By Rick Morris
Even by the standards of recent NBA All-Star Games, tonight's affair was typified by rampant streetball elements abhorrent to those of us who grew up on a better brand of hoops than this. There's little to note substantively about the game except to report that the East won, 134-128. Lebron James won the MVP award for the second time in three years, a decision that made great sense as he filled the stat sheet with 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones, who loves his hoops, did not agree with my take on the game and he found it a fun, refreshing break from the action seen during the regular season. That is his right, of course, and if he sees fit to post any further thoughts here on All-Star Weekend I'm sure they will be very well-reasoned from his point of view. As for me, I find the complete lack of defense (embodied by a pathetic sequence in which Jason Kidd didn't so much as raise an arm to stop a West player going by him in the lane), the run-and-gun junk with sloppy, inaccurate showboat passes, the obsession with dunks and the rampant ball-hogging to be completely disgraceful -- or in other words, completely equivalent to Charles Barkley's illiterate basketball and political takes.
Showing posts with label NBA All-Star Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA All-Star Game. Show all posts
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
NBA All-Star Game preview
By Rick Morris
I should admit my bias at the outset and note that I am one of these curmudgeons grumbling about the good old days of the '70s and '80s in regards to the NBA All-Star Game. I loathe the dumbed-down, streetball elements that have run amok in recent years, such that the deployment of any actual defense whatsoever is regarded as a discourteous and unwelcome interjection in what seems designed to be an endless and tiresome run of SportsCenter-brand alley-oops.
So, having said that, I don't have nearly the level of analysis to bring that our Senior Editor Jason Jones displayed in his show-stopper coverage of All-Star Weekend. Nonetheless, I do have a few predictions for tonight's event:
^ I agree with the conventional wisdom that the West's status as a better and deeper conference is reflected in the strength of the respective All-Star teams. KG's absence due to injury further drives this point home.
^ One element that the East might embrace to try to overcome the talent gap would be to steal an idea from Team Canada in international hockey. They utilized the Detroit Red Wing combo of Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey in place of more gifted players, using their capacity for teamwork and defense instead of trying to win solely on having the best players. Now, quite by coincidence, the East team has a few members of the Detroit Pistons (Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace) who are not at the freakishly-gifted level of teammates such as Lebron James and Dwight Howard. But maybe, just maybe, if these three get some significant minutes together, they can make the chemistry that has put them near the top of the East every year to use in neutralizing the better players on the other side. Look also at how USA Basketball keeps losing to "worse" teams every time out in international competition.
^ In the end, I see the West pulling away based on the fact that their combination of players can dominate at any style of play. I'll say 132-121 West, with the MVP going to Chris Paul on his own court inasmuch as the Marketing Mafia that controls the NBA loves success stories in the hometown and this emerging Hornets megastar is quarterbacking an incredible run for his team this year. Look for him to rack up something insane like 16 assists en route to the honors.
I should admit my bias at the outset and note that I am one of these curmudgeons grumbling about the good old days of the '70s and '80s in regards to the NBA All-Star Game. I loathe the dumbed-down, streetball elements that have run amok in recent years, such that the deployment of any actual defense whatsoever is regarded as a discourteous and unwelcome interjection in what seems designed to be an endless and tiresome run of SportsCenter-brand alley-oops.
So, having said that, I don't have nearly the level of analysis to bring that our Senior Editor Jason Jones displayed in his show-stopper coverage of All-Star Weekend. Nonetheless, I do have a few predictions for tonight's event:
^ I agree with the conventional wisdom that the West's status as a better and deeper conference is reflected in the strength of the respective All-Star teams. KG's absence due to injury further drives this point home.
^ One element that the East might embrace to try to overcome the talent gap would be to steal an idea from Team Canada in international hockey. They utilized the Detroit Red Wing combo of Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey in place of more gifted players, using their capacity for teamwork and defense instead of trying to win solely on having the best players. Now, quite by coincidence, the East team has a few members of the Detroit Pistons (Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace) who are not at the freakishly-gifted level of teammates such as Lebron James and Dwight Howard. But maybe, just maybe, if these three get some significant minutes together, they can make the chemistry that has put them near the top of the East every year to use in neutralizing the better players on the other side. Look also at how USA Basketball keeps losing to "worse" teams every time out in international competition.
^ In the end, I see the West pulling away based on the fact that their combination of players can dominate at any style of play. I'll say 132-121 West, with the MVP going to Chris Paul on his own court inasmuch as the Marketing Mafia that controls the NBA loves success stories in the hometown and this emerging Hornets megastar is quarterbacking an incredible run for his team this year. Look for him to rack up something insane like 16 assists en route to the honors.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
2008 Rookie Challenge, for those who had something better to do.
by Jason Jones
Most fans would claim that they couldn’t care less about most All-Star festivities. I, personally, am not one of those fans. The key is to go into it knowing full well what ‘it’ is. It is an All-Star event. With that being said, do not expect fundamentals. The fundamentals of the game got checked at the door with everyone’s coats and jackets. If you want fundamental basketball, watch college or pray for a Spurs vs. Pistons final. This is all in an effort to have fun and give the basketball fans with A.D.D. what they want, snappy passes (as risky as they may be), dunks, jacked up 3’s, and all in all reckless play. It’s fun, even if it technically cannot be categorized as basketball.
Most fans would claim that they couldn’t care less about most All-Star festivities. I, personally, am not one of those fans. The key is to go into it knowing full well what ‘it’ is. It is an All-Star event. With that being said, do not expect fundamentals. The fundamentals of the game got checked at the door with everyone’s coats and jackets. If you want fundamental basketball, watch college or pray for a Spurs vs. Pistons final. This is all in an effort to have fun and give the basketball fans with A.D.D. what they want, snappy passes (as risky as they may be), dunks, jacked up 3’s, and all in all reckless play. It’s fun, even if it technically cannot be categorized as basketball.
Starting Rosters:
All Rookie Team
PG-Mike Conley Jr.
SG-Jeff Green
SF-Luis Scola
PF-Al Horford
C-Kevin Durant
Notable Reserves:
Juan Carlos Navarro (MEM), Yi Jianlian (
All Sophomore Team
PG-Rajon Rondo
SG-Brandon Roy
SF-Rudy Gay
PF-LaMarcus Aldridge
C-Andrea Bargnani
Notable Reserves:
Daniel “Boobie” Gibson (
If it were up to me, and the bias therein, I would have chosen the starters in the following manner:
RookiesMike Conley Jr.
