Rodman: LBJ 'average' if he played in '90s - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago

This must be the NBA equivalent of David Wells' assertion that Babe Ruth's stat line would be something like 15-75-.275. An average hitter. Both examples clearly demonstrate the pervasive and deleterious effects of alcohol, and God knows what else, on the brain cells.

I'm not the greatest fan of LeBron James, although he does appear to be maturing nicely, but this is just silly talk.

from ESPN Chicago:
Rodman: LBJ 'average' if he played in '90s - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago:

Dennis Rodman says LeBron James would be "average" if he played in the 1990s, and insists James' Miami Heat would be no match for his old Chicago Bulls team.

'via Blog this'

Miami Heat's LeBron James says he can relate to Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow - ESPN

From ESPN:
Miami Heat's LeBron James says he can relate to Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow - ESPN:

Strange that the two best comments about the Tebow craze have come from Ben Roethlisberger and LeBron James. Players get it. Better late than never.

""I can relate to him a lot. I see how the media plays it sometimes and how the critics go at him," James said. "To see him prove them wrong ... he continues to stay positive and move forward. You respect that."

In August, James came to Tebow's defense on Twitter during Broncos training camp. When several analysts criticized Tebow on ESPN, James wrote: "Tim Tebow will succeed in the NFL. He's a hard worker, a student of the game, a natural born leader and most of all a WINNER! It takes time and he'll be nice.""

Roethlisberger's quotes before the Pittsburgh - Denver playoff game:

"I don't think Tim's really calling ESPN and asking them to talk about him," Roethlisberger said. "I would assume his teammates understand it. It's a tough thing. It's the position we play."

Interestingly enough, LeBron took a drubbing among fans and some in the media for his stance.


From somewhere in the Twittersphere:
http://tsminteractive.com/lebron-james-tim-tebow-twitter/

Citing James’ own inability to win a championship and the way he fell apart while playing for the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals, Twitter’s version of the peanut gallery sprang into action.

A few examples:

ESPN’s Skip Bayless tweeted: “Can’t wait to talk about LeBron’s tweet about Tebow. If only LeBron could say that about himself …”

Chris Burke of SI.com tweeted: “Takes one to know … oh wait.”

And Fufu Pounder tweeted: “I wish I could say the same about U in 4Q.”

In a nutshell, without all the talk-show histrionics, here is the crux of the debate.

From YahooSports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_tim_tebow_broncos_steelers_suggs_elway010612

Earlier this week, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro pass rusher Terrell Suggs took some shots at Tebow on ESPN’s “First Take.” T-Sizzle expounded upon those thoughts during a phone conversation on Wednesday, saying he had nothing against the quarterback personally but felt that “he’s held to a different standard than the other 31 quarterbacks” in the NFL.

“I’m a Christian,” Suggs continued. “I have no problem with him being a Christian. But it’s like, you know, God forbid anybody say anything against Tim Tebow. Oh, we’re just giving him a hard time because he’s a Christian? No, that’s not it! We’re giving him a hard time because he went 6-and-22 for 60 yards!

“That’s terrible quarterbacking. Are you kidding me? Donovan McNabb had a game like that [early in the season] and got the hatchet. The hatchet! And we never heard from him again. And then Tim Tebow plays in a game where they need to win the AFC West, and he had a game like that, and we’re still talking about the Tim Tebow phenomenon?”

The MAJOR differences between the examples that Mr. Suggs cites are a) Tebow is WINNING despite his lousy stats and lousy mechanics, McNabb was not and b) Tebow is a YOUNG QB who is somewhat expected to have statistical ups and downs related to his youth and inexperience, McNabb was a VETERAN QB.

BIG DIFFERENCES THERE, CHIEF. But thanks for your insight.

When and if Tebow combine lousy stats with losing, Denver will pull the plug on him in a heartbeat or two. Rest assured about that my little Schadenfreuders. Until then, how about a healthy dose of STFU?

CONGRATS TO THE DALLAS MAVS FOR WINNING THE RIGHT WAY

MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND ANOTHER, BETTER CITY / TEAM / TEAMMATES, LEBRON!!!

