What Up Wednesday (1.12)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
In this weeks edition we got Steven Stamkos, Marshawn Lynch, Oregon's socks and Russian hockey players/drunks (what's the difference!?).


What Up Steven Stamkos - This isn't exactly a good play, but it made me laugh pretty hard so he has to get some love for that. I love how he looks at his skate for .3 seconds after he gets up, as if he'll actually be able to see what's wrong with it.




What Up Marshawn Lynch - THIS IS HOW YOU RUN A FOOTBALL. Ok so this is what he's thinking during this run, word for word:
"Ok I got the ball but there's way too many guys in front of me... I'm just gonna squeeze through here real quick, 'scuse me... K finally some daylight now - oh hey two guys trying to tackle me. Yeah I'm probably just gonna keep running, just lettin' ya know... and yeah #33 I'll see ya later pal. Oh hey #22 what's up? Yeah I'm just gonna throw you down to the ground with one arm real quick, thanks for comin' out though... K finally I got a little room to myself - wait who's that behind me? #92? Yeah I'm almost in the endzone so I'm just gonna go ahead and break your tackle too... Lol I love how Hasselbeck is running along with me pretending like he's gonna block someone. Wow I am REALLY tired, woah hey #41 nice try buddy and weeeeeeeeee! Finally, took long enough, and WOW I am tired, that was not worth it. Ok maybe it was cause lol we shouldn't even be in the playoffs!!! Haha how embarrassed are the Saints right now!? How do you lose to the Seahawks!? smh."
Literally word for word.




What Up Oregon's Socks - I didn't even see the game when I was watching, I was just looking at the socks... Who ended up winning?



What Up Russian Hockey - The Russians entered the final of the World Junior hockey tournament as heavy underdogs and for 2 periods they effectively lived up to that expectation. However, down 3-0 with about 15 minutes left in the third period, the Rooski's began a rally that would culminate with 5 unanswered goals, stunning Canadian fans as well as the rest of the hockey world. And to make things even better, they were kicked off their flight home for being too drunk. This is a beautiful thing. Gotta hand it to them - they know how to win and they know how to celebrate, chipped teeth n' all.





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BCS Buys Some Time

Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
I like to compare attempts to get a college football playoff to field goal attempts. Time and time again field goal units are sent out onto the field - sometimes in the form of sports writers, sometimes in the form of polls involving college football players, and sometimes in the form of the President of the US - in hopes of putting the metaphorical ball through the metaphorical uprights which sharply divide the realm of fiction and idea from the realm of non-fiction and reality. Over the years attempts have been abruptly rejected by an extremely formidable defense that seems to block every field goal attempt they're faced with. Over the past year, however, it seemed as though a stronger field goal unit was being recruited through the attempts and persuasions of many important people with a lot of say. Many thought this attempt had a real chance of putting points on the board. Along with the momentum built with this unit came a bowl season filled to the brim with disinteresting and lopsided games; it was as if the stars were aligning and the quest for a playoff was nearly within grasp. There we were, watching our metaphorical football sailing over those who usually block it, silently yet authoritatively deeming all attempts futile. Then, just when we thought the ball was going to gently float through the uprights into the realm of reality, a torrential gust of wind came and sailed the ball wide left. Oh, so close. That gust of wind has a name, by the way: the Tostitos National Championship Game. That's right. Just when we thought we had a chance, the championship game - the final of all the frustratingly pointless and insignificant bowl games - ruined most hope we had in our new field goal unit.

The Auburn football players and coaches weren't the only victors after Monday nights national championship game. The BCS system was also victorious, being able to claim for another year that the system provided the best possible matchup and provided an adequate level of excitement for fans. After all, excitement is one of the key components in the argument for a playoff in college football. So, since the BCS system produced a game between two undefeated teams that went down to the very last second, it can boast its effectiveness for at least another year.

The momentum I spoke of during the past year was real - there's never been a stronger resurgence against the current BCS system as those with power in the sports world anted up their arguments both for a playoff and against a bowl system. Writers portrayed the numerous benefits that would accompany a playoff, from both a financial standpoint and an excitement standpoint. Over 100 current college football players were anonymously polled as to whether they'd rather have a playoff or bowl games, and an overwhelming 62.2% said they would prefer a playoff. President Obama even made his voice heard on the matter, claiming, "[a playoff] makes sense. If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner." However, despite this momentum and effort it seems as if the BCS will live to see another day. Monday night's game gave those who support the BCS a major edge in their argument as to why their system is best from an excitement standpoint.



However, despite an extremely close and exciting national championship game, bowl season was filled with games that epitomized the frustrations people have with the system. Games like the Orange Bowl, in which Stanford thumped Virginia Tech by 28 points; the Fiesta Bowl, where Oklahoma whooped UConn 48-20; the Capital One Bowl, which was interesting until the game actually started, resulted in an Alabama 49, Michigan State 7 thrashing. It's games like these that make bowl season frustrating. I'm not going to sit here and say that the national championship game was a bad game - I watched nearly the entire game and it was extremely exciting the whole way through. What I will sit here and say, however, is that we saw two teams matched up because, by no fault of their own, they were able to cruise through a flawed system on their way to the top while other legitimate contenders (TCU!!!!!!!) had to sit helplessly and watch. The end result was great but the ends don't justify the means.

All we can hope for now is: that all of the collective efforts that pushed for a playoff over the past year were not in vain, that despite this years exciting BCS finish, logic and common sense will compute to those who rely on computers to decide who the best team in the country is, and that we can all get our Wes Byrum on and kick us a field goal.

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Philly Phriday (1.7)

Thursday, January 6, 2011 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments

There's one thing on the mind of Philadelphia sports fans right now, and that's playoff football. After an exciting season the Eagles enter the playoffs after going 10-6 and claiming the NFC East. Their opponent, the Green Bay Packers, also went 10-6 and earned an NFC wild card spot. This game is between two dangerous offenses and in the end it'll most likely come down to which quarterback can make the least amount of mistakes.
The Eagles offense is notoriously dangerous, finishing the season second in the league in total offense, averaging 390 yards a game. Michael Vick has added a completely new element to the offense that makes it much more dynamic and much tougher to defend. Where the Packers are dangerous is their passing game - they average nearly 260 yards a game in the air, which is good for fifth in the NFL.
The danger of the Eagles offense is evident but their defense is quite the contrary. Only 10 teams gave up more points than the Eagles this season - 30 teams gave up more than the Packers. On paper The Packers are a more complete team so it'll be a question of whether the Eagles offense can make up for their defensive struggles - to do so, they're going to have to put up a lot of points. And although well-rounded, the Packers have a weak running game. Running back Brandon Jackson only has 3 touchdowns this year in 16 games played, so the Packers are certainly going to look to do damage through their passing game. The Eagles defense knows - Dimitri Patterson in particular - that they'll have to withstand the attacks of a pass-heavy offense. Knowing that Asante Samuel is a big time corner, especially come playoff time, the Packers will likely target Patterson and try to exploit him as much as possible.


