One of the hallmarks of this blog is waiting until a story is stone-cold to pick its bones. Some of that is intentional; I want to write something that's not just repeating the latest news. And that means waiting until more of the story comes out.
Well, the vulture strikes again, as I finally have gotten to Gilbert Arenas now that he's injured and his team is looking like it will lose in the first round of the playoffs. But I bet you the Wizards win 2-3 games: look at who they play. The Bulls? Raptors? I don't see either young team being consistent enough to sweep the Wizards.
Gilbert Arenas Be Black and...Nerdy
Or geeky, depending on where you stand on the age-old nerd/geek typology. Let's examine the evidence, from that Esquire article eons ago:
OCD traits: plays video games non-stop, collects many different items
Awkwardness in Intimacy traits: does not like women "touching him" in his words
Odd pursuit of greatness traits: has a hyperbaric chamber in his house, tries to win 3-point contests shooting 1-handed
Looks like a solid case to me! I think that Gilbert really isn't as complex, behaviorally, as bloggers have made him out to be. Brian from Yaysports has been on this from nearly Day 1, and I agree with him. Although, I don't think anyone else but MCBias is pushing the nerd/geek hypothesis.
Gilbert Arenas Be an Underappreciated Late Bloomer
I believe this may be a reason for Gilbert appreciation among bloggers. If you look around the sports bloggosphere, you see a lot of people who took odd paths to a writing career. It's not the kid straight out of school who's writing the top blogs. It's your 28 year old single who came out of school and ended up doing work that wasn't what he/she went to school for, and for pennies at that. If, instead, they came out of school, instantly started making 100K, and dated/married all the cheerleaders/athletes, or what have you, they wouldn't be blogging.
Similarly, Gilbert started slow in high school, college, and the NBA before becoming a success there. He has a chip on his shoulder about all the setbacks he faced initially in each field, and it shows. Frankly, that's attractive to a lot of people. Men follow guys with chips on their shoulder, as long as the chipster can back up his talk. Women desire a guy with an edge, the "outsider" who isn't too outside. And Gilbert pulls off this delicate dance in an enviable way, most of the time. Although that verbal attack on LeBron James makes me think that Gilbert isn't as mentally secure and confident as Gilbert should be for the great seasons he's had. In fact..
Gilbert Arenas Be Sad
There's something about Gilbert's eyes, even when he's smiling, that saddens me. Maybe it's just a physical phenomenon, and not the way he feels in his soul. But the man grew up with his father as his only parent, homeless here and there, and with a father who was emotionally distant at that. He holds onto things way too long; the chip is a little too deep in his shoulder when he talks about the rejection of the NBA (2nd round draft pick) and USA basketball (being cut from the squad). As a human being, I worry about Arenas as he ages and loses his athletic gifts; I have a feeling he won't age happily or contentedly. Being driven is a blessing when you're trying to get to the top of the mountain; but it won't let you examine the scenery at the top as you slide down the other side.
Sheesh, there MCBias goes, pitying another millionaire. Get a grip, MC; shouldn't you be making fun of those overpaid, oversized humans? Maybe next time I'll pick a superstar who deserves to be savaged. We'll see.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The 76-inch Reason for the Rutgers Press Conference: Elena DelleDonne
When I first saw the details of the Rutgers press conferece, I was a little annoyed, to be honest. I felt that C. Vivian Stringer (henceforth, CV), the Rutgers basketball coach, had three choices in organizing her response to the Imus controversy.
1. Ignore it
2. Brush it off and play the "no respect" card. Imus is just another in the long line of people who disrespected us, but we got in the championship game and will be in the hunt again next year.
3. Fan the flames and make it clear that Imus' comments were hurtful and disrespectful.
Having seen so much men's basketball, I was expecting 2. to occur. However, CV chose 3. Why "3."? (EdBias: it took me forever to answer this. Just giving you prior warning!).
Aside: And why, pray tell, did all the women have to wear their warm-up gear to the press conference? Those women should have been in nice dresses and pant suits, making a mockery of the sterotypes behind Imus' words. Seeing is believeing, ladies; you missed a great opportunity to back up your statements with your dress.
Take a look at the Rutgers' roster. 70% of the players come from New York or New Jersey. Those aren't bad states to recruit from; it must be nice to get ballers from the Bronx and Brooklyn. The NYC Factor is nothing to be ashamed of. But Rutgers Remains in a Regional Recruiting Rut.