This story is cool on so many levels. 

It highlights the humble, quiet, unassuming, unpretentious super-star who took the many career "wide rights" that have come his way and kept grinding and working with his teammates to make himself / themselves better within the context of a "real" team. 

Once again, LeBron reveals more about himself in defeat by shrinking in the big moments, playing small at the time a superstar of his "alleged" ilk should be playing big, and then lashing out at anyone and everyone within the sound of his voice in the aftermath. 

To all those LeBron supporters who seem to believe that everyone should climb on board and enjoy the ride that the Heat were supposed to provide to basketball fans of every stripe -- Stick it!! Not happening!!

When given a choice of a "lesser" opponent who does things the "right" way -- Mavs, Bulls to name a couple -- I will choose to root for that team over the Heat every time. That's not "hating" (the Heat), it's appreciating (the teams that do things right and persevere). 

Thank you for allowing those of us who admire the qualities that LeBron and D-Wade may never possess as teammates and players, the right and privilege to abstain from jumping on the overly self-indulgent, petulant, bandwagon that are personified by the Miami Heat.

from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-wojnarowski_nowitzki_mavericks_win_nba_finals_061311

"If I would have won one early in my career, maybe I would have never put all the work and time that I have over the last 13 years," Nowitzki said.

"It wasn't about our high-flying star power," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "Come on, how often do we have to hear about the LeBron James Reality Show? When are people going to talk about the purity of the game and what these guys accomplished?"

Forever now. Once again, James was an uncertain, uneven star with a championship on the line. He didn't play well in these Finals, and worst in the moments that the Heat needed him most. He didn't want the ball in the fourth quarter, passing it away as fast as it had come to him.

To hear James suggest that the world will have to return to its sad, little ordinary lives and he'll still get to be LeBron James late Sunday night was a window into his warped, fragile psyche. It was sad, and portends to how disconnected to the world he truly is.

"They have to wake up and have the same life that they had before they woke up today … the same personal problems," James said. "I'm going to continue to live the way that I want to live. … But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

There's nothing real about James' world, and never has been. He's a prisoner of a life that his sycophants and enablers and our sporting culture has created for him. He's rich and talented and something of a tortured soul. He's the flawed superstar for these flawed times. He's a creation of a basketball breeding ground full of such twisted priorities and warped principles. Almost every person who's ever had to work closely with him, who has spent significant time, who's watched him belittle and bully people, told me they were rooting hard against him. That's sad, and that's something he doesn't understand and probably never will.

When the game was over, his attitude was downright defiant. They had done enough to win, he insisted, and of course he was wrong.

Strange, but Chris Bosh knew the truth. When he talked about Nowitzki, you had to wonder to whom he was directing his words. "There's nothing extra. There's nothing super. [Nowitzki] was just himself. And in these situations, I think when you're yourself and you play your basketball, the best thing always happen.

"He's worked very hard, for a very long time and he deserves it. I think we can take a page out of their book and really just pay attention to people's work ethic and how much time they put into the game. Obviously, what we did wasn't enough."

It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great. -- Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own

LeBron James' Flop A Heat-Bulls Lowlight - The Deep Dish - SB Nation Chicago

SERIOUSLY. I agree with Mr. Smith. LeBron's newly adopted fans like Dan Leberetard can apologize for LeBron all they want, but it doesn't change the fact that the dude is 6-8, 255 and can't be touched. I'm sure Miami-fan remembers the Hack-a-Shaq days when Shaquille was just pummeled to death and got no calls. Now the referee pendulum seems to have swung entirely in the other direction.

Just one in a series of missed calls that changed the outcome of this game. Not the series, because the better, more complete team won the series. But the direction and ultimately, the outcome of this game was changed -- not by the players -- but by the referees. And that should never happen in a game of this magnitude, a season-ender for Chicago. The NBA should look at this crew very closely.


