Is The King Not Wearing Any Clothes??

LeBron James was flat out awful in last night’s pounding of the Cavs by the Celtics in Cleveland. There is no other way to describe it. Combining his lack of urgency with the pathetic play of Mo Williams and indifferent coaching of Mike Brown has the Cavs on the brink of elimination. To put last night’s blow out in perspective, consider the fact that while Michael Jordan may have had off nights shooting the basketball, in 179 career playoff games, his team only lost 3 times by more than 20 points. Only 3 times in 179 games!! Even when he was not shooting well, he managed to keep his team from being embarrassed through effort and anger.

That is the biggest problem I had with LeBron’s game last night was not his 21% shooting from the field but the fact that he only took 14 shots and he looked disengaged. Where was the fire or the effort or the anger from getting your butt kicked? When things didn’t go right for Jordan or Bird or Kobe, you saw the scowls come out and the abuse of teammates to drive them to play better. Where is that from LeBron? I would guess that he is angry with Mo Williams and angry with Mike Brown, but he definitely has not shown that outside of the locker room, if at all. Does he have the ability to get fired up and take it to the next level? We have never seen it from The King. Is that his kryptonite? The fact that he doesn’t have “The Scowl” or the fire to focus every ounce of his energy on winning a title and not to get distracted by his pending free agency or trying to be a global icon. We’ll see what happens in game 6 in Boston, but if he does not come out and dominate, it will be obvious that the King is not wearing the clothes required to be the greatest of all time.

I think the biggest reason that he was disinterested last night were Mo Williams and the poor coaching from Mike Brown. Mo Williams has been absolutely awful. Not only has he not been effective offensively, but the Celtics have decided to attack whomever Williams is guarding. He does not have quick enough feet to stay with Rajon Rondo, and Rondo blows by him regularly to get a lay up or shoots right over him if he falls back. When Williams switches on to Ray Allen, Allen immediately goes to the block and posts him up. He has been a huge liability on both ends of the court.

The other issue is the poor coaching from Mike Brown. If Shaq thinks that Stan Van Gundy is The Master of Panic, I can’t wait to hear what he thinks of Brown once he retires at the end of this season. Brown has looked more lost on the sideline than anyone in the ABC series Lost. His playing rotation has been sporadic and random, playing Daniel Gibson for the first time in the series in game 5, giving uneven minutes for guys like Jamario Moon, and trying Zydrunas Ilgauskas for short bursts. He has basically decided on his rotation using the theory: “Let’s throw this in bed with Madonna and see if she sleeps with it.” Not exactly a recipe for success.

The good news for the Cavs is that they are not done yet and have a chance to bounce back on Thursday night in Boston. If LeBron comes out with authority, and Mike Brown stays home, the Cavs will be in position to win that game (like they did in Game 3) and get game 7 back at home. But if the Cavs fail, Mo Williams and Mike Brown didn’t help King James on the court, so maybe they could help him off the court by packing his bags when he leaves Cleveland for good.

Is Brandon Roy Heroic or Too Risky?

Brandon Roy gave the Portland Trailblazers an inspirational lift on Saturday night when he made a surprise appearance in game 4 of their series against the Phoenix Suns. Roy has a torn meniscus in his knee that needs surgery and was not expected to be available for Portland in the playoffs. Yet Roy has conferred with the team doctors and determined that it cannot get worse by playing if he can play with the pain. In today’s NBA with the salaries that the players are paid, is Roy playing an act of heroism or an act of idiocy? I say heroism and any columnist that says otherwise is a hypocrite and just trying to stir up a story.

Everyone loves the story of Willis Reed returning to the court for the New York Knicks in game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals with a severe thigh injury and on one leg leading the Knicks to the title. The indelible image of Reed hobbling out of the tunnel towards the court gave the Knicks life and was a crushing blow to the expectations of the Lakers. Or more recently, remember Michael Jordan pouring in 38 points with severe hydration and the flu in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz? The image of Scottie Pippen carrying his teammate to the bench late in the fourth quarter will forever be ingrained in my childhood hoops hero images. There are just as many stories of NFL players playing through pain and injuries, including Brett Favre too many times to count, Ronnie Lott having a part of his finger severed off so he could play, and Terrell Owens playing on a recently broken leg in the Super Bowl for the Eagles.

The case against playing has one glaring example and he happens to be on the opposing team in this first round series: Grant Hill. In 2000, Hill finished 3rd in MVP balloting but injured his ankle with 7 days left in the regular season. He insisted on trying to play in the playoffs against the Heat, and thus began his odyssey of ankle injuries that would last for the following 4-5 seasons, and transform his game from a dynamic slashing franchise player to a complimentary extra. Roy is a young franchise player and if his knee is messed up for the long-term, it will completely alter the outlook for the Portland franchise.

