Injured Performances in Sports

Posted on June 21, 2012 by wcornblatt

There are some things in sports you can’t understand from a press box. Some things, you have to be in the game to get, one of those is injuries. When a player goes down, the only barometer for the severity of the injury is the behavior of those around him. A bad injury, and you can see it on the faces of the players on both teams, it’s not hard to identify.

So when I see a player limp to glory, or find salvation in a triumphant return, it’s hard to judge how heroic it is. I’ve watched my favorite basketball player get taken off the court in a wheelchair (Paul Pierce), and even then I didn’t believe him. There’s a sense, a lot of the time, that the player’s dramatic antics are embellished. Why wouldn’t an audience that’s forced to watch flop after flop believe that they’re watching another?

So when I saw LeBron James hobble his way to a historic 3-point shot that sent the Heat into a win that likely sealed a championship, I understood the gratitude of the shot, but not of the injury. It’s the same reaction I have when I see Ben Roethlisberger limp to the line of scrimmage, or footage of Dirk Nowitzki fighting through illness to beat last year’s Heat. It isn’t that I don’t believe the players, I’m sure LeBron did cramp, but the endless sentiment we place on injury-riddled performances is the same as the way we fawn over quarterbacks who set a block. It’s part of your job, and even though your coach may give you a little extra credit, there’s no reason for crowds to immortalize you in Gatorade commercials and GIFs circulating twitter. Enough of the fan-fare surrounding limps and illnesses, this is professional sports, and playing through pain is as professional as you get.

NBA Marketing: LeBron, KD and Dirk

Posted on May 11, 2012 by wcornblatt

The NBA, like any major corporation, has mastered it’s marketing. And the audience, like any consumer, is falling for the image a corporation has put out to fool them. The players are perfectly positioned. It all centers on LeBron James‘ move to Miami. The NBA took those images of distraught Cleveland fans burning jerseys and essentially made it their mission statement. The foundation of the league’s image is that LeBron is the villain. He represents what people see as what’s wrong with modern sports, and even modern society. His talent is limitless, but his arrogant announcement and ringless fingers represent a sense of unearned entitlement. Of course, this image is unfair and over exaggerated. LeBron is certainly a polarizing figure and a frustratingly annoying player to watch, but he’s by far the best player in the league, and any 25 year old who says they haven’t made a cocky mistake is lying to you. However the league feeds into this conceived image of LeBron, giving him superstar calls that encourage flopping, but for every villain there are a handful heroes.

Once LeBron’s announcement took place, the affection for Kevin Durant multiplied exponentially. He seemed to be the anti-LeBron, and the NBA embraced that image with open arms. Smooth and skinny, Durant made impossible shots and graceful dunks with no celebration. I guess this qualified him to be the resident good guy around the NBA. The marketing train took advantage of the perception of Durant, placing him in commercials on the rafters of the Ford Center preaching about championships and dedication. Or at the scorer’s table scolding cell-phone users for playing doodle jump. Seriously? Man, that’s messed up. Or maybe he’s just looking for a pickup game, like he was during the lockout. The NBA has branded Durant as what’s right in sports, he’s dedicated, loyal and humble. There’s an authenticity to Durant’s game and demeanor that LeBron just doesn’t have. So the NBA found a gift in Kevin Durant, a player that loves the game enough to play when the NBA isn’t even around is the perfect promoting tool. He’s the dramatic foil to LeBron.

The problem with Durant, at least last year, is that he still hadn’t won anything. So the NBA was going to have to embrace a Miami championship and amplify the LeBron villain angle rather than the heroes fighting against him. Then came Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk, who’s game resembles Larry Bird-esc traditionalism, displayed one of the most clutch performances I’ve seen in sports. Tall, goofy and cognizant in the waning minutes of the game, Dirk discovered the adoration of a nation waiting to spit in the Heat’s face. Don’t think appearance isn’t relevant, audiences related to his oaffy exterior. In contrast, audiences rejected the strutting Heat, tatted up and high-flying, representing a city known for flashiness. He found ways to score when LeBron simply couldn’t, which lead to a full year of smothering coverage about LeBron’s lack of clutch gene. An undermanned team beat a heavy Miami favorite that audiences hated, even if they didn’t know the full story, and none of us know the full story.

What we do know is that LeBron made two mistakes. One was choosing Miami, which is something that is a personal decision and up to James. However the bigger mistake was the execution of “The Decision.” Over the top, obnoxious and self-promoting, LeBron’s announcement drew criticism from every angle of the media, including the enablers at ESPN. Sure, it was stupid, and it’s easy to root against LeBron, but he was in his mid 20’s and made a self-centered move that will follow him for the rest of his life. He didn’t hurt anybody or cheat. Modern athletes have done far worse and received far less criticism, but the machine is moving, and there’s no stopping it now. The NBA is going to milk LeBron’s image along with his foils for as long and as much money as they can.