LeBron James' Flop A Heat-Bulls Lowlight - The Deep Dish - SB Nation Chicago:

"LeBron James' Flop A Heat-Bulls Lowlight
by Michael David Smith • May 27, 2011 8:18 AM CDT

If you don't want American sports to turn into European soccer, where players are embarrassing themselves with horrible acting and pretending to get hurt when their opponents haven't even touched them, then you didn't like LeBron James' flop on Thursday night.


James decided to pretend he was hurt after he grabbed a rebound. The Bulls' Derrick Rose stuck his hand in James' direction, and James' reaction indicated that Rose had poked him in the eye, but the replay showed that James had just done a bad acting job, and the referee bought into it, calling it a foul on Rose.

Frankly, James should be embarrassed, and the NBA needs to do something about all the flopping. Technical fouls and fines should be assessed to players who pretend to be hit when they weren't. For the sake of the integrity of the game, players can't go around faking injuries.

James is a great player, but on this one he proved that he was just a good enough actor to fool an NBA referee into seeing a foul that wasn't there.

The video is below."

Just Thinking....Random Thoughts

ROGER CLEMENS BACK IN THE NEWS:

Talk about hubris, pot meet kettle? A congressman chastising someone about hubris? And lying to the public? Are you kidding me?

Rep. Tom Davis from Virginia regarding the Clemens indictment.

"We didn't wish this on Clemens, I guarantee you. But there are people who think they can bluff their way through, and it's hubris. ... These matters are taken very seriously. We impeached a president [Bill Clinton] for lying in a deposition. Nobody's above the law, including the president and All-Star pitchers."

My only question is -- and continues to be -- where is the punishment when those in Congress lie to the public? Somehow, "see you in November" doesn't seem good enough for some of the crimes these guys have pulled off, but that's for another rant.

As we've seen in the Bonds situation, it's a long way from an indictment to a conviction. Never mind Bonds. How about the Blago trial up here in Illinois? The prosecutor promised multiple convictions and a virtual life sentence behind bars for Blago leading up to the trial and ended up going 1 for 24 in court. That's a .042 batting average if you're scoring at home.

Brian McNamee admittedly was not a very credible witness, but his story was supported somewhat by Pettitte. We'll see if that support holds as strong in a trial phase.

I'm a little concerned when I hear comments like those from a Buster Olney where he said with, no qualms whatsoever, that "once Clemens was named in the Mitchell Report, there was no way for him to clear his name". Case closed. That's not justice. To say nothing of the appearance at least that Palmiero, Sosa and perhaps McGwire either lied or obstructed Congress and walked away virtually unscathed. Not good for confidence in the Justice system, if that was the intent. It gets to the selectivity of prosecution question which erodes confidence.
------

TONY DUNGY CALLS REX RYAN OUT ON CUSSING:

And people go stark raving stupid. Especially Jets fan. If you really want to lose faith in your fellow man, read the comments section after some of these stories. I'm going to come down on Tony Dungy's side in most if not all comparisons with Rex Ryan. If Jet fan needs a second Super Bowl ring that bad, so be it. To compare what Coach Dungy is trying to do for Michael Vick versus his criticism of Ryan's behavior as justification for dismissal of Dungy's comments misses the point. It's the same point. Bad behavior. If you justify by matter of degree, I can make a justification for Vick by saying he didn't kill a human being, lay off him.

Rex Ryan is a tool trying to project an image of cool. To the extent that Roger Goodell has decided he wants to clean up the NFL's image and modify behavior of players on and off the field, it doesn't seem like a stretch for the leaders of said players to be held to some standards of behavior as well.
--------

OMG!! APPARENTLY SHE FOUND A TURKEY BASTER SUITABLE ENOUGH FOR HER HIGH STANDARDS!!

BILL SIMMONS PROVES ONCE AGAIN WHY HE'S THE BEST

In one of his more recent articles Bill Simmons bring it on.

A few theories to chew on

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100820

Not so much the Nolan Ryan - Robin Ventura fight theory, but further down, the Jennifer Anniston riff. I mean first off, a Jennifer Anniston riff in the middle of sports story. BRILLIANT. Because who hasn't wondered the same?

Chewed-On Theory No. 3: "Why can't Jennifer Aniston find a man?"

