The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As a sports fan, we all know that it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the years as we root for superstars, underachievers, and overachievers that suit up and wear the same colors that most of us are willing to proudly display somewhere in our everyday life. But whenever you boil everything down, it usually falls into one of three categories. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Watching the NBA draft lottery in 2008 as my beloved Chicago Bulls lucked into getting the 1^st overall pick and thus being able to select hometown boy Derrick Rose is a great memory. Finding out about Darryl Kile’s death back in 2002 was one of the worst moments I’ve been through as a sports fan, and it doesn’t get much uglier then Rex Grossman being your quarterback when your team reaches the Super Bowl for the first time in your lifetime. But yesterday was one of the most unique days I’ve ever had as a sports fan, and this is why.

First things first, the good. The Cardinals were down 1-0 to the hated Brewers but Albert Pujols showed why he’s the best player in baseball and why if anyone isdeserving of a $300 million dollar contract, it’s him. He finished the night with 3 doubles and a home run to bag 3 runs and 5 RBIs as the Cardinals won in Milwaukee to even the series up 1-1 as it heads to St. Louis tomorrow tonight.

The bad was that I stayed up to watch my Bears get gashed by Calvin Johnson early and Jahvid Best late as the offensive line was busy either committing 9 false starts or giving Jay Cutler no time to throw. Cutler and Forte looked great and if the Bears had not committed so many costly penalties and been able to keep from giving up the big play (like the Cover 2 is designed to do) they probably would have won the game. Instead they fall 3 games behind the Packers and Lions and are left with huge questions about what they need to do going forward.

And the ugly was the inevitable but painful news that the first two weeks of the NBA season had been lost. I’m going to be writing more about this obviously because I’m such a huge basketball fan but I couldn’t help but feel the sting whenever the news became official. More is going to get canceled, possibly the entire season, but the lockout is finally really sinking in. I was only 10 when the NBA lost games before so this is the first time I’ve really experienced lost games (I’m not an NHL fan) and let me tell you, it’s ugly.

As a sports fan, you expect a lot of ups-and-downs throughout not just the years but from game-to-game and quarter-to-quarter, or inning if we’re talking baseball. But yesterday I was taken on quite possibly the biggest rollercoaster of my sports life, getting jam-packed with all three emotional trips from my three favorite and most closely-followed teams all in the span of a few hours. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take some Ambien and get some rest, I don’t think I can handle another night like that for a while.

Extra Credit: Derrick Rose's Awesome New Commercial

I love his new commercial, especially since the two guys on the horses represent the Magic and Celtics while the matador I'm assuming represents the Heat.

Extra Credit: Carmelo's Coming Home

Today I've actually got two videos to post. The first one is the commercial that was played before Carmelo Anthony's first game as a New York Knick and the second video is a fan made version of the same commercial, only using clips from Carmelo in a Knicks uniform. Both are excellent and if you're a huge basketball fan like myself, probably gave you goosebumps the first time you saw them.

Is Going Overseas Hurting the Players?

With Deron Williams officially signing a contract to play over in Turkey, Kobe looking for a million a month to join him, and multiple other players at least pretending to be considering going overseas, there is less talk about the NBA lockout and more about which players are going where. As an avid NBA follower I've been paying close attention and I can honestly say I've heard more about players attempting to find insurance for playing overseas then I've heard about what kind of progress Hunter and Stern have been making behind closed doors.

The optimist in me wants to believe it's just the fact that there aren't nearly as many leaks inside the meetings for the NBA as there have been for the NFL but I think what it boils down to is that basketball players have options while football players can't really switch from league to league without it hurting their performance once they come back to the NFL. No matter the reason, it is very likely that Deron Williams and at least a few other stars will be suiting up overseas for at least a few games while they try and find a way to work out a new CBA.

Other then that though, there has been a serious lack in NBA news but one little argument that has been going on between writers is that players going overseas might actually hurt the union in their efforts to get what they want added into the new CBA. The reasoning behind that stance is that if the players are willing to go overseas for such low salaries the owners will see it as proof that NBA players would be willing to agree to a huge slash in salaries on this side of the pond just to be able to play basketball in their home country.

