Hack Attack: An Open Letter To The Houston Rockets

   
 
   There was a lot of good basketball this weekend. Derrick Rose banked in a three for a win against the Cavs on Friday. LeBron James returned the favor on Sunday with a buzzer beater of his own in Chicago. Sandwiched between those big shots, Paul Pierce "called game" with a bank shot against the Hawks on Saturday. The Grizzlies have shown that they can hang with Golden State. All in all, it was a pretty good weekend for the NBA.

   Except for one thing.

   One glaring thing. 

   One record breaking thing.

   One despicable thing.

   I'm looking at you Houston. You ought to be disgusted with yourselves. James Harden was supposed to be an MVP. Dwight Howard is a former MVP. Josh Smith, they didn't bring you down there for nothing. And, Coach McHale, Coach Kevin Edward McHale, you ought to be the most ashamed. You won championships in Boston. You played a key role on the 1986 Celtics, one of the best teams in NBA history. Red Auerbach is rolling over in his grave after this weekend.

   Houston Rockets, you employed a strategy that has essentially been proven not to work. It didn't work when the Spurs tried it. It didn't work for you in Game 3 as the Clippers destroyed you. Why did you think it was going to work in Game 4?

   Why did you foul DeAndre Jordan, over and over and over and over and over again? Why? 28 free throws in the first half? Seriously? 

   I know you aren't the first to try this method. Many teams did that to Shaquille O'Neal back in the day. I guess an argument could be made that it was effective then. After all, the Big Aristotle could have had a couple thousand more points had he been more efficient from the line. However, Shaq still won four championships with two different teams. Did it really prevent his team from winning? Personally, I don't think so. 

   It is true that DeAndre Jordan is more likely to miss his free throws than he is to make them. 14-34 is quite embarrassing. I'm just some white dude in Utah, and I feel like I can shoot better than that. Still, that is 14 points that were just given to the Clippers. And, I understand doing it when the game is close. Heck, if the game is close and the other team starts gaining momentum, you should do anything to slow them down, and that sometimes includes fouling. But, if you see that it isn't working, why would you keep doing it? The Rockets suffered their biggest loss of this series and were still hacking Jordan deep into the fourth quarter. You would think they'd stop after being down 20, but no. They just kept hacking away.

   I've heard a few interviews with the Rockets players. Most of them say that they didn't really want to hack Jordan. They say allude to it being a coach's decision. I'm going to have to call BS on that, because they all seemed eager to foul Jordan whenever he got the ball. They weren't fighting against that strategy in the slightest. Coach McHale may have approved of the strategy, but the players were undoubtedly carrying out his plan as if they thought they would actually win.

   It's not that the hacking strategy is just ineffective. That isn't the only thing that bugs me about it. What really bothers me about that particular strategy is that it slows the game down. It makes it very boring. No fan wants to watch a guy shoot free throws all game. It just isn't very appealing. I'll go to a 6th grade basketball camp if I want to see someone shoot free throws.

   It is just bad sportsmanship. It's one step ahead of flopping. It shows everyone how low of a team you are. You don't feel like you can win playing face up basketball. And, maybe you can't win. Maybe you aren't good enough to play with the big boys. But, don't play like that. That is childish and ineffective. When you play like that, you deserve to lose.

   Rockets, I just hope you realize that before tonight. Otherwise, you'll be spending the rest of the summer in Houston following the game tonight. 

Why are adults obsessed with kids playing baseball?

I'm not a baseball guy. Like most of America, I prefer fast-paced sports. Unless I'm at the game, I have a hard time paying attention to what is going on.

But, I haven't always been this way. As a kid, I loved baseball, so much so that I would watch "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on VHS just for a Pizza Hut commercial featuring a little league player that plays right field. My mom has pictures of me with a McDonald's fry cup on my hand, pretending it was a glove (sorry, I'm not posting that pic). I could give you whatever fun trivia fact you needed for Ken Griffey, Jr. I could also name the entire Atlanta Braves roster, and maybe even a few of their minor league affiliate players. I could give you Chipper Jones batting average and the average speed of a Greg Maddux fastball. Obviously, one of my dreams was to play shortstop for Atlanta. 

One of my favorite events of the year was the Little League World Series. I'll still catch some of the games when I can during the summer. It's not a priority anymore, but I enjoy it. There is just something about feel of the games that is...American. I always thought that it would be great to be on a team good enough to make it that far. Who wouldn't love to be on ESPN just like the pros?

