Inconsistent
Give me a new nickname.
No longer call me UptownMastermind. Call me Uptown Dissenter.
Why?
Because I must have been the only person in New York City who was rooting for Reggie Miller and Alonzo Mourning... well, sort of for 'Zo. Now, I'm rooting for the end of the NBA season.
For the past eleven years, we have been told of how much the league has been hurting with the retirements of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Since those 1994 Finals which featured the Rockets and the Knicks, the word has been that ratings have dipped without the lack of one of the following:
There's a part of me that asks the question: can this proverbial casual fan make up his/her mind? In '94, it was unwatchable until OJ decided to put his stamp on Game 5, the game no one was able to see. Even though New York and Houston were involved (big markets), the Knicks' brusing, push-and-body defense (ask Ben Wallace about shoving) was to brutal to watch. Despite Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon matching up in one of the greatest duels in Finals history and the clutch performances on both sides, Jordanitis seemed to have quarantined our beloved casual fan and media.
In '95, Mr. Jordan returned just in time to disrupt the Bulls chemistry during the Eastern Finals against Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic. Houston's sweep of the young Magic was apparently unnoticed because #45 was sitting at home. Despite the emergence of the Big Aristotle and the Dream's fluid motion (star power), no one cared, right?
From '96-'99, the Bulls returned to form with a newer cast of characters (Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Scot Williams, Bill Wennington and the one man that belongs in the top 50 of all time, Dennis Rodman). Though the Michael-and-Scottie Show won three more titles, it seems as if most only remember the two they won against the Utah Jazz. But, lest we forget that those historic 72-10 Bulls faced their toughest opponent in their decade of dominance in the 64-18 Seattle Sonics. Gary Payton, Hershey Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, Nate McMillan, Sam Perkins and the Amare with a 18-foot jumpshot, Shawn Kemp. Seattle (star power, big market) gave Chicago fits in the six-game series, but it was Chicago's experience and key defensive stops that allowed them to prevail. So why are there only replays and reflections on the Chicago/Utah Finals of '98 and '99? Because of Stockton-to-Malone, of course, but those series did not pit teams of two of the best records in league history, did they? And if San Antonio and Detroit are accused of being boring, then show me the millions of basketball fans around the globe that found the Jazz to actually be... jazzy.
Jordan walked away for the second time, and again, which team found themselves representing the East? The most despised team in recent memory, the '99 Knicks. If the strike did not shorten their season and if equipped with a healthy Ewing, San Antonio would have been in for a greater fight than in the '99 Finals, where they won in five games. Most find it the low-point of NBA Finals history because of the short-season, but could we also attribute that people just flat out hated Latrell Sprewell? Forgotten was that those Knicks were the only eight-seed to ever advance to the finals, from the Allan Houston buzzer-beater in Miami to the slugfest with Indiana, that team had to conquer their bitter rivals before being chopped down to size. Not compelling enough, huh?
Oh, the Lakers... the so-called most hated franchise in the A. They only managed a three-peat of their own, defeating the Pacers, 76ers and Nets. You would have thought that the team from the second-largest market in the US would have millions and millions as witnesses, but according to our casual-fan-o-meter, the ratings for the Finals continued their downward spiral. In a very good matchup in 2000, America's Heartland must have sat out for the series as the Pacers tried to use their perimeter game to win. The following season, all eyes were on Philadelphia as Allen Iverson and Co. tried to take it to Shaq Diesel. Apparently, no one appreciated seeing The Answer, who I think of as Calvin Murphy with a crossover and cornrows. And the Nets? There are still people laughing at the thought of New Jersey having a contending franchise other than their Devils. The big market ploy didn't work out since most of New York City was still skeptical of Jersey's success.
The 2005 Finals feature the two previous champions for only the second time in league history. When the Spurs beat the Nets in six games back in 2003, I scratched my head in wonder. Why the hell were people NOT jumping down Kenyon Martin's throat after his 3-for-23 performance in the final game? Oh, yeah, that's it... no one cared. So says Mr. Joe Corporate. Why was that when these were two teams with MVP candidates that played "the way the game should be played"? As for last season, the Pistons shocked the world outside of Detroit by thumping the Lakers in five games. Didn't they also play the game the way it was meant to be played? Where were the people who couldn't stand the egos and selfishness of NBA players when the mighty Lakers fell?