What must have stung CV and Rutgers the most was the sliver of truth in Imus's belittling, offensive comments. Imus was right when he referred to the Rutgers women as "tough" in his initial statement. I watched all of Rutgers vs. Tennessee last year, and listened/watched to significant parts of Rutgers games from the Elite Eight on. Rutgers devoured Arizona State with their aggressive defense. CV is a tough, admirable woman who gets the most out of her players; she got Cheyney State into the Final Four 25 years ago. I mean, at least most fans had half a clue as to where George Mason was located. Cheyney State?! Rutgers is tough from the coach on down.
However, they have not been able to get the blue-chip all-American players to come to Rutgers. Rutgers has the misfortune of being in Connecticut's shadow. Just like the men's game did some 25 years ago beginning with Magic Johnson and later Scottie Pippen, the women's game is starting to develop point forwards. And Rutgers' inability to sign such a player hurt them in the final game. Tennessee's Candace Parker (6'4") and Sidney Spencer (6'3") were able to score and defend inside and outside on the court.
But this year, Rutgers, not Connecticut, was in the Final Two. That should help Rutgers finally recruit on a national level. Those of you who went to the "other" high school in town or the "other" college in state know how tough it is to beat out the team on top; but if you can do it once, you can do it again. This is the type of breakout year that CV can use to build a PROGRAM for years to come. A strong incoming recruiting class guarantees a five-year run of excellence (including this last year). And guess what? Next year, there is another Candace Parker on the recruiting horizon. CV must have been excited indeed.
Elena DelleDonne plays in Delaware, and the 6'4" member of the class of 2008 is the Lebron James of high school basketball. I'd rather not post a lot of pictures, as she isn't a senior yet. Use google image search, though, and you can see the skills in her game. She was leading her team to state championships as an EIGHTH grader! Take a look at the body control on her rebound here, and you can tell that she is one gifted athlete. CV would have loved to stick her on Parker in the championship game.
Her list of schools? (thanks to scout.scout.com for the info) Connecticut, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova. Two members of the Big East are there, but no Rutgers. Elena has never expressed interest in Rutgers, to my knowledge. And to be honest, there wasn't much reason to in the past. But guess who was at last weekend's Boo Williams tournament, where Elena DellaDonne was playing? CV. Sure, she was probably there to see April Sykes, who has voiced interest in Rutgers. But I'd be very surprised if a coach as experienced as CV didn't manage to "bump" into Elena in the halls, either.
With Rutgers' performance this year, they earned the right to be re-considered by the Elena DelleDonne's of the world. They were shedding that small, scrappy, second-rate image that they had compared to the Connecticuts and Tennessee's of the NCAA. And with a few casual words, Imus pushed them right back into that mold.
Think Elena's parents want her going to a team of "nappy-haired hos"? Think her friends wouldn't give her a little grief about considering Rutgers now? Think her Connecticut friends wouldn't tease her about how "you don't want to be one of those hardcore hos, do you"? They would, and CV knows that. I suggest that CV participated in the press conference as she did, not only to defend her current team, but also with one eye on how this affected recruiting. That's no surprise; it's what smart coaches do.
I know the Rutgers story is old news, but I wanted to let you in on some of the background subtext that you may not have been aware of. I'll try to give you a better and SHORTER post on Thursday.
1. Ignore it
2. Brush it off and play the "no respect" card. Imus is just another in the long line of people who disrespected us, but we got in the championship game and will be in the hunt again next year.
3. Fan the flames and make it clear that Imus' comments were hurtful and disrespectful.
Having seen so much men's basketball, I was expecting 2. to occur. However, CV chose 3. Why "3."? (EdBias: it took me forever to answer this. Just giving you prior warning!).
Aside: And why, pray tell, did all the women have to wear their warm-up gear to the press conference? Those women should have been in nice dresses and pant suits, making a mockery of the sterotypes behind Imus' words. Seeing is believeing, ladies; you missed a great opportunity to back up your statements with your dress.
Take a look at the Rutgers' roster. 70% of the players come from New York or New Jersey. Those aren't bad states to recruit from; it must be nice to get ballers from the Bronx and Brooklyn. The NYC Factor is nothing to be ashamed of. But Rutgers Remains in a Regional Recruiting Rut.
