The Effects of Milwaukee

Almost a week later, and the Milwaukee Bucks gave the NBA a shot in the arm. Being down two games to the Phoenix Suns, they won the next four en route to a championship for the first time since 1971. Back then, it was the young sensation, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the way. Here, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo and other starters playing defense and making shots count. Here's what helped the league.

First is the two teams. Small market ones, yes, but ones that hadn't seen a Finals. No Warriors, no LeBron James team. Excitement can occur for ones that never sniffed a championship or had, but haven't been at one for as long as Milwaukee did. How about the fact that these weren't super teams, either. Unknowns or stars accompany the guys like Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul. Anyone could play a factor.

The games having an underdog mentality. Milwaukee being down two games, the audience wants to see the "heroes" rise up to the challenge. In doing so, they fixed what was problematic and rebounded to get the championship. A lot of energy to stay in that fight. Phoenix lost some of that mojo after Game 2.  They were in close games, but had didn't take advantage of opportunities late or let Milwaukee crawl back into a game. In the history of Arizona sports, it unfortunately continues a thing where the state has yet to see a championship outside of the Diamondbacks World Series in 2001.

Ratings helped, but not good enough. Compared to last year, these are a big improvement, getting around eight to nearly ten million viewers.  Almost averaging ten million for the whole series. It doesn't come close to reaching 2019. Many factors have played a role. People getting tired of James. The Warriors making it to five straight Finals, winning three. Politics over the last two seasons, especially all the social justice stuff last year. I'd argue players speaking before thinking on social media. Adam Silver not understanding why his league is suffering. The NBA burnt its audience out.

I think this 2021-22 season is going to be an even bigger test. Does Milwaukee winning it bring forth a group of fans to return to watching it? Will Silver keep close eye on what his players do? There's more questions that have to be asked as there is a lot at stake for the NBA. Early prediction, I believe they will see a small improvement, but not by a lot. It all depends on the direction they want to go and any controversies that occur. They can't airball any mistakes.

ESPN Implosion

Where do you start on this? I've never seen ESPN to this level of animosity. An article from The New York Times put out a thing they found of footage of the sports channel's reporter, Rachel Nichols, from last year. When it came time to return and do the NBA stuff, she wasn't hosting Countdown. Instead, it was given to another reporter, Maria Taylor. A camera was on and Nichols vented about the network trying to make its case for diversity. I don't think she was upset about Taylor herself, but at the time it was recorded, you can get why consequences could happen. Some have defended her. Some have ripped her.

While I do think Nichols should be aware of her surroundings like everyone should, it makes ESPN look very fake. To be honest, I don't see anything special about her as a reporter. I think Taylor isn't special either. Not worth the supposed 8 million a year she is alleged to be demanding. I'd like to know who pulled the trigger to have Taylor as the host at the last possible moment. This does feel like a need to be "more diverse" for the wrong reasons. There's a way to do inclusion organically, but this was not it. Even for a guy like Stephen Jackson, who has a messed up mind and has said nasty antisemitism, has called ESPN out for that decision. That speaks to how bad they have handled things and why people are tuning out along with the political focus.

Nichols has done sports for a very long time. At least two decades worth.  I can sort of understand why she was bothered about getting the shaft. Taylor I only see do college sports, but has for almost a decade on the big stage after five years with the SEC Network. If you want to do this properly, you have to pass the torch in some manner. There was nothing necessary for ESPN to make a sudden change. Why not have both? For all the crying about lack of women and minorities, you get both of them together and maybe make them co-hosts. That would have been much better.

In the midst of this, reports are coming out now that Nichols has been replaced by reporter Malika Andrews for sideline reporting. Supposedly to put more focus on the Finals. In short term, maybe, but that draws more attention to ESPN and continuing to make themselves look bad with their intentions. Hopefully Andrews doesn't get berated all that much. But overall, the network's main NBA people stink to high heaven. You have Jay Williams with his take on the Boston Celtics coaching history and his "I was hacked" response getting shut down by almost everybody. While bad, it pales to Jalen Rose and his thoughts on Kevin Love making the Olympic team. It's not good, and that's just a small sample size.