Now, we have what Scoop Jackson calls the NBA's version of the NCAA Finals. Basketball for the purists. Two top defenses and efficient offenses. Matchups that are more even-matched than the 1996 Finals (Billups vs. Parker, Hamilton vs. Ginobili/Bowen, Prince vs. Bowen/Ginobili, Duncan vs. 'Sheed, both teams only going three deep in the bench). Both teams playing to the coach's style, both teams showing some semblance of offense, both teams "without ego". So what will be the excuse when ratings drop this year?
Two medium market cities? Can't be, Detroit is one of the ten largest in the country while San Antonio has been accustomed to winning.
Two offensively-challenged teams? The Spurs have lit it up while the Pistons are capable if they give a damn (see Tayshaun Prince, who was an offensive forward at Kentucky before committing to defense in the NBA).
Tired of the Larry Brown saga? Well, can't blame you there.
No superstars? Sorry if none of these guys have David Beckham following.
Let me say why I will not be consumed by this year's Finals. One, I've never been a fan of either team. That's a post into itself. Two, I have always prefered watching contrasting styles going at one another for the top prize. These two teams are nearly carbon-copies of each other, no clashing, no unpredictability. Three, Ben Wallace basically got away with a slap on the wrist a few months ago.And the final reason... I can hear it now, the pretentious broadcasting and analysis starting tonight at the SBC Center:
"Two teams that play the game the way it was meant to be played."
"No superstars on either squad."
"This is one for the purists."
Can someone tell Jack Ramsay, Bill Walton, the entire SportsCenter team and all of the college analysts that will come out the woodwork during the next two weeks to calm down? Here it is, professional peach-basket basketball, served fresh.The media and the casual fan got the series they wanted...
...right?
Today's "Say Word": There were two teams that coveted Sprewell's services during the shortened 1999 season. Spree made a choice between New York and... those unassuming San Antonio Spurs.
No longer call me UptownMastermind. Call me Uptown Dissenter.
Why?
Because I must have been the only person in New York City who was rooting for Reggie Miller and Alonzo Mourning... well, sort of for 'Zo. Now, I'm rooting for the end of the NBA season.
For the past eleven years, we have been told of how much the league has been hurting with the retirements of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Since those 1994 Finals which featured the Rockets and the Knicks, the word has been that ratings have dipped without the lack of one of the following:
- Star power
- Big markets
- Quality play
- Mr. Jordan
There's a part of me that asks the question: can this proverbial casual fan make up his/her mind? In '94, it was unwatchable until OJ decided to put his stamp on Game 5, the game no one was able to see. Even though New York and Houston were involved (big markets), the Knicks' brusing, push-and-body defense (ask Ben Wallace about shoving) was to brutal to watch. Despite Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon matching up in one of the greatest duels in Finals history and the clutch performances on both sides, Jordanitis seemed to have quarantined our beloved casual fan and media.
In '95, Mr. Jordan returned just in time to disrupt the Bulls chemistry during the Eastern Finals against Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic. Houston's sweep of the young Magic was apparently unnoticed because #45 was sitting at home. Despite the emergence of the Big Aristotle and the Dream's fluid motion (star power), no one cared, right?
From '96-'99, the Bulls returned to form with a newer cast of characters (Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Scot Williams, Bill Wennington and the one man that belongs in the top 50 of all time, Dennis Rodman). Though the Michael-and-Scottie Show won three more titles, it seems as if most only remember the two they won against the Utah Jazz. But, lest we forget that those historic 72-10 Bulls faced their toughest opponent in their decade of dominance in the 64-18 Seattle Sonics. Gary Payton, Hershey Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, Nate McMillan, Sam Perkins and the Amare with a 18-foot jumpshot, Shawn Kemp. Seattle (star power, big market) gave Chicago fits in the six-game series, but it was Chicago's experience and key defensive stops that allowed them to prevail. So why are there only replays and reflections on the Chicago/Utah Finals of '98 and '99? Because of Stockton-to-Malone, of course, but those series did not pit teams of two of the best records in league history, did they? And if San Antonio and Detroit are accused of being boring, then show me the millions of basketball fans around the globe that found the Jazz to actually be... jazzy.