Jamario Moon
Yi Jianlian
Al Horford
Kevin Durant
Sophomores
Rajon Rondo
Brandon Roy
Rudy Gay
Paul Milsap
Andrea Bargnani
The interesting thing that goes along with the idea that this is not true basketball, is that the center position is merely a figurehead title. Both Bargnani and Durant are tall enough to play the 5 spot, but that is where it ends. Both of these players are Small Forwards at heart and by skill set. That's another reason why this game should be fun to watch, as long as you don’t internally combust after a certain number of silly/dumb mistakes.
1st Half (only the fun stuff):-Bargnani gets the ball on the right elbow and drives completely untouched for an unimpressive (and very white boy-ish) two-handed flush.
-B. Roy underhand lobs the outlet pass to Rondo in full stride who then lobs the ball so high it went off camera and fell into the gliding hands of a streaking R.Gay.
-After fending off a barrage of loose balls and sloppy ball handling, Conley somehow circles around and slaps a Magic Johnson-esque bounce pass through the congestion to a cutting Al Horford for two-handed dunk.
-Horford grabs an uncontested rebound and outlet to Durant in a wide open stride shades of Dr. J if he took off just outside the block as opposed of the free throw line.
-Rondo flips the ball to B. Roy, then once again lobbing the ball into the rafters which eventually fell into the gliding hands of R. Gay, catching it a mere three or four inches short of the top of the backboard bring it down two-handed.
-For those who may think Horford could play football, Durant bounce-passes to Horford as he bumbled and stumbled to drop in lay-up that looked a lot like a pinball game.
-Luis Scola rebounds and chest passes to a cutting Durant who then passes to an equally cutting Horford who then throws it down ala Charles Barkley. Question is, are we beginning to see some fundamentals? I wouldn’t get too excited if I were you.
-Here’s something funny, Lebron looks like Lebron while KG looks like the president of the Mr. Rodgers fan club.
-Navarro sends a bounce pass with “English” to Durant almost 30 feet to a cutting Durant for a reverse two handed dunk.
-Rondo lobs a pass from half court to a streaking B. Roy for a cocked two-handed dunk.
-Durant at the right elbow, shaking and baking, drives down the middle of the paint for an open layup just to be blocked by Bargnani from the weak side. Not to be outdone, Horford comes in from the opposing elbow flies in ala Michael Jordan flying in from outside the free throw line.
-Farmar circles the key and finds a wide open (to the point that he could be sitting in a lounge chair with a glass of tea open) for a three.
-Here’s a sneak peak to the underwhelming dunk contest…Navarro flips the ball up to J. Moon for a double clutched leaner dunk shades of Starks over Olajuwan…if Olajuwan wasn’t there.
-Farmar finds himself almost alone in the paint, then barely dunking by pushing the ball over the rim.
-Who knew that Sean Williams of the Nets had and dribbling skills? After a missed dunk Williams juggles the ball between himself and Durant and pushes the ball uncontested and as if he were T-Mac throws off the glass to himself and dunks it HARD one-handed.
-Once again, relatively alone, Boobie sets up and launches a 3 that slapped the back iron and shoots down with aggression. Cue Lebron jumping up with the “it's good” gesture.
-Farmar drops the ball off to the trailing Boobie (at the 3 point line) for yet another open 3.
-B. Roy apparently liked the previous Farmar pass.
-Paul Milsap bounce passes to Boobie in an effort to just get rid of the ball, Boobie hits ANOTHER 3. Welcome to the Boobie Gibson Show.
-Boobie finally missed one.
-Farmar intercepts the outlet pass and instantly lobs it up to an unsuspecting Ronnie Brewer for an impromptu dunk.
-Paul Milsap has had enough of Durant and pins his lay-up attempt on the backboard.
-In a play that you might actually see in a regular season game, the Sophomores get good ball movement that ends with a 3 by who else? Boobie Gibson. Lebron is going to get tired of letting everyone know who Boobie plays with. With
-Farmar feed a cutting LaMarcus Aldridge for a nice long give-and-go (basically the length of the court) dunk.
-Horford gets an opportunity to clean up Durant's attempted garbage dunk with a sure handed dunk of his own.
-Clearly the Sophomores have decided feeding Boobie at the 3 point line is a higher percentage shot than pushing the fast break for a dunk/lay-up. Boobie has tied the Rookie Challenge 3-point mark before halftime.
-Using himself as a decoy, Boobie waits for the double-team on the outside and kicks it to a wide-open Farmar for 3. Boobie could have taken the 3 for the record before the half but defers to Farmar.
-Working for the final shot, Conley plays with his defender until he can position himself, then lobs the ball perfectly to Durant who catches the ball with his elbows at the rim leaving a mere 1.5 seconds in the half.
Q: How does it feel to have the support of a guy like Lebron?
A: It’s great, you know he doesn’t have to do that. It's the kind of guy he is, he loves his teammates.
Q: We like to see records broken, so stay hot.
A: I will.
Start of the 2nd Half with the Sophomores leading 66-52:
-Rudy Gay, on the other hand, doesn’t feel like putting that much energy into scoring early, so he spots up for a 25 foot 3 tickling the twine.
-After a turnover, turnover, turnover set of transitions, B. Roy sends a pass splitting the defense to a cutting Rondo for an open lay-up.
-Since this game has felt somewhat like a contest of Pong with the going back and forth with no scoring result for the most part, I have neglected to mention a few dunks that have come from sloppy play.
-Durant gets a steal (only in a literal manner of speaking, Gay bounced it off his foot) and serves it up to J. Green at the hash mark which Green then dunks after leaving from about 8 feet out.
-Bargnani hits a 3 from the corner with the defender running at him like a toddler defending his father in the driveway.
-Green remains hot taking the feed at the elbow to hit a nice 3 with a hand in his face (believe it or not).
-Green again getting a gimme dunk gliding from the left completely uncontested.
-While Rondo is demanding all of the attention with his DribbleFest ’08 in the middle of the paint, no one paid any attention to B. Roy just waiting to get the miss. Instead, Aldridge comes up with it and with one pump fake gives it to Roy who then goes for an up and under razzle dazzle reverse layup.
-After ANOTHER TURNOVER, Rondo receives the outlet pass and attempts something he’s been eyeing for a while. A double-clutch windmill dunk. I know, Rondo and dunk, crazy, huh? Then after corralling the rebound, LaMarcus Aldridge shows Rondo how its done.