Point by point, cannot disagree and Simmons starts off in lawyer like fashion making his case.

On the surface, this has nothing to do with sports. Just bear with me. Aniston became an A-list star thanks to "Friends." When the show folded in 2004, unlike everyone else on the cast, she managed to remain an A-List star despite making the following movies.

Point by point, cannot disagree. Then comes the classic blast -- that you can only hope by the grace of God you are not sipping coffee at the time you read it -- because it pounds the point home in a way that only Simmons can.

Aniston's life resonates with that demographic better than anyone. Now she's 41, still hunting for a man, her ovaries rumbling like Earl Campbell, but we're all a little confused because … I mean, how could Jennifer Aniston, of all people, not find a man? How could someone that attractive need a friend to set her up on dates? What the hell is going on here? Is she secretly super-annoying? Is she terrible in bed? Does she have bad breath or bad hygiene? Are her standards simply too high? Does she still pine for Pitt and any potential mate can sense it?

...her ovaries rumbling like Earl Campbell.....WOW!!! I hope dude is not single, looking to mingle after a blast like that, because those kind of comments get around.
--------
JENNIE FINCH RETIRES FROM SOFTBALL

JENNIE FINCH ABOUT TO THROW ONE PAST A-ROD

It did not get as much play as it probably should have, but Jennie Finch retired from softball. She likely did as much or more for the growth of the sport at the youth and HS levels in recent years as anybody, for a lot of reasons. When she carried the torch for womens softball, the torch was in good hands. She will be missed.

------
JAY MARIOTTI, A CAUTIONARY TALE

Now the subject of tabloid journalism sensationalism and he doesn't like it. After years of being on the firing end of the firing squad, he and his ilk, have a problem with the process.

A process they helped to nourish, build and profit from, comes tumbling down on them. What's the proper term? Poetic justice?

http://www.tmz.com/2010/08/21/jay-mariotti-espn-sports-writer-arrested-los-angeles-felony/

Mariotti was arrested on a felony charge at 4:30 AM -- a police source tells us it is a domestic violence charge.

He was held on $50,000 bail and released shortly after noon.

Mariotti is a regular on the ESPN show "Around the Horn" and a writer for the popular sports website Fanhouse.com.

I'm sure this goes past guys like Mariotti, but I'll try anyway.


Matthew 7:1-3

1Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,
and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Like Yogi Berra once noted in comparing baseball to church, "Many attend, few understand".
----

Also prominent in the news, two young athletes, both early in the process of writing the story of their athletic lives. LeBron James and Tim Tebow.

YES, INDEED. WE ARE ALL WITNESSES.

But ask yourself exactly what are we all witness to? And where exactly are our eyes fixed?

LeBron James came to Cleveland with all of the following labels.

Chosen One, King James, Savior of the Franchise.

He leaves looking as if he believes the Cleveland franchise/owner treated him with the same lack of respect as that goofy JetBlue flight attendant.

Passengers say flight attendant Steven Slater was rude, and prompted the infamous confrontation with passengers. The Associated Press
WHAT A SURPRISE! HE LOOKS SO NORMAL!

A staggering fall from grace? Maybe not, when you come to the city billed as a Messiah and you leave delivering little more than that which was previously delivered by Craig Ehlo.

He and the Cavalier fans believed that he was chosen by destiny to perform a task that nobody else could perform. Throw in the hometown boy makes good angle and you have the all the ingredients for an epic movie.

The good fans of Cleveland are likely more mad at themselves for falling for the shlocky media (over)-hype that was the LeBron James experience than they are mad at LeBron James himself. So get over yourself LeBron, it's not always about you, dude.

They realize in hindsight that they were not only simply witnesses, but active participants in the (over)-hype, the false idolatry, the somewhat over-the-top hero worship and are slowly coming to their senses. I applaud their newly found wisdom.

By contrast we see how Tim Tebow handled his "exit" or last game with the Florida Gators. He chose the message from Hebrews 12:1-2 that includes the words "since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses" to pay homage to the fans who supported him during his time there.



