he had seen Vince Carter peak several years earlier who had, at least on one occasion, deigned to play defense. Smith also had to decide what to do with Marcin Gortat, the Polish Hammer. Gortat became a restricted free agent and Dallas sought to sign him for the Mid-level Exception. Smith, seemingly in need of a backup to franchise cornerstone Dwight Howard, matched the offer.

With Turkoglu feasting on pizza (best link ever, btw)in Toronto and a starting lineup of Jameer "Crib Midget" Nelson at point guard, Vince Carter at the 2, Matt Barnes as small forward, Rashard Lewis as power forward, and Dwight Howard anchoring the center spot, the 2009-2010 Magic literally swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs (Bobcats and Hawks) only to be stopped by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.* A step back? Sure, but while Orlando had upgraded, the Celtics had Kevin Garnett back, who they had been missing when Orlando made the Finals. Clearly, Kevin Garnett > Vince Carter.

None of these have been game-changing, championship moves. Arguably, Smith's best move was one borne of desperation: Rafer Alston. Nevertheless, Smith dragged his reputation and the Magic to new lows for a potential contender. During the 2010-2011 season, he acknowledged his drastic overvaluing of Rashard Lewis and, in an effort to trade for a needed scorer, swapped Lewis for Gilbert Arenas. The Wizards were desperate to offload Gilbert after he pooped in a teammate's shoe he brought guns into the locker room he brought guns into the locker room and the ensuing public relations fallout. Arenas had been a proven scorer lately beset by recurring injuries. But, like Vince Carter, Arenas was not known as a tenacious defender. Again, it appeared as though Smith was a few years behind the best time to trade for someone with this skill set.

Smith also realized his trade for Vince Carter hadn't yielded the best results and changed his mind on Marcin Gortat. Smith traded both for Jason Richardson and a now substantially overpaid Hedo Turkoglu. If you haven't noticed a pattern in Smith's work as GM, to him, salary = value, every time.

These two giant trades ripped apart the heart of the Magic roster in the middle of the season. Both trades were Smith's answer to Miami adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James. Both trades were Smith's answer to Boston's health. Both trades were Smith's answer to Chicago adding Carlos Boozer. Both trades were Smith's answer to New York adding Amare Stoudemire in the offseason and Carmelo mid-season. This might be slightly better than Ernie Grunfeld's answer to Boston uniting the Big Three: signing Juan Dixon. The result? The Magic were defeated in the playoffs by virtually the same Hawks team they'd swept the previous year.

Orlando is a luxury tax team big on overpaying big names potentially past their prime. It's a team assembled without a long-term strategy. Can you guess why Dwight wants to leave, despite having one of the best coaches in the NBA right now?

All of that being said, the Magic aren't a contender this year. With Horford out in Atlanta, the Magic could sneak into the Eastern Conference Finals if Chicago and Miami have to face up earlier. This Magic team is built to be pretty good at prices that demand greatness. Have fun losing in the second round when you should be tanking.

---

Interesting Otis Smith fact: he went to Nathan Bedford Forrest High School. Florida is insane.

Brandon Bass for Big Baby? If I'm Boston, yes please. Bass is cheaper, less of a headcase, and has more potential. Maybe Otis Smith has a thing for moody dudes?

* - Vince Carter boasted after sweeping the Hawks that the Magic might go 16-0 in the postseason. Coincidentally, the year before, the Cleveland Cavaliers had swept both of their opponents en route to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing there to the Magic 4 games to 2.

Spud? Nope, Crimestopper

Aquille Carr is awesome. And short. Thanks to the Washington Post for the heads up on this Baltimore prodigy.

If the BCS ran other sports...

From NPR:

If the BCS ran the Olympics, the 100-meter final would be held in September, six or seven weeks after the scheduled heats. That, you see, is consistent with the cuckoo BCS scheduling. LSU's last game was on Dec. 2. Alabama's was way back in November — 45 days ago. Nowhere else in sport is there such a pointless, bizarre interval.

If the BCS ran the NFL, there would be no playoffs. Instead, a bunch of mysterious computers and some dubious experts — many of whom have conflicts of interest — would just declare which teams qualified for the Super Bowl ... then schedule the matchup 45 days from now, of course.

If the BCS ran the World Series, tens of millions of dollars would still be made, and the leagues, and the owners, and the managers, and everyone connected with the Series would be paid. Well, everyone except for the players. But, you see, this is in keeping with the BCS rationale that players are actually much happier playing when they aren't burdened by making money.
Of course, baseball boosters would slip some cash under the table to the major leaguers, to make sure that amateurism remains pure.

