Why was Charles Barkley dressed like Tony Soprano tonight? What was with the gold medalion and the open collar? Do they not have wardrobe people at TNT?
And seriously, what happened to Magic? I've put on a few extra pounds as I've aged, but he's put on a few extra people. To think that he was once an elite athelete running a fast paced team is astonishing. That he is a spokesperson for 24 hour fitness is hilarious.
I know it is looking like Dallas is going to beat Phoenix, but what happens if Phoenix plays Miami? Will Shaq score 60 points or not be allowed off the bench because his man will be open for 3 all night? That is the goofiest matchup I can imagine, and I'm not even sure I want to watch it play out. It's just wrong somehow. Dallas/Miami though would be epic. Man, I hope Miami beats Detroit.
715 was hit today. I honestly believe that all Bonds ever wanted out of baseball was to be considered in the conversation for who was the best ever. The guy who acts like he cares the least about the media actually cares the most. I think he thought Ruth was overrated, especially since he didn't have to face black players, and was sick of hearing how great he was. Then he saw Mac and Sammy crush Ruth's record (No I don't mean Marris, no one cares about Marris), and what a big deal it was and he said, "I'll show them" and did. Then people started seeing him as just a slugger so he decided to win a batting title and nearly hit .400. As he broke the Babe's last HR record (his goal all along, more than beating Aaron who is never in that aforementioned conversation anyway), it saddens me that one of the best players in any sport in my generation was more than likely driven to break the law and the moral code of his sport just so people would have to call him great. It's sad because he was already great, and it's sad because his fame and personality has brought attention to an issue that has tainted 20 years of baseball and it's sad that he plays for my favorite team when my oldest son is just learning to be a fan. My son will end up a Mariners fan because I can't talk to him about the Giants because I don't want to explain to him about Bonds. He's 5. Right now, it's all about the greatness of sports and connecting with his Dad. I'm not ready to try to explain steroids to my 5 year old. Someday there will be important lessons for him in that about competition and sportsmanship and respect and honesty and on and on. Right now I just want it to be about what a double play is or why you get 4 balls but only 3 strikes. 5 years ago I was looking forward to explaining to my son why 715 was significant. Now that it's happened, it makes me sad.
Comments
I didn't notice Barkley's wardrobe picks before last night's game, but Jen did, so it makes me wonder if perhaps you are a woman. Just kidding ... kind of. Interestingly though, she made the same comparison to Tony Soprano, but that may just be because we finally got around to renting the seasons on TiVo.
I'm with you on Heat-Pistons. Last year I was pulling for Miami mainly because of my man-crush for D-Wade. This year, I still have feelings for Dwyane, but it has more to do with the fact that I now despise the Pistons. I hate the way they complain about every call and the "too cool for school" thing they have going. I'm over them.
As for Mavs-Suns, I don't really care, I am just enjoying the fact that the Spurs are done. I agree that Miami-Dallas is the most ideal situation for the Finals though, so I am rooting for that matchup. You know that Dallas signed Diop as a reclamation project just so he could guard Shaq in the Finals. And now it might happen.
Finally ... Bonds. Sadly, I think this might boil down to race, which I know people aren't supposed to say. But Bonds clearly has strong feelings on this issue (the comments about Boston a few years ago, the apparent hatred for Ruth, etc.) and I think they probably stem more from his dad's and Willie Mays' playing days than from his own. I think you are right that he was fueled by a pursuit of Ruth's greatness (if not his home run totals) and then by anger over what happened with McGwire. It is such a shame though, because it ruined a perfectly good career. Before he supposedly starting juicing (which seems to be the 1999 season), Bonds was sitting on 411 home runs, 445 stolen bases, and incredible OBP and Slugging numbers. He was headed for the "top five hitters of all-time" conversation with or without steroids. But I think he was driven by a motivation that bordered on rage and that it kind of went over the edge when the (obviously) juiced Big Mac started taking the world by storm.
The whole thing is very sad. The one thing I am sure of is that I am so sick of ESPN's coverage of the whole thing that I find myself more interested in the latest Real World/Road Rules Challenge than I am by anything Bonds related.
Oh wait, I'm always more excited about those shows than, well, pretty much anything. So that is a bad example.
Finally, I completely agree with you about Detroit and the coverage of Bonds. It's funny because they clearly hate Bonds so much and it is as if there is a law that says they have to show his every at bat. If you think steroids has made the race a farce, then stop covering it. Actually, whatever you think, stop covering it...and Barbaro....and the Duke scandal...and Michele Wie....and uh oh, this could go on forever.
Here is a completely random comment: Josh Howard follows his shot better than anyone I've ever seen. Manu is pretty good, but he's more or less interested in sneaking up on the rebounder and trying to steal the ball away (a play that really only foreign players employ, because it is completely frowned upon in all forms of American pick-up ball). Howard actually sprints full on for the rebound. And it doesn't matter where he shoots from or if he's fading away - as soon as he comes down from the jump, he takes off like a flash. It is really something.