All that being said, perhaps the most significant aspect of this game for Eagles fans is the fact that it's our first McNabb-less playoff game in 10 years. McNabb's likability got low towards the end of his stint in Philadelphia because he became known as the quarterback who couldn't quite get it done in the playoffs. He led Philadelphia to five conference championships games, winning only one. It was frustrating because he was good enough to get the Eagles into the playoffs on a consistent basis, but he wasn't able to get Eagles fans what they really wanted. Of course, you can't blame such losses on a single player, but the cornerstone of a successful playoff team is the quarterback. At this point, as for most of this season, Philadelphia has been ecstatic about Michael Vick. It's safe to say that the expectations for this team, as well as Michael Vick, at the beginning of the season were low. Yet here we sit at 10-6 preparing for the playoffs. The thing to watch for now will be whether Philadelphia fans will experience more of the "oh-so-close" result we've been subjected to and become accustomed to over past decade, or if we'll finally break through the barrier between almost winning and winning. We may not know the answer to this question for years to come, but Sunday we'll have an idea as to whether Michael Vick - the supposed savior of our team - will be able to do what Donovan never could.



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What Up Wednesday (1.5)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
This week we have Canadian hockey fans, the Stanford Women's basketball team, Rick Reilly, The Beatles and Ted Williams. Also, some unlucky fans will receive the most dishonorable award in sports.


What Up Canadian Hockey Fans - Most American sports fans have no idea that the World Junior's have been going on for the past two weeks, even though the tournament is on American soil. This past Monday the US played Canada in the semi-finals in front of a sold out crowd in Buffalo, NY. However, it might as well have been in Canada because the crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of Canada. It was said that about 80% of the tickets for the game were sold to fans of Team Canada, and their support helped gain their team a berth in Wednesday night's gold medal game against Russia as the Canadians whooped the Americans 4-1. Canadian fans deserve the gold medal. I give credit to US fans who were there to support, but the apathy of most American sports fans and media earns them the dreaded negative What Up. So, it's Canada fans: 1 US fans: -1.




What Up Stanford Women's Basketball - In the last edition of What Up Wednesday the UConn women's basketball team got a What Up for setting the record for most consecutive wins by a Division I program. They did it just in time too because the Stanford Women's Basketball team put an end to the 90-game win streak by beating the Huskies 71-59 last Thursday. Both teams deserve a lot of praise and it'll be great for women's basketball if these two teams happen to meet in the NCAA tournament.






What Up Rick Reilly - Rick Reilly published a column that needs to be read by all those in and around college football - fans included. In the column Reilly vehemently denounces the BCS and its selfish motives while using common sense to portray the necessity of a playoff in college football. Oh, and he also calls out the President of the United States. This is an extremely important column about an extremely important subject by an extremely important writer - it needs to be read. So help spread the word and maybe one day we'll see an end to the bogus BCS.





What Up Beatles - As if the Beatles hadn't accomplished enough already. This What Up was a special request and it's certainly worthy of some praise. I think it's safe to say that every musician shares a desire to accomplish what the Beatles have finally accomplished. I'm not talking about a hit single, a best-selling record, a Grammy or an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What I'm talking about - what a musician really wants - is a comparison to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. That's right. Recently, LeBron welcomed the Beatles to the fraternity God-like super humans who can do whatever they want by comparing himself and his team to the Beatles. I'd be surprised if LeBron could name more than one album by the Beatles. Keep in mind that according to the Beatles, they were right up there with Jesus in terms of popularity, so if LeBron catches wind of that you'll want to watch in the coming weeks as LeBron may compare his team to the second coming of the Lord. And if that does happen, it'll be interesting to see if LeBron's head will be too big to fit inside an arena. Anyway, congrats Beatles. You made it!




What Up Ted Williams - This video went from 300 views to 8 million views in a single day. If you haven't seen it, take a look:



The break this man was looking for came as the Cleveland Cavaliers offered him a job doing voice-over work as well as a house. Reports claim that ESPN, MTV, and a few other companies have also offered him jobs. It's clear that he has made an effort to get his life back together and he's now getting the second chance that he has longed for. Not only does Ted Williams get a What Up, but so does the Columbus Dispatch, who put the video out and made it a story, as well as all of those who helped spread the word of this mans story.




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Identity Crisis

Thursday, December 30, 2010 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments

Whatever happened to having pride in an identity? In sports, the ability to develop and maintain an identity is a hard thing to do but doing so creates a sense of pride for a program. It's an underrated part of sports that can go a long way in an organizations success, however in recent years there's been a noticeable spike in the number of teams trying to, "create new identities," which is code for, "we're terrible so we're going to change our uniforms and try to create some new excitement about our team." I understand the concept but I have a problem with teams doing this.

Imagine if there were a fighter who got whooped and had black eyes, cuts, etc. reminding him and others of how he got beat. Now picture him going and getting make-up so he could cover up his scars and wounds and create a new appearance so people wouldn't know what happened to him. Maybe not the best example but I think it illustrates my point. I wouldn't have much respect for a guy like this because he's essentially trying to hide what he is. Sports teams do the same thing sometimes. Its become a natural - almost instinctive - reaction recently for teams to attempt to change their identities after constantly getting beat on. The Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Capitals, Detroit Lions, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a few teams who, over the past decade or two, have changed their identities in hopes of sparking some success. I like to see if these changes make a difference, so let's break down the Detroit Lions' logo change they made before the 2009 season. The first thing I notice about the changes in the picture (courtesy of news.lalate.com) is that the new Lion is a little bit leaner than the old one. This change makes sense; what better way to fix your self-esteem issues and perhaps give yourself a chance to compete in 4th quarters-to-come than dropping a few pounds? The next change is one of posture. I may be crazy but the new Lion seems to be standing a little straighter compared to the old Lion who's slouching a little bit. It's good to portray confidence and puff the chest out a bit so this is a very important fix.The last significant change is that the new Lion has an eye and the old Lion didn't. I guess they realized that the lack of vision was quite an oversight (pun intended) and I'm sure they were convinced that this change would pay dividends.

I'm all for changing your identity, but don't do it by trying to hide what you are. The most notable teams in sports are the ones who have an identity through good and bad times - the Yankees, the Red Wings, The Canadians, the Lakers. Instead of hiding what you are, why not use what you are as motivation as well as a building block to get where you want to go? To go back to the analogy of the fighter, if I got beaten up badly I'd want to look at those bruises and scars everyday because they'd help motivate me and help me to become better.

Now of course some teams will change a logo just to spice things up, even if they're a successful team (for example, the Pittsburgh Penguins). However, a new logo doesn't mean a good logo, or a good team, or a good legacy. Winning makes a good logo. A legacy makes a good logo. Are you telling me that a four-leaf clover is a good logo? The only reason it is is because the Boston Celtics made it that way through years and years of winning. They took a mundane thing and made it a significant symbol representing success. You can take any identity and make it something great if you're committed to habitually reaching for the success you want to achieve.