2012 NBA All-Star Roster: The Usual, The Old & The New

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Glen G

Lets disregard my awful pun of a title and talk about the All-Star game. The case can be made every year that certain players were snubbed in the All-Star selection process, and this pertains to every sport that allows the fans to dictate who is chosen. The voting process is one of the most exciting things a fan gets to do during the season and because the event is nothing more than a spectacle it’s hard to get upset over who is chosen. However, that doesn’t mean that the selection process is fair, because it is anything but. Seemingly every season the same core of players participate in these games and often times it’s because of the name recognition fans have as opposed to rewarding the players having the best statistical seasons. This year will be no exception, so I’ve broken up the selections into groups as such; we have a group I like to call “The Perma All Stars”, we have the group I’ll call “The Classy Vets,” and we have our sample group of young talent I’ll call “The First-Timers”.

The “Perma All Stars” include players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and such who no matter what happens during the course of the season will receive votes because of their large fan base. These players also benefit enormously from the votes of casual fans that only know household names and fail to put value on how the player has done this season, seemingly turning an All-Star nod into a lifetime achievement award. The issue I encounter with this (despite this being solely for the fans after all, with there being little to no pressure on the outcome) is the bad taste in my mouth each and every year I see the selections. It really becomes an issue when these types of guys aren’t having All-Star seasons, yet there place is already reserved. For instance, Carmelo Anthony has been named an All-Star Starter this season while playing in just 24 games…is that fair to other guys who have played a full 30-40 games already? I really like Melo, but he is not an All-Star Starter this year. He is however a deserving backup, but because he’s Melo’ you better be sure he’s starting. It just goes to show how flawed the system can be.

The second group is our “Classy Vets,” guys who also seem to have a non expiring invite to the All-Star game. Although this season we saw Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan both get denied entrance, the voters still saved seats for Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki. Now Dirk is my hands down favorite player of all-time, and a surefire Hall of Famer, but when he was selected to be on the roster this season (something he himself said was undeserved) he was averaging around just 17 points a game (he’s got that up to 19.6 PPG with some solid play lately). Not only is this an off year for him, but he should of been left off the All-Star squad. Since Dirk became such an icon in last year’s playoffs, fans rewarded him with another appearance, yet If you look at his stats they are actually worse than those of David Lee and arguably Rudy Gay, both players who did not get voted in but could have taken Dirk’s spot deservingly.

The last group we have is the group that makes the game fun, “The First-Timers.” This group is composed this year of guys like LaMarcus Aldridge (who’s been a physical beast this season), Marc Gasol (that’s right we still have a Gasol in the All-Star game this year….sorry Pau), and Roy Hibbert (the giant shot blocker from Indiana). Players like this seem to truly value being selected to play and keep the game fresh. Don’t get me wrong, seeing LeBron throw down vicious dunks is fun, but I’d much rather see a guy like Aldridge come out and have an amazing game to surprise us. Surprises are what make sports fun and I believe that the All-Star game would be more fun if players felt they had to earn the spots rather than mostly receive handouts based on their pedigree. Having more “First-Timers” in the All-Star game would improve the quality of the event and would challenge complacent veterans to fight for their spot on these rosters, truly a win-win for everyone involved including the fans.

My favorite example of poor fan-based selection (one that completely ruins the legitimacy of the fan voting process) is that of Yao Ming. I remember when Yao came into the league and he was unstoppable. We’d simply never seen a huge man shoot and move with the type of ease that he demonstrated, and it was truly beautiful to watch as a fan of the game. However, as Yao continued to deteriorate year after year, his All-Star selections did not. Since China has fallen in love with the NBA (Jeremy Lin should already get his 2013 All-Star Jersey ready) over the past decade, Yao became the league’s top vote getter year after year, even when he was injured for most of the season. This angered me because I imagined myself in the shoes of a Center in the NBA who fought really hard all year to get into that game. Statistically I deserved to get in, but my name was not as known as that of Yao’s and so I was snubbed a selection. Had this happened to me I would be furious and my lust to play in an All-Star game would be completely lost due to my anger with this injustice.

The only way to restore some order to the system is to have one in which fans can vote from a list of players that the coaches and owners have approved first, or something along these lines. Simply letting Fans vote results in a game that seems to be the same year in and year out and does not showcase the league’s best talent, but rather the league’s top financial assets and figureheads (it’s not the Lakers, it’s Kobe & his Lakers). Although this is good for the league it is not fair to players who work hard to earn this honor (guys like David Lee & Monta Ellis come to mind) and should be adapted in the coming years. Maybe the league likes to replay the same event year after year, because then they should just let fans vote for the All-Star team right before the first game of the season tips off….it sounds funny but if you think about it the rosters wouldn’t change much now would they?