Jordan walked away for the second time, and again, which team found themselves representing the East? The most despised team in recent memory, the '99 Knicks. If the strike did not shorten their season and if equipped with a healthy Ewing, San Antonio would have been in for a greater fight than in the '99 Finals, where they won in five games. Most find it the low-point of NBA Finals history because of the short-season, but could we also attribute that people just flat out hated Latrell Sprewell? Forgotten was that those Knicks were the only eight-seed to ever advance to the finals, from the Allan Houston buzzer-beater in Miami to the slugfest with Indiana, that team had to conquer their bitter rivals before being chopped down to size. Not compelling enough, huh?
Oh, the Lakers... the so-called most hated franchise in the A. They only managed a three-peat of their own, defeating the Pacers, 76ers and Nets. You would have thought that the team from the second-largest market in the US would have millions and millions as witnesses, but according to our casual-fan-o-meter, the ratings for the Finals continued their downward spiral. In a very good matchup in 2000, America's Heartland must have sat out for the series as the Pacers tried to use their perimeter game to win. The following season, all eyes were on Philadelphia as Allen Iverson and Co. tried to take it to Shaq Diesel. Apparently, no one appreciated seeing The Answer, who I think of as Calvin Murphy with a crossover and cornrows. And the Nets? There are still people laughing at the thought of New Jersey having a contending franchise other than their Devils. The big market ploy didn't work out since most of New York City was still skeptical of Jersey's success.
The 2005 Finals feature the two previous champions for only the second time in league history. When the Spurs beat the Nets in six games back in 2003, I scratched my head in wonder. Why the hell were people NOT jumping down Kenyon Martin's throat after his 3-for-23 performance in the final game? Oh, yeah, that's it... no one cared. So says Mr. Joe Corporate. Why was that when these were two teams with MVP candidates that played "the way the game should be played"? As for last season, the Pistons shocked the world outside of Detroit by thumping the Lakers in five games. Didn't they also play the game the way it was meant to be played? Where were the people who couldn't stand the egos and selfishness of NBA players when the mighty Lakers fell?
Now, we have what Scoop Jackson calls the NBA's version of the NCAA Finals. Basketball for the purists. Two top defenses and efficient offenses. Matchups that are more even-matched than the 1996 Finals (Billups vs. Parker, Hamilton vs. Ginobili/Bowen, Prince vs. Bowen/Ginobili, Duncan vs. 'Sheed, both teams only going three deep in the bench). Both teams playing to the coach's style, both teams showing some semblance of offense, both teams "without ego". So what will be the excuse when ratings drop this year?
Two medium market cities? Can't be, Detroit is one of the ten largest in the country while San Antonio has been accustomed to winning.
Two offensively-challenged teams? The Spurs have lit it up while the Pistons are capable if they give a damn (see Tayshaun Prince, who was an offensive forward at Kentucky before committing to defense in the NBA).
Tired of the Larry Brown saga? Well, can't blame you there.
No superstars? Sorry if none of these guys have David Beckham following.
Let me say why I will not be consumed by this year's Finals. One, I've never been a fan of either team. That's a post into itself. Two, I have always prefered watching contrasting styles going at one another for the top prize. These two teams are nearly carbon-copies of each other, no clashing, no unpredictability. Three, Ben Wallace basically got away with a slap on the wrist a few months ago.And the final reason... I can hear it now, the pretentious broadcasting and analysis starting tonight at the SBC Center:
"Two teams that play the game the way it was meant to be played."
"No superstars on either squad."
"This is one for the purists."
Can someone tell Jack Ramsay, Bill Walton, the entire SportsCenter team and all of the college analysts that will come out the woodwork during the next two weeks to calm down? Here it is, professional peach-basket basketball, served fresh.The media and the casual fan got the series they wanted...
...right?
Today's "Say Word": There were two teams that coveted Sprewell's services during the shortened 1999 season. Spree made a choice between New York and... those unassuming San Antonio Spurs.
posted by Jason Clinkscales @ 2:30 PM
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