What must have stung CV and Rutgers the most was the sliver of truth in Imus's belittling, offensive comments. Imus was right when he referred to the Rutgers women as "tough" in his initial statement. I watched all of Rutgers vs. Tennessee last year, and listened/watched to significant parts of Rutgers games from the Elite Eight on. Rutgers devoured Arizona State with their aggressive defense. CV is a tough, admirable woman who gets the most out of her players; she got Cheyney State into the Final Four 25 years ago. I mean, at least most fans had half a clue as to where George Mason was located. Cheyney State?! Rutgers is tough from the coach on down.
However, they have not been able to get the blue-chip all-American players to come to Rutgers. Rutgers has the misfortune of being in Connecticut's shadow. Just like the men's game did some 25 years ago beginning with Magic Johnson and later Scottie Pippen, the women's game is starting to develop point forwards. And Rutgers' inability to sign such a player hurt them in the final game. Tennessee's Candace Parker (6'4") and Sidney Spencer (6'3") were able to score and defend inside and outside on the court.
But this year, Rutgers, not Connecticut, was in the Final Two. That should help Rutgers finally recruit on a national level. Those of you who went to the "other" high school in town or the "other" college in state know how tough it is to beat out the team on top; but if you can do it once, you can do it again. This is the type of breakout year that CV can use to build a PROGRAM for years to come. A strong incoming recruiting class guarantees a five-year run of excellence (including this last year). And guess what? Next year, there is another Candace Parker on the recruiting horizon. CV must have been excited indeed.
Elena DelleDonne plays in Delaware, and the 6'4" member of the class of 2008 is the Lebron James of high school basketball. I'd rather not post a lot of pictures, as she isn't a senior yet. Use google image search, though, and you can see the skills in her game. She was leading her team to state championships as an EIGHTH grader! Take a look at the body control on her rebound here, and you can tell that she is one gifted athlete. CV would have loved to stick her on Parker in the championship game.
Her list of schools? (thanks to scout.scout.com for the info) Connecticut, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova. Two members of the Big East are there, but no Rutgers. Elena has never expressed interest in Rutgers, to my knowledge. And to be honest, there wasn't much reason to in the past. But guess who was at last weekend's Boo Williams tournament, where Elena DellaDonne was playing? CV. Sure, she was probably there to see April Sykes, who has voiced interest in Rutgers. But I'd be very surprised if a coach as experienced as CV didn't manage to "bump" into Elena in the halls, either.
With Rutgers' performance this year, they earned the right to be re-considered by the Elena DelleDonne's of the world. They were shedding that small, scrappy, second-rate image that they had compared to the Connecticuts and Tennessee's of the NCAA. And with a few casual words, Imus pushed them right back into that mold.
Think Elena's parents want her going to a team of "nappy-haired hos"? Think her friends wouldn't give her a little grief about considering Rutgers now? Think her Connecticut friends wouldn't tease her about how "you don't want to be one of those hardcore hos, do you"? They would, and CV knows that. I suggest that CV participated in the press conference as she did, not only to defend her current team, but also with one eye on how this affected recruiting. That's no surprise; it's what smart coaches do.
I know the Rutgers story is old news, but I wanted to let you in on some of the background subtext that you may not have been aware of. I'll try to give you a better and SHORTER post on Thursday.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Bloggolalia: Filling the Gaps in Sports Blogspace
Hi all. So over the next few weeks, I hope to get to a topic that I've investigated off and on for the last 4 months. The questions I hope to address are, where are the gaps in sports blogspace? What type of content could we be providing that isn't already being supplied? I've already touched on why we need more female and minority bloggers, but there's much more to talk about.
Eventually, we'll also get to a sub-issue that really affects the gaps in the blogspace. Vocationally speaking, what exactly are sports bloggers? We're not exactly journalists, and not exactly fans either. We may be information providers, but since we're biased toward the more salacious information, that's not quite true either. Should we try to hit one of those vocations accurately? Or can we continue to get away with stealing the best of all of them, and still experience increased views and legitimacy? I'm suspicious that the answer to the last question is "no." Stories connected with Thebiglead.com and Emily Gould's Gawker Stalker adventure in the last weeks have shown that this issue of blogger identity is not going away.
