The Tom Izzo Decision Debate… Izzo Izz NOT Making the Right Decision

June 17, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Sports Geek.

Tom Izzo is allegedly a great coach. Our very own Sports Geek even goes so far as to laud Izzo on his ability to coach up teams to perform better than their raw talent would otherwise dictate. Sports Geek also gushes worshipful praise upon Izzo’s hallowed visage for his ability to stay strong and find success, even when the odds appear to be against him.

Yet, when Izzo’s feet were held to the fire, he shied away from an opportunity to advance his career, nay, his legacy. This “legendary” coach, who has undeniably had success in college, just didn’t have the guts to take the leap to try and coach the “big boys” when the real pressure was on.

Why the sudden and apparent cowardice? Izzo could not get CONFIRMATION that LeBron James would be playing in Cleveland. If he had gotten that confirmation, he would be packing his bags for Lake Erie as you read this article. But since that guarantee was unavailable to him, he will instead remain a big fish in the little pond of college basketball.

Translation – Izzo just didn’t want to have to put forth the EFFORT of possibly having to rebuild a successful team in the NBA. Instead, this coach whose alleged greatness comes from his ability to build, coach up, and maintain a successful basketball program tucked tail and ran when the opportunity came for him to put his money where his mouth was.

Tom Izzo would rather “safely” coach college kids against the likes of Thad Matta, Ron Zook, and Fran McCaffery than he would test his mettle in coaching better, professional basketball players against better coaches like Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, and Stan Van Gundy.

Sports Geek will argue that Izzo is one of the few coaches who has the unique opportunity to finish his career in the very place he started. He will also argue that NCAA coaches have not traditionally found success after attempting the transition to the pros. Both of those are feeble attempts to justify a decision to play it safe, rather than make a decision to challenge yourself to do something great.

And it is not like he would be coaching the New Jersey Nets.

Consider the situation that was presented to Tom Izzo.

On one hand, LeBron James stays with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that case, Izzo inherits the best player in the NBA, on a championship-ready team, with the undying support of one of sports’ greatest fan bases and all for an owner who has publicly promised to do everything in his power to make the Cavaliers a championship team (which, in fairness, he has absolutely backed up).

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

On the other hand, LeBron James decides to leave Cleveland and play elsewhere. In that case, Izzo would STILL inherit a tremendous supporting cast that is just one superstar short of NBA championship contention. He would also STILL be coaching for a very passionate fan base, AND working for an owner who PROMISED a championship (note – that promise did not come only on the condition that LeBron stays in Cleveland).

As owner of the Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert has committed to winning a championship – no strings attached. If LeBron James leaves Cleveland, Gilbert would not just throw his hands up in the air with an attitude that “we tried our best” and then just pack it in and call it quits. Instead, if LeBron suits up elsewhere next season (and that is still a VERY big IF), Gilbert still has the means and the motivation to keep the Cavaliers in contention.

Let’s be real – LeBron James does not EQUAL a championship. Yes, his talent puts his team in a great position to PLAY for a championship, but in the 64-year history of the NBA there have been 64 different championship teams, and NONE of them included LeBron James.

Tom Izzo had an opportunity to do something that very few basketball coaches will ever find, and that is to coach in the NBA. The fact that other college coaches such as Rick Pitino and John Calipari failed to make the transition is poor and cowardly justification for Izzo not to try, especially when considering Pitino’s teams in New York and Boston, and Calipari’s New Jersey Nets, were nowhere NEAR as well-equipped as the Cavaliers for success, with or WITHOUT LeBron James.

Izzo had the opportunity to coach some of the most talented basketball players in the world on the game’s biggest stage – for a LUDICROUS salary – all of which would have been supported by an owner with some of the deepest pockets and arguably the most ambition in all of the NBA. And he turned it down. Why? Because he only has a CHANCE of having LeBron James on his team, rather than a guarantee.

No matter how successful Izzo may be in his future seasons at Michigan State, it will not compare with the success that he could have found in the NBA.