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What Up Wednesday (12.22)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
This week's edition features special teamsters, Heat coolers, Sid the Kid (yes, again), some girls who are really good at basketball and the big man in red. Enjoy!


What Up Kick Returners - This week was a big week for returners. We saw Devon Hester break the all-time record for the most returns for touchdowns in a career. We saw DeSean Jackson win the game for the Eagles against the Giants off a punt return with no time remaining on the clock. But perhaps the most entertaining return of the week was made by Dan Connolly of the Patriots. Never heard of him? Probably because he's always in the trenches. The 6'4", 313 lb. guard used his blazing speed to return this kick 71 yards. He wasn't quite able to heave his way into the endzone but it's still one of the best returns you'll ever see, and if you haven't seen it yet you need to:






What Up Dallas Mavericks - You broke the Miami Heat's 12-game winning streak on Monday night which everyone is happy about (at least those I've asked, who all seem to share a bond linked by a common sense of bitterness as well as a strong desire to see the Heat crash and burn this year), and you're now 2-0 against them this season. If only you guys played them 60 times a year... Plus, you're second in the West behind the Spurs.









What Up Sidney Crosby... Again - Last week your streak was at 19 games, and I figured it might be over by now but I guess I shouldn't underestimate the Sid. Your streak is now at 21 with a chance to extend it tonight against the Panthers. And congratulations, you now have another, perhaps even more noteworthy streak going with the most consecutive What Up's with 2. Oh, AND, you still have that dusty mustache. Lots of good things going on.



What Up UConn Women's Basketball - I'm not much of a women's basketball fan but this is a significant feat that may never be broken in Division I sports. With Tuesday night's win over Florida St. UConn hit 89 wins, the longest streak in Division I history, but perhaps even more impressive than the streak itself is the way in which they've been able to set this record. They've demolished nearly every team they've played on their way to win 89 (their average winning margin during the streak is over 30 points a game), and there's no indication that they're going to stop anytime soon. This record will most likely break 100, and while it's special for those who are currently on the team, it's perhaps even more significant for those who were with the team earlier to help build this program into the empire it is today.





What Up SANTA CLAUSE - We all know you've got a pretty busy week. I thought my shopping list was tough. Hopefully you're doing alright up there on the North Pole; just know we're all rooting for you! And since I gave you a what up maybe you could be a little extra generous this year... Just a thought.






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Philly Phriday (12.17)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments

Every Friday, as the second of three new installments at The Show (the third of which will be coming very soon), is Philly Phriday. I recently commented that being a general sports blogger requires me to be objective, but Philly Phriday is an exception. This is the day that I get to praise/complain about my favorite teams, but there's not much to complain about this week if you're a Philly sports fan. Usually on Philly Phriday I'll zero in on one team or player, however this week is a special week so we're going to do a group post.

To quickly review this week: the Eagles beat the Cowboys, the Phillies signed Cliff Lee, the Flyers beat the Penguins and the Sixers won more than one game. All in one week!!! If gods of the sporting world exist, they really like Philly right now, for whatever reason. Philly fans need to recognize how significant this is and understand that Philly is one of the few premier sports towns in the whole country right now, along with Boston and maybe Chicago. When you have three out of four teams that are legitimate contenders it's extremely special because these times don't come around often. It's inevitable that this time will eventually pass, so savoring it is important.

Of course having good teams is always exciting, but Philly fans are bred to ask for more, and if you're like me you'd rather have one good team in your city win a championship than have three good teams that don't quite get it done. But I think Philly fans should be as hopeful as ever right now in the potential our teams have in winning us a championship. We saw the Flyers come extremely close to winning a Stanley Cup last year, and this year they look even better. The Phillies had a disappointing end to a great season but with the great offseason they've had they have our hopes up for another World Series title. The Eagles have proven that they're one of, if not the, team to beat in the NFC, which is extremely exciting for fans considering the expectations for this team weren't nearly that high at the beginning of the year. Philly fans love good teams, but they love championship teams more. I have confidence that at least one of these teams can get a parade back to Broad Street within the next three years. We had one in '08 but having more than one within a five year span would be amazing for the city and its fans.

So for the Philly fans out there, stay hopeful but also remember that what this city has right now is pretty special, and not many places can relate.

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What Up Wednesday (12.14)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
What Up Wednesday is one of three new installments (the other two will be coming to you very shortly) on The Show. The concept of What Up Wednesday is to give weekly doses of props to those in the sports world whose achievements deserve some recognition. Soon to be coveted sports honor sought by the world's top athletic figures, What Up's will provide an easy way to catch up on the good going on in the sports world. So, without further ado:


What Up Ruben Amaro Jr. Being a sports blogger requires me to be objective, so I need to make it clear that I'm not doing this because I'm a Phillies fan. I'm doing it because what Ruben has done can only be defined as a colossal achievement that will effect the entire National League for years to come. Phillies fans have spent the last year "what-ifing." Fans were greatly disappoint when the team traded Lee after the '09 season, but of course ecstatic about acquiring Roy Halladay. However, there was always that lingering question in the back of their minds that wouldn't go away no matter how well the staff pitched: what if we hadn't traded Cliff Lee? Now Phillies fans can rejoice because Ruben Amaro Jr. has ended the "what-if" days and spawned the "best-rotation-in-baseball-history" days. Cheers Ruben.


What Up Brett Favre. Brett gets two what up's this week. One for his amazing streak. No matter how much you hate the guy you have to respect what he has done. 297 games in a row in unbelievable. It's a record that may never be broken and the man's legacy will always be that of a warrior because of this streak. Although annoying, Brett deserves congratulations on this amazing feat. His second what up is for ending the streak. Yes, it's a great streak, but we've been waiting for it to end for years now, so thank you Brett. However, if you attempt to break your own record your What Up will be stripped.


What Up Sidney Crosby. You're in the midst of a 19-game point streak, during which you've acquired 38 points. Your team is 2nd in their division and 2nd in the NHL. And you lead the league in points (51) and goals (26). Oh, and you've done it all with a really dusty mustache. I'd say that just about does it.











What Up San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are the first team to 20 wins this year and they've only lost 3 games. The Spurs have shown that they'll without a doubt be contending for a ring this year. The biggest question with the team is whether they'll be able to stay healthy. However, they have five players averaging 12 PPG or more, so their offense is dynamic and they get contribution from more than one or two players.









and finally...




What Up DeSean Jackson. This celebration is - well, words don't quite do it for me. I just want to thank you.