And although they have a good point and certainly the viewpoint the owners are going to take I just think there are to many variables that the people with this line of thinking aren't taking into consideration. The contracts that the players are looking for include an immediate out clause in case the two sides can settle their differences and an NBA season happens this year. Call me crazy, but I don't think anyone is going to get top dollar if more then likely they will be bolting maybe a third of the way into the season.

But for now that's what news for the NBA is going to be about. Instead of trade rumors and free agent speculation we're going to be hearing about who is thinking of going to place overseas and which side has more leverage. And if you're in the 13-23 age group like I am this is one of the lowest times ever as an NBA fan, mostly because this past season was probably the most entertaining regular season any of us have ever been able to follow as it happened. So instead of the NBA riding that momentum they are going to probably cancel the first half of the season. The situation is so dire that the two sides aren't even having meeting and that can only be bad news for everyone involved. At least the owners and players can each point to different things they have leverage with as they dig in for a lengthy lockout, we as fans have nothing to cling to really at all.

Yao Ming Deserves a Spot in the Hall of Fame

Reports first came out that Rockets center Yao Ming was going to be retiring from the NBA on July 8^th. Though Ming and company have denied those reports, he has scheduled a press conference for the 20^th to discuss his future as a basketball player. After numerous injuries throughout the past 6 years, it's looking more and more likely that he's going to be hanging up the high tops. The more I keep thinking about his career and what he has meant for the sport, I keep coming back do the same question. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame?

Now before you roll your eyes and move on, you have to remember that it is not the NBA hall of fame, it's the basketball hall of fame. There are college players, international stars, and WNBA players all enshrined so you can't just take what happened in the NBA into consideration, you have to judge the player over his entire career. And while Yao never had the chance to dominate the NBA because of his feet, he did have enough time to show us just how talented he was before he came over.

But the real reason that Yao deserves to get the call is because of everything he has done in terms of exposure for the NBA in China. He has done more for the popularity of the NBA then anyone since Jordan hung up his sneakers in favor of golf cleats. Add that to the fact that he was on his way to being an elite center in the NBA, was an international level elite center, and showed enough pride to rush back from injuries to play for his country and thus shortening his career, I think he deserves at least a spot. Maybe he isn't a first ballot guy and maybe he isn't in the very top echelon of players all time, but no player meant more to the sport's growth these last few years then Yao and in a 1000 years, I think that is something worth remembering.

The NBA Lockout Looms

When July 1^st hits it is looking more and more likely that the NBA owners will end up locking out the players. I wrote something last week about how I think it will end up getting worked up but this is about what is actually happening right now, not what I'm thinking and hoping will happen three or four months down the line. And what is happening right now is the owners are attempting to scare the players into giving in before the deadline by threatening to push for a $45 million hard cap and to eliminate guaranteed contracts. While I don't see either of those things happening, if the NBA is really going to be narrow-minded enough to not give in on those points, we are looking at a lost season.

Do I think that we are going to be without basketball? Before I read about that I would've bet my house on not missing any games in this next season. Now I'd still probably bet a paycheck or two on that fact, I'm not nearly as sure as I was just 2 hours ago. The league had a strike shortened season less then 15 years ago so it isn't out of the realm of possibility that come Halloween the only NBA players we'll be seeing will be knocking on our doors hoping for candy and not pencils and apples. And before anyone goes and compares this lockout to the current NFL one going on, let me point out the biggest difference. The NFL is making money, the NBA is losing it.

What that means to me is when the NFL gets to the point of losing games, more then likely they will suck it up and get something done so that the money making machine of professional football doesn't risk getting off the tracks. To hell with the rookies who are basically getting a wasted season because they can't meet with coaches and learn the NFL system and thus are stuck waiting until next off-season before they can really get the one-on-one work that they need as young players, they need to figure out how to split $9 billion.