As a result, there are articles out there and a debate on Pardon The Interruption and Around the Horn whether Roy is putting the long-term good of the franchise at risk. Yet what are his options? If he sits out, does he get the LaDainian Tomlinson treatment? Tomlinson was slowed by injuries in the 2007 and 2008 playoffs and took a tremendous amount of heat for taking himself out of a game that Phillip Rivers played with a partially torn ACL. So Tomlinson was soft for realizing that he was hurting his team by playing when he wasn’t able to make an impact?

Roy is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. If he’s able to give the Blazers an emotional lift by making brief appearances and doesn’t hurt his team’s chances, I am all for him attempting to play. What’s more, maybe he’s capable of making a play or two which can change the momentum and help the Blazers get past the Suns. I think it is heroic and Roy should be commended for his willingness to do everything he can to help his team win. I’m as impressed with Roy’s determination and leadership as I am with Kristin Cavallari in a bikini.

Tuesday Ramblings - Set Up For Failure

Maybe I should take it as a sign about the people that live in my apartment building. Or maybe like that ridiculous movie coming out “Hot Tub Time Machine” my elevator is a portal into “Crazy World.” Either way, I should know that when I enter my elevator with other people, it’s set up for failure. I’ve written in the past about the crazy old lady who didn’t want her cat to make any friends or hear that it was on its way to be put to sleep. I’ve also shared the elevator with a guy in a full “American Ganster” fur coat & hat – head to toe fur. Well yesterday I ran across another interesting person in the elevator. As I enter the building and head to the elevator, the slightly older woman (probably late 50’s?) is at the elevator already. I’m generally the type of person that doesn’t talk to strangers in the elevator other than a head nod with a smile and a slightly audible “hi” at most. Well this lady is looking at me and it’s obvious she wants to talk or at least say something. So what are my options? I’m trapped in the elevator with her and I can only stare down for so long while her look is burning a hole in the side of my head. So I look up and casually mention something about the weather warming up. And then the craziness begins………..she starts in on how it’s the brightness, not the temperature that makes her happy every morning. She can handle cold weather if it’s bright out and the sun is shining. It just makes her feel better and she’s a happier person and her bird sings prettier when the sun is out, and on and on. I immediately regret my decision to make an innocent comment about the weather. Thankfully we get to her floor, and she steps out and the door finally closed. All I could think to myself was, “Well, that’s what you get for talking to people in the ‘Portal to Crazy’ elevator.”

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People continue to talk about whether the NHL will be able to parlay the success and interest in Olympic hockey into an increase in fans for the sport. It won’t. Unfortunately for the hockey players, while the other Olympic heroes like Lindsey Vonn (debatable, but she has good management), the figure skating guy – Evan something? – and the others are all on the talk show tour for the next week and securing endorsement deals, the hockey players are right back to work. Ryan Miller doesn’t have a chance to sit down with Jay Leno or Jimmy Kimmel and wear a Canadian tuxedo, or a mounty costume to settle a bet. He has to get ready for a rematch with Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The NHL is using the Olympic success to set itself up for disappointment.

In addition, it wasn’t the hockey that drew us in. If it was the US versus Canada in the curling gold medal match, the ratings would have been similar. It was the border battle in an event where they were on the field/ice/court at the same time (unlike skiing, bobsledding, skating, etc) in a sport that is among the competitors – along with NASCAR, soccer and golf – for the #4 sport in America. We were watching for national pride and rivalry, and not for hockey. Just like we are going to watch the newest Dancing With The Stars because of Erin Andrews, not because of the dancing. And Andrews appears to be the favorite to win considering she was a dancer in college – not a pole dancer, sorry – and she’s up against people like Pam Anderson, Chad Ochocinco and Buzz Aldrin. Yes, the 80-something year old Buzz Aldrin. I hope they have a defibrillator on set.

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Michael Jordan is in the process of finalizing his majority ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats. Should the people of Charlotte be excited or fearful? I think Jordan is setting the Bobcats up for continued disappointment. After cementing his place as the greatest player to ever live during his time with the Chicago Bulls, his post-Bulls career has been…well…basically a clusterf#ck. He returned to play with the Wizards when it was obvious his skills had withered and his body didn’t have the burst he needed. He then moved on to the Wizard’s director of player personnel, where he drafted Kwame Brown with the first pick and five years later took Adam Morrison with the third pick. He was fired and bought a part of the Bobcats. He brought in his friend Rod Higgins as the GM, and hired fellow Tar Heel Larry Brown as the head coach. He was regularly accused of being absent from the team and having a lack of interest. And now he’s taking a majority owner position?

Does Jordan really want to be involved in basketball or does he just not know what else to do? He has enough money and freedom to live on an island and never have another worry in the world. It seems like MJ wants to get away from the game, but that competitive nature and fire that drove him to be the best ever flares up every once and a while and he finds a way to get back into the game. Then once he’s there, he realizes why he left and doesn’t have the dedication to go through with it.

