Kobe Versus Lebron, Thor Versus Iron Man

 Kobe versus Lebron. It's the mythical rivalry that has dominated the Twitterverse, ever since the self proclaimed "Chosen One" won his first NBA MVP, barely beating out the legendary "Black Mamba" in the process. Bryant than went on to win his fifth NBA Championship, inspiring those damn  Nike adds with the puppets, and further fueling the debate.

  

 And let's be clear, that is all it is. A debate, not a rivalry.

 Kobe and Lebron are no more rivals than the Heat and the Lakers. To call it a rivalry would imply they actually played each other in meaningful games, or at least guarded each other when their teams met. No, it's the great hypothetical. And it's an absurd one at that. Built up by a rabid fandom and unfounded internet logic. The question itself is seldom defined. Are we talking about who is the better player, right now, who would win one on one, or who is greater? And aren't all of those distinctly different questions?

  

 Now, that last one always gets me, "Who is greater?". How do we determine who is"greater" in a team sport? There are no head to head victories without the aid of others. This isn't track. Trying to determine individual greatness through team accomplishment is oxymoronic at best. Throughout NBA history players have put up huge numbers on teams that never won anything, including Kobe and Lebron. Jon Salley and Steve Kerr have the same amount of rings as Magic Johnson, yet we cling to this notion that some how possessing the ring makes you "great". What are we a bunch of Golums? Why is it so precious to us? If the Lakers don't get Pau Gasol, and Kobe only has 3 rings, right now, is he a different player? Does all of a sudden his jumper not look so wet? Suddenly 81 points just never happened? And aren't both these players still defining there legacies anyway?  Kobe is leading the NBA in scoring, at an age when most players are planning their exit strategy. And no one can predict where Lebron will be in a decade. I'm old enough to remember people saying Jordan would never win multiple titles. Yeah, people actually said that.  Said he shot too much. Sound familiar Kobe fans? 

  

 The problem with, "Who's the better player?",  is they are two different type of players, at two different stages in their careers, with two different mentalities.

  

 Lebron looks to facilitate. Leans on teammates early. He has a patient game. He's younger so he leans on his athleticism. He's the best athlete on the floor, and he plays like it. Allows his stats to come to him. And he's gotten better every year.

  

 Kobe wants to kill you. He believes he is his teams best chance to win. He despises the fact that you think you can guard him, and he wants to make you pay for it. Every time. And more often than not, he can. He's older, but smarter. Has adjusted his game with time. 

  Apples and oranges. Take your pick. They are both all time great. Both stories are still being written.

 These two guys most likely will never play one on one, on pay-per-view. I suspect if they did, after 20 games it would be 10-10. Kobe living on the perimeter, Lebron down low. Kobe's the better shooter, James is the better rebounder. Kobe has more moves, slicker with the rock, but Lebron is stronger, bigger down low. Probably come down to who calls fouls. But I have as much fact to support that as I do the existence of Big Foot.

 This is the problem with unprovable hypotheticals, we simply will never know. What we do know is that both are incredibly valuable to there teams. Both are winners. Both will be in the HOF. Why can't we just admire their abilities and enjoy the show, without trying to fabricate some sort of Magic/Bird mythos? In my opinion, Kobe versus Lebron is more like Thor versus Iron Man, than Magic and Bird anyway. And just as unrealistic. 

The Tim Tebow Paradox

    Why the constant contradiction? For all of my sporting life, I've been told the same thing. The most important stat is wins and losses. It's not how you get to the finish line that's important, it's getting there first that matters. Than Tim Tebow comes along, and now it's about how you win. Now, the style points count. Really? I cannot tell you how many times people have told me Montana was CLEARY better than Marino. Why? Because he was a "winner". But that logic doesn't apply to the kid from Florida. Well....why not? Because he runs too much? Again, for years I was told you win championships in December and January by running the ball and playing defense. This is exactly what the Broncos are doing under Tebow's leadership. Why wouldn't they be able to sustain it? Because the League will "catch up to him?"  Yeah, like it's caught up to passing QB's? Where is the logic in that?
  There is always been this myth in the NFL that you cant run the option in the pros. This has come about partially to protect most teams biggest investment from injury, but also as a by product of the covert racism used to undermine the black QB in the 70's, 80's. Don't believe the hype. It can, and IS working. Tebow isn't like other QB's. He has a running backs physique. Do people think Adrian Peterson should carry the ball less to avoid injury? Of course not. This guy can take the pounding, and dish out a little punishment as well. What other QB has ever made a defensive player duck the hit?(Sorry Revis)
   Be objective people. He has EVERYTHING you want in a starting quarterback. A leader of men, a role model, humble and team orientated, a hard worker, and a winner on EVERY level. Aren't those the traits we always say we want in our professional athletes? Stop hating on the man because he 'seems' to "perfect", or because of the conviction of his faith. And don't give me that crap about he is only starting because of the fans. Guess what, the fans pay his salary. And Fox's. And Elway's. Why shouldn't you give the paying customer what he wants to see? What ever happened to the customer is always right? In this case, as you can see, they were. 5-1 is 5-1.
  What it all boils down to is this. We need to decide how we are going to define greatness in team sports, once and for all. Either its based on individual performance,(stats) or, its based on team success, (wins). Either Tim Tebow is great, or Lebron James is...pick a side.