If the BCS ran the World Cup, there would be no World Cup. Instead, there would just be a mind-numbing plethora of meaningless soccer matches played between disparate countries, like Peru vs. Slovenia, scheduled at random neutral sites like Sri Lanka.

Boston: Where Baby Steps Happen

Danny Ainge, what the hell are you thinking?

Ubuntu does not mean trade Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green, dangle Ray Allen repeatedly as trade bait, rile up Rajon Rondo for no good reason, and send Big Baby to a conference competitor. Ubuntu has to do with team chemistry, not sending the binding agents across the league to better teams.

KG was right to yell at Stern about the shortened season, but his talk of chemistry should register with you, too, Danny Ainge.

Because this Celtics team is going where exactly? I like Brandon Bass slightly more than Glen Davis, but the Rickety Three are a year older and will be playing more games in more nights than at any time in their careers. They have a combined 41 years of NBA experience. Are these Celtics deep? Nope. Can Doc Rivers manage to make specialized role players work in case one of the Big Three or Rondo goes down? Maybe. But then where are we?

Danny, are you going to blow this team up? Because you sure aren’t giving them the tools for one last rally for a ring, let alone beat the Heat or Bulls.

Portland's Upcoming Season of Anxiety and Woe

Portland Portland Portland.

I’m shaking my head just thinking about you. Bill Walton. Sam Bowie. Brandon Roy. Greg Oden.

Your roster looks scrappy and beset by chips on shoulders. Gerald Wallace on the tail end of his prime. Marcus Camby reuniting with Kurt Thomas again in a lockout-shortened season. Wes Mathews. Nic Batum. Raymond Felton, now a journeyman. LaMarcus Aldridge as star and untapped potential. Greg Oden (or some sort of heart condition) as the dark cloud blocking sight of Aldridge.

Maybe the Blazers get Jamal Crawford.

So this becomes a 39 or 40 win season at best? For what? Another early exit? Another busted knee? With a healthy Oden and a reliable outside threat, the Blazers are a ferocious underdog, but sadly nothing more. These gritty Trail Blazers would have been more at home in another era.

Winners, Losers, Whatever

The lockout is over. The schedule is out. And the Nuggets will have to reinvent themselves for the second time this year. And we're almost exactly where we started, minus 149 days of ridiculousness where the average NBA fan* became at least slightly versed in endearingly cute terms like BRI.

In case you're someone who frequently attributes false equivalency for fear of appearing biased, the lockout was caused by general managers radically overpaying players. Sure, NBA players are the highest paid professional athletes, on average. But maybe that is in part because the game itself requires fewer players on the playing field than any other team sport. Given that only 5 men may be on the court for a team at any given time, this allows for the individual contributions of any given player to matter substantially more than in baseball, football, hockey (with its interminable line changes), and soccer. Furthermore, for those of you who feel that the lockout was the players' fault, let it be noted that the last CBA was widely viewed to drastically favor players.

Here's a quick wrap of what the new CBA means for fans, players, teams, and a variety of owners: nothing has changed until 2013. Other than that, here goes:

Fans
For fans who attend games, there will be no positive financial effect and a negative effect on seeing those out-of-town teams some of your neighbors like (those teams with guys like Kobe, Melo, and LeBron). And, given the recent news regarding Chris Paul, the new CBA will not prevent great players in small markets from leaving for Los Angeles or New York. As fans, at least this year, we'll have a better attempt by the league at basketball burnout. Something like seven teams will play five games in six days** - which could mean a team plays at 8 pm on Saturday in Philly and at 1:30 pm on Sunday in DC. I'm sure that will lead to some awesome, fatigue-free ball. The timing for some teams may have a large and strange effect on the season. The Wizards, for example, have a particularly brutal April featuring games on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Those back-to-back-to-back games could increase the likelihood of injury, lack of focus, and missed shots. Unfortunately for the Wizards***, if they build playoff momentum and are a bubble team, that April schedule will sink them.

We're fans. We're taken for granted. It's a given. Even when teams "really give back to the fans."**** What the NBA almost did was screw over the casual observer who can talk at length about how Kobe is or isn't the best player in the league yet pays no attention to facts.



Players
Superstars face about a 20% decrease in maximum salary compared to what they would have due to the new rules if they choose to leave their current team. The old rules allowed them to get their max contract and engage in the olde-fashioned sign-and-trade. Now, not so much. Regardless of this financial argument against mobile free agency, general managers retain the right to completely screw themselves over for players thanks to concessions made in the new CBA - for instance, teams have to use up 85% of the salary cap in payroll. Think about the effect on a team like Sacramento: out of the running for a pretty good free agent center (Tyson Chandler or Nene Hilario), but with the ability to overpay Sam Dalembert, oh, Kings fans, I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You guys will overpay for someone who will take you out of the lottery but not into the playoffs. In other words, the new minimum expenditures rule will force you into overpaying for someone like James Posey for no apparent reason other than to place you firmly in draft hell.