When you consider the qualities that have made Izzo a great coach for the Spartans, along with the opportunity that he was being presented with, it seemed to be a perfect fit.

Izzo made the wrong decision!

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The Pac-10 Expansion Fail Debate… It’s Always About Money

June 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Pac-10.” A simply statement from the remaining members of the Big XII sent a powerful message – money talks.

Texas wants a big payday. Texas will take Texas Tech, and likely Oklahoma, along with them. That much is clear from having watched the entire saga unfold. There is another point of clarity here – THE reason the Pac-10 expansion effort that included Texas failed is for a single, solitary reason – the money was not right for Texas. Follow the bread crumbs from the myriad stories about Pac-10 expansion and each trail leads to one place – the money simply did not work. It was not competitive enough with the huge payouts in the Big Ten and SEC – the type of payouts that are not purely speculative, but are in fact REALITY.

Small markets rely heavily on major payouts. While Texas, the greed center of the newly remastered Big XII, is chasing the biggest payday and backing any plan that promises that ambition, plenty of smaller institutions in the conference had good financial reasons to remain “loyal” to the Big XII conference as well. Though their collective political was not likely THAT influential on Texas’ decision, smaller schools still had a relevant say in the matter.

Travel costs do matter to some schools. Perhaps Texas doesn’t care about traveling to Seattle to play Washington a couple of times in basketball, or every other season in football. But the folks in Manhattan, Kansas, do. As I mentioned in a previous article about why Notre Dame should join the Big Ten, the non-revenue sports have a substantial stake in this move as well, given the negative side of the ledger on which they reside. To ignore them is foolish, and potentially much more expensive.

Though Loyal Homer’s article today is going to center primarily on why rivalries cannot simply be abandoned, there is more than sentiment at stake. Missouri makes a LOT of money on the Border War, for example. Texas and Texas A&M cannot simply be split up out of conference since the revenue from that rivalry is a major financial driver for both programs. College football is big business, and everything else takes a back seat to that reality – just ask Southern Cal and Reggie Bush.

The question here, and the part of this story that is still developing – and endlessly fascinating – is why, EXACTLY, did Texas agree to stay in the Big XII? Thus far there is no new deal in place to greatly expand TV contracts or even start up a new network. Can a decision this huge really be made on the wink and promise of a few well-placed consultants? It appears right now that it has. But, that also further indicates just how important money is to the collective institutions remaining in the Big XII. Not only was the potential and package offered by the Pac-10 not good enough, it must have been so poor that even the specter of another potential deal was enough to derail interest. Maybe one of those consultants was Bernie Madoff.

Any attempts by Big XII(ish) commissioner Dan Beebe, in the wake of the fracturing of the Pac-10 situation, to undercut the importance of money in this scenario are, frankly, insulting. Further, Beebe played off Texas’ importance to the conference by stating that Oklahoma and Texas A&M also curry a great deal of influence. That may be the case, but between Texas and the other two big schools in the conference, only one has a huge market, huge following, and the potential to launch a dedicated cable network.

The influence resides with the money in this situation. Where is Colorado and Nebraska’s forfeited money going? Why, it’s being split up between Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma, of course.

A great deal has to happen, and will happen, in this situation. But, the newly remodeled, leaner Big XII has a long way to go. It is hard to understand how fewer schools will be able to earn MORE money. While the powers at the negotiation table on the side of the conference are adamant that they will not budge on price in negotiations simply because the conference has fewer schools, it is hard to image how two fewer TV markets will AID a big deal. Nevertheless, money is the main reason the Pac-10-Texas (and friends) expansion did not go through.

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The Pac-10 Expansion Fail Debate… Follow the Leader

June 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

Three years ago, had the Pac-10 offered an invitation of membership to Texas and the rest of the Big XII, they may have gotten some takers. Ten years, ago, they would have almost certainly succeeded in their quest for REAL expansion (Colorado and MAYBE Utah doesn’t count as REAL expansion). But, timing is everything, and the Pac-10 simply picked the wrong time to pursue its expansion.