A story that I, like most of the country, fell in love was that of Jackie Robinson West out inner city Chicago. In a sport that is struggling with African American youth interest, this team went all the way to the championship game against South Korea. They lost the game, but it still was an inspiring story.
This week, however, that beautiful story has lost a bit of its place in America's heart. As it turns out, Jackie Robinson West had been playing a kind of Chicago-area all star team. It included players from outside the team's boundaries, including several from suburbs that are quite different from the ghetto we believed they grew up in. As a result of their actions, their American title has been stripped. 

But, is it their fault? 

Not at all. Unfortunately, however, it is their hard work that will be punished. It's their faces on every article. 

To me, that is the issue. These kids are being exploited and being handed the blame by the media and everyone else for something that isn't their fault. They are young. The coaches and parents should have known better. There mind and hearts were too set on winning that they may have never considered the consequences of getting caught. 

This isn't anything new in baseball, as many of us remember Danny Almonte, the 14 year old pitching phenom that was a tad too old to play little league. The media blasted that kid, too. Before he was even able to drive, the kid's name would be remembered for cheating.

Little League Baseball is the only sports outlet guilty of this kind of exploitation by the media and egocentric parents. Tiger Woods was swinging golf clubs with Bob Hope when he was only 2 years old. LeBron James was hailed as the future of basketball years before he graduated high school. 

Thankfully, these guys went on to great careers in their respective sports. That's not always the case, though. Not everyone has that natural ability. Take a look at the movie Hoop Dreams. It's a documentary about two basketball prodigies from, ironically, projects in Chicago. Neither of the kids went on to the NBA. Pay close attention to how expendable the coaches view these kids. It will make you disgusted with adults. Without giving any spoilers to those that may choose to watch it, it is very obvious that the financial or emotional stability of the teenage subjects is not important the certain coaches and parents whatsoever. All they seem to care about is winning.

The problem, really, is the culture of adults living their dreams out vicariously through children. I have no problem with someone being supportive and wanting to help their kid pursue their dreams. But, pushing your kid too hard will cause them to burn out or, even worse, lead them to believe they are much better than they really are. When they don't reach the expectations set for them, it can cause depression. It's just not right. 

Some of the blame has to be placed on the media and fans. Seriously, at the end of the day, how important is a little league baseball game? It's being blown way out of proportion. Tweets and Facebook posts are showing no mercy for these youngsters, and that isn't cool. 

I'm not saying that we need to do away with the Little League World Series or AAU basketball programs. I'm just saying that we need to consider that these kids are just that-kids. We need to treat them as such. There is no need for article after article placing the word "cheaters" beside a photo of them. If anything, place a photo of who is really responsible-the coaches and parents.

SB49: What's With All The Hate?

Malcolm Butler was an undrafted free agent out of the University of West Alabama. The Mississippi native made his first NFL start in December against Miami. He is probably the only player in the Super Bowl that worked at a fast food restaurant (Popeye's) in college. The fact that he was even playing on Sunday is truly a miracle.

That isn't why I'm writing about him, though.

With the Seahawks only a few, short yards from a second Super Bowl victory, Russell Wilson threw to Ricardo Lockette. Butler, the underdog, beat Lockette on the route and intercepted the pass. There were only about twenty seconds left in the game, and New England secured their place as the Super Bowl XLIX champions.

But, that doesn't seem to be the story that everyone is focusing on. The big deal on TV, the radio, and social media is the poor play calling by Seattle.

Now, don't get me wrong. I dislike New England just as much as the next guy. With all of the scandals involving deflated footballs and other forms of cheating/ dirty play, they are a difficult team to like. To add to that, Belicheck has the emotions of a robot and Tom Brady is just too dang pretty.

And, yes, I definitely agree with those that say, "If you have the best running back in the NFL (Marshawn Lynch), then you are an idiot if you don't give the ball to him in that situation!" I would also say that if you have one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL (Russell Wilson), why not just let him run it in? All you have to do is just get it into the endzone. It would take a miracle for New England to score after that with such little time left.

That being said, we have a beautiful story here with Malcolm Butler. He was an underdog that came up big in the final moments of the biggest event in North America. He did something that all kids dream of-he made a huge, game-winning play. And, he did it as a rookie following a college career that, though impressive, didn't show any signs of greatness. Yet, the general media and fans don't care about that. All everyone cares about is what the Seahawks did wrong.

I guess that is just the culture that we live in today. We like to point fingers at people rather than give credit to the great play of others. We pointed those fingers at Chris Webber when he called that timeout NCAA championships, but we disregard North Carolina's spectacular play in the 1993 NCAA Championship game. All baseball fans know who Steve Bartman is, but how many can tell you that the Marlins played a magnificent series against the Cubs back in 2003? Bill Buckner is one of the best first basemen to play baseball. What do we remember him for? The ball rolling through his legs in the 1986 World Series. Now, radio hosts, talking heads, and lowly bloggers are criticizing Pete Carroll's coaching staff.

