InClement Weather: You Could Not Be Anymore Incorrect...

It comes as no surprise to me - or anyone on this staff - that this might not be the first and only place you turn to in order to fine commentary about sports. If it is, seek psychiatric attention immediately.

Nevertheless, wherever you go, it goes without saying that you must be very very careful at what you read. Genius insight, right? Well I'll tell you. Because much of it is either ridiculously biased, outright propaganda, or ill-informed. At least some of us admit to playing favorites...

Exhibit A: " The Lakers' Pau Gasol is shooting down his label as soft."

It's biased and irresponsible to use such a picture.
Clement, you sneaky bastard.
Credit: LATimes.com

“Because a guy has a set of skills and is more of a finesse player, then he’s labeled as a soft player,” Gasol said. “I’m not bothered by it because I know I’m a competitor. I’ve competed my whole career and nobody has given me anything. … “I’m a winner.”

There's no doubting Gasol is talented and a winner. Not sure about nobody giving him anything though. That guy named Kobe Bryant is a pretty great teammate to have. What I doubt about the incredibly talented 7-foot Spaniard is his ability to be a marquee player. The Grizzlies haven't made the playoffs without him. True. They also never one a game - one stinkin' game - with him. Ask Kevin Garnett how "soft" Gasol is. Listen carefully, even if KG might need to curse a few times before he finishes the first sentences.

As much as anything, Gasol will be remembered as the biggest reason Kobe Bryant wins a championship without Shaquille O'Neal. As much as anything, he has been the salvation of a forlorn franchise. Soft doesn’t survive as Kobe’s co-star. Soft doesn’t thrive with his body entangled in Dwight Howard.

Trying a little too hard to wax poetic, aren't we? Salvation? Not likely. If the Lakers had won last year, I would've been first in line to admit Gasol was the reason that Kobe became a champion sans-Big Shaqtus. But he's not. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson are. I might even argue that Trevor Ariza's defense and Lamar Odom's bench play have more of an impact than Gasol. Sure, it's biased. But I'm not speaking with alliteration, assosance, and out of my a**.

Those two were hit the hardest in last season’s Finals loss to the Boston Celtics, but remember something: Bryant played lousy too. Without Andrew Bynum, the Lakers’ frontline was overmatched. With him, maybe they were too. For Gasol, it was the deepest he had ever gone into the playoffs, the most he had ever demanded of his body. As usual, his self-critique was brutally honest. “I fell short at the end,” Gasol said. “I ran out of energy and couldn’t deliver.” Not this time, not these Finals.

Show me video evidence where Gasol decided Game 2??? Show me! I'm also not in the habit of predicting what "might've happened if somebody was healthy". You think Andrew Bynum was ready for the NBA Finals, healthy or not? You think KG was worried about 20-something Andrew Bynum. Not so much. Not so much. I also remember Gasol whinning about Kendrick Perkins' physicality and struggling to keep up with Leon Powe outside the paint. Does Pau remember?

Exhibit B: "Sorry Papi, but we're living in an age of accusations."

Now is this bias? I am not so sure.
Credit: LATimes.com

Let me get my biases out of the way. I don't dislike Big Papi, David Ortiz. In fact, his ESPN commercial (with Posada), might be my favorite of all-time from the four-letter network. Nevertheless, I do (hate) dislike far too many Red Sox fans. Not all of them, believe me. I just h-a-t-e the bandwagon ones more than any others (even Laker fans). You know these fans. The ones who claim to have always been a part of "Red Sox Nation". Don't get me wrong, you have every right to be a fan and support whatever team you choose. But don't act like you suffered alongside them forever. Don't don the hat and claim to be a "true fan" and not know who Jim Rice, Mike Greenwell, or even friggen Carlton Fisk were. Don't get me started on those who are "lifers" who think Ted Williams was a pitcher (I've met more thna a few, at Fenway, honest to God). Please don't pretend you're part of a Nation that exists so people can be cosmopolotian haters of the "Evil Empire".

As fo the aticle, while Rosenthal isn't a "homer" fot the Sox, he spends the first 1/3 of his article giving us reasons why we shouldn't take him seriously. Then he expects us to. Lucky us.