-For those who believe white men can’t jump, you must not be considering 7 foot Euro’s. Rondo sends a bounce pass from 30 feet away to a cutting Bargnani for what looked to be an easy lay-up and turned into a 180 degree two handed facial for Luis Scola.
-Scola comes back with a wimpy scoop layup. “This isn’t real basketball, you should be penalized for a layup,” screams the 17 year old punk 3 rows back.
-Almost 9 minutes into the second half and no Boobie, what the hell! Speaking of Cavaliers,
-Yi Jianlian quickly jab steps Aldridge from about 19 feet and puts up a dagger of a jump shot, to no one’s amazement. Almost as if everyone knew it was going in.
-Jamario Moon tells B. Roy “NO” as he sling the lay-up to a teammate, which somehow finds Durant who goes for a right hand—no left handed switcheroo dunk in the open court.
-Rudy Gay tries the old pass-the-ball-through-the-leg-of-your-opponent-to-receive-it-on-the -other-side. Luckily Yi was there to intercept, and give a facial expression that reads, “I may not be American, but I ain’t stupid either."
-Boobie Gibson checks back in, and consequently bricks his first record-breaking attempt.
-Clearly, the record is not the only thing on Boobie’s mind. During the halftime analysis, Kenny Smith claimed that Boobie needed to learn to play the point, considering his size (wow, did you come up with that on your own, or did an intern feed you that gem?). Boobie just sliced through defenders tossing up an oop pass from the 3 pt line to a streaking Rudy Gay.
-Boobie, after passing up another shot at the record, gets stuck defending Jamario Moon a couple of times. One of which had Moon dropping a 3 in Boobie’s face. Next time down, Boobie gets the ball and decides to toy with Moon before hitting the record-breaking 3. Almost as if to say, “I’ll be the one hitting 3’s tonight, thank you very much”.
-…And Boobie Gibson for number 9, number 9, and extends the record.
-Its seems that short of the reserves who haven’t had much time in the second half, no one is really trying anymore. John Navarro feeds Sean Williams for a big-man-sized tomahawk dunk.
-Farmar dribbles and spins his way to a nice scoop layup.
-Not to be outdone, Juan Carlos Navarro dribbles and jabs his way to a nice teardrop layup.
-Farmar casually takes the ball from the 3 point line and lobs it to Ronnie Brewer to throw it down getting back into the action.
-Karl Malone interviewed on the sideline by Craig Sager echoes what I have been saying over the last season and a half. “Seeing these young guys is really refreshing. They are doing it the right way on and off the court. I will be bringing my son to watch these guys often." We are witnessing a resurgence of the NBA. We as fans are always looking to see who will replace the Michael Jordans, Larry Birds, Karl Malones, and Jason Kidds. We are seeing now (even though the All-Star Rookie Challenge is not the idea venue) a large group of talent who will drastically reshape the current NBA. In the future we will not be looking for 3-5 players to transcend the game, but 10 or 20 that make the game better and more fun to watch. A couple are in this game and some are not. Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Andrew Bynum, and so on. You can say that the NBA is a shell of its former self, but I believe on the contrary. The NBA is on the upswing. We may never again see a Michael Jordan, but there should be plenty of Lebrons and Dwayne Wades to get used to in the future.
-Boobie came down the court pushing the break and threw up what looked to be an uncharacteristically bad shot hard off the backboard. It actually was just a really ugly pass off the backboard for LaMarcus Aldridge.
-Jamario Moon still trying to create some hype for the dunk contest, takes the ball in the left corner and cups it a la Vince Carter for a nasty one-handed dunk.
-49 seconds left and its time for the guys who didn’t do much to get involved. Farmar passes up a clean path to the basket to unload the ball to Ronnie Brewer for a nice cocked-windmill dunk.
-Boobie gets the ball with time running out in the attempt to take the last shot, while Lebron James is up on the court screaming to take the deep 3. Boobie shoots it but misses from about 30 feet.
-With the final stats in, Boobie has the largest point total by +10 with 33. He also shattered the previous 3 point record by +4, and as Kenny Smith said, “the only shots he missed were the shots he should’ve missed”. Again, this is an All-Star Game festivity. You should never expect a good shooting percentage, but Boobie delivered. Not to over-extend my own personal bias, but if Boobie Gibson does not get game MVP (even though it really doesn’t mean anything) I will be FUMING PISSED.
Daniel “Boobie” Gibson is your All-Star Rookie Challenge Game MVP.
Q: Do you have anything left for the second half of the regular season?
A: As long as we have Lebron on the team, I think I will manage a few open looks.
Q: You hit 11 three’s, that’s a record. You were one point off the record for most points scored in this game (A. Stoudamire 34) and tied with you teammate Lebron James for second (L. James 33).
A: That’s a big accomplishment, I mean I never imagined I would make it this far and make it so quick. I’m just counting my blessing and I’m very thankful. Thankful for everything.
Q: What does it mean to play in the NBA?
A: It means the world. Its everything, this all I know since I was kid. I am thankful for this opportunity and I’m gonna cherish every moment of it.
Poor grammar aside and with the Houston Astros logo shaved into his head, Boobie Gibson is your MVP and very gracious to be so. Joining four other Cavalier All-Star winners:
-2008 Boobie Gibson Rookie Game MVP
-2006 Lebron James All-Star Game MVP
-1998 Zydrunas Ilgauskas Rookie Game MVP
-1994 Mark Price 3 PT Shootout Champion
-1993 Mark Price 3 PT Shootout Champion
Lebron joins the
Q: So, Lebron you had to love what you saw from Daniel Gibson there in the Rookie Challenge?
A: I told him, I hope he saved something for tomorrow with the 3 PT Challenge.
Q: …You’ve seen him up close, you know what he can do.
A: His shooting ability is pretty good. He showcased his shooting ability tonight and showed what he can do. It was electrifying tonight.
Q: He doesn’t really have a traditional shooters stroke.
A: I’ve been watching him since before he was playing, back before Mike Brown let him in the game. And as Kenny and Chuck know, if you can shoot, you deserve to play.
Q: First off, you need to be playing at a faster tempo, but why hasn’t he progressed enough as a player. Why isn’t he starting?
A: Well, I don’t know if he’s comfortable coming off the bench or if he would be comfortable (clearly, Lebron is not comfortable answering this question) as the starter. He’s still a young guy, even with the playoff experience and getting to the Finals. We don’t know if he’s ready to step in and be the starting point guard for this team yet. The way he is progressing, he will be the starting point guard of this team soon.