Why did the Pac-10 fail in its quest for expansion (at least in terms of stealing six teams from the Big XII)? It was unable to woo Texas away from the Big XII. It is as simple as that. If the Pac-10 had been able to successfully convince Texas to change conferences, all the other ducks would have lined up in a neat little row to follow suit.

As the assumed leader of the Big XII, it is Texas that all the other member schools of the Big XII take their cues from. Where Texas goes, the others will follow.

There are only a few universities around the country who, like Texas, essentially can make their own fortune. Schools like Florida, Alabama, and Ohio State are also among those select few schools. As the “premier” programs in college football, they each enjoy the luxury of not having to depend as much on the success of others to inflate their own reputations.

Or consider the situation from another angle – being the University of Texas means more than being a member of the Big XII Conference. Texas is the only school in the Big XII that can confidently say that.

That is not to imply that Texas doesn’t need conference affiliation. Rather, I am simply implying that Texas will be successful as a program REGARDLESS of Conference. If Texas were to join the Pac-10 or the Big Ten it will find success, just as surely as it will be successful by remaining in the Big XII. It is among the elite programs in the country, and as such it enjoys the privileges of independence in that regard.

For the rest of the Big XII, full of programs that cannot claim the same level of consistent relevance and success (with the only possible exception being Oklahoma), value is determined as much by the company they keep as it is by their own success on the field.

It is more prosperous for teams to hitch wagons to those other teams which attract more (and better) attention. It is good for the schools financially, which leads to better recruiting and exposure, which leads to even more money, and the cycle continues.

Consider Baylor.

In terms of a pecking order within college football programs from the state of Texas, Baylor ranks fourth or fifth at best. In a football rich state, Baylor must compete for recruits against the likes of Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Houston (just to name a few).

Baylor, as a stand-alone university, will NEVER be able to effectively compete with Texas (for example) on a consistent basis in terms of recruiting four and five-star prospects. However, if a prospect is debating between Baylor or Houston, Baylor can use their Big XII membership as a recruiting tool that Houston (from Conference USA) cannot. Baylor can offer athletes the opportunity to play in the country’s biggest stadiums, against the toughest teams, all with a strong likelihood of getting (at least) regionally televised matchups.

Houston, which plays alongside Rice, UTEP, and SMU, cannot offer the same exposure that Baylor can as a member of the Big XII.

Just as in real estate, it is better to own the worst house in the best neighborhood, rather than owning the best house in the worst neighborhood. So when you consider the “real estate” market of college football today, the best neighborhoods to be in are those that include “elite” programs.

Right now, the Pac-10 neighborhood, without Texas, simply cannot offer the same prestigious affiliation that it once was able to.

For nearly a decade, the Pac-10 has been dominated by one single program – USC. While other programs (such as Cal, Oregon, and Stanford) have found temporary success on a season-by-season basis, the conference has been primarily defined as USC’s neighborhood.

Unfortunately for the Pac-10, USC is currently experiencing a fall from grace. While this fall from grace will probably not damage the school (or its parent conference) irreparably, it has nonetheless further tarnished the reputation of a conference that has struggled in recent years. The drop in stock for USC has corresponded to a drop in stock for the entire Pac-10 conference, and as a result, the allure of competition among the schools in the Pac-10 simply does not provide enough benefit to convince the lesser schools of the Big XII to change the collective allegiance.

Had the Pac-10 been successful in wooing Texas, the situation would have been very different.

Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and even Oklahoma are far better situation by keeping company with Texas than they would be in joining the ranks of a currently disgraced USC and the rest of the substandard Pac-10.

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The Pac-10 Expansion Fail Debate… Expansion Could Have Created True Bedlam

June 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.