Teams
I've already mentioned that the Kings are going to do something stupid in the short run (and I don't mean moving to that bastion of culture that is Anaheim). They're bound to do so. The Heat, however, will rock this new CBA for as many Eastern Conference Finals as possible, which could mean 4 rings before the new tax provisions finally kick in. Dallas also wins in the short run as do the Lakers and Knicks. Basically, any team that was spending a lot will keep doing so. Had last year's OKC and Memphis teams been dealing with the new CBA, Dirk wouldn't have a ring.

That being said, formalize in your brain, if only for a second, a picture of Tom Thibodeau.

That will do. Now think about how the Bulls lost last year. LeBron covered Rose, right? Now think about Thibodeau's defensive schemes that made Paul Pierce and Carlos Boozer look worthwhile. What do you think Tom Thibodeau woke up thinking about every day for the past 149 days + the days since the end of the Eastern Conference Finals? Look at Tom Thibodeau again. Look. Pretend, for a second, that he has developed a new defensive scheme for the Miami Heat as currently and forever comprised. Pretend, for a second, that Tom Thibodeau hasn't calmly said goodnight to his family and then gone to his garage, donned a mask, grabbed a power tool, and spent the next 17 hours in solace etching his artistic interpretations of this season upon wood, stone, and a few unexpecting pieces of siding. If you're Tom Thibodeau, you have a defense that stops the Heat that you try on the Heat. But you also have an offense that you don't unveil against the Heat until they don't have any ability to adapt. The lockout: where players kinda stayed in shape and Tom Thibodeau made sure his dungeon was ready. Totally creepy.

What Western Conference team is currently built to win it all this year? Not the Mavs given their free agent problems. Definitely not the Lakers. The Thunder? The Grizzlies? If the Grizz re-sign Battier, maaaaybe, but Rudy Gay isn't filling any defensive void. The Thunder? Yes.



Owners
Now: Arison, Buss, Cuban, Reinsdorf, Bennett. Those guys won. Why? Because the new CBA doesn't have any effects on their abilities to win rings. Now ask yourself, which teams were likely to win rings in the next few years anyway? Whoever owns the Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Bulls, or Thunder. Nothing changed and there is only one small market team there: the Thunder.

Sorry, Spurs fans.



* - I wrote NBA fan, not basketball fan nor basketball viewer.

** - The Wizards are the only team that plays 2 sets of 5 in 6. Brutal, no?

*** - I understand the Wizards would have to make several big moves to be a playoff team this year and that being a playoff (or even borderline playoff) team this year is not necessarily a good thing for the health of the team in the long run.

**** - The Green Bay Packers may be the exception. Amazing lawyer and slightly depressed Sooners fan Jimmy pointed out that after the highly successful Green Bay fan acquisition, the NFL essentially forbid mass fan ownership. If only cities had some fucking balls, right? If we had city-owned teams and a salary cap system, we'd have far more fan support and far more responsible financing of stadiums. Also, I'd be willing to bet that every single league with a cap would have parity.

Random NCAA News

NCAA, other leagues limit use of caffeine as performance enhancer.

Only half of Div-I Black football players graduate; less than 40% of Div-I Black male basketball players. However, Black collegiate athletes are more likely to graduate than their non-athlete Black peers.

In Div-I Men's Bball, Georgetown beats #12 Alabama with a long-three from Hollis Thompson with 1.8 seconds left, proving beyond a doubt that the Tide are overrated, and the Hoyas should be ranked.

"NBA Lockout Ends and Players Get Played"

I know I wrote a piece talking about how I didn't care about the NBA lockout, but, well, that doesn't mean I'm happy with the outcome.  This piece by David Zirin in the Nation pretty much sums up my feelings on this whole mess (short: "the rich got richer, the players got played and the fans didn’t get a damn thing"):

There are no promises that the owners will plow this newfound lucre into their teams. In fact, there are now greater restraints on spending than before. There are no assurances that any funds will be earmarked for coaches or scouts. There are no announcements that any of these savings will translate into lower ticket prices or NBA package discounts for fans. All it means is that the owners have received a financial windfall because they own and we don’t. Now Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers, can buy some more slums. Now Phil Anschutz, minority-boss of the Lakers, can keep fighting the teaching of evolution in schools. Now Dick Devos of the Orlando Magic can give even more generously to Focus on the Family. Now every shadowy Koch brothers/Karl Rove political outfit that takes unlimited contributions will get a serious windfall just in time for the 2012 elections. Break out the bubbly.