It's irresponsible. It's unfair. It needs to stop. Oh, I know I'm shouting into cyberspace, opening myself up to a cyclone of snark in which I am reminded, among other things, that the Mainstream Media was late to the party on steroids.

Ken, the media decides which stories are important to them, not the other way around. Look t steroids and understand why it's a media (and maybe Congressional) issue only. The way it should be, according to far too many media outlets. I enjoy you on FOX baseball and loved your coverage of the Manny-trade saga last August; however, you don't get to tell fans what they want to hear. In the age of steroids, accusations didn't come soon enough. Duh. If a player is clean, let the record show. Smart fans wait for positive tests and not leaked names. If you're worried about the "ignorant", than you're preaching to a choir who will never hear you properly.

There is no caution. There are no standards. But there are plenty of players — guilty and innocent — getting smeared. Several times in recent weeks, radio talk-show hosts have asked me what I thought of the possibility that Ortiz was using PEDS. The rationale for such questions? The talk is "out there." Well, I have no idea if David Ortiz used PEDs; probably no journalist does. I could not even make an educated guess, and it would be unprofessional of me to do so Here's one thing I do know: Before steroids, players actually declined as they got older. Ortiz is 33. Maybe he is losing his skills. Maybe he just stinks.

We live in the real world. Ortiz gets paid MEGA-DOLLARS, like so many athletes, and we have the right to suspect. Just like with McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Giambi, A-Rod, and now Manny. Sometimes players "lose it" and we try to figure out why. In the age of steroids, how could you not suspect? After all of the recent names and Palmeiro-like retractions, call us crazy for wondering. At least we're not apathetic to the point of saying, "I don't care, they all were doing it." As for rationale? It's not absent everywhere. Where is the talk of wrist injuries, hat sizes increasing, tendon issues, and other steroid-related LINKS that seem apparent with Papi (even if untrue). Not to mention that amazing decline ever since mid-way last season, a curious deadline (even at 32 and 33). Probable cause isn't guilt, but it's all the police need for a warrant. We're only throwing out assumptions, not accusations.

In the end, you may agree or disagree with either writer or myself. You might call me out for calling them out.

Either way, you're thinking about sports.

Score one for the big guy. And I don't mean Papi.

InClement Weather: Defending Bron Bron

I hate to go "10 Things", but I'm going to. It's one of the benefits of working for a blog where the creator and owner realizes how unfocused (yet unmatched) my madness can be.

Remember the brief outcry over this picture? Ridiculous beyond belief.
Guess who handled it flawlessly? LeBron.
Credit: BetorSedge.com

Anyways...

#1. First off, LeBron doesn't need anyone to defend him. Only trailing Tiger Woods (probably) in popularity as an American athlete, Bron Bron has more cash than Wells Fargo (is that saying much these days, though?) and this moment will pass quickly. The legacy is still secured, my friends.

#2. I like LeBron. In fact, I'm a huge fan of the 24-year old. I don't like Kobe. I never have. I never will, either. That night in Denver has been dismissed (not just forgotten) far too easily. That affects my opinion, too. Sure, there are a lot of people who love LeBron and are nailing him for his actions (or inactions); however, a lot of people have been waiting for a moment like this to pile on the King.

#3. The NBA was foolish to all but predict Lakers vs. Cavaliers so early in the Playoffs. It was unfair to talented players like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce, and a few notable others. This doesn't dismiss the dissapointment most of us feel for not having the series; however, I don't like when predictions are made on a company basis.

#4. LeBron didn't display sportsmanship. Not even a drop of it. But let's not equate not shaking hands and not giving a press conference with: assaulting another player, directly taunting another player, interacting negatively with fans, cursing on camera (KG!), berrating one's coach (Superman!), or chewing out his team. No breakdowns either. Hell, he didn't even refuse to shake Dwight Howard's hand. Or anyone else's. He looked around, realized the totality of the moment, and left the scene as soon as he could. He also didn't openly sulk, pout, and give up on a sideline after a series slipped away, despite his best efforts (KOBE!). He also remained loyal, as he could, to Cleveland with his most recent comments. If that city feels offended, they're insane.