Q: If it ended today, you are a four seed going into the playoffs, but with all of the talk surrounding the Celtics and the Pistons…convince me of how you are going to return to the NBA Finals.
A: It's gonna be tough, we know that. To see how
Q: Do you need to make a deal, you’ve kind of thrown it out there?
A: I do think we need to get better…and it starts with hopefully making a deal before the trade deadline. If that doesn’t happen, the guys we have are going to be ready for the last 30 games of the season and then get ready for the post season.
Q: How frustrating has it been, you’ve seen Gasol going here, you see Shaq going here, you guys have been trying to get Jason Kidd, it has to be somewhat frustrating for you
A: As a competitor in anything you do, you want to get better. As being the ultimate competitor in my sport along with Kobe Bryant, I want to get better. Let's get on paper first, and then hit the gym and make it happen. You can see how…(he might want this one back)…Kobe Bryant spoke up about the situation going on in L.A. and now he got Pau Gasol and when they get Andrew Bynum back, they are the team to beat.
Q: Taking the East out of it, looking just at the West, as Ernie pointed out we could have a 50-win team not make the playoffs. When you look at all of the deals, who’s the one you look at and say, wow I can’t believe they got this guy?
A: Gasol. Just for the simple fact of what they gave up. They didn’t give up much to get a guy who has averaged 20 and 10 his whole career, shot over 50% his whole career, and has been a good player…hasn’t had many injuries at all. And then he goes to a team that has the most dominant player in our league, Kobe Bryant, the best closer in our league. When I saw the Lakers and the Grizzlies make that deal, I was like WOW, just like everybody else.
Q: I’ve been saying, I can’t believe you said that but, I’ve been saying Lebron’s game is approaching
A: I believe it, I think Kobe Bryant is the best closer in our game and the best player in our game.
Q: (directed at Charles Barkley) Knowing you are one of the best 50 and clearly Lebron will be one of the best 50, would you have said Michael Jordan was a better closer than yourself?
A: Yes, I told Michael---
Q: While you were playing?
A: Oh, while I was playing…I never would’ve admitted that!
Q: He’s a young guy (Lebron). I do believe he is tuggin’ on
A: We don’t like going into the 4th quarter being down. We’ve done a great job, I’ve done a great job of getting victories. We have had 4 of our top 7 guys out, there is no team that can gather from that. First we have to get healthy before this stretch run leading to the playoffs, so we’ll see.
…much later in the post game show, Karl Malone crashed the party demanding that Charles Barkley apologize for giving Malone a hard time about the suit he wore on Draft Day, then insinuating that Charles has no business talking trash about Draft Day suits when Charles wore a brick red one.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The All-Star Debate Reconvened
by Jason Jones
Some of you are familiar with my call of change toward any and all All-Star game voting. It is my moderately sized dream that All-Star game roster be decided solely by statistical production as opposed to any other means. An All-Star game roster should not reflect a roster of “potential future hall of famers”, unless said roster also reflects players who have put up the best numbers THIS year not over the last few years. Recently, John Hollinger of ESPN.com had written a piece on a similar topic. His “East All-Stars: Slim Pickings When Selecting Subs” has mentioned some details I do not agree with, and I hope you agree with me.
Some of you are familiar with my call of change toward any and all All-Star game voting. It is my moderately sized dream that All-Star game roster be decided solely by statistical production as opposed to any other means. An All-Star game roster should not reflect a roster of “potential future hall of famers”, unless said roster also reflects players who have put up the best numbers THIS year not over the last few years. Recently, John Hollinger of ESPN.com had written a piece on a similar topic. His “East All-Stars: Slim Pickings When Selecting Subs” has mentioned some details I do not agree with, and I hope you agree with me.
"Best" in this case is hazily defined. I look at it in the big-picture kind of way -- not necessarily who is having the best season, although that's certainly important, but who are the best players, period. That, in turn produces a series of criteria for being on the team:-John Hollinger
Hollinger’s first point I do agree with, “Small Injuries Don’t Matter”
To summarize, if a player has better numbers than another but missed a small amount of time with an ankle injury (“say 12 games”) then the first player should not be penalized for a small injury. I can get behind that thought, because as he mentions, Elton Brand should not be considered (likewise, Gilbert Arenas). Signed, 1997 Anfernee Hardaway who played only 19 games in ’97 and was still voted an NBA All-Star.
The second point is what made me respond here. History Matters.
“If Player A and Player B are having comparable seasons, but Player A is playing way better than he ever has before while Player B has played at this level the past three seasons, I'm taking Player B every time.”
This should disqualify Hollinger from polluting sports fans minds forever. History should play zero part in the evaluation process.
-Al Jefferson PF (MIN) 20.6 PTS, 12.3 REB, 1.3
or
-Jermaine O’Neal (
If we left it up to Mr. Hollinger, according to his article, he would not hesitate to select Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine is a quality player, but by saying what he’s saying, it sends the message that it does not matter what a guy does if he hasn’t been there before. I find it hard to believe any fan, much less most of them would agree Jermaine O’Neal should get the nod over
The third point deals with winning, “.500 is not a magical All-Star maker”.