For weeks now the college football world has braced itself for expansion in the BCS conferences… expansion that was supposedly sure to change the overall landscape of college football. Rumors have been circulating for months. Would the Pac-10 expand to 16 teams? Would the Big Ten expand to 16 teams? Where would that leave the Big XII? Would the SEC stand pat? As time progressed, it became quite apparent that the University of Texas held the keys to this driving force. After much conversation, Texas decided to stay in the Big XII, and the other teams in question followed suit. My initial reaction when the news broke Monday afternoon was, “Well that was much ado about nothing.” And that’s essentially the case. All in all, it’s a good thing because over the years the Big XII has established some rivalaries, and those could have been compromised if the “Pac-16” was formed. For the purpose of this debate, it’s important we are focusing only on football, though, since football was the culprit behind expansion talk (sorry women’s softball).

Some of our Midwestern readers, and some of our Big XII fans, may differ on what is the best rivalry in the Big XII. As someone who lives in Georgia, to me, the Red River Rivalry (I still call it the Red River Shootout) is the biggest rivalry in the Big XII, at least in my lifetime. The game has been played 104 times and is the centerpiece of the Texas State Fair. The game often has national significance. It’s usually played toward the middle of October, and I look forward to watching the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns battle for Big XII supremacy. The Red River Rivalry has produced some of the best games in college football over the past 15 years.

How about the battle between the Longhorns and state rival Texas A&M, which is part of the Lone Star Showdown? This game is annually played either on Thanksgiving Day or the day after Thanksgiving. Just this past year, the Aggies had the Longhorns on the ropes before Texas pulled away late. I have relatives that live in the Dallas area and they tell me that this is a bitter rivalry. If you live in Texas, you’re either a Longhorn or an Aggie.

And then there’s Bedlam, which involvs Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Over the past five years, this game has been played the Saturday after Thanksgiving, with the Sooners winning all five games.

It’s also important to note that there are many natural rivalries that take place due to geographic location. Four of the teams (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor) reside in Texas. There are two schools in Kansas (Kansas, Kansas State). And there are building rivalries like the Border War between Kansas and Missouri. This does not even touch the rivalries that the Pac-10 has formed over the years. Would Southern Cal still be able to play Notre Dame every year? We’ll never know.

Maybe some of these rivalries would have remained, as the schools likely would have been put into divisions in the Pac-10 and chances are good that the “Big XII” schools would have been in the same division. But the rivalries, and the times those rivalries are played, were definitely at risk, and ultimately, the risk far outweighed the potential reward.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Overshadowing the NBA Finals Debate Verdict

June 16, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.

Both arguments made a host of good points. In fact, each argument was so dense with well placed points that it was difficult to wade through the substantial bits of information.

In a way, it is similar to the media’s coverage of the NBA free agency class of 2010.

There is no doubt that ESPN, especially, is playing the looming NBA free agency up. Loyal Homer is correct is pointing out the consistent prominence free agency stories have received on ESPN. What is interesting about ESPNs continued push on the free agent story – and more specifically on the LeBron to New York story – is that it has a vested interest in promoting the NBA Finals. The WWL is making a conscious trade off in coverage. It should also be noted that ESPN desperately wants LeBron in New York. Essentially having the world’s biggest active basketball superstar in The Company’s backyard is a huge win. If fans are sick of the LeBron coverage now, just WAIT if he goes to New York. Talk about overexposure.

There is no doubt in my mind that ESPN believes any basketball story is good right now, and any basketball story will help generate ratings for ABC’s coverage of the NBA Finals. For me it is impossible to relate the increased TV ratings for the NBA Finals as proof that the NBA fans are siloing their attention on the Finals. The fact that the league has so much buzz right now has caused these ratings to improve – look at how the current ratings compare to the same two teams competing two years ago. These are better. Why? Not because of a renewed rivalry or anything like that. It is because the league in general has a great deal more buzz during this matchup this year because of this pending free agency.