ESPN needs to burn to the ground, rebuild and retool as a whole in terms of journalism, especially with their NBA people. We should be talking about what could be a good Finals for two teams who haven't had much experience in winning a championship. Instead, we're talking about political and racial pandering because a network think that's much more important than having intellectual discussion to matchups. There's a lot of work to be done to have diversity, but this ain't it. Continuing to shoot themselves in the foot makes them look worse. I don't know if Jimmy Pitaro can fix any of this, but he better think fast.

A King's B-Ball Legacy

The Phoenix Suns won their series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. That should be the focus. Instead, the talk became more about Laker LeBron James. A lot has been made about his poor showmanship in Game 6 and the legacy altogether. The legacy part being ridiculed by many people, especially a lot of the obnoxious Michael Jordan fans. There isn't a lot to say, so I'll try to stay brief.

Being eliminated in the first round for the first time ever does impact James, but not too much in the short run. For his career, there is the doubt of the legitimacy of last year's championship. Compared to Kobe Bryant or even Tim Duncan (Duncan I think gets overrated a tad), he is a notch below them right now. Yes, James' volume of stats do elevate him, but with championships, this elimination makes him out as a bit of a weakling.

For a guy that is supposed to be a leader and a "role model", he put off a bit of immaturity. It's more than just that that makes James polarizing and hated quite a bit. His fanbase is very awful, but so are the Jordan fans. Without getting too deep, the fans on both sides that swear by them go beyond delusion to make their player look perfect. It undermines some of the other legends that came well before them. The elimination could make a difference in ratings getting a boost or cratering. Some heavy favorites are still in. Who do you think advances to the conference championships? 

Fans: Are They Good?

We're back to normal... kind of. Sports are allowing near full capacity. That could be seen as a positive. The danger of the NBA is that it's very easy to be near players. Six incidents in the first round so far are a sign that fans are not always the best in terms of behavior. Its list is as follows. A fan threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook. Trae Young was spit at. Ja Morant's family was racially taunted. Immanuel Quickley had a beer thrown at him. Kyrie Irving had a water bottle thrown towards him after a game. And a fan ran on the court during the latest 76ers and Wizards game.

I'm anticipating a riot in an arena if things don't calm down. It's one thing to not go to stuff for well over a year for obvious reasons. But the behavior is very unacceptable. Bans for life are one option. Charges are another for the water bottle guy and the one who ran onto the court. Theoretically, one could hurt or kill a player. I point to a stabbing in 1993 of tennis star Monica Seles. Certain players are targets either because of the team a fan hates or specific agendas which shouldn't be ruled out entirely.

The Irving incident happened in Boston and continues to be a sad reminder of how vile the city's fans are. Look at ugly baseball incidents in recent memory with Adam Jones in 2017 and Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis opening up last year about the team's fans being racist towards their own players when he was playing for them. Reaction shows had some hosts saying they would have charged into the stands if they were in Westbrook's shoes. We've come a long way since 2004 with Malice in the Palace. It would be very embarrassing to see that type of crap again. It'd be nice for Westbrook to defend himself, but a hefty suspension and huge fine is something he would not want or any player for that matter.

I don't know what you can do with fans. There's only so much security and police can do and bans may not be the only thing that will solve it. Cutting alcohol is not an end all solution, but it would cut the stupidity by quite a bit. Maybe no food sold after the fourth quarter is halfway through? Whatever decision will not be an easy one to do. But the behavior better be curbed quickly. If it doesn't, you're going to see someone's career change if a fan does something nefarious.

Looney Silver

Has Adam Silver suffered so much brain damage? Serious question. Because he keeps hurting himself and the NBA.

Ratings haven't exactly been a strong point this season. The playoffs have seen some boost, but not anywhere that I think that they would like to see. One troubling concern as always is LeBron James. I think the commissioner is too afraid to speak out against him for some of his actions. There is also the double standard given James was at an outdoor event not long before the Lakers faced the Warriors. The league determined he didn't violate any COVID protocols. That's bad because other big name players have sat out because of violations. The babying of the top player is something Silver does not realize and also doesn't grasp why fans are tired of the bias and favoritism.