#5. I don't like people who accept defeat readily. I understand sportsmanship and it being paramount to the game, but I also don't expect people to immediately dismiss a season's effort lost in an instant. I want my team to fight until it's over, maybe even after. I also don't ask them to smile and hug their counterparts. I want true rivalry, not chivalry. If I see Bart Scott hugging Tom Brady next season, I'm hurling instantly.

Sometimes, even I wish he was just a little more serious.
Check that. I don't. Not at all.
Credit: EveryJoe.com

#6. Dwight Howard is a goofy bastard. I think he's an amazing talent and I root for him, but his demeanor would be tough to swallow after a gut-wrenching series. LeBron has his post-victory moments as well, so I don't expect Howard to be gung-ho with the props as well. It's not like Howard needed to mob LeBron after the game-winner a week back.

#7. LeBron had every right to chew out his team, coach, and front office. When you have the talent of LeBron, you don't have guys like Delonte, Wally, Anderson, and Ben next to him. Mo Williams is not a legit #2 on a title-contending team. I've said it before. I'll say it again, too.

#8. ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports, and all the other media outlets need a story. While your typical radio call-in is dissapointed in LeBron, they also won't care enough to not watch him. This is just like steroids...a media issue. What else are they going to talk about: hockey???

#9. Mark Cuban is the owner (eccentric or not) of a team who insulted someone's mother. Even though it was Kenyon Martin, Cuban apologized via his friggen blog and lookey lookey...that issue is forgotten. Honestly, do you remember how long ago that was? Me neither. This will pass quickly, too.

#10. It's the NBA. It's professional basketball. No kids are going to become poor sport's (who weren't already) because of this. The youth of America will survive. The game of basketball will go on. LeBron will live to play another game. James Naismith isn't rolling over in his grave. Dwight Howard will somehow recapture his smile. In fact, I guarantee he has already.

In the end, LeBron made a mistake. He didn't rectify it, but he didn't shoulder bump an opponent into the sidelines, admit to smoking weed in the offseason, get a DUI, slap his wife, committ adultery, or kick a cameraman in the crotch.

He didn't shake someone's hand and didn't explain himself to the media.
I wonder if he could've bitten his tongue towards his teammates, which would've been a more serious issue.

Call me a "King"-lover or biased, but I'll call it like it is.
So take a deep breath and a sip of some get-over-it-juice.
We're still better off for the likes of LeBron. Who's still 24.
Oh yeah, if it matters, Wally Szczerbiak did it too. Where's his heat for Wally World??

InClement Weather: NBA-related banter

1) Mark Jackson, ESPN "analyst", is by far for the worst sports commentator on television today. He makes Kornheiser sound like Howard Cosell, Magic as sarcastic as Steve "Snapper" Jones, and Emmitt Smith...well, nothing helps that cause. Sorry Emmitt.

...Quote from Saturday night's game from Mark Jackson...
"When Pau Gasol is on his A-game, there isn't a defender in the NBA that can stop him."
Ummm, yes there is Mark. His name is Kevin Garnett. See NBA Finals 2008.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

2) LeBron's game-winner against Orlando will remain a definning moment in his career, regardless of how the Cavaliers fare the remainder of the playoffs. How do I know? Chicago didn't win the 1989 NBA Championship after Jordan hit his shot over Ehlo (Bulls WIN!).

3) Carmelo Anthony is very very very lucky to have Chauncey Billups talking him through the majority of this season, especially the playoffs. He hasn't been so fortunate since Jim Boeheim rode him, as a freshman, to an NCAA Championship in 2003.

4) JR Smith clearly has the ability to become a major star in this league. The problem is: does he have the maturity and shot selection necessary of a #1 or #2, not just a #3 off the bench? I'm not so sure...

5) I'd take Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu over Mo Williams if I was LeBron. I'm just sayin'.

6) This WWE/Denver debacle is irrelevant. In the end, the "evil" Mr. McMahon is right. Why? You don't schedule an event when there is the smallest possibility of your team playing for a championship still, even if it was planned over a year in advance and your team hasn't reached a Conference Finals in 24-year. You just don't.