I agree with Bleacher Fan that free agency talk has actually enhanced the Finals. In fact, I will go as far as saying that without this free agency far fewer folks would be taking in this series. The question is, however, is there a tipping point where the Finals are actually a second-rate story compared to free agency?

The point of this debate is to conclude whether or not LeBron’s pending free agency is overshadowing the NBA playoffs. While I am traditionally reliant on figures and statistics to help make these types of judgments, we were unable to gain access to ESPN’s page views numbers for free agency stories versus NBA Finals stories to make a point by point comparison (huh, small wonder).

But, as a writer and former beat reporter, the type of headlines and stories that get clicks – the currency on which online media outlets thrive – are stories about what MAY happen, not what already has happened. Most online readers want information on what’s next, not context about what already happened. ESPN – and other media outlets… it is not fair to single out ESPN, though they are the entity with the most dogs in the fight – will promote the content that gets eyeballs. If that content – whatever it is – overshadows something, then so be it. It is a reality of modern media consumption.

Media sharks are circling around this NBA free agency story, creating dangerous waters for any story that is not free agency, but is related to the NBA. With a substantial emphasis focused squarely on being the first reporter, or first news organization, with the biggest story of the year, trade offs must be made. In the case of NBA coverage, those trade offs are the usual full blown attention devoted to the championship series, making Loyal Homer the winner of this debate.

Loyal Homer is right that when two friends have dinner… that is not a sports story – unless it is two free agents during the Finals, apparently. Then it is big news that is promoted heavily in every sports media organization. The idea that it gets any ink (or pixels, as the modern case may be) proves that the attention given to free agency from the media comes at the expense of the NBA Finals, or any other story that dare get in the way. Fans eat it up, reporters need something to Tweet about, and TSD needs a topic to debate. Each small story or Tweet just feeds the beast, the thirsty fandom waiting for any inkling about what may happen in free agency.

Yesterday provided the perfect example. With the Finals game slated to begin at 9:00p out East, Tom Izzo called a press conference at 8:30p Eastern to announce his decision to turn down the Cavaliers coaching job – in large part because free agent LeBron James was mum. ESPNews carried the story, as did every other sports channel and Web site. Uh, folks, the potentially deciding game of the NBA Finals was a mere 30 minutes away, but coverage was split (barely). Even the game’s broadcasters spoke about it during the broadcast. Bleacher Fan’s idealized media-story compartmentalization is not realistic when even the Finals broadcast is interrupted with talk of the pending free agent class if players.

I think Loyal Homer’s coming storm analogy works well in this circumstance. The storm of July 1 is coming, it is unavoidable, and it has rained all over the Finals.

Bleacher Fan definitely made some interesting points. But, he subliminally surrendered in this debate before the second sentence was over! He referred to July 1 and beyond as, “… the upcoming season of free agency.” The very idea that free agency is a season at all underscores its prominence in the mind of the very person who is trying to diminish its impact on the media and the NBA Finals.

While Bleacher Fan is correct in asserting that no one yet is talking about LeBron today, the day is young. And, in fairness, the media ihas beens talking a great deal about Tom Izzo. Twitter and the sports media Web sites are not dominated with stories about Boston or L.A. potentially wrapping up the Finals. But Tom Izzo’s press conference about his future, and even his speech at a local basketball camp in East Lansing, Michigan, has earned substantial media attention.

Simply study how the media is deploying its resources. There is the usual allocated bunch of resources to the NBA Finals – though ESPN does a good job weeding out other news sources to dominate the coverage. But the real focus from the majority of the media is on LeBron’s future and the free agent circus that will soon be in full swing.

I think it is unfair to Bleacher Fan to point to one day of media coverage – the potential final day of the NBA Finals – as proof of anything. Remember the LeBron mania just one day after the Finals started? Heck, the simple news of LeBron’s upcoming appearance on Larry King was enough to overshadow game one of the Finals.