The next couple of things Silver wants to do is ridiculous. One is the idea of a mid season tournament. This was something talked about a couple years ago. Probably shelved because of the pandemic. With things going back to normal somewhat, the league wants to explore more into it with the tournament and possibly reduce the season to 78 games. How exactly will this improve the league if it were to be approved? Arenas don't want to lose revenue. Wear and tear is heading towards spoiled brat territory, barring injuries.  If this is for a ratings boost, this would fail. I can't imagine most players wanting this. Silver is out of touch with grasping new ideas.

This last one is not exactly ridiculous, but I have a bad feeling about it. There is a brand new league in Africa that just started play well over a week ago. Basketball is big in other parts of the world. Europe, obviously. Many countries have teams when the Olympics come about. It makes a lot of sense to have expansion. I just worry about the dangers of being in that region of the world and potential exploitation of players. Some desperation? I doubt it, but I'm not sure where Silver is going with this.

Silver has a bottom line to worry about, and I think he's running out of ideas on how to improve his league. He better hope the playoffs are rated higher compared to last year. Having the Knicks helps. Big match ups with teams like the Jazz and Bucks are always needed. But will it be enough to curb any bleeding? The next month will dictate the direction the NBA goes. 

NBA Logo Troubles

This feels like a political pandering, given how the NBA is now these days. These superstars that act like fucking prima donnas and force the league to act like them or want them to. Kyrie Irving should worry about playing the game and less worry about the league's logo, which has drawn attention lately. He brought up that it should be changed to feature a black player. Specifically the late Kobe Bryant. While it is not an image of anyone per se, it was based on Jerry West when it was created in 1969. That's what many acknowledge.

I don't know if Irving is being dumb on purpose, but Bryant is a really bad idea. There is one specific thing that would make the NBA look even worse to add into all the controversies over the last year and a half. It goes without saying, but you have to mention it. The 2003 rape allegations in Colorado. Even though he didn't get charged, Bryant's image sunk down and it took a few years to even repair that. Not to mention repair his marriage and quit being like some high school jerk off. Even if he did look better and tried to change things for the better, that still lingers in many people's minds. Adam Silver does not need another stressful incident to occur. It's bad enough to be struggling during this pandemic, but it's also bad to keep having controversy after controversy.

There are far better choices if you were to pick a black player. A lot of people want Michael Jordan. Can't blame them, but I'd rather not. Not because of hate, but I'd rather see someone pre-1984. Someone like an Oscar Robertson or a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even Dr. Julius Erving. Someone that paved the way for the NBA. The only thing Jordan paved the way for was ratings on television and continue the success of the league throughout the world. Not trying to downplay a phenomenal career, but I'd like to see some of these pre-84 people get some love and more deserving chance to be the NBA logo if that were to happen.

I don't think there's an issue with the current logo. It's fine, But if change were to happen, I wouldn't flip out unless they create more controversy with Bryant. Irving should read up the rape allegation before opening his mouth as there are much black choices. 

Too Much Bron?

You could look at this in many ways. Ratings for the NBA Finals first game was not good. Step up above the Conference Finals, but still nothing the league should be proud of. Less than eight million viewers. You could point out multiple things. Obviously, September into October, there's other sports going on regularly. The political aspect doesn't help. But I have a theory of my own. The oversaturation of LeBron James and the LA Lakers probably sweeping.

With James, I think most people are tired of seeing him in the Finals. I don't know what it was like in the 60s with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics, but they weren't as big a problem compared to James. James is also a very divisive person. Like any mega star, has his fans and haters. But he also doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Any other year, it would be a win for the NBA because people want to see him win or lose. Haters will want to see another failed championship attempt. Losing six Finals in your career is not something to be proud of compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. I'm sure criticism could be said for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but his Laker teams were able to rebound and get Finals wins.

I think that's the other part of my theory. If it were Lakers vs. Celtics, or Toronto, I think there'd be a more competitive Finals. Miami has a great team, but with the performance in game 1, it leaves a lot of questions. Heading into the season, Los Angeles was said to be one of the favorites to win a championship this year. You see more of these type of games, it will be a turn off for the NBA. Some of the MLB favorites will be more of a ratings grab as the baseball playoffs go on. There's a time to watch LA sports, but this may be like it was back in 2010.