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Identity Crisis

Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments

Whatever happened to having pride in an identity? In sports, the ability to develop and maintain an identity is a hard thing to do but doing so creates a sense of pride for a program. It's an underrated part of sports that can go a long way in an organizations success, however in recent years there's been a noticeable spike in the number of teams trying to, "create new identities," which is code for, "we're terrible so we're going to change our uniforms and try to create some new excitement about our team." I understand the concept but I have a problem with teams doing this.

Imagine if there were a fighter who got whooped and had black eyes, cuts, etc. reminding him and others of how he got beat. Now picture him going and getting make-up so he could cover up his scars and wounds and create a new appearance so people wouldn't know what happened to him. Maybe not the best example but I think it illustrates my point. I wouldn't have much respect for a guy like this because he's essentially trying to hide what he is. Sports teams do the same thing sometimes. Its become a natural - almost instinctive - reaction recently for teams to attempt to change their identities after constantly getting beat on. The Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Capitals, Detroit Lions, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a few teams who, over the past decade or two, have changed their identities in hopes of sparking some success. I like to see if these changes make a difference, so let's break down the Detroit Lions' logo change they made before the 2009 season. The first thing I notice about the changes in the picture (courtesy of news.lalate.com) is that the new Lion is a little bit leaner than the old one. This change makes sense; what better way to fix your self-esteem issues and perhaps give yourself a chance to compete in 4th quarters-to-come than dropping a few pounds? The next change is one of posture. I may be crazy but the new Lion seems to be standing a little straighter compared to the old Lion who's slouching a little bit. It's good to portray confidence and puff the chest out a bit so this is a very important fix.The last significant change is that the new Lion has an eye and the old Lion didn't. I guess they realized that the lack of vision was quite an oversight (pun intended) and I'm sure they were convinced that this change would pay dividends.

I'm all for changing your identity, but don't do it by trying to hide what you are. The most notable teams in sports are the ones who have an identity through good and bad times - the Yankees, the Red Wings, The Canadians, the Lakers. Instead of hiding what you are, why not use what you are as motivation as well as a building block to get where you want to go? To go back to the analogy of the fighter, if I got beaten up badly I'd want to look at those bruises and scars everyday because they'd help motivate me and help me to become better.

Now of course some teams will change a logo just to spice things up, even if they're a successful team (for example, the Pittsburgh Penguins). However, a new logo doesn't mean a good logo, or a good team, or a good legacy. Winning makes a good logo. A legacy makes a good logo. Are you telling me that a four-leaf clover is a good logo? The only reason it is is because the Boston Celtics made it that way through years and years of winning. They took a mundane thing and made it a significant symbol representing success. You can take any identity and make it something great if you're committed to habitually reaching for the success you want to achieve.



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The Rings Go To the Vets

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Posted by Kyle Mountain 0 comments
The culture of the NBA is built on a foundation of youth, flash, attitude and showmanship. The league thrives on excitement - huge dunks, alley-oops, buzzer-beaters, etc. However, despite these things being that which the NBA thrives on, to thrive in the NBA takes something else that isn't quite as marketable or exciting. If you look at some of the NBA's top teams - the Celtics, the Spurs, the Lakers, for instance - there's something they all have in common: a strong veteran presence. It's not something that you can teach and you rarely see it on the highlight films. The qualities in a player or team that the media values often differ from the qualities that truly make a player or team successful - and having veteran players with winning experience that play with these unnoticed qualities will carry a team much further than the plays you see on the highlight films.

The media tends to bend people's perceptions of what's important regarding a player. When you turn on Sports Center in the morning and watch highlights, you see the nicest plays of the day. Often times people will use these plays to determine a player's value, which often times will end up as a skewed opinion of how good that player really is. Instead of looking at dunks to determine a players value, look at a players ability to win games. Look at Andre Iguodala. He can jump through the roof and some of his dunks are staggering. However, he has shown over the past few years that he doesn't bear the abilities to win games or carry a team. However, the media would rather show Andre Iguodala jumping through the roof for a dunk during a 76ers loss than Tim Duncan hitting the same bank-shot ten times in a Spurs win. Can you blame them though? No offense to Duncan but he's boring, and always has been. More effective than anyone, but boring, and that's not a knock on Duncan, it's actually a compliment. He plays a simple and effective game. The point I'm trying to make is that the media can't always show what wins games because sometimes those things can be boring. However, they're significant and need to be recognized.

The top teams in the league have more than an ability to look flashy and make it onto the Sports Center Top 10. What makes great teams is their ability to be more than one-dimensional. Let's go back to the teams I mentioned earlier - the Celtics, the Spurs, and the Lakers - and recognize one particular stat that epitomizes why these teams are so successful now. The combination of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and Pau Gasol are a +100, which is the best in the league as of Dec. 7th. The combination of Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Peirce and Rajon Rondo are a +77 at this point, which is the second best in the league. I think you know where this is heading. The combination of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Tony Parker, and DeJuan Blair are a +71 which is third best in the NBA. On top of that, these three teams have a combined six players in the league's top ten for individual +/-. It's no coincidence that these teams are amongst the best in the league. The +/- stat in basketball is extremely revealing. A player may average 20 points a game for a season but if he also averages a -5 rating, what does that say about him? It says that he'll get his points but ultimately his offensive ability isn't enough to benefit his team. It says that when he's on the floor, his team gives up more points than they get. The perviously mentioned Lakers combination is +100 through 20 games this season, which means they're averaging 5 more points a game than whoever else is on the floor against them. This tells me two things: the Lakers can put up points, and they can play defense. Many players and teams can only do the first, but it takes both to be successful in the NBA.

The +/- stat is among many other telling stats you don't hear about often mainly because they're not marketable stats. You'll never hear ESPN say, "tune in to watch the +42 Kevin Durant take on so and so." You'll hear, "tune in to watch points leader/ppg leader Kevin Durant take on so and so." That's what people want to hear and that's what's marketable. People want to see offense, flash - the things I mentioned earlier that the league has built a foundation on. However, to win, a team needs more. This is where it comes back to teams being experienced. Teams in this league need to have players that know how to win and that know how to play on both sides of the ball. Kobe Bryant is known as an explosive offensive player, but he knows how to play defense too, which is a big part of why he and the Lakers have been successful. They're at the top of the league again this year, and if this year's standings don't convince you of the need for players like this, let's take a look at who has won NBA championships over the last ten years: the Lakers have won five times, the Spurs have won three times, and the Heat, Celtics, and Pistons have each one once. Each of these teams had a core of veterans that played a significant part in them winning. I can't even think of a team who has won without such a presence.

We are constantly shown the flash but that's not what wins. It's the Tim Duncan's, the Pau Gasol's, the Kevin Garnett's - amongst many others - that win. These players know how to play in a way that will help their team's win, which is different from just getting 20 points a game. It's important to overlook what's shown to us on TV (namely dunk after dunk after dunk) and to instead look at what aspects a team has that makes them win or lose. The highlights are great but come playoff time they're not going to matter as it's the often unnoticed yet significant attributes a team can consistently play with, along with strong veteran leadership, that will carry teams to championships.

