the King is dead; long live the Cavs

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

Dan Gilbert, in his open letter to Cleveland fans.



[via Slate's Twitter feed]

The Prodigal Fan

In case you doubted the inherent and insatiable sociality of the human species, or, at least, will cheer for anything: Improv Everywhere's Rob Lathan gets "lost" at a Knicks game.

a prophet with honor in his hometown

Update: Well, gee, thanks, ESPN, for letting other websites embed your videos for mere moments.

LeBron James, messiah at 24. (Jesus at least had the good sense to wait until 30 before shaking things up.)

the Maddux of the hardwood

A little hagiography never hurts. Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball, explains why the Rockets' Shane Battier is perhaps the smartest, if not the best, basketballer in the NBA.

People often say that Kobe Bryant has no weaknesses to his game, but that’s not really true. Before the game, Battier was given his special package of information. “He’s the only player we give it to,” [Rockets GM Daryl] Morey says. “We can give him this fire hose of data and let him sift. Most players are like golfers. You don’t want them swinging while they’re thinking.” The data essentially broke down the floor into many discrete zones and calculated the odds of Bryant making shots from different places on the court, under different degrees of defensive pressure, in different relationships to other players — how well he scored off screens, off pick-and-rolls, off catch-and-shoots and so on. Battier learns a lot from studying the data on the superstars he is usually assigned to guard. For instance, the numbers show him that Allen Iverson is one of the most efficient scorers in the N.B.A. when he goes to his right; when he goes to his left he kills his team. The Golden State Warriors forward Stephen Jackson is an even stranger case. “Steve Jackson,” Battier says, “is statistically better going to his right, but he loves to go to his left — and goes to his left almost twice as often.”

Read the whole thing.

[via ALDaily]

Seattle sports and the end of a (really bad) dream

2008 is almost behind us, and with it, the worst year in Seattle sports history.

You know a city is having a bad year when its biggest fan is forced to draw inspiration from the possibility of watching Jose Vidro, Willie Bloomquist and Richie Sexson play the last-place Washington Nationals.

The thing is, though, Seattle's sports year isn't even that bad yet as Big Lo lies in the hospital with summer approaching. The Mariners aren't even halfway to becoming the first team to lose 100 games with a payroll of more than $100 million, nor have they fired their first manager of the season, let alone their second. The Washington Huskies have yet to suffer a single one of their historic 12 losses or fire their coach or get called for delay of game on their first play from scrimmage. (Delay of game on your first offensive play of a game -- how is that possible? What, did Kenny G play the national anthem?) The preseason magazines hitting the newsstands are picking the Seahawks to win the NFC West for the fifth straight year, not lose 11 games (and counting) on the way to saying goodbye to their coach, Mike Holmgren. And most importantly, the SuperSonics trial over their lease has yet to begin, so there still is hope they will remain in Seattle rather than move to Oklahoma @$&%ing City.

So it's probably best Big Lo finds himself in the hospital in June before the year really gets bad for Seattle, before the year repeatedly reduces him to tears and before he starts routinely asking, "Did we do something wrong?"

I can't say I've shed any tears--or punched any walls, for that matter--but I've learned to appreciate the works of Marcus Aurelius.

ill and tolerating it

1. The post-NBCT letdown, immune-system-wise, has brought a mild cold, my first of the year. Last night I tossed and turned, waking at 2:00 with persistent nasal drip and unable to sleep seemingly because I couldn't remember the author of À la recherche du temps perdu As a result, I spent an hour mentally listing every Frenchman I could remember. Descartes? Clouzot? Camus? Sartre? Montesquieu? Depardieu?) Eventually I hit on Marcel Marceau, which triggered Marcel Proust, and I was able to doze off again.

2. Schadenfreude.

3. Today's football regret: I'm not able to watch the CHS Cougars tackle East Valley. However, I'm going to polish my Mystery Science Theater skills, applying them to the so-bad-it's-gonna-be-great "Crapple Cup," which I predict will go to the Huskies. Later, thee Texas Tech / Oklahoma matchup promises to be excellent. Red Raiders by a TD. Update: Wow. The Huskies lose in double because of a bad kicking day; the Red Raiders get absolutely stomped on the national stage. Didn't see that comin'.

4. Since I so rarely engage in political advocacy, the potential attempt to classify bloggers as lobbyists didn't get too much attention from me. Maybe it should've. Campaign finance reform is about to enter the 21st century, and it's going to be messy. Thanks, McCain-Feingold, and all of your litigal children.

so long, Sonics

Oklahoma City gets: a new sweetheart.

Seattle gets: 45 million up front, maybe 30 million later.

Fans get: hearts broken.

Howard Schultz gets: one more chance to save the squad.