Whatever the case, this is going to be something the NBA will look at when they negotiate deals with networks. They were struggling earlier in the year, but the complications make it even more harder. Adam Silver should anticipate some lost revenue and start looking to fix things that will help his bottom line. And I believe it will start with not giving players and teams all this freedom. Ratings do dictate a lot of things for a sport.

SJBA

I knew the NBA was struggling when they returned a month ago. Obviously, the social justice stuff they were doing was not helping them. One would think playoff ratings would get a boost, but it didn't. That should worry the league, Adam Silver, and the networks and sponsors associated with it. With a boycott averted, I question the patience of viewers who want to watch a game or two.

I'll give the Milwaukee Bucks a little credit for trying to get involved with their state government. With the shootings in Kenosha, it's something to worry. Even with that, I'm not sure threatening a boycott is going to make the league look better. These players wanted to finish the season. Some players are complaining about being in the bubble. Then what was the point of agreeing to this? Even someone as outspoken as Charles Barkley is getting tired of it. What he said in July is exactly what is going on. It's a circus.

I do think seven shots to Jacob Blake is a bit excessive. But he was also a criminal. That being said, I'm not sure if there will be a full truth to the incident or not. With these incidents, the NBA continues to shoot itself in the foot with their political statements on the court. You can make the case of it being a very bad year overall for them. I don't think it's a problem if players speak their minds. The problem is allowing them to say whatever and to do statements on the court. Most of these players wouldn't do anything like what the Bucks did in talking to their state government. They would rather complain than find solutions. Twitter and Instagram does not represent a majority.

I can see the NBA struggling for a few years. Television contracts are up after this year and it may not be to the level of what was offered in 2014. Player salaries may not get a boost. Adam Silver can't be buddy buddy with the players all the time. One of these days, he's going to have to explain to the players something they won't agree with. Sports leagues are out to make money. When Silver sees a decline, he will have to adjust. It's one thing to be political, but not with the way they have handled things this season.

NBA Circus

What Charles Barkley said back in July is the perfect response to all the pandering the NBA is doing. Guys like him and actor Terry Crews are not afraid to speak their mind and look at things from a different viewpoint and possibly one that a number of people agree with. The problem is this mob mentality that you have to be in support of garbage like Black Lives Matter. That you have to believe the same things LeBron James and others have to say. Going against the status quo of these players does not make you the bad guy unless you're being stupid on purpose.

Here's my issue with Black Lives Matter. It's not a good movement. Whatever message it had on police brutality is lost for good. The fighting with police does not make them better. Neither does the bad cops that give the good ones a bad rep. Now, people want a distraction. Sports is slowly coming back, but guys like Barkley don't like that politics is bleeding over into the sport he played for 15 years. BLM on the court, the various jerseys with messages on them, victims names. How is that solving systemic racism and police brutality? Are people going to remember those names in a year or two? This is how you lose viewers.

I also think Adam Silver is too gutless to intervene. I understand not wanting to be bullied by some of these players for fear of getting bashed on social media, but he has to take a stand sometime. He had opportunities to stop incidents, racism or not, but didn't. The only time I can think of is the Donald Sterling incident in 2014. It's one thing to have a voice and some freedom, but the problem is giving the players too much freedom without any consequences. There has to be some guidelines on how to act. The late David Stern would be rolling in his grave if he saw what was going on.

Along with the messages and victims, what does kneeling solve? It solves nothing. And Barkley went against the status quo that players shouldn't be vilified if they stand, which was met with tons of criticism and people of his own race bashing him along with some support. Both sides will be vilified. The question I would ask a lot of these players and coaches would be this; Do you believe in all this? Or are you falling in line because you don't want to get ridiculed and bashed by your own team? Because that stuff can happen in a locker room and it's something you won't hear on social media. I don't think anyone wants to be bullied by the long tenured veterans, so they will follow what everyone else is doing. And that brings a bad message in regards to the NBA.

I'd be curious to see how the ratings are throughout the next couple months. The numbers for the sport came back decent, but has dropped a little bit the last couple days. I'll assume anything below two million is mediocre. We should all strive to end racism and police brutality, but movements like Black Lives Matter are not doing any good. Add in the league's pandering to it, and it turns off potential viewers. Barkley is right. It is a circus. Very unfortunate to see the NBA like this. Not a good way at all to represent your league.