This should sting every player, because coming off a year with record revenues, they should have been getting more, and instead they took historic cuts. Instead, their contracts are now not fully guaranteed. Instead, they are weakened. They are weakened even though they are the game. For the millions who paid good money to watch the Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan soar, no one ever paid a cent to see the Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan molt. Athletes are different than typical workers, and not just because their paychecks tower over our own. They are different because they fulfill the roles in production as both workers and product. They are the shoemaker and the shoe. Or as former Washington football great Brian Mitchell said to me, “In a restaurant, a chef cooks a steak. In sports, we are the chef and we are the steaks.”

Sibling Rivalry, Thanksgiving Style: Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh!

John Harbaugh and his AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens defend their house against younger brother Jim Harbaugh and his NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers.

Watch NFL Biography's story on their dad and how they got this way.

Green Bay v. Detroit and San Francisco vs. Baltimore.  What a schedule for to be thankful for.

Who's got it better than us? Noooo-body!

L.A. Galaxy wins MLS Cup!

credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / November 20, 2011

More pictures here, via LAT.

And the wrap-up:

But [the MLS Cup win] may have been most important for Beckham, who needed a title to add an exclamation point to his controversial and transformative five years in MLS, ones in which he brought the Galaxy unprecedented levels of credibility and cash yet couldn't bring them a title. 

Now, however, he's a triple-crown winner, with his MLS championship joining ones won with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Quad-crown, if you count that UEFA Champions League win along the way.

Oh, and here's captain Landon Donovan's beautiful, beautiful goal.  Doesn't matter that there was just one all night; the one they got was just perfect:

Weekend Sports Wrap-Up: NCAAF, NFL, MLS

And Then There Were Five... But It Didn't Matter.

photo credit Rusty Costanza/Times-Picayune

Last week, there were six undefeated teams, but it was inevitable that this week there would be no more than five, due to the long-anticipated Clash of the Titans between then-one-and-two LSU and Alabama.

A superb defensive performance on both sides led to an altogether boring exhibition as the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide 9-6 in OT.  The big surprise was the BCS fallout... or lack thereof.  Despite the loss, the strength of the Tide's schedule means the computers love them, and they drop only one spot to #3, Oklahoma State jumps to #2 after barely holding off an impressive Kansas State, and Stanford stays frosty at #4, despite jumping to USA Today #2 and Harris Poll #3.  Boise State is the big loser this week, as the polls show that despite some computerized love, voters controlling 2/3 of the BCS score will never choose the Mountain West goliath over a one-loss SEC team (though Big 12 and Pac 12 are apparently different stories)  Could be worse, Boise State; you could be in C-USA.

Oklahoma State holds their destinies in their own hands with a win over Oklahoma.  Stanford needs to sweep their tests against #7 Oregon, overrated Notre Dame, and probably Pac 12 Southern Division champ Arizona State to even stay in the running, and then will likely need help via a Cowboys loss.  If both the Cowboys and Cardinal drop a game somewhere?  Get ready for another 9-6 Clash of the Kickers...

The Colts Look to Get Luck-y, Who the Hell is "Matt Moore"?!

photo credit Alan Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post

Because I'm a Niners fan, I have to start by saying that this team is the real deal, and I take back everything bad I ever said about Alex Smith. It is obvious now that he suffered from a lack of good coaching and the churning of offensive coordinators (5 in his tenure at SF) and head coaches and hair-brained schemes.  But now he has Molder of Men Jim Harbaugh at the helm, and he looks like a completely different QB.  He's no dynasty QB, and never will be, but this year he's playing scrappy, smart West Coast Offensive like he grew up doing it, rather than throwing bombs with the Utes' spread offense.  6 years is a long time.

Look at their schedule: The 49ers, #2 in the entire NFL, have only played one NFC West game, putting them on track for a 12-win season, and no one's keeping them out of the playoffs this year.  Not bad for a team who finished 6-10 last season and has a Wikipedia subsection called "The difficult years" spanning the better part of a decade.  The real test will be how they fare against playoff-quality teams, of which they have three: next week hosting the NFC leading NY Giants (coming off a huge upset of Tom Brady's struggling Patriots), Week 12 at ascendant Baltimore, and hosting the Steelers in Week 15.  I'm especially interested in seeing how the Niners' middle-of-the-field-heavy offense handles Ray Lewis and the assassin-laden Ravens D.