I have been speaking with some bloggers about this via e-mail; if you want to jump into the discussion, feel free. What I would like to do now is get your input on the issues, rather than overwhelm (more like underwhelm) you with my own stored-up thoughts on this. What do you think? This isn't just an academic exercise in identifying undiscovered genus and species. It's about making all of us even more famous (should we wish to be) for the ridiculous amount of time we spend on our blogs, too.
Eventually, we'll also get to a sub-issue that really affects the gaps in the blogspace. Vocationally speaking, what exactly are sports bloggers? We're not exactly journalists, and not exactly fans either. We may be information providers, but since we're biased toward the more salacious information, that's not quite true either. Should we try to hit one of those vocations accurately? Or can we continue to get away with stealing the best of all of them, and still experience increased views and legitimacy? I'm suspicious that the answer to the last question is "no." Stories connected with Thebiglead.com and Emily Gould's Gawker Stalker adventure in the last weeks have shown that this issue of blogger identity is not going away.
I have been speaking with some bloggers about this via e-mail; if you want to jump into the discussion, feel free. What I would like to do now is get your input on the issues, rather than overwhelm (more like underwhelm) you with my own stored-up thoughts on this. What do you think? This isn't just an academic exercise in identifying undiscovered genus and species. It's about making all of us even more famous (should we wish to be) for the ridiculous amount of time we spend on our blogs, too.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Jesus Plays Sports: Imus:Wrong::Me and Us:?
Jesus makes his return to the MCBias blog. It's time for a post where I freely admit that this is a Christian perspective on a sporting issue. We all have biases. When they truly are the source of a post, I think it's best to say so clearly. Maybe some other time I'll mix in Republican "Tear Down this Offensive Line" or Democratic "It's about the Defense, Stupid" taglines, too.
There are very few circumstances and actions that our culture universally deplores, but Don Imus made a great attempt at attaining complete revilement. Let's check the profile:
1. Celebrity (and as a bonus, white, rich, old, male, AND unsexy! yes!)
2. Action done in a public place with no shortage of witnesses, instead of at some private location among friends or sycophants.
3. Action is a sexual or racial remark aimed at innocent targets, instead of making fun of accepted targets in creative ways.
Definitely wrong and evil according to our culture. (And I do believe Jesus would think the same). And a quick aside; why is no one focusing on the misogyny, and everyone is focusing on the racism? Is it because there is no feminine spokesman to match Sharpton? Sadly, yes.
So ok, let's judge him already and condemn him. Fine. What I'm more worried about is, what about the rest of us who aren't celebrities? What about the hypocrisy? Let's look at 2. and 3. on society's sin list.
If Don Imus had thought "nappy-headed hos" instead of saying it, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble. And that's too bad. Sadly, I'm sure that other people were thinking similar thoughts, and they will get off without any reprimand. That's what I hate about this press coverage. I feel like bigoted reporters are rushing to pile on Imus so they have some defense for their own past mistakes. The people throwing stones are not sinless. The hypocrisy here is so deep, we're talking Marinas Trench here.
I sympathized with her on this topic; really, does this change the way blacks or women will be treated in our society? The guilty will say "Well, at least I don't SAY nappy-headed hos to that one co-worker." But they think it, don't they? What do the white players think when the black man comes into their gym looking for a game? It's the 00's, so no one fights or makes comments. But you can bet on plenty of frowns, sighs, and turned heads when he comes in the gym. (Speaking of what I've seen here, not hypotheticals). One thing I both love and hate about Jesus's teachings is his emphasis on sins of thought, not just action crimes. Just because you're too much of a wuss to act on your thoughts doesn't make you innocent. You know there are people out there who are an easily procured gun or knife away from doing something about their hate; are they that much better than the ones who did find a gun or knife?
Moving past racism and sexism, I dislike that we like to condemn what we are least likely to do. I don't like thinking of myself as a sinner, a bad person. I have a decent command over my tongue in public situations. So it's tempting for me to blast Imus on this topic. But, what if we expand our definition of sin? What about my command over my hands when I type? Do I manage to avoid slandering and accusing people there? Eek. Thankfully I've been on the web long enough to make smaller mistakes in less visible areas most of the time...and that one forum is thankfully no longer around...but, um, see, there's this post on here labeled "apology" that you can find...yeah, not a good thing.
Bottom line is, we all sin in many ways. This isn't where I mimic the movie "Crash" and try to tell you "Everyone's a racist! It's just how much or how visible it is!" No, that's nonsense. I know people who I'm pretty sure don't have a racist bone in their bodies. We don't all have the same sins; blame genetics, brain type, or upbringing, but they differ.