HEBREWS 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

One of the prevailing themes from this passage is that we are all very much in debt to those who raised us, taught us, nurtured us and helped us get to our current station. The best way to repay that debt is to pass along the same kindness to others, to better the lot of those around us and help those less fortunate than ourselves. It is encouragement to remain steadfast in their mission with eyes focused on the ultimate prize and to persevere through patience, endurance and faith to victory. Tim Tebow gets it.

What LeBron doesn't get is that the greatest sin he committed against the fans of Cleveland -- and the franchise and his former teammates -- is that he did not return the faith that they so clearly placed in him, as the "Chosen One". He basked in all the glory bestowed upon him when times were good. But unfortunately, he chose to abandon ship once the going got a little tough and took his "talents" to Miami. In doing so, he proved himself unworthy of the titles bestowed upon him by the fans and the over indulgent media.

There is no doubt as to where the focus of a Tim Tebow lies. It is clear where his eyes are fixed and the story his life will tell. He has already proven that he is winner and a champion, on and off the field.

LeBron has his eyes fixed on what he deems his birthright, a championship. We are all "witnesses" to where a focus on that kind of self-entitled, self-interested, worldly pursuit has led him so far. I say good luck to you in your pursuit of a shiny ring, LeBron. It should be an interesting and cautionary story that your life will tell.

This is what Nike has "witnessed" so far about Mr. Tebow.

from St. Pete Times article:
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/is-tim-tebow-the-greatest-sports-marketing-machine-ever/1115036

Talk about Tebow to people who work in the overlapping industries of sports and entertainment and business and a handful of words and phrases keep coming up. Authentic. Sincere. Moral. Winner. Champion. Leader. Presence. Humility. Clean-cut. All-American.

"It's safe to say he's got unprecedented numbers heading into a rookie season," E-Poll president Gerry Philpott said of Tebow's current Q rating. Q in this case doesn't stand for quarterback. This Q rating measures a celebrity's overall popularity and appeal.

According to the Davie-Brown Index, he outranks Michael Jordan, maybe the most famous athlete in history, in categories like trustworthiness, compassion and sincerity, and it's not even close.

"He's got a unique background among athletes," E-Poll's Randy Parker said. "He's perceived as having high standards and a different sort of ethical stance than many athletes."

Good stuff.

Cavs owner puts Billy Goat style curse on LeBron

WOW!! Somebody is taking LeBron's decision to move to Miami pretty hard.

QUITTER...COWARD....JUDAS....NARCISSIST...CHILDISH.....Gilbert pulls no punches. And guarantees a championship in Cleveland before one appears in Miami. And he puts a billy-goat like Cubs-style curse on LeBron and the Heat to boot. Better watch out for those karma induced curses Bronny, they can be a beeyatch. Ask the Cubbies.

Careful about those promises made in the heat of an emotionally traumatic event, though. It seems as if many bad marriages start in a similar cauldron fueled mainly by hormonally charged, over-heated vows and proclamations. But good luck to you, Mr. Gilbert and your fair city.

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html

Open Letter to Fans from Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that's simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue....



Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner
Cleveland Cavaliers

UPDATE:

The definition of a narcissist is:

Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without the commensurate achievements).
Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance.
Requires excessive admiration.
Has a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations).
Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

LeBron looks like he's finally ready to leave home....How sad!!

There's not much more I can add about the faux-LeBron sweepstakes that will hopefully end tonight in a made for ESPN show/announcement.

Somewhere in Mississippi, fellow attention-whore Brett Favre is crying "WHY, WHY, WHY didn't I think of having my own show". Sorry, Brett. LeBron is smarter than you. Plus, he doesn't want any of the ESPN "reporters" stalking his house while he makes a decision. Smart move, LeBron.

The NBA has done nothing to prevent itself from becoming a glorified collection of AAU teams in this mess. In fact, they seem to revel in the attention. I guess any off-season publicity is good off-season publicity, but this takes the cake.

LeBron will go on national TV and explain why his loyalty to his home-town has limits. He has to get his ring. No matter how much he has to prostitute himself to do it.