It’s a strange place for Jordan to be – unlikely to succeed. Look at past stars that went on to the front office and it is littered with failure: Wes Unseld, Elgin Baylor and Isiah Thomas. Brooklyn Decker is a great swimsuit model. Does that mean she can act? We’re going to find out as she has been cast in her first movie.

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Syracuse ascended to the #1 ranking this week for the first time since the 1989-90 season. In that season, they had Derrick Coleman, Sherman Doughlas & Billy Owens but the top ranking was just a set up for failure in the tournament against Willie Burton and Minnesota. Consider this a teaser for tomorrow’s article……it will be a Wednesday Ranking for college basketball linking in 1990. 1990 was the year when mall hair was in, Quantum Leap was a top television show, Kathy Bates won an Oscar for best actress in Misery, and the Dow was at 2,600.

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Degenerate Friday - NBA Dunk Contest?

Now that the football season has officially ended, Degenerate Friday needs to find other things to bet on. And as I covered a few weeks ago, the way to make money in college basketball is on the smaller conferences with less available data. I’m not going to get into discussing those games because let’s face it, as soon as I start mentioning the Ivy League, I start to get sleepy, so I’m sure you do as well.

I was boarding a flight to Milwaukee to help my sister move (at least it’s my sister and not Keith Hernandez asking me to move) and Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets was on my flight. We chatted very briefly while we were boarding the plane, asked him how his injuries were (he’s sore but feeling pretty good), asked if he was headed home to see his family (a quick stop before going to Orlando for some sun over the All-Star break), and I wished him well for the rest of the season. While he’s still thin, he definitely has bulked up some since his days at the Kohl Center in Madison.

It got me thinking about the All-Star break, and what used to be the greatest night of the NBA season – All-Star Saturday Night – when all the best talent in the league would compete in the 3-point shoot out and the dunk contest. I remember hanging out at my buddy Sally’s (a guy – nicknamed Sally as a mocking of his manhood. He calls my Nancy) parents house eating pizza, listening to his dad pass gas and watching the festivities. Those were the days where the biggest stars – Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, etc. – competed in the events. And while the dunks may not have been quite as high-flying back then, they were extremely majestic and powerful. Check out these Jordan highlights:

Being that we have to bet on something over the weekend, let’s take a look at the contestants in this year’s competition and where we should bet. Below are the odds I could find from bodog.com:

Dwight Howard (Orlando): 20-31Rudy Fernandez (Portland): 13-4J.R. Smith (Denver): 7-2Nate Robinson (N.Y. Knicks): 19-4

The biggest factor to consider for this year’s competition is that part of the judging will be done via text message. That has a huge benefit for Rudy Fernandez who may secure all of the European text votes. Spaniards are big on hoops and definitely would take some pride in having one of their own bring home a dunk crown. It would also continue to improve the perception of the foreign-born players as more than just finese jumpshooters.

Dwight Howard is the overwhelming favorite with his Superman persona and big smile to sway the audience. While his athleticism is impressive, for me, the fact that he’s a 7-footer just kind of diminishes all of his dunks. He’s already closer to the rim than any of us, so he should be able to throw down nasty dunks, right? So then I should probably go with Nate Robinson as the shortest contestant at somewhere around 5’9”, right? While I like the “Krypto-Nate” routine that he pulled, I can’t see him pulling enough of the text votes, particularly from Europe to come away with the win.

J.R. Smith has the ability to win this contest, as he has the perfect combination of insane hops, size to make the aerial displays look impressive, and craziness to try any dunk. The reason he won’t win? Who knows who J.R. Smith is outside of Denver? No one. There will be very, very few overseas texts voting for the tattoo’d guy who looks more like the black guy on Scrubs than he does an NBA player. He also strikes me as the guy that will try to do something so insane that he misses and gets eliminated because he keeps missing.

So where do we bet? I think the best value lies with Rudy Fernandez. At 13-4 odds, it’s a decent pay day on a guy who can throw down and has European support. It also helps the NBA increase its global presence by being able to promote another of its foreign-born players as an up-and-coming star on an up-and-coming team in Portland. Then again, others that have won the contest include JR Rider, Desmond Mason and Brent Barry. Being dunk champ didn’t exactly boost their careers.

All that said, if Dominique Wilkins, Shawn Kemp (before he pulled a Kirstie Alley) or Kenny “Sky” Walker entered this year’s competition, I’d bet on them.

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Have you ever heard the phrase “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”? Pretty sure John Mayer should have that tattoo’d on both of his hands, Sarah Palin-style, as a constant reminder. In one interview with Playboy he proved beyond a doubt that some long, wavy hair and the ability to play the guitar are all it takes to get laid by some of the hottest women in Hollywood. He managed to call his junk racist, dromb an “n-bomb” and complement Jessica Simpson’s ability in the sack.