Wish Upon a Basketball Star

Which is it? Play the season or not play the season?

Maybe it's just me, but Adam Silver bows down too much to his league of players in the NBA. Too much freedom in what they can do and say. Now the concern is the season restarting and some players not wanting to be involved. What are they afraid of? That it could be another Rudy Gobert situation like in March? The NBA isn't that stupid. They know the risks and should follow what the NHL is doing and have rigorous testing. There has never been a cancellation of a season in its 74 years as a league.

I understand the cause for concern. Being in Florida for two months. Weather issues. Being around tourists and town civilians. It would scare some of these players. Especially for being around one of the most famous destinations in Disney World. You never know who could sneak in and infect the staff and teams. The league wants to finish what they started. Provide a distraction in all the chaos surrounding the world. Showcase a new champion. Being well prepared should ease the tension and hopefully get the players to return to a normal routine. When December rolls along, the sport normalcy will get back to 100 percent.

Golf and auto racing is necessary, but basketball will be the big push for audiences.

Slap Shots, Lay Ups, Five Irons

Hard to believe, but we are turning a new leaf. Barring any potential consequences from protesters and rioters, normalcy could be coming very soon. Or at least, a different form of it. That's why we're seeing multiple sports mark their return, and it doesn't involve baseball.

A while back, the NHL set up a 24 team playoff format. But they are still taking the quarantine matter very seriously. The work to test everyone out every day and plan out the games is a work in progress. There is still the matter of getting the arenas open, not allowing fans in, and a few other things. The playoffs should last a good while and if I had to guess, end in August.

The NBA is still in the process of getting stuff ready, but should have games going this summer. Its plan is to start games at the end of July. They do lose some games (assuming) because of a new season starting at the beginning of December. All but Portland was ready to resume the season via voting. There are 22 teams involved in the restart and they are given eight regular season games. Potential playoff implications could occur. It's all going to be in Orlando, Florida. These guys are ready to finish what they started. Even if it means losing a little bit for next year, anything to end the season and crown a champion.

Golf is slowly coming back. At least some tours are marking their return this month. Obviously, there will be a lot of testing. No fans, of course. But it continues to fill the void that people have wanted for the last three months. All three sports, really. Even if its for a small amount of time, these players are anticipating the time to compete in these tournaments and bring viewers a few hours of entertainment. Anything to turn their mind off of reality.

It's unfortunate the greedy players of the MLB are holding back baseball's season. But no worry. The summer is going to melt away the worry of it with the return of basketball and hockey. And golf is just the tip of the iceberg. It's only a matter of making sure no huge spikes. Otherwise, game on.

Sports Return... Is It Ready?

Are we to that point where we can see some normalcy? Some think so and I kind of agree. There hasn't been any sports going on in about two months. Hard to imagine.

NASCAR returns this upcoming week and will do a race at Darlington. I do believe there won't be any fans, which is better safe than sorry. The following week will have the usual Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte. Anything to have the real sport back and get to return to 200 miles an hour racing in real life.

Baseball is getting underway in Taiwan and South Korea. For the MLB, it's only a matter of getting teams and players to agree to whatever is being proposed. Whatever it is, it better be good enough support from all sides. The same can be said for the NHL, which could do supposedly a 24 team playoff format. I'm not sure that proposal would work. The MLB is considering five rounds for their draft, and the NBA could do one that is virtual, similar to the NFL approach from last month.

Maybe this will keep people from going to places for only a few hours. It can serve as a good distraction from the complications of life. Things are starting to re-open in some states. Maybe it's a sign, considering the NBA has some teams reopening their facilities to practice. There's that talk that it could get worse, but we can't always assume it will be a big disaster. I don't think people are that stupid. There are some, but collectively, I don't think so. But we'll have to see. If things are better, then maybe we can get out of pandemic mode. If its worse, then we'll continue with what we have now. But we have to get some normalcy at some point.

The Real Space Jam

This is becoming a bit like the movie, but this isn't fictional, nor is it funny. The Oklahoma Thunder and Utah Jazz game was canned the night before and players and staff were quarantined. All because Rudy Gobert of the Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus. Whatever plans the NBA had in mind was gone and they have now suspended the season to figure out what to do and to have an idea on what can be salvaged in order to finish up the season.