I agree with this one as well. Remember, All-Star nods are not and should not be reflected in the team’s Win column. As much as I’ve hated it in previous years, it should effect MVP voting. You should not have a losing record and be heralded as the leagues best player. Just think, lets use a hypothetical player, we’ll call him John Johnson. If John Johnson is on the flat out worst team in the league, but he has a stats line that reads: 38 PTS, 18 REB, 12 AST, 3
Yet, and this one is beautiful, Hollinger continues this point with, “The Parliament Argument or The Electoral College Argument. Since
The Following Stats Reflect Only the Years They Were Pistons
Chauncey Billups
2006-17.0 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 7.2 Ast
2005-18.5 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 8.6 Ast
2004-16.5 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 5.8 Ast
2003-16.9 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 5.7 Ast
2002-16.2 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 3.9 Ast
Richard Hamilton
2006-19.8 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 3.8 Ast
2005-20.1 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 3.2 Ast
2004-18.7 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 4.9 Ast
2003-17.6 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 4.0 Ast
2002-19.7 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 2.5 Ast
Tayshawn Prince
2006-14.3 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 2.8 Ast
2005-14.1 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 2.3 Ast
2004-14.7 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 3.0 Ast
2003-10.3 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 2.3 Ast
2002-03.3 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.6 Ast
Rasheed Wallace
2006-12.3 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 1.7 Ast
2005-15.1 Pts, 6.8 Reb, 2.3 Ast
2004-14.5 Pts, 8.2 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Ben Wallace
2005-07.3 Pts, 11.3 Reb, 1.9 Ast
2004-09.7 Pts, 12.2 Reb, 1.7 Ast
2003-09.5 Pts, 12.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast
2002-06.9 Pts, 15.4 Reb, 1.6 Ast
2001-07.6 Pts, 13.0 Reb, 1.4 Ast
2000-06.4 Pts, 13.2 Reb, 1.5 Ast
The beauty of this is, the Pistons made the playoffs in;
2006-1st in the
2005-1st in the
2004-1st in the
2003-2nd in the
2002-1st in the
2001-1st in the
Best individual seasons:
Chauncey Billups: 2005, 18.5 / 3.1 / 8.6 (All-Star appearance: ’06, ‘07)
Richard Hamilton: 2006, 19.8 / 3.8 / 3.8 (All-Star appearance: ’06, ‘07)
Tayshawn Prince: 2004, 14.7 / 5.3 / 3.0 (All-Star appearance: 0)
Rasheed Wallace: 2004, 14.5 / 8.2 / 1.8 (All-Star appearance: ‘06)
Ben Wallace: 2002, 6.9 / 15.4 / 1.6 (All-Star appearance: ’03, ’04, ’05, ‘06)
You’ll notice that in all of the shuffle, Billups, Hamilton, R. Wallace, B. Wallace all put up quality numbers in 2006. It is a great achievement to have 4 players contribute the way the Pistons of 2006 did. It may be a by product, but as they say, “Those are the Breaks”. It may not be fair, but the math is just working against them. They were and still are a strong defensive minded team. Good defense sometimes means less possessions in a game. Then 61 of the 96 points scored on average per game came from Billups, Hamilton, Prince (not in All-Star contention), R. Wallace, B. Wallace (who only averaged 7.3 pts a game). Divide that out and each member averages 15.25 points a game. If the Pistons want more run as a team who produces All-Star players, maybe they should conduct themselves in a manner that would produce All-Star like statistics. The only drawback is not winning as much. I think they will take their division titles and playoff appearances over All-Star bids. As for the actual 2006 NBA All-Star Eastern Conference Roster, there were some votes extended due to popularity and other non statistical reasoning. When relating it to the 4 Detroit Pistons, I believe the voting populous put them in as a way to rationalize their success. It’s a lot like Fred Taylor making the Pro Bowl. His stats did not merit it, but because he put up solid numbers over time, it was treated like a Lifetime Achievement Award, not a Pro Bowl invite. I went through and pulled all of the major stats for every player in the Eastern Conference. Then took the top 25 at points, top 25 in rebounds, and top 25 in assists, then cross referenced all of it together to come up with a an Eastern Conference All-Star roster comprised completely by statistical analysis. The numbers is parenthesis are some of those stats crunched as reference points in the remainder of this discussion.
Actual East All-Star Roster_____________Roster Based on ONLY Stats
G Allen Iverson (
G Dwyane Wade (
G Gilbert Arenas (
G Richard Hamilton (
G Paul Pierce (
G Chauncey Billups (
F Lebron James (
F Jermaine O’Neal (
F Chris Bosh (
F Vince Carter (
F Rasheed Wallace (
C Shaquille O’Neal (
C Ben Wallace (
Bold = indicates starters
A few notes…Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas (even though with almost 29 pts a game, he almost didn’t make it), Paul Pierce, Lebron James, Jermaine O’Neal, Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, and Shaquille O’Neal all were on both rosters. D. Wade, L. James, and S. O’Neal are the only consensus starters. They had voted Allen Iverson a starter over Gilbert Arenas. Allen Iverson had 24 pts a game while Gilbert Arenas had almost 29. Allen Iverson registered 7 assists while Arenas managed a close 6. In the not so guard friendly category Iverson had 3 rebounds to Arenas’ 5. Statistically, it was close but Arenas gets the nod going +4, -1, and +2…That’s a +5 in favor of Gilbert Arenas who went on to light up the playoff stage with Lebron not A.I. The other major disparage was at the starting power forward position. They had Jermaine O’Neal while I contest it should have been Chris Bosh. Jermaine O’Neal put up 19 points and Chris Bosh had 23. J. O’Neal grabbed 10 rebounds a game to Bosh’s 11. In the unselfish category, O’Neal had 2 assists to Bosh’s 3. That again goes in favor of my choice +4, +1, and +1 for a net gain of +6 in favor of Chris Bosh. Some of the other differences also make statistical sense.
Jason Kidd over Chauncey Billups, +3 in favor of Kidd
Joe Johnson over Richard Hamilton, +5 in favor of Johnson
Dwight Howard over Rasheed Wallace, +11 in favor Howard
Eddy Curry over Ben Wallace, +8 in favor of Curry
No fan is going to vote the biggest member of the worst trade in NBA history to the All-Star game over the Defensive Player of the year no matter what the stats, especially if that would be deemed a victory for Isaiah Thomas. Howard/R. Wallace fits Mr. Hollinger’s claim that if player A is having his best season and player B is on par within his own previous season’s, he takes player B. One problem with that theory. What if player A (Dwight Howard) is a #1 pick, is in his second season, and just so happens to be improving daily until the point that he is a no question starter in the All-Star game? And what if player B is an aging head case, who’s ceiling couldn’t sniff that of player A? Point is, Hollinger is wrong on this one, it is Dwight Howard by a mile…or, more like +11 statistically. Richard Hamilton may be the most consistent mid range jump shooter in the game. Fact of the matter is, he still is an equal offensive option on a team that splits 96 points almost equally by 5 players. Joe Johnson is the biggest name and biggest talent on a cellar dweller. Joe Johnson is the clear cut #1 scoring option on his team. Besides, +5 says Johnson belongs and Rip doesn’t. The closest margin of victory for my squad is that of Jason Kidd vs. Chauncey Billups. Kidd loses ground in points, as if there’s a lack of scoring in any All-Star game, but he makes it up in assists. This is a point I would like to think all NBA fans could get behind serious or casual. If Shaq comes down with the rebound and the other team clears out. Then Lebron, Wade, and Pierce are spread out in their running lanes, who do you want pushing the break? Billups or Kidd? Young Kidd or old Kidd, it doesn’t matter. For this era and this generation of basketball, there is no one you should want pushing the fast break more than Jason Kidd. Not to mention statistically he’s just better, even if it is somewhat close.