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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

What Up Wednesday (1.12)

In this weeks edition we got Steven Stamkos, Marshawn Lynch, Oregon's socks and Russian hockey players/drunks (what's the difference!?).


What Up Steven Stamkos - This isn't exactly a good play, but it made me laugh pretty hard so he has to get some love for that. I love how he looks at his skate for .3 seconds after he gets up, as if he'll actually be able to see what's wrong with it.




What Up Marshawn Lynch - THIS IS HOW YOU RUN A FOOTBALL. Ok so this is what he's thinking during this run, word for word:
"Ok I got the ball but there's way too many guys in front of me... I'm just gonna squeeze through here real quick, 'scuse me... K finally some daylight now - oh hey two guys trying to tackle me. Yeah I'm probably just gonna keep running, just lettin' ya know... and yeah #33 I'll see ya later pal. Oh hey #22 what's up? Yeah I'm just gonna throw you down to the ground with one arm real quick, thanks for comin' out though... K finally I got a little room to myself - wait who's that behind me? #92? Yeah I'm almost in the endzone so I'm just gonna go ahead and break your tackle too... Lol I love how Hasselbeck is running along with me pretending like he's gonna block someone. Wow I am REALLY tired, woah hey #41 nice try buddy and weeeeeeeeee! Finally, took long enough, and WOW I am tired, that was not worth it. Ok maybe it was cause lol we shouldn't even be in the playoffs!!! Haha how embarrassed are the Saints right now!? How do you lose to the Seahawks!? smh."
Literally word for word.




What Up Oregon's Socks - I didn't even see the game when I was watching, I was just looking at the socks... Who ended up winning?



What Up Russian Hockey - The Russians entered the final of the World Junior hockey tournament as heavy underdogs and for 2 periods they effectively lived up to that expectation. However, down 3-0 with about 15 minutes left in the third period, the Rooski's began a rally that would culminate with 5 unanswered goals, stunning Canadian fans as well as the rest of the hockey world. And to make things even better, they were kicked off their flight home for being too drunk. This is a beautiful thing. Gotta hand it to them - they know how to win and they know how to celebrate, chipped teeth n' all.





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BCS Buys Some Time

I like to compare attempts to get a college football playoff to field goal attempts. Time and time again field goal units are sent out onto the field - sometimes in the form of sports writers, sometimes in the form of polls involving college football players, and sometimes in the form of the President of the US - in hopes of putting the metaphorical ball through the metaphorical uprights which sharply divide the realm of fiction and idea from the realm of non-fiction and reality. Over the years attempts have been abruptly rejected by an extremely formidable defense that seems to block every field goal attempt they're faced with. Over the past year, however, it seemed as though a stronger field goal unit was being recruited through the attempts and persuasions of many important people with a lot of say. Many thought this attempt had a real chance of putting points on the board. Along with the momentum built with this unit came a bowl season filled to the brim with disinteresting and lopsided games; it was as if the stars were aligning and the quest for a playoff was nearly within grasp. There we were, watching our metaphorical football sailing over those who usually block it, silently yet authoritatively deeming all attempts futile. Then, just when we thought the ball was going to gently float through the uprights into the realm of reality, a torrential gust of wind came and sailed the ball wide left. Oh, so close. That gust of wind has a name, by the way: the Tostitos National Championship Game. That's right. Just when we thought we had a chance, the championship game - the final of all the frustratingly pointless and insignificant bowl games - ruined most hope we had in our new field goal unit.

The Auburn football players and coaches weren't the only victors after Monday nights national championship game. The BCS system was also victorious, being able to claim for another year that the system provided the best possible matchup and provided an adequate level of excitement for fans. After all, excitement is one of the key components in the argument for a playoff in college football. So, since the BCS system produced a game between two undefeated teams that went down to the very last second, it can boast its effectiveness for at least another year.

The momentum I spoke of during the past year was real - there's never been a stronger resurgence against the current BCS system as those with power in the sports world anted up their arguments both for a playoff and against a bowl system. Writers portrayed the numerous benefits that would accompany a playoff, from both a financial standpoint and an excitement standpoint. Over 100 current college football players were anonymously polled as to whether they'd rather have a playoff or bowl games, and an overwhelming 62.2% said they would prefer a playoff. President Obama even made his voice heard on the matter, claiming, "[a playoff] makes sense. If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner." However, despite this momentum and effort it seems as if the BCS will live to see another day. Monday night's game gave those who support the BCS a major edge in their argument as to why their system is best from an excitement standpoint.



However, despite an extremely close and exciting national championship game, bowl season was filled with games that epitomized the frustrations people have with the system. Games like the Orange Bowl, in which Stanford thumped Virginia Tech by 28 points; the Fiesta Bowl, where Oklahoma whooped UConn 48-20; the Capital One Bowl, which was interesting until the game actually started, resulted in an Alabama 49, Michigan State 7 thrashing. It's games like these that make bowl season frustrating. I'm not going to sit here and say that the national championship game was a bad game - I watched nearly the entire game and it was extremely exciting the whole way through. What I will sit here and say, however, is that we saw two teams matched up because, by no fault of their own, they were able to cruise through a flawed system on their way to the top while other legitimate contenders (TCU!!!!!!!) had to sit helplessly and watch. The end result was great but the ends don't justify the means.

All we can hope for now is: that all of the collective efforts that pushed for a playoff over the past year were not in vain, that despite this years exciting BCS finish, logic and common sense will compute to those who rely on computers to decide who the best team in the country is, and that we can all get our Wes Byrum on and kick us a field goal.

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Philly Phriday (1.7)


There's one thing on the mind of Philadelphia sports fans right now, and that's playoff football. After an exciting season the Eagles enter the playoffs after going 10-6 and claiming the NFC East. Their opponent, the Green Bay Packers, also went 10-6 and earned an NFC wild card spot. This game is between two dangerous offenses and in the end it'll most likely come down to which quarterback can make the least amount of mistakes.
The Eagles offense is notoriously dangerous, finishing the season second in the league in total offense, averaging 390 yards a game. Michael Vick has added a completely new element to the offense that makes it much more dynamic and much tougher to defend. Where the Packers are dangerous is their passing game - they average nearly 260 yards a game in the air, which is good for fifth in the NFL.
The danger of the Eagles offense is evident but their defense is quite the contrary. Only 10 teams gave up more points than the Eagles this season - 30 teams gave up more than the Packers. On paper The Packers are a more complete team so it'll be a question of whether the Eagles offense can make up for their defensive struggles - to do so, they're going to have to put up a lot of points. And although well-rounded, the Packers have a weak running game. Running back Brandon Jackson only has 3 touchdowns this year in 16 games played, so the Packers are certainly going to look to do damage through their passing game. The Eagles defense knows - Dimitri Patterson in particular - that they'll have to withstand the attacks of a pass-heavy offense. Knowing that Asante Samuel is a big time corner, especially come playoff time, the Packers will likely target Patterson and try to exploit him as much as possible.