He then backpedaled faster than Deion Sanders in his prime, arguing that he should have known that he wouldn’t be able to “intellectualize” his use of such a derogatory word. John, you may have a way with words with bimbos, but you did a hell of a job of making an ass of yourself. It doesn’t even matter what your intentions were – you just have to be smarter than that to know that it’s a lightning rod that you don’t want to be anywhere near.

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Last add: Yesterday was the 20-year anniversary of Mike Tyson getting knocked by Buster Douglas in Tokyo. I think sometimes it’s hard for those that are too young to have been around when Tyson was the most feared man in the world. Now he’s only known as this complete lunatic who does a great karaoke of Phil Collins and has a tattoo on his face. Back in the day he was among the biggest stars in the entire world and opponents were generally scared out of their minds before the fight would even begin. Just watch the highlights

Quick Hits

Quick Hits on some of the stories in sports…..and a reminder to come back tomorrow for a full breakdown of the Super Bowl matchup and it will be Degenerate Friday with my pick for the Super Bowl.

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The NCAA is meeting and considering expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams. Worst idea since overpaying the cast of Jersey Shore for a second season. Listen, we all enjoyed watching these people sink to new levels of self respect and live up to every stereotype of the Jersey Shore. But what are they going to do in the second season? Get drunk, get in fights, and hook up with some of the ugliest people to ever grace our television. That’s already been done during the first season, so my guess is it will get old quickly. And are we really connected to the cast of the first season? The Situation brought us a great nickname, Ronnie is a monster you don’t pick a fight with, and J-Woww encourages wearing as little clothes as possible and those little clothes better have holes or be ripped. Yet there are a ton of people on the Jersey Shore just like them. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, college basketball……..

Expanding the tourney is an example of the people believing that because A was successful, let’s just do more of A. It doesn’t work that way. If the tournament is expanded, it will be completely watered-down and the opening round games will not have the compelling storylines and upsets that make the tournament what it is. It is among the most loved sporting events in the country – even your girlfriend who doesn’t follow sports fills out a bracket and watches the games. Do we really need the 9th or 10th place team in the Big East in the tournament? Or the 3rd place team in the MEAC? That additional round of games will be as successful as when they expanded the tournament to 65 from 64 a few years ago. NO ONE watches or cares about the “opening round” or “play-in” game. Expanding the tournament to 96 teams would create an entire round of play-in games that no one will watch.

And I’m not even going to get into the whole gambling aspect of expanding the tournament. The opening Thursday and Friday of the tournament in its current format are the greatest two gambling days in the world. Let’s not mess with it.

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Yesterday was national signing day for college football players. Did you miss it? If I’m a Florida fan, I’m supposed to be excited for what yesterday means 3 years from now? That is assuming that Urban Meyer doesn’t keel over from not taking care of his health, less than half the players avoid getting arrested, another third don’t get injured, and finally that they actually live up to their hype. That’s quite of bit of uncertainty to worry about.

On top of that, the whole ranking of recruits and recruiting classes are self-fulfilling circles. A player is highly rated because he is being recruited by top schools like Florida, Alabama or Notre Dame. Then those schools get highly rated recruiting classes because they get the highly rated players (who were highly rated because of where they were recruited).

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Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant both reached impressive milestones this week. Kobe became the third-leading scorer all-time for the Lakers franchise and Phil now has the most wins as coach in franchise history. Both feats are impressive given that the Lakers franchise is the most storied and dominating franchise in basketball.

Kobe is the best player since Michael Jordan, and although he may never become the Lakers all-time leading scorer – Kareem played 400 years – he may be their best player. He is more clutch than anyone since Jordan and he has been intelligent enough to evolve his game from high-flying rim-crashing to a deadly accurate jump shooter. He has 4 titles, including last year on a team very much like those Jordan won with – surrounded by solid but not spectacular players. Speaking of Jordan’s teammates – this shirt is amazing (via The Big Lead).

Phil has had the benefit of coaching both Jordan and Kobe which obviously helps drive him to be the winningest coach for both the Bulls & the Lakers. Yet Phil has also been able to manage a diverse group of players, including Dennis Rodman, Ron Artest and Shaq. Yes, he has the players, but he has made sure the talent works together to be successful.

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Miller Lite is holding an auction where you can bid on Barry Sanders coming to your house for a Super Bowl Party on Sunday. Seems kind of strange. Yet that just made me look up some highlights from his career. This will be the most entertaining 4 minutes of your day today, guaranteed. I started noting my favorite runs as I was watching it, and stopped after the 5th time I scratched out my writing because I thought “wow, that one was his best run” only to have it topped by the next one.