After all of that, it comes down to a simple concept that I have uttered many times over and it does not matter what sport we are discussing. It works for all sports alike. “Fans should not vote on All-Star rosters, because the will inevitably get it wrong”. There should be no voting. All-Star game participants should be determined the same way NFL playoff teams are determined. By cold hard statistics; after that there should be tiers of tie-breakers. This should not be done by the coaches, players, sports writers or anyone else. It could be done by a computer (one of the few sports details that should be left to a computer-
Monday, December 3, 2007
Taking The Power Out of the Hands of the People
by Jason Jones
In life, there are a great deal of certainties. One of my favorites, “A person can be very smart but people are very very stupid”, applies very literally to All-Star voting. Some people may say, “It’s an All-Star game, who cares”? This is a common line of thinking. It really comes down to, like most aspects of sports, getting it right. Being voted in to an All-Star game is not just a privilege or an honor; it is justification for statistical production. This is the way it should be, not the way it actually is. Case in point, back in the mid 90’s Anfernee Hardaway was voted in as a starter for the NBA All-Star game. That year Anfernee Hardaway didn’t play his first game until one week before the All-Star break. A large portion of people who take the time to vote for All-Star games, do so by way of name recognition or base their decision from last season’s performance. The basis of this post revolves around the idea that people vote on All-Star games. Those people vote irresponsibly. Those people vote the wrong players in. Thus, said All-Star game is represented partially by players who don’t deserve to be there with the deserving watching at home. For this exercise I will be using the NFL and their Pro Bowl. Currently, we are about to enter week 13 of the regular season. There are still 3 games for each player to pad their stats. The numbers are not complete but the point remains. First, a Pro Bowl ballot whose result is an average of 5 ballots filled out by 5 different people not affiliated with Fantasy Draft Help.com
AFC_____________________NFC_______________
QB---Tom Brady----------------Tony Romo
------Peyton Manning-----------Brett Favre
------Derek Anderson-----------Drew Brees
RB---LaDanian Tomlinson-------Adrian Peterson
------Larry Johnson-------------Stephen Jackson
------Joseph Addai--------------Brian Westbrook
WR--Randy Moss---------------Terrell Owens
------Marvin Harrison----------Torry Holt
------Hines Ward---------------Steve Smith
------Chad Johnson-------------Plaxico Burress
FB---Lorenzo Neal--------------Tony Richardson
TE---Antonio Gates-------------Jason Witten
------Todd Heap----------------Jeremy Shockey
OT---Jonathan Ogden----------Walter Jones
------Levi Jones----------------Flozell Adams
------Marvel Smith-------------Chris Samuels
OG---Alan Faneca--------------Steve Hutchinson
------Cooper Carlisle-----------Todd Stuessie
------Logan Mankins-----------Leonard Davis
C-----Kevin Mawae-------------Jamaal Jackson
------Jeff Saturday-------------Olin Kreutz
DE---Dwight Freeney----------Julius Peppers
------Jason Taylor--------------Osi Umenyiora
------Justin Smith--------------Michael Strahan
DT---Casey Hampton----------Tommy Harris
------Albert Haynesworth------Darnell Dockett
------Vince Wilfork-------------Bryant Young
OLB-Shawne Merriman--------Lance Briggs
------Joey Porter---------------A.J. Hawk
------Terrell Suggs-------------Julian Peterson
MLB-Ray Lewis----------------Patrick Willis
------Adalius Thomas----------Brian Urlacher
CB---Champ Bailey------------DeAngelo Hall
------Chris McAlister----------Charles Woodson
------Asante Samuel-----------Shaun Springs
SS----Troy Polamalu-----------Roy Williams
------Bob Sanders--------------Adrian Wilson
FS---Ed Reed------------------Brian Dawkins
------John Lynch--------------Sean Taylor*
K----Stephan Gostkowski-----Robbie Gould
------Nate Kaeding------------Jason Hanson
P----Dave Zastadil-------------Jeff Feagles
------Matt Turk---------------Andy Lee
KR---Josh Cribbs--------------Devin Hester
As previously mentioned, this Roster reflects the result 5 different Pro Bowl ballots averaged together to arrive at one master roster. I do not think anyone would disagree that these two teams are loaded with talent. Over the last 3-5 years, this game would reflect the best of best. This exercise is not a five year period; it is to prove a point for this season. The following is what the ballot would look like if each voter followed statistical production and not name recognition.
AFC____________________NFC____________
QB---Tom Brady--------------Tony Romo
------Peyton Manning---------Brett Favre
------Derek Anderson---------Drew Brees
RB---Willie Parker------------Adrian Peterson
------LaDanian Tomlinson-----Brian Westbrook
------Joseph Addai------------Clinton Portis
WR--Randy Moss-------------Terrell Owens
------Braylon Edwards--------Larry Fitzgerald
------Chad Johnson-----------Donald Driver
------Reggie Wayne-----------Marques Colston
FB---Lorenzo Neal------------Tony Richardson
TE---Kellen Winslow----------Jason Witten
------Antonio Gates-----------Jeremy Shockey
OT---Matt Light--------------Walter Jones
------Joe Thomas-------------Chris Samuels
------Shane Olivea------------Chad Clifton
OG---Alan Faneca-------------Steve Hutchinson
------Logan Mankins----------Leonard Davis
------Eric Steinbach-----------Roberto Garza
C-----Jeff Saturday-----------Olin Kreutz
------Kevin Mawae-----------Matt Birk
DE---Jared Allen-------------Andy Kampman
------Jason Taylor------------Patrick Kerney
------Kyle Vanden Bosch-----Osi Umenyiora
DT---Albert Haynesworth----Darnell Dockett
------Amobi Okoye-----------Tommy Harris
------Vince Wilfork-----------Bryant Young
OLB-James Harrison---------Greg Ellis
------Mike Vrabel------------DeMarcus Ware
------Shawne Merriman------Julian Peterson
MLB-Ray Lewis--------------Patrick Willis
------DeMeco Ryans----------Nick Barnett
CB---Antonio Cromartie------Anthony Henry
------Asante Samuel----------Terrence Newman
------Leigh Bodden-----------Charles Woodson
SS---Sean Jones--------------Sean Taylor*
------Sammy Knight----------Dwight Smith
FS---Ed Reed-----------------Ken Hamlin
------Marlon McCree---------Oshiomogho Atogwe
K----Stephen Gostkowski-----Nick Folk
------Phil Dawson-------------Mason Crosby
P----Shane Lechler-----------Andy Lee
------Todd Sauerbrun--------Donnie Jones
KR---Josh Cribbs-------------Devin Hester
Once you’ve read through the two different rosters, two things should become very obvious. 1) Almost all of the names of the first roster are household football names. 2) The second roster has a lot of player’s names in bold print whose names may be of a lesser known variety. This almost proves my point single handedly. The second roster is made up of names completely by statistical production. If the Pro Bowl is a reward for excellence in performance, then performance should be the only criteria. Granted, some discrepancies should be expected. Plus or minus 10-15 % would be acceptable. If you do the math based on the previous example, there is a discrepancy is 50%. Granting half of the players on this list who don’t deserve an invite is without a doubt unacceptable. This is a moderately flawed sample size due to the fact that the season has not concluded yet.