All that being said, perhaps the most significant aspect of this game for Eagles fans is the fact that it's our first McNabb-less playoff game in 10 years. McNabb's likability got low towards the end of his stint in Philadelphia because he became known as the quarterback who couldn't quite get it done in the playoffs. He led Philadelphia to five conference championships games, winning only one. It was frustrating because he was good enough to get the Eagles into the playoffs on a consistent basis, but he wasn't able to get Eagles fans what they really wanted. Of course, you can't blame such losses on a single player, but the cornerstone of a successful playoff team is the quarterback. At this point, as for most of this season, Philadelphia has been ecstatic about Michael Vick. It's safe to say that the expectations for this team, as well as Michael Vick, at the beginning of the season were low. Yet here we sit at 10-6 preparing for the playoffs. The thing to watch for now will be whether Philadelphia fans will experience more of the "oh-so-close" result we've been subjected to and become accustomed to over past decade, or if we'll finally break through the barrier between almost winning and winning. We may not know the answer to this question for years to come, but Sunday we'll have an idea as to whether Michael Vick - the supposed savior of our team - will be able to do what Donovan never could.



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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

What Up Wednesday (1.5)

This week we have Canadian hockey fans, the Stanford Women's basketball team, Rick Reilly, The Beatles and Ted Williams. Also, some unlucky fans will receive the most dishonorable award in sports.


What Up Canadian Hockey Fans - Most American sports fans have no idea that the World Junior's have been going on for the past two weeks, even though the tournament is on American soil. This past Monday the US played Canada in the semi-finals in front of a sold out crowd in Buffalo, NY. However, it might as well have been in Canada because the crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of Canada. It was said that about 80% of the tickets for the game were sold to fans of Team Canada, and their support helped gain their team a berth in Wednesday night's gold medal game against Russia as the Canadians whooped the Americans 4-1. Canadian fans deserve the gold medal. I give credit to US fans who were there to support, but the apathy of most American sports fans and media earns them the dreaded negative What Up. So, it's Canada fans: 1 US fans: -1.




What Up Stanford Women's Basketball - In the last edition of What Up Wednesday the UConn women's basketball team got a What Up for setting the record for most consecutive wins by a Division I program. They did it just in time too because the Stanford Women's Basketball team put an end to the 90-game win streak by beating the Huskies 71-59 last Thursday. Both teams deserve a lot of praise and it'll be great for women's basketball if these two teams happen to meet in the NCAA tournament.






What Up Rick Reilly - Rick Reilly published a column that needs to be read by all those in and around college football - fans included. In the column Reilly vehemently denounces the BCS and its selfish motives while using common sense to portray the necessity of a playoff in college football. Oh, and he also calls out the President of the United States. This is an extremely important column about an extremely important subject by an extremely important writer - it needs to be read. So help spread the word and maybe one day we'll see an end to the bogus BCS.





What Up Beatles - As if the Beatles hadn't accomplished enough already. This What Up was a special request and it's certainly worthy of some praise. I think it's safe to say that every musician shares a desire to accomplish what the Beatles have finally accomplished. I'm not talking about a hit single, a best-selling record, a Grammy or an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What I'm talking about - what a musician really wants - is a comparison to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. That's right. Recently, LeBron welcomed the Beatles to the fraternity God-like super humans who can do whatever they want by comparing himself and his team to the Beatles. I'd be surprised if LeBron could name more than one album by the Beatles. Keep in mind that according to the Beatles, they were right up there with Jesus in terms of popularity, so if LeBron catches wind of that you'll want to watch in the coming weeks as LeBron may compare his team to the second coming of the Lord. And if that does happen, it'll be interesting to see if LeBron's head will be too big to fit inside an arena. Anyway, congrats Beatles. You made it!




What Up Ted Williams - This video went from 300 views to 8 million views in a single day. If you haven't seen it, take a look:



The break this man was looking for came as the Cleveland Cavaliers offered him a job doing voice-over work as well as a house. Reports claim that ESPN, MTV, and a few other companies have also offered him jobs. It's clear that he has made an effort to get his life back together and he's now getting the second chance that he has longed for. Not only does Ted Williams get a What Up, but so does the Columbus Dispatch, who put the video out and made it a story, as well as all of those who helped spread the word of this mans story.




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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Identity Crisis


Whatever happened to having pride in an identity? In sports, the ability to develop and maintain an identity is a hard thing to do but doing so creates a sense of pride for a program. It's an underrated part of sports that can go a long way in an organizations success, however in recent years there's been a noticeable spike in the number of teams trying to, "create new identities," which is code for, "we're terrible so we're going to change our uniforms and try to create some new excitement about our team." I understand the concept but I have a problem with teams doing this.

Imagine if there were a fighter who got whooped and had black eyes, cuts, etc. reminding him and others of how he got beat. Now picture him going and getting make-up so he could cover up his scars and wounds and create a new appearance so people wouldn't know what happened to him. Maybe not the best example but I think it illustrates my point. I wouldn't have much respect for a guy like this because he's essentially trying to hide what he is. Sports teams do the same thing sometimes. Its become a natural - almost instinctive - reaction recently for teams to attempt to change their identities after constantly getting beat on. The Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Capitals, Detroit Lions, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a few teams who, over the past decade or two, have changed their identities in hopes of sparking some success. I like to see if these changes make a difference, so let's break down the Detroit Lions' logo change they made before the 2009 season. The first thing I notice about the changes in the picture (courtesy of news.lalate.com) is that the new Lion is a little bit leaner than the old one. This change makes sense; what better way to fix your self-esteem issues and perhaps give yourself a chance to compete in 4th quarters-to-come than dropping a few pounds? The next change is one of posture. I may be crazy but the new Lion seems to be standing a little straighter compared to the old Lion who's slouching a little bit. It's good to portray confidence and puff the chest out a bit so this is a very important fix.The last significant change is that the new Lion has an eye and the old Lion didn't. I guess they realized that the lack of vision was quite an oversight (pun intended) and I'm sure they were convinced that this change would pay dividends.

I'm all for changing your identity, but don't do it by trying to hide what you are. The most notable teams in sports are the ones who have an identity through good and bad times - the Yankees, the Red Wings, The Canadians, the Lakers. Instead of hiding what you are, why not use what you are as motivation as well as a building block to get where you want to go? To go back to the analogy of the fighter, if I got beaten up badly I'd want to look at those bruises and scars everyday because they'd help motivate me and help me to become better.

Now of course some teams will change a logo just to spice things up, even if they're a successful team (for example, the Pittsburgh Penguins). However, a new logo doesn't mean a good logo, or a good team, or a good legacy. Winning makes a good logo. A legacy makes a good logo. Are you telling me that a four-leaf clover is a good logo? The only reason it is is because the Boston Celtics made it that way through years and years of winning. They took a mundane thing and made it a significant symbol representing success. You can take any identity and make it something great if you're committed to habitually reaching for the success you want to achieve.