The NBA though needs to figure out a way to protect their owners from themselves and in the grand scheme of things, that is more important to them then this season. It would be a tragedy for them certainly with the NBA on the heels of it's best season in a decade and with more stars then you can shake a stick at, but sometimes tragedy is necessary. But at least I get this lockout. It isn't two groups grabbing for as much cash as they can get their hands on, it's one group with a serious problem and both groups wanting to find a solution to keep things going along without a bump in the road.

I really do believe that it is going to come down to some form of revenue sharing. The players have said they are willing to come down from their 57% of profits that they get, but you can't expect them to keep taking pay cuts and losing other benefits like guaranteed contracts and a soft cap without looking at the big market owners like the Lakers and Knicks and asking them to chip in to help out at the same time. But it's looking more and more likely that instead of watching Chris Paul throw alley-oops we're going to see Sportscenter lockout highlights of guys in suits. And if that is still happening when it starts to cut into the actual season, it will be a damn shame.

Why Derrick Rose Is Staying In Chicago

Now that the reigning NBA MVP resides in Chicago instead of Cleveland the Bulls fans have been hearing at the water coolers and on the message boards about how he'll be the next hometown MVP to be leaving for greener pastures. The thought process is that the Bulls have committed so much money to Boozer/Noah/Deng that Rose will eventually want to go and play with other superstars like the Miami Trio or Carmelo/Amare/Star to Be Named Later. But Derrick Rose isn't LeBron James and even though there are some valid concerns, hopefully this will ease a mind or two on the future of the Bulls.

Unlike LeBron, I really believe that Rose has that old school superstar mentality of being the star and going to war with your own guys instead of teaming up with other stars. With Dirk and the Mavericks beating the Heat and winning the NBA title, it shows that the way of one superstar surrounded by players who can compliment that star is still a formula that can win a title. While I'm sure that the Heat will eventually win at least one title and if the Knicks add Chris Paul or Deron Williams they will probably win at least one in the next 10 years too, I fully expect the Thunder and the Bulls to both at least win a title also. Taking that and adding it to the fact it's going to be much harder to get three superstars on one team (most likely) and the point that Rose will have to find himself on a team with other transcendent players isn't valid.

Another difference in the situations is that Derrick Rose has never been shy about the fact that he is from Chicago and that is his hometown. LeBron James has always called Akron home and whenever he left for Miami he was quoted as saying that Cleveland wasn't his hometown, Akron is where he is from. I'm not faulting LeBron for that so much that I'm pointing out that Rose is from Chicago, not a nearby area. This is his team in his city and he won't ever be telling the fans that he's from Gary, Indiana.

He's also humble. Once again, while LeBron will have a bad game and tell people that we take his talent for granted Rose has repeatedly tried to take the blame for losses and pass on the credit for wins. Personally, I think the difference between the two come from the fact that LeBron was an only child and Derrick had three older brothers that looked after him. He's credited his brothers with keeping him off the streets and focused on basketball and just playing a huge role in how he turned out as an adult and I would suspect that his humbleness is rooted down in there.

Really, it comes down to the fact that Derrick Rose and LeBron James are two different people. I'm not bashing LeBron James or even his decision to take his talents to South Beach? Did I like it? Of course not. And I'm also of the opinion that if this Bulls squad won a title the way it was designed it would mean more to Rose's legacy then if LeBron wins two titles down there. But LeBron is going to be happy down there. As for Rose, I think where he is going to be happy is in his hometown. At least I really, really hope so.

Fixing the NBA Lockout Problem

With the NBA draft tonight, I couldn't help but think about how this is the night that the fans of the bottom dwelling teams get a glimmer of hope. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan and while I know we've had a lot of success, we as Bulls fans from 1999 on have been living in the lottery for the most part. Granted, I'm not a fan of the Clippers or Timberwolves so I'm not quite as experienced as other fans, but I know what it's like to have this be the best night of your NBA season. What I'm really worried about though is that this might be the only memory of the new basketball season here in 2011.