7) David Stern is sweating HEAVILY over no Kobe/LeBron Finals. I refuse to call Kobe the "Black Mamba" either. His name is lethal enough. As for Mr. Stern and the "accusations" that may soon arise, I won''t put anything past anyone either. THIS still hasn't been explained properly enough, for me.

8) How fortunate would Cleveland feel to be tied 2-2, assuming they pull off a "mini-upset" in Orlando on Tuesday night? Probably win-the-series-in-6 fortunate.

9) Watching Kenyon Martin bully Pau Gasol only proves facts we all should know.
A) Kenyon Martin is a petty thug. Very very very very very very petty.
B) Pau Gasol is uber-talented and uber-soft.

10) Predicting these NBA Playoffs is like predicting Mike Tyson's next career move.
Cue the video...



Happy Memorial Day. I forgot to mention that.

Final Finals Thoughts: It’s Time for Some Changes…NOW!

As the NBA Finals end rather unceremoniously, with a borderline disgusting Spurs 4-0 sweep of the Cavs, it seems that everyone is spending the majority of their time beating up the current format of the NBA Finals; specifically, the ridiculous disparity in power between the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Unfortunately, balancing the power of each of the conferences is nearly impossible right now.

Especially since the top two picks in this year’s draft, likely to be future franchise cornerstones Oden & Durant, will both be transplanted into the Pacific Northwest (at least for the time being).

Ironically, following the last game of the 2006-07 season, I’m not even summarizing the impressive sweep the Spurs just completed against the Cavs. Far from it, in fact. Just as the Spurs seem to want it; here I am analyzing what went wrong with the playoffs (again).
In fact, ambiguity may be the best term for symbolizing what the Spurs have done over the past nine seasons (which includes a total of four NBA titles). While I won’t spend much time on the topic, it has to be said – at least once in this post – that the Spurs have in fact molded themselves into a modern-day dynasty. Comparisons to teams like the Patriots, of the NFL, are both realistic and accurate.

While I’ll always be bitter about the Horry hip-check, I won’t be a Spurs hater. Not today at least.

So, as I veer off onto another route with tonight’s post, perhaps one being traveled just as much in recent days throughout the media, the question I can’t escape continues to linger right in front of me: where should we, and we meaning as in the office of the NBA commissioner (you know, that Stern-dude), begin to attempt to tinker with the mess that seems to be the NBA, specifically its playoff system, as of late?

Should we, we now describing the legion of loyal fans, just blame David Stern? Or should we instead blame the networks (ESPN & TNT) for having a dreary stranglehold on the schedule (remember, the Playoffs have to take nearly five months)? Should we consider the recently popular notion of re-seeding? Can we just go 1-16, in order, and worry about things like travel plans and division champions (i.e. hosting games) later?

Is there a possibility to mold the NBA Playoffs into a sort of May to June-Madness?

In all likelihood, none of these questions will be seriously addressed by the Commissioner. Not while profits are high and he continues to fret more about the league’s image, via marketing more than any other facet, 24/7.

While Stern would never directly listen to me, I’d still like to join the ever-growing rallying cry of everyone from experts to novice fans currently pleading with him to DO SOMETHING!

Can I also mention, even if it’s a completely off-the-wall note, that NBC’s coverage back in the day only helped things. Just allow yourself, if you remember of course, to reflect back to the glory days of NBA television coverage. Back to Bob Costas or Marv Albert giving a stirring introduction in the opening moments of the telecast. Whether they were in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, or Salt Lake City…you felt right next to them.

They were the voices, or perhaps even the catalysts, behind those
unforgettable moments during NBC’s coverage (spanning from 1990 to 2002): who can forget Jordan torturing everyone imaginable (with Ahmad “Little Mike” Rashad dry-humping him throughout the telecasts), the great five-year Suns/Sonics rivalry (from Barkley vs. Kemp to the shot from Rex Chapman), watching Shaq tear down rims and grow before our eyes from Orlando to Los Angeles, or the countless brawl-scenes from the Heat and Knicks (with instant laughter when you remember Zo and LJ flailing their arms at each other as Van Gundy bites at Mourning’s ankles).

Then, perhaps most recognizable, was the unforgettable music “Roundball Rock” (thanks John Tesh) that electrified you before another stacked double or even triple-header began.