I was talking with a classmate earlier today. He pointed out that if the pass wasn't intercepted, the media would actually be singing a very different tune. Russell Wilson would be praised as the best quarterback in the league. The play would be considered a brilliant, yet risky, call. But, that isn't how it worked out. Butler made a brilliant read, and the rest is history. It's kind of funny how a split second decides things.  

This kind of thing extends beyond sports. But, that is for a different blog. The point I am trying to make is that rather than finding a scapegoat, perhaps it will be healthier if we celebrate the good stories. I know, it's pretty fun to make fun of stupid plays. I'll admit it-I even posted a meme or two about how poor of a decision it was to pass the ball. After a night, though, it isn't very funny. It doesn't make anybody feel uplifted. It makes Seahawk fans angry and everyone else indifferent. Meanwhile, Malcolm Butler's story makes everyone that has a soul feel good. It's like watching "Rudy" or "Rocky." It brings hope. As cliche as it sounds, stories like this really do prove that anything can happen if you set your mind to it.

It's time to move on from this play call. It's been three days. The Seahawks played a great, tough game. The Patriots just played better. It hurts writing that, especially after I predicted a Seahawks win by a few touchdowns, but it's true. Let's give credit where credit is deserved. In fact, let's celebrate those that deserve credit. As for everything else, just let it go.

Does God Care About Football?

"God is too good, all the time, man. Every time...God has prepared me for these situations. God has prepared our team as well," Seattle quarterback, Russell Wilson, said after an emotional victory over Green Bay last week.

It's not very arbitrary to hear an athlete thank a deity for a win. Whether it was Tim Tebow in Denver (or University of Florida-take your pick), Austin Collie at BYU in 2008, there have been athletes that firmly believe their religion played a part in their victory. To them, God doesn't only care about their health. He cares about whether or not they win the game.

Then, there are athletes that still believe in God, but believe a football game really is just a game.

"I don't think God cares at all about the outcome. He cares about the people involved, but I don't think that he's a big football fan," Green Bay quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, said after the heartfelt speech given by Wilson.

Now, I don't profess to be any kind of religious leader or theological expert, but I believe in God. I practice my religion. It's been a pretty big part of my life since high school. In fact, I spent a couple of years in Cincinnati knocking on doors and telling people about it. I know that my faith in God has shaped who I am today and has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. There is no denying that.

My faith has helped me with my educational and career choices. Faith has not only helped me strengthen my marriage, but it helped me choose the right girl. I can confidently say that, had it not been for my faith, I would not have been in the right place in the right time to get a certain job or even meet my wife. To me, God has played a big role in a lot of good things that have happened.

At the same time, I haven't gotten everything I've wanted. Remember how I said faith has played a pretty big part of my life since high school? Well, I didn't play on a state championship football team. I felt like we were pretty good kids, too. None of us got in too much trouble. We would pray as a team before games. Our coaches were pretty good guys. They sent us to FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) camps during the summer and even had a preacher speak to us before games. Yet, we would still get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. I doubt those teams won because they were more faithful or because God cares about them more. They won because they had more talent than our team. Though we had a few guys that went on to play college ball, and one even to the NFL, we were a scrappy bunch. And, other teams were a bit more athletic. It's just that simple.

That's why I have a hard time when I hear an athlete say that God gave them a win. The opposing team can have players just as faithful. Did God give them a loss? Does He love them less? What about the other players on your team that may not be faithful? Does God just let the cheaters and blasphemers slide because of your faith? No. God just doesn't care about football. He may have helped you keep the motivation to get to that point because it is important to you. But, it just doesn't make sense to say that God gave you a win. There are just too many fallacies that come with that logic.

I still think Russell Wilson and Tim Tebow are good dudes. They are the kind of people that don't just talk about faith. They live it. So, this post isn't me calling them out. I just disagree with the notion that God cares about who wins a football game. That's not to say that God doesn't help athletes. He wants them to be healthy. He wants them to be able to support their families and loved ones. He can help them reach a certain status to be a good role model or have a positive impact on society. But, I don't think he cares whether or not the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.

This is just my opinion. Like I said, I'm no theological scholar. Who knows? Maybe God does care, and the winners of these games really do matter in the grand scheme of things. But, I highly doubt that.

There is one thing I agree with Russell Wilson on 100%, and that is, "God is too good, all the time."