 

I Think I'm Getting "Heat"-sick....

It's not even summer yet, and I'm already sick of the Heat. Well, at least the media obsession with them. Seriously, have you EVER seen more attention paid to a FIVE game losing streak? This is the NBA. There are 82 regular season games. So what they lost five of them. This same team won 18 of 19 games. Its basketball. The best shooters ever only make HALF their shots. Sometimes you just don't get the bounce. Doesn't mean you all of a sudden suck. Worst case scenario, they are a three seed. The Heat bandwagon needs a revolving door. They are still one of the Top 5 teams in the league. Period. Basketball on a professional level still boils down to having the best players. And in the East, Miami has that. Does that mean they are going to stroll to the Finals and moon walk to the podium? No. Its still going to be a fight. We are talking about a team with SEVEN new players. Chemistry takes time. And we know this. We are just to ready to see someone, or something crash and burn, to at least admit it out loud. So at the first losing streak, we grab the torches and pitchforks. I get it. Lebron comes off as arrogant and self entitled, and "we" want to see him fall on his face. But the media needs to remain objective and keep everything in prospective. I wonder how many NBA Champs have had four or five game losing streaks? I'm betting quite a few. You have to lose together, before you can learn how to win together. And, its not like this is the greatest collection of talent ever assembled on an NBA roster. That Lakers team of Malone, Bryant, Shaq, and Peyton was All-World, and they didn't win a title. Why should we think the Larry O'Brien trophy is Heat's birthright? They are going to have to figure out how to play as team, just like every other champion has had to. The key for the Heat has always been, not to buy into the preseason hype, that they were just going to walk through the Association, right up to David Stern and the championship handshake. I don't think they believe that now. They have been punched in the face, shed a few tears, and now they know they are in a fight. They'll be fine. Can we please start covering some of the other teams now? Can we please stop saying a regular season game is a MUST-WIN? That is just ridiculous. Do we have to have a Sports Center update, every time D. Wade tweets something, or Bosh buys a box of Kleenex? Can we stop calling for the coaches job, on a team that is had 40 plus wins in February? Let's start treating the Heat like the extremely talented, but as yet, unproven, work in progress that they are. Or else I might die of Heat-stroke before the playoffs even start.

Shut It Down! No Compromise, No Checks.

Shut it down. Shut it down until they get it right. Haven't the people been clear? Keep it up, and we will vote you Republicans right up out of there. Shut it down. So what, you can't take the kiddies to the Lincoln Memorial for a few days? Shut it down. Stop bickering over issues that only represent 12 percent of the total budget. Let's talk about entitlements, and defense. Especially foreign defense. One hundred military bases on foreign lands. 200, 000 U.S. troops. Shut THEM down. At least half of them. Couldn't we use them on the border? Can't we use the money? Can we at least start having a dialogue about it? This is political jockeying. You are wasting the peoples time. Democrats, you have to give up SOMETHING. Just cause you have a democratic President, doesn't mean you can have everything you want. Allow him to broker compromise. Or, shut it down. Don't worry Grandma, you'll still get your S.S.I. check. But you should write your congressman, and ask him about his check. How bout we talk about some of their benefits? Let's cut those.The government needs a public audit. Let the people see where the money goes. Or shut it down. And Obama, you need to be out in front on this. Dependence on foreign oil leads to excess defense spending, in order to protect foreign interest. Its all symbiotic. He and everyone that matters know this. I don't know who, but somebody's pockets are too fat to stand up on this issue. And until we find out who they are, we should JUST SHUT IT DOWN!

And So Legend Of Blake Griffin Begins...

"Blake Griffin jumped over a car!" That's what you will hear in recreational centers and playgrounds across the country today. The legend will grow, and it will be total B.S.. He jumped over the HOOD of a car. That's something that, at least, 145 players in The Association can do. Nothing really special for an athlete at that level. The lie lies in the hype machine that is sports media. For days leading up to the contest, analyst, after analyst marveled at what Griffin "potentially" could do. He was THE media pic. He had the best hype man in dunk contest history, in Kenny Smith, who happens to work for the network broadcasting the event. He had been priming the home viewing audience, the people that vote on the winner, for Griffin, for about two hours prior to the event. And then there was the choir, the car, and the expectations. Everyone WANTED him to jump the car. No one wanted to be disappointed. Than it happened, and everyone went crazy, just like they were supposed to. But, in reality, the presentation was way better than the dunk itself. And, honestly, I wasn't surprised. The Clippers front office, as a whole, would of went into cardiac arrest had he actually tried to jump over the roof of that car. We ARE talking about the Clips, a team with the worst track record EVER concerning #1 draft picks. His agent, and sponsers wouldn't have been happy with him either. And with all the build up, he couldn't afford to miss. He had to do it on the first try. So he played it safe. But a standing ovation from the judges? The crowd reaction? Everyone simply wanted him to be icredible, so in their eyes he was. Hype, and expectation sometimes blurr the actual results. Even Sportcenter led with "Griffin jumps over car", misleading at best. But, the thing is, HE was the story THEY wanted, and the player THEY hyped. So, I guess they are going to spin it the THEIR way. And so the legend begins.