When one looks at the names involved from a far, there is no doubt these names are quality players:
Larry Johnson, Stephen Jackson, Marvin Harrison, Steve Smith, Todd Heap, Jonathan Ogden, Flozell Adams, Chris Samuels, Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Casey Hampton, Joey Porter, Adalius Thomas, Brian Urlacher, Champ Bailey, Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, and John Lynch are at the least all pro and potentially hall of fame caliber players. The point to be made is that they should not get an invite to Honolulu based on previous seasons or a combination of career performances.
It may seem contrived to analyze something so small and unimportant, but it is relevant to the larger scheme of things to understand why. Most people only acknowledge the surface information or what is basically convenient. It is convenient to believe that player A, B, and C have been on top, stands the reason they would continue to be on top until their skills begin to diminish. That simply is not always the case. Randy Moss had a terrible season in ’06, but to think he is done professionally is asinine. The converse is also true. In ’06 Frank Gore had almost 2,200 yards from scrimmage and was a top three running back regardless of conference. This season, he has not even amassed half of last year’s production. Frank Gore was a Pro Bowler last season and Randy Moss was not, to assume that production just continues and is loosely based on last year is irresponsible as a fan.
It is a nice gesture from the National Football League (or any other professional sports league) to give the fans control or power over who gets into the All-Star festivities. Unlike coaches, owners, players, sports writers, or sports talk show hosts, not all fans give these decisions the thought and analysis they deserve. It is not necessarily anyone’s fault. Chances are, a financial adviser father of three living the American dream complete with a mortgage and home improvement chores on the weekends doesn’t really have the time to devote to getting it right. What I am suggesting is not a matter of punishment. Taking the responsibility to get the All-Star participants correct out of the hands and minds of the fans is not a punishment. It is merely a matter of getting it right. Some will say that these games are designed for the fans. This is apparently true when dealing with the NBA, since clearly they don’t care that their All-Star game is not a game. It’s more like goof off time after winter practice. If entertainment value is the crux of the argument, then why not let the people who know or are willing to do the research decide who would make the best all star game. Besides, unless you are a resident of the commonwealth of HAWAII!!! Who is really watching this game for its entertainment value? In most cases, the Pro Bowl is a last ditch effort for husbands to get out of Sunday chores for one last weekend. Just like replay, challenges, officiating committee, competition committee, etc are all instituted for one reason and one reason only. TO GET IT RIGHT. Fans should not decide All-Star Games, we should leave those decisions to the experts, then let the fans do what they do best…WATCH THE GAME.
In life, there are a great deal of certainties. One of my favorites, “A person can be very smart but people are very very stupid”, applies very literally to All-Star voting. Some people may say, “It’s an All-Star game, who cares”? This is a common line of thinking. It really comes down to, like most aspects of sports, getting it right. Being voted in to an All-Star game is not just a privilege or an honor; it is justification for statistical production. This is the way it should be, not the way it actually is. Case in point, back in the mid 90’s Anfernee Hardaway was voted in as a starter for the NBA All-Star game. That year Anfernee Hardaway didn’t play his first game until one week before the All-Star break. A large portion of people who take the time to vote for All-Star games, do so by way of name recognition or base their decision from last season’s performance. The basis of this post revolves around the idea that people vote on All-Star games. Those people vote irresponsibly. Those people vote the wrong players in. Thus, said All-Star game is represented partially by players who don’t deserve to be there with the deserving watching at home. For this exercise I will be using the NFL and their Pro Bowl. Currently, we are about to enter week 13 of the regular season. There are still 3 games for each player to pad their stats. The numbers are not complete but the point remains. First, a Pro Bowl ballot whose result is an average of 5 ballots filled out by 5 different people not affiliated with Fantasy Draft Help.com
AFC_____________________NFC_______________
QB---Tom Brady----------------Tony Romo
------Peyton Manning-----------Brett Favre
------Derek Anderson-----------Drew Brees
RB---LaDanian Tomlinson-------Adrian Peterson
------Larry Johnson-------------Stephen Jackson
------Joseph Addai--------------Brian Westbrook
WR--Randy Moss---------------Terrell Owens
------Marvin Harrison----------Torry Holt
------Hines Ward---------------Steve Smith
------Chad Johnson-------------Plaxico Burress
FB---Lorenzo Neal--------------Tony Richardson
TE---Antonio Gates-------------Jason Witten
------Todd Heap----------------Jeremy Shockey
OT---Jonathan Ogden----------Walter Jones
------Levi Jones----------------Flozell Adams
------Marvel Smith-------------Chris Samuels
OG---Alan Faneca--------------Steve Hutchinson
------Cooper Carlisle-----------Todd Stuessie
------Logan Mankins-----------Leonard Davis
C-----Kevin Mawae-------------Jamaal Jackson
------Jeff Saturday-------------Olin Kreutz
DE---Dwight Freeney----------Julius Peppers
------Jason Taylor--------------Osi Umenyiora
------Justin Smith--------------Michael Strahan
DT---Casey Hampton----------Tommy Harris
------Albert Haynesworth------Darnell Dockett
------Vince Wilfork-------------Bryant Young
OLB-Shawne Merriman--------Lance Briggs
------Joey Porter---------------A.J. Hawk
------Terrell Suggs-------------Julian Peterson
MLB-Ray Lewis----------------Patrick Willis
------Adalius Thomas----------Brian Urlacher
CB---Champ Bailey------------DeAngelo Hall
------Chris McAlister----------Charles Woodson
------Asante Samuel-----------Shaun Springs
SS----Troy Polamalu-----------Roy Williams
------Bob Sanders--------------Adrian Wilson
FS---Ed Reed------------------Brian Dawkins
------John Lynch--------------Sean Taylor*
K----Stephan Gostkowski-----Robbie Gould
------Nate Kaeding------------Jason Hanson
P----Dave Zastadil-------------Jeff Feagles
------Matt Turk---------------Andy Lee
KR---Josh Cribbs--------------Devin Hester
As previously mentioned, this Roster reflects the result 5 different Pro Bowl ballots averaged together to arrive at one master roster. I do not think anyone would disagree that these two teams are loaded with talent. Over the last 3-5 years, this game would reflect the best of best. This exercise is not a five year period; it is to prove a point for this season. The following is what the ballot would look like if each voter followed statistical production and not name recognition.