Midseason Reaction/ Adjusted Predictions

At the beginning of the season, I predicted that the NBA Finals would come down to Cleveland and OKC. It made sense. LeBron James and Kevin Love were headed to the Cavs. The Spurs were getting old, making room for Kevin Durant and Co. to take the West. And, with all due respect to Steve Kerr, I would take veteran coach Scott Brooks over a rookie coach any day. Golden State was just a playoff team in my opinion.

Then, the season began. And, man, was I wrong.

The Thunder were plagued by injuries very early on. Without KD and Russell Westbrook, two guys that can easily make an argument for being the top two players in the league, for the first couple of months, the Thunder looked like they weren't going to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Cavs just couldn't play together. LeBron took a few weeks off due to the wear and tear on his knees, and Cleveland dipped below .500. 

But, out in California, Golden State is dominating. It turns out that rookie coach Steve Kerr is doing a fine job. Steph Curry is playing on an MVP level and Klay Thompson just set the record for most points scored in one quarter. They have the best record in the league with only six losses. They may not be on track to claim the record for most wins in a season right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if the pass the 1996 Bulls team.

In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta is a powerhouse. Currently on a 15 game winning streak, I don't think the Hawks have played on this level since Dominique Wilkins was in his prime. Though I'm happy with the young team the Jazz have right now, I sure do miss Paul Millsap. Good for him, though. His team may take the East.

So, will I change my opinion of who will be in the Finals?

Maybe, but  that will be kind of hard to do. 

You see, the Thunder and the Cavs are still great teams. And, guess what? They're just heating up. 

Though both teams dipped under .500 for little bit, both squads are showing why their players are considered the best teams in the league. They've worked their way above .500. Cleveland is on a five game winning streak, including a 39 point blowout against Charlotte. LeBron is back to MVP caliber, helping Love and Kyrie Irving better assets to the team. The Thunder were on a four game streak, until losing to the Hawks. With Durant and Westbrook back, the Thunder have earned their way back to second place in their division. Cleveland and OKC have great players, and great players overcome adversity. One can argue that's what makes these guys great. 

Due to the outstanding play of Golden State and Atlanta coupled with the resurgence of Oklahoma City and Cleveland, I would like to adjust my playoff prediction. 

Western Conference Finals: OKC & Golden State        

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland & Atlanta

Finals: Cleveland & Golden State

Champs: Golden State

It will be hard for anybody to outplay Golden State right now. I think they will take OKC in 6 games. However, those 6 games won't be easy. I'm expecting Kevin Durant to play with a passion we've never seen before. But, it won't be enough. Golden State is a more complete team than OKC. 

As great as Atlanta is this season, they still have some growing pains to go through. And, the last time LeBron didn't play in June was in 2010. The Cavs are finally starting to click and play as a team. I don't think it is far fetched at all to predict they will beat Atlanta. It may take 7 games, but they'll take care of business. 

Golden State will win the Finals because Golden State will win the Finals. They are just too good to put up an argument otherwise. Though the Cavs are finally clicking, no team is prepared to face the Warriors.

It's been an exciting season thus far. I'm sure there will be more surprises. For all I know, my predictions might completely change once the postseason actually begins. 

The Patriots Are A Shame

A few minutes ago, I got a text from buddy of mine. It read, "Did you just get that ESPN notification? The Patriots had 11 of their 12 balls under-inflated."

I had to turn off Friends (it's a nightly ritual with my wife that's better than watching The Bachelor, okay?) and pop open my laptop. Sure enough, my Twitter feed had exploded with the latest opinions on "DeflateGate." Rightfully so, Bill Belicheck and Co. are being called cheaters. And, for once, I'm with the majority opinion. 

I'll be honest, when I first heard the deflated ball rumors, I was convinced they were exactly that-rumors. I thought the Pats were better than that. Besides, it seems like everybody these days wants to point fingers at the refs or the opponents to blame for their loss. It reminded me of how everybody was up in arms during the Lions-Cowboys game a few weeks ago with that controversial pass interference reversal. Fans were simply blowing something out of proportion that shouldn't be. 

However, as this rumor persisted, with pretty boy Tom Brady denying the balls being deflated all the while, it was apparent that something was different about this scandal. And, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported, there is substance to it. NFL sources have informed him that the balls were indeed deflated. 

I understand that the Pats probably would have still beaten the Colts. That AFC Championship was a joke, and Indianapolis didn't look like they even belonged on the same field as New England. But, what about the Baltimore game? What about all of their close games for that matter? Would they have won had they not been cheating? 

Let's not forget about the Spygate scandal a few years back. This team has a history of cheating. They don't deserve to be in the Super Bowl. If I were Roger Goodell, I'm putting Baltimore or Indianapolis up against the Seahawks. I'm banning team management and Belicheck from football. After all, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for betting on his team. It's about time that the NFL shows some backbone and takes care of these clowns. 