Reports now are that Gobert mocked the coronavirus. He went on to touch various stuff in the locker room, including teammates belongings. And the news is that Donovan Mitchell has the virus. Whether he got himself or from Gobert, I don't know. But it's uncharted territory. Plans were made to not have fans in the arenas in some areas such as San Francisco with the Golden State Warriors. But it leads to a new situation that goes beyond the NBA.

What does the NHL do? The MLB when regular season play begins? And the NCAA? March Madness is one of the big money makers for college and brings tons of fans over. Rooting for the underdog is a huge incentive and loyal fans traveling to see their group try and hang with the best. The route of no fans in the games except essential staff families is happening. A few leagues like Ivy has canned their tournaments. I know kids want to win a championship, but at what cost? Until one of their own gets sick? I know the NCAA and CBS want to make millions, but they might need to take a loss if they postpone it or at worst, can the whole thing. Even a broadcaster can get sick.

With baseball, the only one that is affected for the moment is the Seattle Mariners. Where they'll start the season in two weeks, no one knows. Spring training field when they face the Texas Rangers? Or another stadium? I read that Globe Life Field will not be ready in time. I'm sure something will be found, but other teams could get affected. Same with the NHL. They could follow what the NBA is doing. They could and more than likely suspend the season today. This isn't to take lightly.

I know this blog is more about talking video games, sports, TV, film, and whatever is on my mind. But with this virus becoming more notable by the minute, I don't think there is much choice but to talk the coronavirus. It's already postponed a few movies. People stunned about Tom Hanks getting it. This is getting scary serious with all the stories and incidents over the last week or so. Classes getting cancelled for schools.The best you can do is always washing your hands and avoid contract with many things. If you are quarantined, you will have to explain to your employer.

This panic is far from over.

Viral Cancellation

This coronavirus is a bit more serious than people realize. I think this outbreak will be gone within a month or so, but it's hurt a lot more than some may realize. One of the big aspects is the stock market. It's not going to make the world go into a depression, but enough to make everyone panic.

Tons of events have been canned as a result. The most recent one has been E3 in Los Angeles. It has been going since 1995, but a few factors do kick in. Not as much interest and several companies not being interested in the event. The coronavirus accelerated it to the point where a cancellation probably was their only choice. Other game conferences have been canned as well. Whether E3 comes back next year, I don't know. If it doesn't, it had its time in history and tried to press on in an era full of Internet and live streaming.

I'm not a James Bond guy, but there is worldwide appeal. Europe is a big market. And probably one of the reasons why the No Time to Die film got pushed back to November. One of the most affected is Italy. There have been a lot of cases in that country and with quite a bit of casualties. I'm surprised there hasn't been any other films that haven't got the push back to another date because of this. You would think some Disney material or anything for kids that would appeal worldwide would be a pressing concern.

Sports is growing to the point where the idea of an empty NBA arena could be a likelihood. I don't think they would like it themselves, but cancellations of games could happen, though no one wants to see that. Possible relocations to other places. Locker stuff for them, NHL, MLB, Soccer, have come down to not having the media in and only doing one on one interviews. This is a way to prevent the spread of the virus so 30 media aren't getting infected when they go into a locker room. I'm sure there's other events for other sports or events.

When it comes to local stuff, be aware of your surroundings. Keep your hands clean and stay clean all around. Hopefully, we've reached the end of this panic. With warm weather coming in soon, it should disappear. Stay healthy folks.

Spiked Dolan

The more and more these incidents happen, the more I wonder when the NBA's worthless commissioner Adam Silver will intervene. Would someone dying or getting injured cause him to intervene with the Knicks? This time, it wasn't a nobody that has issues with owner James Dolan. It was filmmaker Spike Lee, arguably one of the most famous fans of the team.

Trying to make sense of it, it feels like a mess. I guess from the story, Lee had gone through an area he has gone through to go to the court at Madison Square Garden. He got his ticket scanned, goes to an elevator, then someone tells him to get off. It becomes an issue with security, telling to go another way to the arena. Later on, there was a talk with Lee and Dolan. It's all jumbled, but you're mainly going to hear Lee talk since Dolan is very private about what he does. And supposedly, everything seemed good with the Knicks PR, but Lee doesn't think so.