Sidebar: You're doin' fine Oklahoma, Oklahoma, O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A Oklahoma! (City.)

Added: Geoff Baker explains the upside.

in bad faith: more Sonics fallout

The Seattle Times' report on the latest findings from Howard Schultz's "Save the Sonics" lawsuit, among other things, shows a strange confluence of geography, sports, politics, and gay marriage:

While no major revelations emerged during his deposition, McClendon was asked about two e-mails that previously have not been disclosed in court filings.

The first e-mail came early last year, after controversy erupted in Seattle over large political contributions made in 2004 by McClendon and Ward to an anti-gay marriage political committee. News of the pair's political leanings didn't sit well in the Democrat-controlled Washington Legislature, which was then considering whether to fund the Sonics' Renton arena proposal.

Jim Roth, an openly gay politician in Oklahoma, offered to contact Seattle media to defend McClendon against accusations of being anti-gay.

McClendon encouraged that effort, but told Roth in an e-mail: "The reality is it just improves OKC's chances of getting them [the Sonics] here year after next."

Roth responded: "Yes, and then we all win."

"We," of course, not including "you," if you're a Seattle fan.

The article, must reading for anyone who cares about the Sonics, includes links covering the whole shameless debacle, a textbook example of disingenuousness, double dealing, and outright lying.

stop looking at the Jumbotron!

I watched a few games of the Celtics-Cavs series, interested mostly because my bro-in-law is a (now disappointed) Cleveland fan. LeBron James was incredible in games 3-7, but incredible wasn't good enough to win on the road.

One thing I noticed: NBA players spend an inordinate amount of time gawking at the Jumbotron. I started wondering if it affects their concentration. Consider this quote:

It wasn't Wilkins' day on May 22, 1988, even though he outscored Bird in Boston's 118-116 win over Atlanta at the old Boston Garden. Wilkins finished with 47 points, 16 in the fourth quarter, and Bird had 34, with 20 in the final period.

"I'm very aware of the game," Pierce said. "They don't ever let you forget it when you look up to the jumbotron."

Players are always checking the instant replay, the close-ups of the cheerleaders, the booing schlub in the nosebleeds, the opposing coach's pit stains... if I were an NBA coach, it'd drive me batty.

"Keep your head in the game," I'd tell 'em before the contest started. "Anyone who cranes his neck toward the television to check his style points on a dunk gets five minutes on the bench. Anyone who bets on that stupid boat/car/airplane race graphic sits for the night."

Could the JumboTron be solely responsible for the NBA's explosion of preening narcissism?

sports will break your heart

Item: ESPN takes a long-term look at the 2005 NFL draft, and finds many of its instant evaluations essentially worthless.

Who knew the 10th overall pick, wide receiver Mike Williams, was going to be a bust in Detroit, or that fifth-round pick defensive end Trent Cole was going to be a Pro Bowler? These twists of fate are what make the draft worth watching, but they also are why it's tough to tell how good a team did on draft day until three years later.

Arizona, Detroit, and Minnesota got hit the hardest. Fully a fifth of the class of '05 are no longer in the league.

Item: The Sonics' owners are weasels.

E-mails obtained by lawyers for the city of Seattle show Sonics owners were talking enthusiastically last April about moving the franchise to Oklahoma City — despite telling the public and the NBA they were still interested in keeping the team here.

The city cited the e-mails in a motion filed Wednesday in a New York federal court seeking to enforce a subpoena for NBA financial documents and other records.

But you already knew that.

Item: Nevertheless, hope springs eternal.

bless you, George Karl

I'm watching the Sonics-Nuggets shootout (don't ask), and happen to notice that former Golden Boy coach George Karl is wearing a green and yellow Space Needle tie. It's a calculated move, Jayda Evans reports. A silk slice of history. Classy and stylish.

(The photo is from back when Karl was coaching the Bucks. Hope to find a better one.)

finished, unfinished

Finished: Speech and Debate's run at state. Our top performer was Erik Luetkehans, who claimed 2nd in Humorous Interp with a nearly perfect excerpt from Larry Shue's classic The Foreigner. August Mattson, another junior, in his second mention on this blog, finished tied for 7th in Lincoln Douglas. Most of my team members are underclassmen, so watch out for next year.

Unfinished: Speech and Debate's postseason, since Masato Ulmer earned a berth in U.S. Extemp for the National Forensic League tournament in Las Vegas this June. Winner gets to face Teller (of Penn and) in a speak-off.

Finished: My NCAA bracket. That's what happens when National Board makes you put off and put off the more important things in life, so instead of ten carefully crafted masterpieces, you have one dashed off in three minutes. (C'mon, Butler!)