They Shoot, They Miss: The Robbery of Reggie Miller

The Basketball Hall of Fame has long been, for me the hardest to figure out. What criteria do they use? I throw up my hands when some small town high school coach is a finalist. I shake my head at the fact Dennis Rodman, with his five rings, DPOY's, and handful of rebounding titles doesnt even get a mention, because he was..er.."different". But this latest farce makes me want to head butt my PC. You mean to tell me, Mr. Pacer, Reggie Miller isn't even a first ballot FINALIST? Really? Do they watch the games? WHO votes? I need names, socials, and picture ID's. Only 14 players in NBA history have scored more points. His name is on the deed to "Mecca of Basketball", MSG. Or, at least it should be. Behind MJ, was there a better shooting guard in the 90's? I mean seriously. When you were on the playground, from '90-'98, and you shot a three, who's name did you yell? "Reggie"! Well, I guess a few white guys still yelled, "Bird", but I digress. The point is, his impact was enormous. He used the the three point shot as a weapon more effectively than ANYONE in NBA history. Not to mention, the many, many defining playoff moments he had. Ask Spike Lee. This isn't a snub. This is a John Starks slap in the face! (Y'all know that was too weak to be a punch) The question I have is why? East coast bias? He played in the "birth place" of basketball Indianna, and had his best moments in the Big Apple, so that doesn't compute. Lack of a ring? That is weak. HOF induction shouldn't be a team honor. Barkley? Whatever the reason, Reggie Miller's omission from the Hall, diminishes its luster. And SOMEONE should be ashamed of themselves. So, in protest, I will hince forth refer to the Basketball Hall of Fame, as the Hall of Farce. That is all.

Gangs, Politics, and Socialism in America

First, let me state that I hate partisanship. I think it is the number one thing hindering the growth of our country. I am not a Democrat, or a Republican. I've been in a gang, so I know gang banging when I see it. I know how it limits individuality. Gangs frown on independent thinking, much like political parties. A gang is defined as "a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather together for social reasons". Sound familiar?Furthermore, I refuse to have my opinions or beliefs represented by a group. This is a totally illogical concept that undermines the very principles democracy was built on. Beliefs are fluid, they change as we change, through life experience.That being said, the Republicans are really, really, on my nerves right now!Talk about sore losers. Name calling? Are they serious? Why are all these so called "voices of the party" running around calling the President a "socialist"? Why are they misrepresenting not only our President, but also the term itself?For those who don't know, socialism is divided into multiple theories. One theory, democratic socialism is defined as "selective nationalization of key national industries in mixed economies, with private ownership of property and of profit-making business". Social democrats also promote tax-funded welfare programs and regulation of markets.Again, doesn't that sound familiar?We have been a social democracy since at least 1935, when Roosevelt, considered by most to be are greatest president, enacted the Social Security Act. The act, which was amended in 1939, established a number of programs designed to provide aid to various segments of the population. Unemployment compensation and AFDC (changed to TANF, and more commonly referred to as welfare), are two of the programs that still exist today.By any definition, Social Security, welfare, and state funded unemployment compensation are "socialist" programs. Ask the people that benefit from these programs if they think they are a bad idea.Then why do Republicans?Are their no Republicans on unemployment?Do none of their grandmothers get checks in the mail?Well the answer is simple. They don't really disagree with the principles inherent in these programs, or the ones proposed by the current President. These are highly educated people,(I'm assuming), who know that in this socioeconomic climate, the playing field has to be leveled, to a certain extent.What they are doing is deliberately misleading people, not as educated as them, who only associate socialism with the more oppressive doctrines of Communism and Marxism. When they say "socialist", most people hear "fuckin' Commie"! They know We The People fear "isms"!This is a plain, old fashioned, scare tactic. It is despicable and it pisses me off!Isn't this the flag waving party of Lincoln? The self proclaimed peoples party? Well, what could be more unpatriotic than misleading the American people, and slandering the President? A president, by the way, that was actually voted in by the majority of said people. It is a shame that it has really come to this. Even my six year old knows name calling is wrong!I'm just hoping America doesn't fall for the banana in the tail pipe.For some reason I'm not so confident. July 8, 2009 at 6:27pm ·