Before you label him the greatest of all-time, let's remember that Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) took a near expansion Milwaukee Bucks team--that had only won a handful of games in it's history--and along with 4th round draft pick (that's right, FOURTH ROUNDER) Bob Dandridge and an aging HOF'er Oscar Robertson as his BIG THREE and won a championship in 1971.

Two years after he was drafted. Very under-rated superstar that Alcindor-Jabbar. And Oscar Robertson for that matter.

Now, these guys can assemble their own team like some drunken fantasy league GM, and expect the championship rings to follow.

Well, I wish the Big Three well in Miami. (if as I expect, LeBron joins Mr. Bosch and Mr. Wade)

Actually, I really don't. This might make me want to root for Kobe or Carmelo instead. How pathetic is that?

The only thing Miami will gain after these signings is the honor of becoming the city with the highest ratio of pole dancers and gold diggers per square mile in the country. If they didn't already hold that distinction to begin with. Good Luck with that LeBron.

Maybe Florida can balance its budget by enacting a pole tax.... ;)

PRESS HERE:
http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=rimshot&play=true

The Stanley Cup and LeBron in Chicago?

RESPECT THE CHIEF!!

It seems as if the Blackhawks are about to put the finishing touches on a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals by taking two road wins against the suddenly listless San Jose Sharks.

Dustin Byfuglein is an absolute BEAST!!

http://espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3070

I have not really been into hockey that much since the year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup down in Tampa. I thought it was very unfortunate that they did not get a fair chance to defend the title and further promote the sport in that area due to the lockout. This Blackhawks team reminds me of the Lightning, a lot of guys filling roles and meshing well together.

Combined with becoming the possible destination for one LeBron James, the Chicago market could become the center of the sports world for the next couple of years. Hopefully, the Chucklehead in Chief stays out of the negotiations for LeBron, given his track record bringing home the Olympics and all.

LEBRON AND DERRICK ROSE EQUALS CHAMPIONSHIP??

Now, if only the Cubs could provide some excitement on the baseball front, this city would really ROCK!! Maybe, I ask for too much.

ERIC BYRNES IS STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!

With the release by the Rays of Pat Burrell, I was reminded that "Pat the Bat" and "The Crash Test Dummy" Eric Byrnes were on my short list of free-agent signees for the Gigantes recently (after passing on Matt Holliday).

Considering that Burrell can't break the Mendoza line and Byrnes is playing beer-league softball, maybe this GM thing is harder than it looks and I owe Brian Sabean an apology?

HAHAHAHA, I must be high......I'd have to piss away a lot more payroll than that before I was in Sab's league. Approximately, the GDP of a small country.

FREE BUSTER POSEY!!!

IF...

SEE LEBRON, THAT WASN'T SO HARD WAS IT?

One of the more disappointing and disturbing events in the world of sports this week was the LeBron James non-handshake.

Yeah, just another example of a big-time athlete being perfectly able to handle victory, success and glory--remember the fuss over the last-second shot--but not being prepared to handle the agony of defeat that inevitably goes with it.

Shame on those unfortunate souls in the media who give a pass to LeBron on this one, ostensibly because he's always been so accessible and nice to them in the past. Sorry fellas, the King is a role model and his horrible lack of class, dignity and sportsmanship filters down to the younger levels who look up to him.

And as anyone who is involved with youth sports will tell you, the greatest poison at that level is the lack of grace, dignity and sportsmanship for fellow players coaches, officials which leads directly to the self-indulgent sense of entitlement that allows these kids to believe that the earth--and everything around it--revolves around them.

The evils that this leads to are at the root of many of the problems we see in big-time sports--like NCAA basketball and football--as well as the professional sports.

Yes LeBron you lost, you got beat up by an opponent and you shouldn't feel good about it. But boxers do shake hands and hug at the center of the ring many times to show respect to a fellow opponent and they are effectively trying to kill each other in the ring. So your "beating each other up" analogy hardly holds water.

You lost, which is bad enough. You compounded that by being a LOSER, which is worse.

Your off season assignment--read Rudyard Kipling's poem IF. Memorize it. Understand it. Write it on the blackboard 500 times if you have to.