Agree? Who got snubbed this year? Who shouldn’t be on the all star team? Let Me Hear About It!

The Mavs Start Slow

Posted on December 29, 2011 by wcornblatt

The Mavericks are 0-2. They lost both games by 20. Really, they only lost Tyson Chandler in the offseason. The answer to their early season woes certainly isn’t him. The truth is, the Mavs aren’t built for a regular season. Dirk is now 33, and Jason Terry is 34. Both veterans had a devastatingly long season last year, which culminated in success. The feeling, at least through 2 games, is the Mavs let up a little after getting what they wanted. This is an older team that exceeded their expectations last season. Nobody thought they’d end up with the title, and the bulk of their post-season run was because of heroic performances from Dirk and Terry. After a lockout where Dirk didn’t touch a basketball for two months, the veterans were forced to mix with new teammate, Lamar Odom. Odom hasn’t quite meshed in Dallas yet. He was ejected on opening day. My point is, there are a lot of reasons for the Mavericks terrible start. Whether it’s the new face, a letup after success, or the lockout, the Mavs are in trouble. They will have to re-learn playing defense without DeShawn Stevenson and Chandler, and it may never be the same. Maybe this is a reminder that the NBA, unlike football, is a league of runs. Dallas won their illusive title, and celebrated in fittingly ornate fashion, but with the beginning of a new season comes the harsh realization that youth will always be served in the NBA.

TOP 5 NBA FANTASY FORWARDS

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Robert Dereme

DO YOU NEED A FORWARD GUARANTEED TO PUT UP BIG FANTASY POINTS? WELL HERE ARE 5 GUYS WHO ARE A LOCK TO PUT UP SOME CROOKED NUMBERS.

5) DIRK NOWITZKI. DIRK IS FRESH OFF OF AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. DIRK MAY BE GETTING UP THERE IN AGE BUT DIRK IS STILL GOOD FOR 20 AND 10 OR CLOSE TO IT. WITH THE AMOUNT OF DOUBLE DOUBLES DIRK WILL PICK UP THIS SEASON DIRK IS A CORNERSTONE.

4) AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE. LAST SEASON NEW YORK GOT A TASTE OF WHAT AMAR’E IS CAPABLE OFF. AFTER ONE FULL SEASON IN THE BIG APPLE AMAR’E HAS GOTTEN USED TO THE HARD WOOD OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. WITH THE KNICKS ADDITION OF TYSON CHANDLER AMAR’E'S OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION WILL ONLY GO UP BEING THAT HE WILL NOT HAVE TO BE MISMATCHED AGAINST LARGER CENTERS EXPENDING EXCESS ENERGY WHICH WILL NOW BE SPENT ON THE OFFENSIVE END. AMAR’E IS GOOD FOR 20 PLUS POINTS TEN REBOUNDS AND A BLOCK OR TWO. AMAR’E IS A CAN’T MISS FORWARD.

3) LEBRON JAMES. ENOUGH SAID. LIKE HIM, LOVE HIM, OR HATE HIM HE IS A LOCK FOR AT LEAST 25, 5 AND 5, AND THAT IS CROOKED! LEBRON WILL BE MOTIVATED THIS SEASON AFTER LOSING IN THE FINALS AGAIN LAST SEASON. LEBRON MIGHT SCORE 30 A GAME THIS SEASON. LOOK OUT.

2) CARMELO ANTHONY. MELO IS A PROLIFIC SCORER, BUT HE IS ALSO GOOD FOR 7 REBOUNDS AND 3 ASSISTS A GAME. MELO’S ASSISTS WILL CERTAINLY GO UP THIS YEAR BEING THAT THE NEW YORK KNICKS ARE CURRENTLY USING MELO AS A POINT FORWARD. MELO ISN’T THE BEST FORWARD OVERALL BECAUSE HE HAS TO SHARE THE BALL WITH AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE MELO WILL SCORE UPWARDS OF 25 POINTS PER GAME AND AMAR’E WILL BE AN EASY DISH FOR MELO TO PICK UP EXTRA ASSISTS.

1) KEVIN DURANT. KEVIN DURANT IS A TWO TIME NBA SCORING CHAMPION, IN HIS FOURTH YEAR IN THE NBA. KEVIN DURANT’S SCORING IS ONLY GETTING BETTER. DURANT’S REBOUNDING AND ASSISTS ARE BOTH EXPECTED TO GO UP THIS SEASON TOO. KEVIN DURANT IS THE TOP DOG OF ALL THE FORWARDS IN THE NBA. KEVIN DURANT IS THE MAN.