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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

What Up Wednesday (12.22)

This week's edition features special teamsters, Heat coolers, Sid the Kid (yes, again), some girls who are really good at basketball and the big man in red. Enjoy!


What Up Kick Returners - This week was a big week for returners. We saw Devon Hester break the all-time record for the most returns for touchdowns in a career. We saw DeSean Jackson win the game for the Eagles against the Giants off a punt return with no time remaining on the clock. But perhaps the most entertaining return of the week was made by Dan Connolly of the Patriots. Never heard of him? Probably because he's always in the trenches. The 6'4", 313 lb. guard used his blazing speed to return this kick 71 yards. He wasn't quite able to heave his way into the endzone but it's still one of the best returns you'll ever see, and if you haven't seen it yet you need to:






What Up Dallas Mavericks - You broke the Miami Heat's 12-game winning streak on Monday night which everyone is happy about (at least those I've asked, who all seem to share a bond linked by a common sense of bitterness as well as a strong desire to see the Heat crash and burn this year), and you're now 2-0 against them this season. If only you guys played them 60 times a year... Plus, you're second in the West behind the Spurs.









What Up Sidney Crosby... Again - Last week your streak was at 19 games, and I figured it might be over by now but I guess I shouldn't underestimate the Sid. Your streak is now at 21 with a chance to extend it tonight against the Panthers. And congratulations, you now have another, perhaps even more noteworthy streak going with the most consecutive What Up's with 2. Oh, AND, you still have that dusty mustache. Lots of good things going on.



What Up UConn Women's Basketball - I'm not much of a women's basketball fan but this is a significant feat that may never be broken in Division I sports. With Tuesday night's win over Florida St. UConn hit 89 wins, the longest streak in Division I history, but perhaps even more impressive than the streak itself is the way in which they've been able to set this record. They've demolished nearly every team they've played on their way to win 89 (their average winning margin during the streak is over 30 points a game), and there's no indication that they're going to stop anytime soon. This record will most likely break 100, and while it's special for those who are currently on the team, it's perhaps even more significant for those who were with the team earlier to help build this program into the empire it is today.





What Up SANTA CLAUSE - We all know you've got a pretty busy week. I thought my shopping list was tough. Hopefully you're doing alright up there on the North Pole; just know we're all rooting for you! And since I gave you a what up maybe you could be a little extra generous this year... Just a thought.






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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Philly Phriday (12.17)


Every Friday, as the second of three new installments at The Show (the third of which will be coming very soon), is Philly Phriday. I recently commented that being a general sports blogger requires me to be objective, but Philly Phriday is an exception. This is the day that I get to praise/complain about my favorite teams, but there's not much to complain about this week if you're a Philly sports fan. Usually on Philly Phriday I'll zero in on one team or player, however this week is a special week so we're going to do a group post.

To quickly review this week: the Eagles beat the Cowboys, the Phillies signed Cliff Lee, the Flyers beat the Penguins and the Sixers won more than one game. All in one week!!! If gods of the sporting world exist, they really like Philly right now, for whatever reason. Philly fans need to recognize how significant this is and understand that Philly is one of the few premier sports towns in the whole country right now, along with Boston and maybe Chicago. When you have three out of four teams that are legitimate contenders it's extremely special because these times don't come around often. It's inevitable that this time will eventually pass, so savoring it is important.

Of course having good teams is always exciting, but Philly fans are bred to ask for more, and if you're like me you'd rather have one good team in your city win a championship than have three good teams that don't quite get it done. But I think Philly fans should be as hopeful as ever right now in the potential our teams have in winning us a championship. We saw the Flyers come extremely close to winning a Stanley Cup last year, and this year they look even better. The Phillies had a disappointing end to a great season but with the great offseason they've had they have our hopes up for another World Series title. The Eagles have proven that they're one of, if not the, team to beat in the NFC, which is extremely exciting for fans considering the expectations for this team weren't nearly that high at the beginning of the year. Philly fans love good teams, but they love championship teams more. I have confidence that at least one of these teams can get a parade back to Broad Street within the next three years. We had one in '08 but having more than one within a five year span would be amazing for the city and its fans.

So for the Philly fans out there, stay hopeful but also remember that what this city has right now is pretty special, and not many places can relate.

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

What Up Wednesday (12.14)

What Up Wednesday is one of three new installments (the other two will be coming to you very shortly) on The Show. The concept of What Up Wednesday is to give weekly doses of props to those in the sports world whose achievements deserve some recognition. Soon to be coveted sports honor sought by the world's top athletic figures, What Up's will provide an easy way to catch up on the good going on in the sports world. So, without further ado:


What Up Ruben Amaro Jr. Being a sports blogger requires me to be objective, so I need to make it clear that I'm not doing this because I'm a Phillies fan. I'm doing it because what Ruben has done can only be defined as a colossal achievement that will effect the entire National League for years to come. Phillies fans have spent the last year "what-ifing." Fans were greatly disappoint when the team traded Lee after the '09 season, but of course ecstatic about acquiring Roy Halladay. However, there was always that lingering question in the back of their minds that wouldn't go away no matter how well the staff pitched: what if we hadn't traded Cliff Lee? Now Phillies fans can rejoice because Ruben Amaro Jr. has ended the "what-if" days and spawned the "best-rotation-in-baseball-history" days. Cheers Ruben.


What Up Brett Favre. Brett gets two what up's this week. One for his amazing streak. No matter how much you hate the guy you have to respect what he has done. 297 games in a row in unbelievable. It's a record that may never be broken and the man's legacy will always be that of a warrior because of this streak. Although annoying, Brett deserves congratulations on this amazing feat. His second what up is for ending the streak. Yes, it's a great streak, but we've been waiting for it to end for years now, so thank you Brett. However, if you attempt to break your own record your What Up will be stripped.


What Up Sidney Crosby. You're in the midst of a 19-game point streak, during which you've acquired 38 points. Your team is 2nd in their division and 2nd in the NHL. And you lead the league in points (51) and goals (26). Oh, and you've done it all with a really dusty mustache. I'd say that just about does it.











What Up San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are the first team to 20 wins this year and they've only lost 3 games. The Spurs have shown that they'll without a doubt be contending for a ring this year. The biggest question with the team is whether they'll be able to stay healthy. However, they have five players averaging 12 PPG or more, so their offense is dynamic and they get contribution from more than one or two players.









and finally...




What Up DeSean Jackson. This celebration is - well, words don't quite do it for me. I just want to thank you.








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Identity Crisis


Whatever happened to having pride in an identity? In sports, the ability to develop and maintain an identity is a hard thing to do but doing so creates a sense of pride for a program. It's an underrated part of sports that can go a long way in an organizations success, however in recent years there's been a noticeable spike in the number of teams trying to, "create new identities," which is code for, "we're terrible so we're going to change our uniforms and try to create some new excitement about our team." I understand the concept but I have a problem with teams doing this.