AFC____________________NFC____________
QB---Tom Brady--------------Tony Romo
------Peyton Manning---------Brett Favre
------Derek Anderson---------Drew Brees
RB---Willie Parker------------Adrian Peterson
------LaDanian Tomlinson-----Brian Westbrook
------Joseph Addai------------Clinton Portis
WR--Randy Moss-------------Terrell Owens
------Braylon Edwards--------Larry Fitzgerald
------Chad Johnson-----------Donald Driver
------Reggie Wayne-----------Marques Colston
FB---Lorenzo Neal------------Tony Richardson
TE---Kellen Winslow----------Jason Witten
------Antonio Gates-----------Jeremy Shockey
OT---Matt Light--------------Walter Jones
------Joe Thomas-------------Chris Samuels
------Shane Olivea------------Chad Clifton
OG---Alan Faneca-------------Steve Hutchinson
------Logan Mankins----------Leonard Davis
------Eric Steinbach-----------Roberto Garza
C-----Jeff Saturday-----------Olin Kreutz
------Kevin Mawae-----------Matt Birk
DE---Jared Allen-------------Andy Kampman
------Jason Taylor------------Patrick Kerney
------Kyle Vanden Bosch-----Osi Umenyiora
DT---Albert Haynesworth----Darnell Dockett
------Amobi Okoye-----------Tommy Harris
------Vince Wilfork-----------Bryant Young
OLB-James Harrison---------Greg Ellis
------Mike Vrabel------------DeMarcus Ware
------Shawne Merriman------Julian Peterson
MLB-Ray Lewis--------------Patrick Willis
------DeMeco Ryans----------Nick Barnett
CB---Antonio Cromartie------Anthony Henry
------Asante Samuel----------Terrence Newman
------Leigh Bodden-----------Charles Woodson
SS---Sean Jones--------------Sean Taylor*
------Sammy Knight----------Dwight Smith
FS---Ed Reed-----------------Ken Hamlin
------Marlon McCree---------Oshiomogho Atogwe
K----Stephen Gostkowski-----Nick Folk
------Phil Dawson-------------Mason Crosby
P----Shane Lechler-----------Andy Lee
------Todd Sauerbrun--------Donnie Jones
KR---Josh Cribbs-------------Devin Hester
Once you’ve read through the two different rosters, two things should become very obvious. 1) Almost all of the names of the first roster are household football names. 2) The second roster has a lot of player’s names in bold print whose names may be of a lesser known variety. This almost proves my point single handedly. The second roster is made up of names completely by statistical production. If the Pro Bowl is a reward for excellence in performance, then performance should be the only criteria. Granted, some discrepancies should be expected. Plus or minus 10-15 % would be acceptable. If you do the math based on the previous example, there is a discrepancy is 50%. Granting half of the players on this list who don’t deserve an invite is without a doubt unacceptable. This is a moderately flawed sample size due to the fact that the season has not concluded yet.
When one looks at the names involved from a far, there is no doubt these names are quality players:
Larry Johnson, Stephen Jackson, Marvin Harrison, Steve Smith, Todd Heap, Jonathan Ogden, Flozell Adams, Chris Samuels, Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, Casey Hampton, Joey Porter, Adalius Thomas, Brian Urlacher, Champ Bailey, Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins, and John Lynch are at the least all pro and potentially hall of fame caliber players. The point to be made is that they should not get an invite to Honolulu based on previous seasons or a combination of career performances.
It may seem contrived to analyze something so small and unimportant, but it is relevant to the larger scheme of things to understand why. Most people only acknowledge the surface information or what is basically convenient. It is convenient to believe that player A, B, and C have been on top, stands the reason they would continue to be on top until their skills begin to diminish. That simply is not always the case. Randy Moss had a terrible season in ’06, but to think he is done professionally is asinine. The converse is also true. In ’06 Frank Gore had almost 2,200 yards from scrimmage and was a top three running back regardless of conference. This season, he has not even amassed half of last year’s production. Frank Gore was a Pro Bowler last season and Randy Moss was not, to assume that production just continues and is loosely based on last year is irresponsible as a fan.
It is a nice gesture from the National Football League (or any other professional sports league) to give the fans control or power over who gets into the All-Star festivities. Unlike coaches, owners, players, sports writers, or sports talk show hosts, not all fans give these decisions the thought and analysis they deserve. It is not necessarily anyone’s fault. Chances are, a financial adviser father of three living the American dream complete with a mortgage and home improvement chores on the weekends doesn’t really have the time to devote to getting it right. What I am suggesting is not a matter of punishment. Taking the responsibility to get the All-Star participants correct out of the hands and minds of the fans is not a punishment. It is merely a matter of getting it right. Some will say that these games are designed for the fans. This is apparently true when dealing with the NBA, since clearly they don’t care that their All-Star game is not a game. It’s more like goof off time after winter practice. If entertainment value is the crux of the argument, then why not let the people who know or are willing to do the research decide who would make the best all star game. Besides, unless you are a resident of the commonwealth of HAWAII!!! Who is really watching this game for its entertainment value? In most cases, the Pro Bowl is a last ditch effort for husbands to get out of Sunday chores for one last weekend. Just like replay, challenges, officiating committee, competition committee, etc are all instituted for one reason and one reason only. TO GET IT RIGHT. Fans should not decide All-Star Games, we should leave those decisions to the experts, then let the fans do what they do best…WATCH THE GAME.
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