But no one needs to worry because I've decided to figure out just how the new CBA is going to look. Right now, the biggest problem that the owners have is that they are losing money because they simply can't help themselves from giving out big contracts. So to save them from themselves, contract length is going to shrink to 4 or even 3 years most likely. Also, there will probably be another amnesty cut to help teams get things going again. The reason for an amnesty cut? A more strict soft cap and a hard cap are also highly likely scenarios.

Something that I think also needs to come into play is some form of revenue sharing. Both the NFL and the MLB want to see it happen and with the players reportedly willing to go from getting 57% of the revenue to around 53%, the owners are going to be looking at bigger profits so the idea of finding some money to spread to the small market teams losing cash isn't far fetched. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the players association tell the owners that if they are going to be making all these concessions for the owners because so many teams are losing money that the owners have to include at least some form of revenue sharing.

As I list my likely CBA bullet points, I fully expect the league to not punish teams for being over the hard cap for the first 5 years. But if you are over the hard cap in those first 5 years, you can only offer the minimum to players and get your draft picks. Adding salary isn't an option.

My Version of the Next CBA

1. Soft cap of $55 million, a drop of $3 million
2. Hard cap of $70 million
3. One time amnesty cut
4. Contract length max is a 3 year deal with a team option for a 4^th year
5. Players resigning with the team with their rights can get a 15% increase in salary year-to-year while other teams can only go to 10%
6. Only exception for a team over the soft cap is for 4 million a year
7. Players guaranteed to get 53% of the revenue

With that set-up, teams would have to cut down salaries quite a bit to stay under the $70 million hard cap. Last season there were 9 teams over the $70 million in salary, though 3 of those teams were less then a million over that mark. It would also keep teams from committing so much money to players that aren't worth nearly that much money. If you add up the money that Rashard Lewis, Michael Redd, Andrei Kirilenko, Gilbert Arenas, Vince Carter, Kenyon Martin, Elton Brand, and Predrag Stojakovic made it's $139 million. Those are all contracts that surely wouldn't have made it as long as they will under the current CBA and would save the owners nearly half of the $300 they say that was lost this season.

I don't think that salaries will be rolled back, hence the grace period of 5 years for teams currently way over those limits. I also think that guaranteed contracts are going to stay as part of the reason that the players association accepts the shorter contracts. And while I'm sure there are problems with my ideas and flaws in how I have it set-up, but in terms of a starting point, I think this would be a fair way to settle the owners worry of rising debt and keeping the players happy with the amount of money being spent on the talent on the court. Hopefully the two sides can come together and figure out a way to not jeopardize next season. But if a lockout does happen, I just hope David Stern brings back his sweet lockout beard pictured above. Talk about a win-win.

Remembering The Bias Brothers

As a father I wanted to write something special for this Father's Day. At the same time, I had kept reading about how today was the 25^th anniversary of Len Bias' death. While I'm not old enough to remember watching the forward from Maryland fly through the air I have watched enough highlight clips like this one to know he was a special player. It wasn't until not to long ago however that I truly understood just how talented this young man was and the the tragedy that happened not only robbed the ones around him of watching him mature in an adult, it robbed us as basketball fans a chance to watch him turn into true greatness.

This was the guy who was going to go to Boston and allow Bird and McHale to take nights off in the regular season and extend both of their careers for a few years. Bias was also the obvious guy who very easily could've positioned himself as Micheal Jordan's rival. When you look back at Jordan's career, was there any player that you would call his rival? Wilt and Russell, Bird and Magic, Hakeem and Robinson. Those were rivalries. Jordan went up against the Pistons, the Pacers, the Knicks and the Jazz, but there was never that one guy who challenged his greatness. And maybe Bias wouldn't have either, but he had as good of a chance as any.

So I'm doing my research on Len Bias when I find out that not only did he die tragically of a cocaine overdose, he had a younger brother who not only was a talented basketball prospect but also saw his life end to soon. Jay Bias, named after his father James Bias, was riding in a car just four and a half years later when he was shot in back twice just blocks from Maryland University. He was pronounced dead at the same hospital as his older brother and just like that, James and Lonise Bias had lost two sons, one only 22 and the other only 20.