Okay, that whole banning bit may have been a little bit overboard, but you get the picture, right? I still don't think they should be allowed to play in the Super Bowl. I'm not changing my stance on that. In all seriousness, there needs to be some kind of investigation with that organization. Any time that a team has more than one cheating scandal in less than ten years, they need to be investigated. What else have they done, or could be doing? They could have been cheating during every single one of their championship runs. I'm sorry, but I just don't trust one word that comes out of Belicheck and Brady's mouth anymore. Also, there should really be some kind of investigation on the refs. How could they not tell that the balls were deflated? The only reason that it has all been brought to light was because of an Indianapolis interception. Are the refs really that clueless?

I just hate cheaters. Always have, and always will. There is no room for cheating in sports. Those who do cheat should pay the price. 

That's why I'm glad they are facing Seattle. If they aren't punished, Seattle is going to lay a whooping on them much worse than what the Pats put on the Colts. And, guess what? They don't need to break the rules. 

Kobe Today

I remember the first time I saw Kobe Bryant on TV. The year was 1997. I was about seven years old, and obsessed with the art of dunking. My favorite thing about All-Star Weekend was the Dunk Contest. I remember being taken back by the acrobatic dunks by this bald, eighteen year old with a Laker jersey. It was amazing to watch. Though I was obsessed with Michael Jordan, I started keeping tabs on Kobe. There were rumors about MJ retiring. I figured that I needed to jump on some other bandwagon. Later that season, I hopped off the Kobe bandwagon. He wasn’t all I hyped him up to be in mind. He was a bench player that shot air balls in big games.

A year later, a new Kobe Bryant emerged as an integral member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He stole the show at the 1998 All Star Game. It was exciting to watch him play, and perhaps that was the birth of a star. It was almost as if the audience was watching a passing of the torch, from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant. The next year, after Jordan retired, I hopped back on the Kobe bandwagon and found myself rooting for him and Shaq year after year (I know, it took me a while to learn team loyalty-but I’m a Jazz fan now, so that has to count for something).

Now, here we are, about fifteen years later. Kobe has won 5 titles, 1 regular season MVP, 2 Finals MVP’s, 4 All Star Game MVP’s, and has been on the All-Defensive and All-Offensive first teams multiple times. He’s been named the greatest Laker in history by Magic Johnson. An argument can be made that Los Angeles should retire both numbers that he has worn.

Yet, he still plays as though he has something to prove.

That’s an admirable trait. Some players seem to lose their competitive edge once they reach a certain age, but not Kobe. Much like Michael Jordan, he gives his all every night on the floor. It is nice to see the effort, the drive, the will to win. The assassin attitude is something that analyst Stephen A. Smith says he has only seen in one other person, MJ himself.

However, he isn’t what he once was. Though his average of 22 PPG is still impressive by most standards, it isn’t leading the league in scoring. In fact, the last time Kobe averaged less than 24 was in the 1999-2000 season (I don’t count last season-he was out for the majority of it). And, really, how much are those points help his team? The Lakers are near the bottom of the Western Conference, with a 12-29 record that is only better than the 7-32 Timberwolves.

I understand that basketball is a team sport, and if the likes of Jeremy Lin and Nick Young picked up their game, they would be playing better. But, the thing is, if you are relying on two decent bench players to lead your team with a 36 year old former superstar, it can be hard to win, especially in a tough conference like the West.

The worst part about it all is Los Angeles had the money to get some decent money to give to lure guys like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love. But, they didn’t want to offer superstar money to anybody other than Kobe Bryant. They had guys like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, but Kobe seems to have driven them away. I know, Pau says it wasn’t Kobe, but LA didn’t bend over backwards to keep Gasol. They’ve fired coaches and traded players to keep Kobe happy.

Now, organization has imploded. There is a big question mark on when and how they will bounce back and become the dynasty they once were.

The first step is for Kobe to accept who he now is: a role player at best. Once he accepts that he is no longer the dominant 25 year old that he once was, the Lakers will begin to rebuild. That means he needs to be accepting of other stars on the team. That means he needs to accept less money so LA can offer big cash to high-profile free agents. Until that happens, Los Angeles will miss the playoffs. That is almost a guarantee.

Kobe Bryant has nothing left to prove. But, if he wants his team to win again, he needs to accept his new role. True winners do everything they can to win, and that includes being open to talent from others. Nobody wins alone. Even Michael had Scottie. Even Magic had Kareem. And, even Kobe had Shaq.

It is a very sad day for Los Angeles if he has forgotten that.