Some judgment should occur in society, else our prisons are empty and our morgues are full. But let's drop the pretense that Imus is somehow a supreme sinner, just because those of us under 30 are a little more trained in diversity or in spitting hate only among our same race/gender friends (ahem). Plenty of sin to go around, and we all need forgiveness for what we do on a daily basis.
There are very few circumstances and actions that our culture universally deplores, but Don Imus made a great attempt at attaining complete revilement. Let's check the profile:
1. Celebrity (and as a bonus, white, rich, old, male, AND unsexy! yes!)
2. Action done in a public place with no shortage of witnesses, instead of at some private location among friends or sycophants.
3. Action is a sexual or racial remark aimed at innocent targets, instead of making fun of accepted targets in creative ways.
Definitely wrong and evil according to our culture. (And I do believe Jesus would think the same). And a quick aside; why is no one focusing on the misogyny, and everyone is focusing on the racism? Is it because there is no feminine spokesman to match Sharpton? Sadly, yes.
So ok, let's judge him already and condemn him. Fine. What I'm more worried about is, what about the rest of us who aren't celebrities? What about the hypocrisy? Let's look at 2. and 3. on society's sin list.
If Don Imus had thought "nappy-headed hos" instead of saying it, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble. And that's too bad. Sadly, I'm sure that other people were thinking similar thoughts, and they will get off without any reprimand. That's what I hate about this press coverage. I feel like bigoted reporters are rushing to pile on Imus so they have some defense for their own past mistakes. The people throwing stones are not sinless. The hypocrisy here is so deep, we're talking Marinas Trench here.
I sympathized with her on this topic; really, does this change the way blacks or women will be treated in our society? The guilty will say "Well, at least I don't SAY nappy-headed hos to that one co-worker." But they think it, don't they? What do the white players think when the black man comes into their gym looking for a game? It's the 00's, so no one fights or makes comments. But you can bet on plenty of frowns, sighs, and turned heads when he comes in the gym. (Speaking of what I've seen here, not hypotheticals). One thing I both love and hate about Jesus's teachings is his emphasis on sins of thought, not just action crimes. Just because you're too much of a wuss to act on your thoughts doesn't make you innocent. You know there are people out there who are an easily procured gun or knife away from doing something about their hate; are they that much better than the ones who did find a gun or knife?
Moving past racism and sexism, I dislike that we like to condemn what we are least likely to do. I don't like thinking of myself as a sinner, a bad person. I have a decent command over my tongue in public situations. So it's tempting for me to blast Imus on this topic. But, what if we expand our definition of sin? What about my command over my hands when I type? Do I manage to avoid slandering and accusing people there? Eek. Thankfully I've been on the web long enough to make smaller mistakes in less visible areas most of the time...and that one forum is thankfully no longer around...but, um, see, there's this post on here labeled "apology" that you can find...yeah, not a good thing.
Bottom line is, we all sin in many ways. This isn't where I mimic the movie "Crash" and try to tell you "Everyone's a racist! It's just how much or how visible it is!" No, that's nonsense. I know people who I'm pretty sure don't have a racist bone in their bodies. We don't all have the same sins; blame genetics, brain type, or upbringing, but they differ.
Some judgment should occur in society, else our prisons are empty and our morgues are full. But let's drop the pretense that Imus is somehow a supreme sinner, just because those of us under 30 are a little more trained in diversity or in spitting hate only among our same race/gender friends (ahem). Plenty of sin to go around, and we all need forgiveness for what we do on a daily basis.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Tribute: San Antonio, Part 2
Now for San Antonio's other team that perhaps 99% of you have never heard of, the WNBA Silver Stars. They recently acquired two players who have worked hard to get more playing time. While many a snarky female might argue that being blond and reasonably attractive is a huge career asset, it's no guarantee that you'll start in the WNBA. Just ask Becky Hammon or Erin Buescher.
Becky Hammon came to the New York Liberty in 1999 from a relatively unheralded women's program at Colorado State University. Her statistical profile is here. She finally became a starter and fan favorite in New York after 5 years in the league. Becky even had a local restaurant name a sandwich after her. (Hammon, Cheese, and Egg was the name.) Yes, it's a life ambition of mine to have a sandwich named after me, and I'm fearfully envious. No MCBias Bagel? It's because I'm not 5'6" and blond, and can't shoot over 20% from 3-point land, isn't it? Stupid Title IX! (Picture from BeckyHammon.com).