Because until you get it Mr. James, you will forever be a Prince and never a King.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

WHY I CAN'T WATCH THE NBA - SORRY LEBRON!!!

LEBRON'S ROCK THE BABY WHILE TAKING FOUR OR FIVE STEPS ON THE WAY TO THE HOOP


It's clearly nonsense like this.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290104027

The first time I saw the move, I yelled "WALK!!" As I do numerous times whenever I am bored enough to dwell on an NBA game while channel-surfing.

Lebron, I know you skipped the virtues of college life to ply your trade in the NBA, but please tell me your high-school was at least concerned enough about you to teach you how to count to three before you left.
----------------------------
FROM THE ARTICLE:

Was it a walk? YES, YES, H-E-L-L YES!!!!

LeBron James wants the NBA to take a closer look at what he calls his "crab dribble." The move, James insists, does not constitute traveling. After they take this "closer" look, they should send an internal memo to all referees, all superstar players, all players who think they are superstars as well as coaches and owners saying basically:

"This is a travel, from the time they toss the ball up until the final whistle. Any referee that cannot stick to this standard will be terminated. Any player, coach, or owner who disagrees with the standard will be subject to standard penalties ranging from technical fouls for on-court behavior up to and including fines for childish comments and behavior after the game. Good day."

A referee disagreed Sunday. Good for him or her.

James was whistled for taking an extra step while driving for a potential tying layup with 2.3 seconds left, and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost 80-77 to the Eastern Conference-worst Washington Wizards despite wiping out a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

"Bad call," said James, who compiled 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. "We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game, and it was clearly a good play." Watch it ten more times, a hundred more times, a thousand more times until you understand. Maybe ask a Hall of Famer like Oscar Robertson to describe to you why it is, was and always should be a travel.

Without raising his voice or getting particularly animated, James dissected the game's key sequence in extensive detail -- even pointing out that he felt he was fouled as he released the shot, which went in. The foul occurred after the travel. We're going this way. Play.

His biggest beef, though, was with what he considered a misunderstanding of the way he moved to the basket. No, there is no misunderstanding. Unless it's on Lebron's part.

"You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high-step, but it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it -- and they need to understand that's not a travel," James said. "It's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done." I scoured the NBA rule for this "trademark play exception" that you speak of. Couldn't find it. Your logic is flawed. Just because it's something you've always done and gotten away with, doesn't mean it's legal. This is what is fundamentally wrong and somehow un-American about the NBA as currently officiated, that there is somehow a different set of rules for superstars versus "regular" players. When you say it "looks like a travel", you've made the case for me. There's a famous legal decision where the judge decided a case based on the logic "if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck....it is a duck" I apply that logic in this case. Next case.

Indeed, Washington's Caron Butler -- who scored 19 points and guarded James most of the game, including on that closing play -- remembers that same move, without an officials call, from one of the teams' recent playoff meetings.

"I definitely knew he traveled, but I didn't know they were going to call it," Butler said about what happened Sunday. "That was one of them situations in which a great player made a move, good officiating, and they called the call. And I was like, 'Oh, man, there is a God.' " As if I haven't provided enough solid evidence that the call was a good call, then the quote from Caron Butler seals the deal. This was such a good call that a Butler found salvation for his eternal soul. I'm sorry LeBron I understand your the King and all that but you've been trumped here by the Lord. Let it go, bro.

FROM THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DELAER:
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1231147927253670.xml&coll=2

"It looked like it could've been a travel," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It was a good aggressive move by LeBron, and the official made the call that he saw." Your coach is not even entirely behind you on this. That should tell you all you need to know.

And I'm not blaming LeBron for this, I blame the NBA, the referees who have let this gone on far too long. It's not fair to the legends who played the game for years and years before and compiled their records while performing within the context of the rules. (Sound familiar)

Why doesn't anyone step up and defend the Bob Cousy's, the Oscar Robertson's and all the other players who simply followed the rules, competed and didn't worry about "developing" trademark rules that are outside those that have worked for years and years?

That's what happens when you lower your standards. Now stop crying!!