Unfinished: Speaking of, that National Board portfolio isn't getting any done-er. At least, not today.

Finished: The Seattle (Super)Sonics. They suck, and they're leaving, which sucks.

Unfinished: Tacky tie blogging for this week. Putting off important things, indeed.

Finished: This post.

NBA highlights, linguistic lowlights

The "Top 10 First Half Plays" selections privilege the game-winning three, and bookends with the future and the past of the Seattle SortaSonics.

I just hope all the malapropisms, like the horrific puns, are intentional.

in the spotlight

For one of my National Board entries, I have to videotape myself today, as I rove through class monitoring small group discussions.

Whee!

I'll post today's good-luck tie, and an update, and some random links, later on.

Update:
The videotaping went well, all except for the fact that my 8-a.m. shadow is entirely too prominent. Homer Simpson ain't got nothin' on me. The sound quality checks out, and I have 15 minutes of uninterrupted certifiable instruction worthy of Board standards. I hope.

Now, for the 12-page writeup.

Oh, links: I almost forgot the links.

The tie is here. The Gilgamesh Epic is vindicated here. MySpace sucks here. The Sonics suck everywhere.

I miss the good old days

When Joe Jurevicius helped crush hopes for the Seahawks, instead of helping crush Seahawk hopes.

When Ray Allen was a Sonic. (This Durant kid is great, but he can't carry the load.)

When the Sonics were a Seattle team.

When you could watch TV for half an hour without seeing Peyton Manning pitch Peyton Manning.

When the Seattle Sports Report kept it current.

Those were the days.

Stephon Marbury, zen master

Today's serious, important, weighty link of moral significance is to a video interview with Stephon Marbury, wherein the scholar/athlete tackles the complexity of Stephon Marbury. Favorite quote, about his rocky relationship with Kevin Garnett: "We didn’t go home and sleep in the same bed with each other... we played basketball."

NBA ref scandal hits home

Via the trp, the Blogging Ref describes some of the aftermath of the evolving Tim Donaghy scandal.

I'm looking over this post, and it doesn't sound like me. It sounds way darker than I normally do. I suspect by the time the hoop season rolls around this autumn, I'll be chipper again, and as the public's tiny attention span moves away from Donaghy, I'll feel better about putting on the stripes.

But not now. Not today.

Also, Bill Simmons has some words for David Stern.

Oh, and before I forget: don't bet on sports.

fun without the fundamentals

Enjoy David Roth's ode to the NBA's summer leagues.

Adam Morrison and J. J. Redick Watch: summer league wrapup

Adam Morrison is "on the hot seat," The Charlotte Observer reports. The new-look Bobcats just may be headed to the postseason, especially if Morrison can provide more consistent play.

John Denton is impressed by Redick's play in the Orlando summer league.

After playing his fifth game in five days, Redick opened up his arms and examined the dozen or so scratches on both of his arms. It looked as if he had just wrestled a cat -- and lost.

Orlando, especially new coach Stan Van Gundy, was eager to see just how tough Redick was, and he passed the test this week with flying colors.

Repeatedly knocked to the floor and roughed up by opposing guards, Redick kept on firing. He led the league in scoring (19.8 ppg.), while also averaging almost four assists a game.

His legs tired as the week went along, causing his shooting percentage to dip badly. But after scoring 30 points in the opener and displaying some gritty toughness, Van Gundy announced that Redick could most certainly challenge for the starting shooting guard job for the Magic next season.

Denton points out that Grant Hill's absence is largely what would give Redick the chance to start.

Potential starter with "gritty toughness." Not what you expected, eh, Charley Rosen?

Adam Morrison and J.J. Redick Watch: summer league, 2007

In the NBA's summer action, Morrison's been fine offensively, but, just like last year, has defensive shortcomings. Mike Schmidt writes,

With the added space of Sam Vincent’s offense, it will be much easier for Morrison to create scoring chances this season.

Defensively, Morrison pressured his man well on the perimeter, but struggled with the quicker Thabo Sefolosha off the dribble. [Defense] will probably never be a strength for the former Gonzaga stand-out, but you would like to see a better effort from him in this area.

Redick is tearing it up, reports John Denton:

A day after torching New Jersey's summer league team for 30 points, Redick showed more of his all-around skills Tuesday in the Magic's 88-65 whipping of Indiana. He scored another 17 points, but more impressively worked his way to the free-throw line seven times, corralled five rebounds and set up his teammates with six drive-and-kick assists....

His season high with the Magic this past season was 16 points, but he had more than that (18) by halftime Monday. Magic GM Otis Smith and new coach Stan Van Gundy are well aware that Redick can score from almost any spot on the floor, but they are watching this week to see whether he can defend well enough to contend for the starting job at shooting guard next season.