Next was the in-studio team. Hannah Storm just plain rocked it. Peter Vecsey always had “insider information”, from his sources, which nobody ever believed. Steve "Snapper" Jones and Bill Walton were ready to choke each other out at any moment. Jim Gray was on the sidelines acting as arrogant as possible. Isiah and Magic were train wrecks, wherever they were. Matt Goukas and Dan Issel were always unexpectedly great #2 analysts. Even when Costas soaked everything out of the moment,
“This may be the last time Michael Jordan sweats on the sidelines of an NBA court while taking a break during his team’s final timeout,”…you ate up every second of it.

Ahhhh, fond memories from the NBA on NBC.

Now we get nauseating amounts of ESPN/ABC-fueled coverage of “The Association”. Where guys like Stephen A. Smith (get over yourself), Tim Legler (read more), Tom Tolbert (admittedly, he was a huge mistake started by NBC), and even Stuart Scott (tool tool tool) get WAY too much camera exposure.

TNT might have a fun studio team, if Charles Barkley wasn’t hoarse twenty minutes into every show. Not to mention Dick Stockton, somehow still breathing, can’t pronounce a single name that isn’t Smith/Jones/Williams/Jackson correctly.

While you could rant about the television aspect as much as you want; perhaps PTI’s Michael Wilbon said it best, “Why on Earth is Phoenix playing San Antonio, with their records, in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs?”

I guess everyone wants Suns & Spurs in the Finals. And they’re going to whine and moan until they figure out a way they could get it. Assuming both teams could’ve gotten there. However, I still wonder how either team would’ve matched up with the Mavericks. Were the Warriors their only kryptonite in these playoffs for Dirk and Dallas?

Other questions still linger...

-Would the playoffs have looked more appetizing, and shown up more on the ratings radar, with a 1-16 pairing?
-Would we have had Golden State unforgettable upset of Dallas?
-Would J-Kidd have had as many triple-doubles? Or more possibly?
-Would Washington still have been as helpless?
-Would Deron Williams have risen to prominence?
-Would Carmelo and AI have potentially built real momentum following a potential first-round victory?
-Would LeBron have grown before our eyes in the Eastern Conference Finals?
-Would we know who “Boobie” Gibson was?
-Would Tony Parker have become a Finals MVP? {As if Eva wasn’t enough already.]

Or would the new memories be even better???

It’s interesting to ponder, if nothing else.

Just like these issues…

-NBA All-Star Game switches to International versus the USA? [Why not try it, once?]
-Changing the lottery system completely. [Punish teams who tank it.]
-Re-seed the playoffs. [At least explore ideas out loud.]
-Punish instigators more. [A new Robert Horry Rule sounds great.]
-Give out the MVP award after the post-season. [Tim Duncan and LeBron James just might agree with that.]
-Stop starting Finals games at 9:15 pm. [Forget the West Coast; you’re losing the biggest East Coast markets right off the bat with that start time.]
-Never allow the Pussycat Dolls to do a musical promo for the Playoffs. [Just let them dance to someone else’s music.]
-Make a rule, i.e. foul call, against flopping. Make it a foul. It’ll cut it in half. [PLEASE. Call if the F-Duke Rule.]
-Dump this stupid 2-3-2 format immediately. [No explanation needed honestly.]
-Make officials more accountable. [Sorry if it’s tough work, but the quality is slipping big time. Imagine if D-Wade didn’t get fourteen calls in Games 3 through 6 last Finals. Imagine!]
-Give more press for USA Basketball rosters and encourage more debates on TV about them. [It’s much more interesting than you think. Get a guy like Arenas to talk about it more and you’ll see how some players truly feel about it.]

I suppose most of this is all hot-air, but it’s still a hot-button issue…especially at the end of the season.

Fortunately, the NBA Draft is barely two weeks away. While that could end up disappointing, as last years clearly did, mainly due to a complete lack of interesting trades…at least it’s something to look forward to before a long off-season really begins.

After this NBA Finals, even for the purists who can survive by eating up the accomplishments and dominance witnessed during this post-season run by the Spurs…everyone deserves something a little more infotaining.

Until next time…

Note: Credits for photos found in comments section.