Okay, since no one but me cares about the Niners, how 'bout them Colts?  With Miami tearing about Kansas City like butter, the Colts are the proverbial Cheese, standing alone.  Which means that they are winning the Suck for Luck sweepstakes.  Given that the team is by this point pretty obviously worthless without Peyton Manning, you've got to figure that Andrew Luck is going to Indy come draft time.  Which is pretty much the best thing that could happen to both the Heisman-frontrunner and the Colts dynasty.  Peyton will be back neck year, it seems, and Luck would have valuable time to train under a master, a la Joe Montana/Steve Young, or Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers.  And we know how those guys turned out.  Better to red shirt a few years under one of football's greats than to try to get into a messy, high-pressure, rookie-year fight for the starting job against the likes of Sam Bradford or Matt Moore...

Speaking of Matt Moore... who the hell is this guy?  The Dolphins are a frighteningly bad 1-7 this season, but against what we thought was a solid Kansas City squad this year--as shown by their status as AFC West leaders--the 5th year, former Beaver (Oregon State, for you non-Pac 12ers) Matt Moore comes out of nowhere and throws 17/23, 244 yds, 3 TDs, no picks, earning him a 97.7 QB rating and the top QB performance of Week 10... this is a guy who has a QB rating of 79.7 and prior to Sunday, threw 1 TD and 4 INTs.  Is he the real deal, or was KC really just that bad?

I'm voting that KC is just that bad.

MLS Cup, Nov. 20 @ 9p EST, on ESPN!

The MLS Cup Final will be the Houston Dynamo at L.A. Galaxy, as the Home Depot Center is the site of this year's Cup Final. Only one team (DC United) has ever won an MLS Cup at their home stadium.

The Houston Dynamo apparently looked really good against Sporting KC at Livestrong Sporting Arena, the gem of MLS stadiums.  I wouldn't know, I didn't see any of it.

But I have seen the goal embedded here from L.A. Galaxy's 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake, a beautiful service from David Beckham right on the head of Mike Magee, who in now 3-for-3 in this playoff season, scoring every game.  Mike Magee is in the right place at the right time, which is pretty much exactly what you want from a guy who can't necessarily make things happen on his own, but is fast and accurate.  Good tactics by Bruce Arena on that one.  The other two goals came off a Landon Donovan PK and Irish MNT captain Robbie Keane's first MLS playoff goal.  Keane really stepped up, and was a one-man offense keeping RSL honest near the end of the game when the rest of the Galaxy had set its heels in and RSL was pushing everyone up in desperation.  He'll be key to beating the Dynamo.  The big question coming out of last night's match-up is: Where is Landon Donovan?  This playoff run has been all Beckham, all the time, and Keane is making chances, even if he's only scored once.  But Donovan seems relatively quiet, and will need to step up for the final.

The L.A. Galaxy and Houston Dynamo each have 2 MLS Cups, though the Dynamo franchise has another two from their previous incarnation as the original San Jose Earthquakes (not to be confused with the revitalized, current expansion team... it's a Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens thing, you understand).  Dynamos are 2-2 in the Cup Finals, Galaxy are 2-4.  This will be the Galaxy's 7th visit to the MLS Cup Final, an MLS record.  David Beckham has won silverware in the English Premiere League (Man U:6), La Liga (Real Madrid:1), and UEFA Champions League (Man U:1) and looks to add one in MLS to his trophy case in what may be his last season in the States.  The teams split their meetings in the regular season, with L.A. winning at HDC back in may (1-0), and losing Houston's regular season finale at Houston (1-3)... but take that 1-3 loss with a grain of salt, since only one of the Galaxy's current A-team (DeLaGarza) started.  Donovan Rickets was the starting goalie at the time, and the only starter playing as Galaxy had already locked up the Supporter's Shield.  Take a look at the 10/23 L.A. lineup:

Donovan Ricketts, Frankie Hejduk (Ryan Thomas 76), Gregg Berhalter, Dasan Robinson, A.J. DeLaGarza, Hector Jimenez, Chris Birchall, Dan Keat, Michael Stephens, Jovan Kirovski (Chad Barrett 62), Jack McBean.

No Beckham, Donovan, Todd Dunivant, Keane, Magee, Omar Gonzalez, Chad Barrett, Sean Franklin, Josh Saunders, or Juninho.  The Dynamo are a heavy underdog coming into this... for one thing, they'll be facing the newly explosive Robbie Keane up front, and Houston will be without team MVP and crucial midfielder Brad Davis, out with a torn right quad in the 39th minute against Sporting KC.