Bleacher Fan’s very accurate characterization of the major players in the series is dead on, but it simply underscores how surprising it is that this matchup routinely takes a backseat to the coming free agency period in the NBA. I also agree with Bleacher Fan that the story of the Finals is no comparison to the conjecture about free agency. To Loyal Homer’s point, however, would I rather read a story about free agency and LeBron’s situation, or the NBA Finals right now? Free agency wins every time.

Despite Bleacher Fan’s persuasive efforts, the modern sports media does not neatly compartmentalize all of our news. Free agency and the NBA Finals blend together. They can coexist, but there has to be a winner and a loser in terms of what garners the most attention. Right now that attention is given to free agency in a prominent way that overshadows what is supposed to be the sport’s biggest event.
Here is some important context. When thinking back on this season five years from now, will you be thinking about Boston’s last great run, Kobe’s supposed unselfishness, and Rondo’s amazing performances? Or, will you be thinking how LeBron made a decision that changed the NBA forever, or completely shifted the power center? My suspicion is the latter scenario will play out.

There are a couple of dangerous precedents here. Most prominently, sports may be forever changed by this NBA free agent class. Sports leagues always consist of a one winner and a bunch of losers. Those losers continue their pursuit of success (unless the loser in question is the L.A. Clippers). That pursuit of success – and the possibility of a perpetually looming “big splash” – circumvents game stories, or the fifteenth story on all of the adversity Paul Pierce has overcome. Sports coverage is changing, and NBA free agency in 2010 will, in retrospect, be a significant turning point.

For now, enjoy free agency coverage… and eagerly anticipate that silly NBA Finals stuff getting out of the way of the REAL story.

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Posted by Sports Geek

The Overshadowing the NBA Finals Debate

June 15, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.

Well, it is the middle of June already, yet July 1 feels like it will NEVER get here. Like so many things in life, it is the not knowing that impacts us all. In the case of the NBA, it is not knowing what LeBron is going to do (think Tom Izzo wants to know, or is he just waiting for advice from Brett Favre?).

LeBron has been doing nothing to quell the fever pitch NBA free agency is creating throughout the sports world. He appeared on Larry King on the Friday after game one of the NBA Finals, and his daily statements are making, nay dominating, the news cycles. Even Buzz Bissinger, a LeBron biographer, called the timing of the Larry King move classless. Of course LeBron is not the only culprit in stealing attention away from the actual NBA games. Just yesterday news that Dwayne Wade had dinner with Chris Bosh stirred fans all over the continental U.S. into a frenzy of speculation.

The NBA is in a dangerous situation. Some folks believe that the news of potential free agency player destinations has trumped the news of and stories that rise up out of the NBA Finals. It is a slippery slope… at what point does the anticipation of the following season trump the end of the current one?

Fortunately TSD is here to answer that question: Has the various potential landing spots of high profile free agents overshadowed an exciting NBA Finals?

Bleacher Fan will argue that free agency has not overshadowed the NBA Finals at all while Loyal Homer will argue that the NBA Finals have taken a backseat to an exciting free agent period in basketball – that has not even “technically” begun.

Get your arguments in quickly, fellas – while the Finals are still happening!

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The Overshadowing the NBA Finals Debate… Something Bigger Looms July 1

June 15, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan.

There’s no doubt that the NBA Finals has been a resounding ratings winner, with Sunday night’s game averaging nearly 13 million viewers. I must admit that I have watched the majority of all five games thus far at this writing, and I think it’s been a heck-of-a series to this point.

But there’s something coming, and I am not referring to the earthquake that hit California last night. Free agency begins on July 1, and the buzz is building. It is clear that the first few days of free agency could drastically alter the landscape of the NBA.

Take a look at the sports news from yesterday. I know it was a travel day for the two teams, and I know there are only so many times you can talk about Andrew Bynum’s knee. But other than the Texas deciding to stay in the Big XII (or whatever it’s going to be called now), and the usual World Cup highlights, what did the main sports story revolve around yesterday? It centered on Sports Geek’s man-crush Tom Izzo and LeBron James, specifically about whether or not the two are going to meet (which they are not, according to the all-important “person familiar with the situation”). As I type this, it is in fact the third story on espn.com, behind the two I mentioned.