Anyway, she was traded to the Silver Stars on draft day, so we can look forward to the Hammon Tortilla sometime soon. I don't have pictures of Becky in San Antonio gear, but here's a picture of her fighting for the ball to remind you that basketball is a contact sport:
Erin Buescher is a free-spirited individual who loves Bible study, surfing, and reggae. She decided to leave her Division I program at Santa Barbara in college to transfer to the Master's College, a small NAIA school, for her senior year. You would think that such a step would kill her chances at the WNBA. And her stats were those of a substitute for her first four years. She was trapped in Greece in 2006, on a team that didn't care about basketball, with her career in the WNBA perhaps ending. But instead of giving up, she decided to work on her body and her game. And it certainly paid off! (thanks to the good folks at RebKell's for the initial screen grab and info, see here for details.
Oh, and she won WNBA Most Improved player in 2006. Whatever. I'm still thinking about how hard I'd have to work out to get abs like that. Um, wait, do I even still have abs? (pokes at belly in vain for signs of abdominal muscles).
And now she too is a Silver Star, signed as a free agent. It will be interesting to see if Erin and Becky can improve their games even more in their new location, or if they've peaked as athletes. Regardless, even if they don't do much else, they've definitely shown great improvement since their rookie seasons.
Becky Hammon came to the New York Liberty in 1999 from a relatively unheralded women's program at Colorado State University. Her statistical profile is here. She finally became a starter and fan favorite in New York after 5 years in the league. Becky even had a local restaurant name a sandwich after her. (Hammon, Cheese, and Egg was the name.) Yes, it's a life ambition of mine to have a sandwich named after me, and I'm fearfully envious. No MCBias Bagel? It's because I'm not 5'6" and blond, and can't shoot over 20% from 3-point land, isn't it? Stupid Title IX! (Picture from BeckyHammon.com).
Anyway, she was traded to the Silver Stars on draft day, so we can look forward to the Hammon Tortilla sometime soon. I don't have pictures of Becky in San Antonio gear, but here's a picture of her fighting for the ball to remind you that basketball is a contact sport:
Erin Buescher is a free-spirited individual who loves Bible study, surfing, and reggae. She decided to leave her Division I program at Santa Barbara in college to transfer to the Master's College, a small NAIA school, for her senior year. You would think that such a step would kill her chances at the WNBA. And her stats were those of a substitute for her first four years. She was trapped in Greece in 2006, on a team that didn't care about basketball, with her career in the WNBA perhaps ending. But instead of giving up, she decided to work on her body and her game. And it certainly paid off! (thanks to the good folks at RebKell's for the initial screen grab and info, see here for details.
Oh, and she won WNBA Most Improved player in 2006. Whatever. I'm still thinking about how hard I'd have to work out to get abs like that. Um, wait, do I even still have abs? (pokes at belly in vain for signs of abdominal muscles).
And now she too is a Silver Star, signed as a free agent. It will be interesting to see if Erin and Becky can improve their games even more in their new location, or if they've peaked as athletes. Regardless, even if they don't do much else, they've definitely shown great improvement since their rookie seasons.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Tribute: San Antonio is Esperanto for "Hard Work"
So I may have made up the Esperanto part. Forgive the home-spun hooey for a moment, but I personally want to make sure to write some positive articles after the black hat posts of the last two weeks. This will hopefully be a more than one-and-done feature on giving respect where it's due. By the way, San Antonio is named after the Portugese saint "Anthony of Padua"; I had always wondered where it got its name from, and now I know.
San Antonio has but two sports teams that I know of; the San Antonio Spurs (men's basketball) and the San Antonio Silver Stars (women's basketball). This post is written to praise the Spurs.
Photo available for purchase here.
Tim: You know, Tony, in this country it is traditional for rookies to allow veterans to punch them in the nose. It's how you become a part of the Spurs' family. You want to be part of our family, right?
Tony: Um...I guess so.
Manu: (laughs, remembers falling for this last year)
As for the Spurs, I respect their star players for making themselves into stars despite what appeared to be a lack of physical gifts. Tim Duncan was born in the US Virgin Islands and hoped to be a swimmer. Although he did have the advantage of height, he was no hotly sought after recruit. As I recall (according to Feinstein's book on the ACC in 1996? or so), Wake Forest's coach was lucky to find him.