I will not say all of this is on Dolan, because Lee can be a bit of a nut. It could be a ploy for attention, but who knows. Bad attention is still good to some, right? But with the owner's past of being a complete baby and an asshole towards fans, it's not a huge surprise. The "sell the team" fiasco happened back in January. Last year, he banned a fan. He has targeted fans and called them alcoholics. There is no professionalism from this silver spoon of a moron. If it was a recently struggling team, okay, but this team has suffered for 20 years.

What will it take for the NBA to get involved? They were quick to get involved with Donald Sterling and rightfully so. But they don't want to ruin ratings for New York. Forget the bottom line you want, Silver. You keep allowing Dolan to act really bad and the writing is on the wall of fans getting restless and tired of the product they see on the court and TV. Add in a disastrous public relations group and the last five years of belittling fans, there has to be motivation to intervene.

Stop being a turd, Silver. Overthrow Dolan and get someone that actually wants to own the Knicks and make them a winning team again. Because these incidents get louder and louder and you can't hide in your office, waiting for it to wither away. If you don't, there will be more and more of these kind of incidents and it will leave a stain on your legacy.

Sell it! 2020 Knick Dysfunction

You don't need to know basketball to know how bad the New York Knicks have been for 20 years. And Wednesday was the indicator to how tortured fans were. Elfrid Payton commits a hard foul on Memphis Grizzlie Jae Crowder as Crowder shoots an attempted three pointer with the Grizzles up by 18 with 50 seconds left in the game. It draws a scuffle and the fans chime in with chants of "sell the team" as it happens.

The epitome of embarrassment. And this was in front of owner James Dolan. He went after a teenager who was chanting. There was an apology on both sides, but that doesn't matter. Dolan's attitude is a disgrace. The fact that he avoids the media and tries to avoid angry fans, it doesn't magically disappear when you get to your big mansion. A number of NBA legends think removing him as owner would make the Knicks better. It's New York City. People want winners. About almost every team has had some form of success since 1999. Not this group.

It's why I think Adam Silver, the commissioner, has no spine. He puts no effort to punish Dolan because he's afraid of ratings plummeting in New York. The late David Stern would have done something to at least make them competent. How much more low does it need to be before intervening? The Oakley incident a few years ago, the fines over the last year. Silver needs to step in NOW! Otherwise, we'll keep watching the NBA's version of the Cleveland Browns.

Somebody fix them.

Acknowledging Bryant's Past; Touchy?

There's a lot of great things to say about the career of Kobe Bryant. But we also have to touch the dark moments of the late NBA legend's past. But there's a time to say this stuff, and I believe we're past the grieving point to where I think it's safe to talk about the rape allegations that occurred in 2003. And unfortunately for Felicia Sonmez, she picked the worst time to bring that up. From reading the stories, the Washington Post reporter tweeted an article about the rape story not too long after his death. I believe it was within hours of what happened.

I said this on Twitter and I'll say the same thing. I have mixed feelings on what Sonmez brought up. I do believe we have to acknowledge that. It is a part of his past. You can't ignore it, regardless of where you stand on whether you think the rape happened or not. But it is the case of too soon. She was suspended, but reinstated. She admitted it was ill timed to bring that up, but held her ground a little bit. I don't think a suspension was worthy. I would have given her a verbal warning about this. She also said about wanting to tell the truth. That's a slippery slope to say because everyone has their own version of the truth. And obviously, it has triggered both sides of whether Bryant committed this crime or not.

There is also from reading comments about saying it because of sexual abuse victims. I think that's the worst thing to discuss because I feel like it would trigger bad memories. And with the high profile stories, it makes it hard to believe what happens to some people. A problem with today's world is stuff like the MeToo movement and any of that garbage. It makes it harder to know the truth and separating fact from fiction and whether or not some of them try to gain 15 minutes of fame through it. I don't think that's what Sonmez was trying to do on purpose, but like I said, too soon. Some other people are under fire for that as well.