Look at some of the other issues that have popped up since the end of the regular season. Free agency has caused a huge wave of momentum to build, something that is going to come crashing down on July 1 – the day free agency officially begins. James has had an exclusive sit-down interview with Larry King. Even though I am not necessarily the biggest fan of James, I TIVOed the interview that night and watched it later. How about that so-called “free agent summit” that was to be held by the league’s top free agents? Among others, this was to include James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Joe Johnson. It’s gotten so ridiculous that Wade and Bosh can’t even have dinner together without getting heavily scrutinized. Even Wade and his son couldn’t enjoy courtside seats in Boston Sunday night without having a camera stuck in their face.

Some of the heaviest water cooler talk this summer hasn’t centered on the Finals. I try to talk with co-workers and friends the morning after one of the games, and that conversation quickly goes to one of them asking, “Where’s LeBron going to sign? New York? Chicago? LA? Stay in Cleveland? Come on Loyal Homer, tell me!”

You know how you go to the beach and you sit by the water of the Atlantic Ocean (sorry no trip to the oil-ravaged Gulf of Mexico!)? You enjoy the day, with temperatures in the 90s. There is not a cloud in the sky, and a plethora of scenery to enjoy(Editor’s Note: Whatever do you mean, Loyal Homer??)! You enjoy it, even though in the back of your mind you know that there’s an 80 percent chance of strong thunderstorms tomorrow. That’s what is happening with the Finals. Many of us are enjoying the show, knowing full well that there’s a cloud of free agency on the horizon.

And, for the record, I have not the slightest idea where LeBron James will end up!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Overshadowing the NBA Finals Debate – Letting Tomorrow Worry About Itself

June 15, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer.

This is a very exciting time for the NBA!

Everyone has been talking about this upcoming season of free agency for a long time, now, and rightfully so. It will likely set the course of the NBA for the next three to five years.

The whole world is waiting to find out where LeBron James will sign on to play basketball. Once that question has officially been answered, the rest of the dominos will fall quickly, and many team rosters will be completely overhauled. Some teams have literally spent years preparing for the possibility of wooing LeBron, or one of the many other elite free agents who will be available, and when the dust settles, the face of the NBA could look entirely different than it does today.

But has the talk of free agency overshadowed the NBA Finals? Absolutely not, and the reason for this is simple – the drama of speculating about what may happen pales in comparison to the drama of what is taking place TODAY on the NBA court, a fact supported both by the media and the fans.

No one is talking TODAY about Lebron James.

From a media perspective, every sports outlet in the nation is focusing on one thing – which team will win game six of the NBA Finals? Don’t believe me? Check it out… here are the links to the NBA pages for ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and NBA.com. Every single cover story is about the same thing – game six.

As far as the fans are concerned, TV ratings for the NBA Finals have all INCREASED this year. Game one of the series actually featured a 20 percent INCREASE in viewership over the numbers from last season’s game one, sparking a trend that has continued throughout the entire series. In fact, game five of this series actually has posted the highest TV ratings of any single NBA Finals game in more than half a decade (and that INCLUDES the 2007 NBA Finals between these same two teams).

Interest in the NBA Finals has not been higher than it is right now for a very long time.

If anything, all of the free agency talk has actually enhanced, rather than overshadowed, the Finals by generating ongoing interest in the NBA overall.

To begin with, this NBA Finals feature the latest installment of the undeniable best rivalry in the NBA, as the league’s two most storied franchises are once again battling it out on a championship stage in yet another very competitive Finals series.

This season features the 12th time these two teams have faced each other in the NBA Finals, and marks the tenth time the series has gone to at least six games. And although the Celtics hold a staggering lead in the head-to-head department, there is no denying this rivalry continues to be the most intense and exciting as there has ever been in all of basketball, and that the 2010 matchup is worthy of addition to this already storied legacy.

