Michael Jordan

When I was a lad growing up in suburban Massachusetts I idolized Michael Jordan. I'd do the whole "3 seconds on the clock, Jordan takes the ball up the court..." shabang while shooting hoops in the driveway (the difference being that most of my buzzer-beaters were clangs). If MJ had told me to wear my skivvies on my head to school one day I probably would have done so.

Continue reading "Jordan Impresses in Heartfelt HOF ..."

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

If Kobe Bryant expects to win a championship this June, he needs to trust his teammates more. If he doesn't, the Lakers will not only struggle to win the Finals, they may have trouble even getting there. Last night's loss to the Houston Rockets, putting them down 1-0 in the series, is to me, enough cause for concern. Phil Jackson needs to sit down Kobe and tell him the same thing he told Jordan: trust your teammates more.

Continue reading "Memo to Kobe: Be like Mike"

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

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I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

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Bryant, who from now on shall never, ever again be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan (can you imagine Jordan choking so royally during his team’s season-deciding game?) brought all the fire and machismo of a garden snail to the proceedings. The Lakers showed no interest in taking the game and, consequently, wilted in the face of the Celtics' game 6 passion and desire.

Continue reading "Disappointing Finals"

sed.  In fairness, I am willing to recognize just how hard it is to win a championship without Michael Jordan or Shaquille O’Neal in their athletic primes.  What’s he supposed to do, coach his players and teach them to adjust to the other team?  That sounds hard (sarcastic enough for you?).

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

...  (pause) ... Did that really happen?  Was I dreaming (or possibly too fucked up to really see the TV)?  You mean to tell me that the Celtics rallied from an 18-point halftime deficite to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 and put a hammer lock on this series?  And Kobe only scored 17, in LA?  You can't be serious.

Continue reading "Hallucinating in Tandem, or Real?"

Well, things seemed pretty good for a while, didn't they? And, of course, for the rest of the world, that was the "best super bowl ever" (I guess people are so souped to watch my Pats go down that they're willing to overlook a lethargic, ugly first half of a game). And yeah, I've seen the gracious Boston fans, tipping their hats to the New York Giants, giving credit where (admittedly) credit is due, and all those hallmarks of grace and cordiality. But then I remembered: I'm from Boston. It's not really our style. So, yeah, I'm bitter. I'm bitter that we had a chance to seize the title of Best Team of All Time, to grab Mercury Morris and Don Shula and the rest of the insufferable '72 Dolphins by the throat and tell them to Shut The Hell Up Forever, that we could have cemented a true football dynasty in an era where such a thing is supposed to be impossible. Now? 16-0 doesn't matter so much as 18-1, and any discussion of the Greatness of the '07 Patriots is followed with a "Yeah, but..." And Giants fans- this isn't about you, so don't take it personally. You're World Champs because you won the game. Noone can take that away from you, and I'm not even trying. But I'm also not about to sit here and say that I'm happy for you, either. No, it's time to pull a Belichick: scowl, pout, frown, and own this loss. Own the pain of blowing a game you could have won. Own the humiliation that comes from knowing that you scoffed at the rest of the world who was rooting against you, just to prove them all right. Because if you really own it, then maybe the next time you get to that precipice, you'll do things just a little bit differently. At the end of the day, we can throw all the platitudes and sportsmanship aside, and call this one like it is. It was always about us against the haters. It was always about shoving it in their faces. And, most importantly, it was always about 19-0. And we didn't get it done. 

Continue reading "The Aftermath"