Tony Parker is a short man in a country not known for its NBA stars (Frederick Weis, anyone?). Manu Ginobili is not particularly tall, fast, or high-jumping for his position, and is from Argentina. All three came to the US from very different areas of the world and became champions through their hard work.
Yes, their style of play may not be as visually attractive as that of some teams, but their ruthless consistency in performance is admirable. I know someone else must have noticed this somewhere (I couldn't find it via Google), but I believe they have to be considered as the first team made up of international stars to capture the NBA championship. (No, only Olajuwon, not Sam Cassell, counts as international from those mid-90's Rockets teams, ha.)
I don't know if the Spurs can win the title this year, but it would shock few people if the number sequence 1999,2003,2005,? ends in 2007. It's a good sign that in their win over Phoenix recently, Tim Duncan put up a 4X5 game (5 or more assists, blocks, rebounds, and points) despite only being 2 of 9 from the line. If TD has enough in the tank, San Antonio may yet acquire their fourth title in the last decade.
San Antonio has but two sports teams that I know of; the San Antonio Spurs (men's basketball) and the San Antonio Silver Stars (women's basketball). This post is written to praise the Spurs.
Photo available for purchase here. 
Tim: You know, Tony, in this country it is traditional for rookies to allow veterans to punch them in the nose. It's how you become a part of the Spurs' family. You want to be part of our family, right?
Tony: Um...I guess so.
Manu: (laughs, remembers falling for this last year)
As for the Spurs, I respect their star players for making themselves into stars despite what appeared to be a lack of physical gifts. Tim Duncan was born in the US Virgin Islands and hoped to be a swimmer. Although he did have the advantage of height, he was no hotly sought after recruit. As I recall (according to Feinstein's book on the ACC in 1996? or so), Wake Forest's coach was lucky to find him.
Tony Parker is a short man in a country not known for its NBA stars (Frederick Weis, anyone?). Manu Ginobili is not particularly tall, fast, or high-jumping for his position, and is from Argentina. All three came to the US from very different areas of the world and became champions through their hard work.
Yes, their style of play may not be as visually attractive as that of some teams, but their ruthless consistency in performance is admirable. I know someone else must have noticed this somewhere (I couldn't find it via Google), but I believe they have to be considered as the first team made up of international stars to capture the NBA championship. (No, only Olajuwon, not Sam Cassell, counts as international from those mid-90's Rockets teams, ha.)
I don't know if the Spurs can win the title this year, but it would shock few people if the number sequence 1999,2003,2005,? ends in 2007. It's a good sign that in their win over Phoenix recently, Tim Duncan put up a 4X5 game (5 or more assists, blocks, rebounds, and points) despite only being 2 of 9 from the line. If TD has enough in the tank, San Antonio may yet acquire their fourth title in the last decade.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Bloggolalia: Links to Female and Minority Bloggers
Seriously, I am really busy today, so I can't finish all of this. But I decided to put up a list of the female and minority bloggers I know who bring those needed abilities (that I listed below) to the table. Add more if you will. I'll have commentary on each blog's contribution some other time.
Female:
babeslovebaseball.com
thissuitisnotblack.blogspot.com
leave-the-man-alone.blogspot.com
Minority:
dwil.wordpress.com
nationofislamsportsblog.blogspot.com Note: In my own words, not theirs, NOIS believes that exaggerating potential injustices in the sports world will help draw attention to the biases in coverage overall. It's a great perspective and a must-read, but even NOIS doesn't believe everything they write. So grains of salt for you first-time readers, don't overreact, ha.
leave-the-man-alone.blogspot.com
Ok, that's a start. More?
Female:
babeslovebaseball.com
thissuitisnotblack.blogspot.com
leave-the-man-alone.blogspot.com
Minority:
dwil.wordpress.com
nationofislamsportsblog.blogspot.com Note: In my own words, not theirs, NOIS believes that exaggerating potential injustices in the sports world will help draw attention to the biases in coverage overall. It's a great perspective and a must-read, but even NOIS doesn't believe everything they write. So grains of salt for you first-time readers, don't overreact, ha.
leave-the-man-alone.blogspot.com
Ok, that's a start. More?
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