It's as I said in the title, touchy. A very touchy subject. Even with where you stand, Bryant was not a perfect player. That's what happens when a brash and very young player joins the league before college guys get drafted in. Not to mention maturity and all that. But I'll end it with this. Sonmez was within her rights to bring it up, but should have waited until right around this time. There is such thing as sensitivity for any kind of incident, but you have to be very careful with how you talk about said incident to a victim or someone that knew a victim. This outrage on both sides is far from over.

A Mamba's Legacy (Reaction)

This shit feels surreal. It's going to dominate the headlines this week and maybe next week. But the fact that this happened, the disbelief is through the roof. Like many, the shock is still there for what happened to NBA legend Kobe Bryant. As the story has filtered in, he was on his way via helicopter to a travel basketball game with his teenage daughter Gianna. Something happened and the copter crashed, killing all nine people. Too early to determine until the NTSB investigates and puts out their report whenever that happens. Other casualties are reported to include Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli and his family, which the daughter played for Bryant's team.

Quickly on his career, Bryant was drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets. However, the LA Lakers got him via a trade, trading away Vlade Divac. At that point, they were playoff contenders, but a far cry from where they were at the start of the 90s. With young guys and additional talent like Shaquille O'Neal coming from Orlando, the franchise was back, winning three Finals in a row. Even through struggles, Bryant found redemption after rape allegations. With better understanding, he was back in form at the end of the 2000s, winning another two titles before injuries late in his career, which he played his final game in 2016.

Before I say my reaction to what happened, obviously there is the basketball side we have to talk about. For guys like me in their late 20s, early 30s, this was the Michael Jordan of our generation. I'm not the biggest basketball fan and not huge on the Lakers, but you can see why they are coveted and hated. Bryant always had that knack for being in the tightest situations and delivering most of the time. One example is the 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 81 points in the victory. It's hard to turn it into words, but there was a drive to him that made him put everything on the line just for the sake of championships and creating that legacy that inspire youth to be him.

When I heard about it, I was stunned. And at work, word spread. It's hit home to a lot of people throughout the world. You don't need to be a fan of sports to know how devastating this is. When you add in Bryant's daughter to the casualty, that makes it ultra sickening. Come mid April, and it will mark four years since his final game. This is the kind of shit that makes you reevaluate life. Not to mention that at 41 years old, there was more he was prepared to do. I think that's the most saddening thing about it. Someone that young to be killed without reaching his full potential in a post NBA life.

This is a huge blow for the NBA. Tons of current and former people involved the sport expressing condolences. Everybody and their mother being shocked at this tragic event. And the same can be said for the other victims involved with the locals of the towns that knew them. Hopefully, a thorough investigation finds results for the cause of the crash. Not a good way to almost end the month of the new decade

China Park Association

I'm amazed Trey Parker and Matt Stone haven't been assassinated yet. Outdated pop culture incidents make South Park very dated and forgotten in a week or two. Their latest regarding China is something I wouldn't have mocked and wouldn't label as brilliant. I wonder if they know where the line is drawn. They also took a knock on the NBA for the incident with Daryl Morey and his thoughts on Hong Kong protesters. I question when their comedy stops being comedy. How much longer until it turns into very bad consequences?

Regarding the NBA, giving them too much of a voice is an incident like this waiting to happen. I understand freedom of speech, and the league allows a lot more than other sports organizations. That being said, there has to be fine lines with what these players, coaches, and staff can say. People like Mark Cuban and Gregg Popovich are too focused on other things instead of their teams. Plus, we're almost two years removed from the UCLA incident where three of their players shoplifted. You don't think this will make the NBA think twice about the market over there?

The question I would ask Parker and Stone: Is it worth risking your lives? The NBA: Do you think too much of a voice is a lot more consequential?

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 17

A new podcast episode for Geeks and Jocks. A lot to talk about.
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Geeks-and-Jocks-Episode-17-Summer-Recap-2019-e5ntdh

You can find my podcast on these sites:

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj
https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84YmFhZTg0L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz
https://open.spotify.com/show/0ejDLYL3QCQslc1q25pRgF
https://www.breaker.audio/geeks-and-jocks
https://radiopublic.com/geeks-and-jocks-GKzY7Q