According to Wikipedia they decided to take up vocal roles in the fight against drugs and trying to strengthen gun control and while I'm glad they are trying to turn their tragedies in something positive, I can't help but feel my heart break for them. We've all heard about the tragedy of Len Bias and while some of you probably remember hearing about his younger brother, I'm sure I'm not the only one to just be finding this out either.

A parents worst fear is losing their child and I can't imagine the pain that would cause. So like most fathers on Father's Day I'm going to hug my little girl, go to a cookout and see my dad and the rest of the family that lives around here, and then probably lay around the house and for once make my wife watch something I want instead of the other way around. But I'm also going to remember how lucky I have it. My dad is still around and even more important, my little girl is here, healthy and (usually) happy. I hope to spend the next 50 Father's Days with her but that isn't guaranteed and I don't plan on taking it for granted.

Learning to Live with LeBron James

When I turned 23 years old last week, I only wanted three things. A nice little get together with the family, go watch The Hangover 2 (I had seen the first in theaters for my 21^st birthday) and to have the Mavericks even the series 2-2 with the villains from South Beach. Thanks in large part to LeBron James once again failing to rise to the occasion, my birthday trifecta went off without a hitch and I couldn’t have been happier. I have loved rooting against this Miami team as much as anyone else not from Cleveland this year. If you weren't a Miami fan there was no way you could root for them after the Decision and the welcoming celebration that followed. But after watching LeBron and company come up short again and again and then the media latching on to his corpse I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

LeBron is going to go down as one of the greatest players to ever grace on a basketball court. The question we are all waiting on an answer for though is how high up the list he will climb. Everyone is waiting on that answer it seems except for LeBron James and can you really blame the guy? The Jordan and Magic comparisons have been steady, but I don’t remember either of them gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated before they even entered their senior year in high school. He got the attention started when he petitioned for entry into the NBA draft after just his junior year. But even if someone like Moses or even Garnett attempted the same thing the media frenzy would not have been the same as the one that started surrounding “The Chosen One”.

LeBron is really the first basketball mega-star to grow up completely in the world of technology we have today. The internet boom has been huge since LeBron entered the league in 2003. Youtube came along in 2005, just in time for everyone with an internet connection to easily find clips of King James doing something that astounded them. He was a superstar on every level and was treated as such so things like a regular childhood and learning humility simply didn’t end up happening for him.

So what did he do after that senior season he was forced into having? He got to the NBA and everyone continued to anoint him the heir apparent to if not Jordan at least Kobe Bryant as the best player in the world. LeBron’s body continued to mature and thus became even better as he spent his off-seasons taking time to build his brand and spend his free time enjoying himself for what might have been the first time since his teens.  But once he kept coming up short in the playoffs, things weren’t so much fun anymore. So what did he do? He made a decision.

That decision, as we all know, has permanently shaped the way LeBron will be remembered. He won’t ever be on the level of Jordan or Magic, but he’ll most certainly be in the top 5-10 wing players to have ever played the game. Obviously, that is good enough for him, so why can’t it be good enough for us? Greatness only comes around so often and when it does, it is something to tell your grandkids about. I’ll tell my little girl about the time I watched LeBron drop 48 points on the Pistons. I’ll tell her about watching him hit that 3 point shot to beat Orlando a few years ago. And whatever other moments of greatness he has I’m sure I’ll remember them fondly. With his decision though, he insured that the moments of greatness will be just that though, moments. And maybe we feel robbed that he hasn’t put on that superstar cape and attempted to save the NBA single handedly. We don’t like the idea he tried to take a short-cut to a ring because that’s not what a player in his prime does. He doesn’t care.

And in not caring, he ensures he won’t be revered like Jordan or Magic or Bird. He won’t become legendary like Wilt and Russell. He’s going to spend his prime playing in South Beach with two of his closest friends in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and he’s going to win at least one ring. Maybe he’ll even finally develop a post move or two now that Dirk and company have put those 7 championships on hold. He isn’t ever going to live up to what we had hoped for and as long as he is happy with that decision, I’m happy for him.