Imagine if there were a fighter who got whooped and had black eyes, cuts, etc. reminding him and others of how he got beat. Now picture him going and getting make-up so he could cover up his scars and wounds and create a new appearance so people wouldn't know what happened to him. Maybe not the best example but I think it illustrates my point. I wouldn't have much respect for a guy like this because he's essentially trying to hide what he is. Sports teams do the same thing sometimes. Its become a natural - almost instinctive - reaction recently for teams to attempt to change their identities after constantly getting beat on. The Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Capitals, Detroit Lions, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Memphis Grizzlies are a few teams who, over the past decade or two, have changed their identities in hopes of sparking some success. I like to see if these changes make a difference, so let's break down the Detroit Lions' logo change they made before the 2009 season. The first thing I notice about the changes in the picture (courtesy of news.lalate.com) is that the new Lion is a little bit leaner than the old one. This change makes sense; what better way to fix your self-esteem issues and perhaps give yourself a chance to compete in 4th quarters-to-come than dropping a few pounds? The next change is one of posture. I may be crazy but the new Lion seems to be standing a little straighter compared to the old Lion who's slouching a little bit. It's good to portray confidence and puff the chest out a bit so this is a very important fix.The last significant change is that the new Lion has an eye and the old Lion didn't. I guess they realized that the lack of vision was quite an oversight (pun intended) and I'm sure they were convinced that this change would pay dividends.

I'm all for changing your identity, but don't do it by trying to hide what you are. The most notable teams in sports are the ones who have an identity through good and bad times - the Yankees, the Red Wings, The Canadians, the Lakers. Instead of hiding what you are, why not use what you are as motivation as well as a building block to get where you want to go? To go back to the analogy of the fighter, if I got beaten up badly I'd want to look at those bruises and scars everyday because they'd help motivate me and help me to become better.

Now of course some teams will change a logo just to spice things up, even if they're a successful team (for example, the Pittsburgh Penguins). However, a new logo doesn't mean a good logo, or a good team, or a good legacy. Winning makes a good logo. A legacy makes a good logo. Are you telling me that a four-leaf clover is a good logo? The only reason it is is because the Boston Celtics made it that way through years and years of winning. They took a mundane thing and made it a significant symbol representing success. You can take any identity and make it something great if you're committed to habitually reaching for the success you want to achieve.



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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Rings Go To the Vets

The culture of the NBA is built on a foundation of youth, flash, attitude and showmanship. The league thrives on excitement - huge dunks, alley-oops, buzzer-beaters, etc. However, despite these things being that which the NBA thrives on, to thrive in the NBA takes something else that isn't quite as marketable or exciting. If you look at some of the NBA's top teams - the Celtics, the Spurs, the Lakers, for instance - there's something they all have in common: a strong veteran presence. It's not something that you can teach and you rarely see it on the highlight films. The qualities in a player or team that the media values often differ from the qualities that truly make a player or team successful - and having veteran players with winning experience that play with these unnoticed qualities will carry a team much further than the plays you see on the highlight films.

The media tends to bend people's perceptions of what's important regarding a player. When you turn on Sports Center in the morning and watch highlights, you see the nicest plays of the day. Often times people will use these plays to determine a player's value, which often times will end up as a skewed opinion of how good that player really is. Instead of looking at dunks to determine a players value, look at a players ability to win games. Look at Andre Iguodala. He can jump through the roof and some of his dunks are staggering. However, he has shown over the past few years that he doesn't bear the abilities to win games or carry a team. However, the media would rather show Andre Iguodala jumping through the roof for a dunk during a 76ers loss than Tim Duncan hitting the same bank-shot ten times in a Spurs win. Can you blame them though? No offense to Duncan but he's boring, and always has been. More effective than anyone, but boring, and that's not a knock on Duncan, it's actually a compliment. He plays a simple and effective game. The point I'm trying to make is that the media can't always show what wins games because sometimes those things can be boring. However, they're significant and need to be recognized.

The top teams in the league have more than an ability to look flashy and make it onto the Sports Center Top 10. What makes great teams is their ability to be more than one-dimensional. Let's go back to the teams I mentioned earlier - the Celtics, the Spurs, and the Lakers - and recognize one particular stat that epitomizes why these teams are so successful now. The combination of Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and Pau Gasol are a +100, which is the best in the league as of Dec. 7th. The combination of Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Peirce and Rajon Rondo are a +77 at this point, which is the second best in the league. I think you know where this is heading. The combination of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Tony Parker, and DeJuan Blair are a +71 which is third best in the NBA. On top of that, these three teams have a combined six players in the league's top ten for individual +/-. It's no coincidence that these teams are amongst the best in the league. The +/- stat in basketball is extremely revealing. A player may average 20 points a game for a season but if he also averages a -5 rating, what does that say about him? It says that he'll get his points but ultimately his offensive ability isn't enough to benefit his team. It says that when he's on the floor, his team gives up more points than they get. The perviously mentioned Lakers combination is +100 through 20 games this season, which means they're averaging 5 more points a game than whoever else is on the floor against them. This tells me two things: the Lakers can put up points, and they can play defense. Many players and teams can only do the first, but it takes both to be successful in the NBA.

The +/- stat is among many other telling stats you don't hear about often mainly because they're not marketable stats. You'll never hear ESPN say, "tune in to watch the +42 Kevin Durant take on so and so." You'll hear, "tune in to watch points leader/ppg leader Kevin Durant take on so and so." That's what people want to hear and that's what's marketable. People want to see offense, flash - the things I mentioned earlier that the league has built a foundation on. However, to win, a team needs more. This is where it comes back to teams being experienced. Teams in this league need to have players that know how to win and that know how to play on both sides of the ball. Kobe Bryant is known as an explosive offensive player, but he knows how to play defense too, which is a big part of why he and the Lakers have been successful. They're at the top of the league again this year, and if this year's standings don't convince you of the need for players like this, let's take a look at who has won NBA championships over the last ten years: the Lakers have won five times, the Spurs have won three times, and the Heat, Celtics, and Pistons have each one once. Each of these teams had a core of veterans that played a significant part in them winning. I can't even think of a team who has won without such a presence.

We are constantly shown the flash but that's not what wins. It's the Tim Duncan's, the Pau Gasol's, the Kevin Garnett's - amongst many others - that win. These players know how to play in a way that will help their team's win, which is different from just getting 20 points a game. It's important to overlook what's shown to us on TV (namely dunk after dunk after dunk) and to instead look at what aspects a team has that makes them win or lose. The highlights are great but come playoff time they're not going to matter as it's the often unnoticed yet significant attributes a team can consistently play with, along with strong veteran leadership, that will carry teams to championships.

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Posted by Kyle Mountain at 2:52 PM 0 comments
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