On one hand, you have the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the top player in the game today, Kobe Bryant. The Lakers, who are defending champions, have played as one of the top teams in the league all season long. They are coached by Phil Jackson, who is arguably the best coach in NBA history (with the only possible exception being the Celtics’ own former head coach, Red Auerbach), who could claim his 11th NBA championship (I wonder if they make championship toe-rings), should the Lakers prove successful.

On the other are the Boston Celtics reached the Finals, seemingly against the odds, by playing as the best team of the 2010 postseason. No team had a more difficult road to the Finals since the team first had to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers and then Orlando Magic (the two teams BELIEVED to be the best in the Eastern Conference), all just for the CHANCE to face the Lakers.

There is just no way that rumors about where guys like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh might play could compare with drama like that. And while stories about these players may surface and capture a headline or two, those headlines are very quickly trumped by the stories about something much more relevant to the game of basketball TODAY – The NBA Finals.

While people may be excited about the intrigue and suspense surrounding the upcoming period of free agency, the drama and intrigue of awarding a championship will ALWAYS supersede it. The question that is most burning on the minds of NBA fans today is, “Who will be the champions?” Only AFTER that question is answered will people FULLY focus on the question, “Where will LeBron play?”

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 NFL Player on the Hot Seat Debate… Big Expectations in the Big Apple

June 14, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Loyal Homer.

From a statistical standpoint, Mark Sanchez’s rookie season could hardly be considered a success.

In 2009, Sanchez threw for only 2,444 yards and 12 touchdowns, while giving up 20 interceptions. He had four games in which he threw for three or more interceptions. In those games (each of which the Jets lost), he threw for only two total touchdowns, compared to a combined 15 interceptions.

Compare that number to his AFC Championship counterpart, Peyton Manning, who threw for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns against only 16 interceptions. Manning also had only one game with three or more interceptions, and he still managed to toss FOUR touchdowns during that one game (which was still won by a score of 28-16).

Obviously, Peyton Manning is a difficult standard for any quarterback to be compared against. But that is exactly the caliber of quarterback that Sanchez must compete against if he hopes to find himself playing in the Super Bowl.

At the end of the 2009 season we learned that Mark Sanchez was an inconsistent quarterback who tended to make more mistakes than good decisions. A repeat performance this season will NOT warrant the same success for the Jets in 2010, though. That success, however, is nonetheless what the Jets and their fans are expecting.

After reaching the AFC Championship game last season (by virtue of owning the league’s best running game and defense), anything less than a Super Bowl appearance for the Jets will be considered a failure. And while the Jets’ defense remains relatively intact, the offense will look very different this upcoming season, placing increased pressure on Sanchez to get the job done.

Last season the Jets were a run-first offense, but that appears to be changing as we move into 2010.

For starters, Thomas Jones (who last season amassed 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns) is no longer with the Jets after being released in favor of the untested Shonn Green, and the injury-prone (albeit still dangerous) LaDanian Tomlinson. The team then added Santonio Holmes to bolster the receiving corps, in an effort to give Sanchez as many weapons as possible.

With those changes Sanchez MUST begin throwing for more than TEN completions per game (something he failed to do FIVE TIMES last season). He must also achieve more than 200 passing yards per game (something he failed to do 11 times last season), and he must balance out his TD to INT ratio.

Something in 2010 will have to change. Either Sanchez will step up and improve his passing game, or the Jets will find a new quarterback to lead the team to victory. The Jets organization, and its fans, has made their wishes known coming into the 2010 season. Both parties want EXPECT a Super Bowl for their beloved Jets. The responsibility falls to Sanchez alone to the team there.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 NFL Player on the Hot Seat Debate… McNabb, Champ or Chump

June 14, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.

Earlier this offseason Donovan McNabb, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, got his wings clipped and was sent packing. Adding insult to injury, Philly dealt him to a division rival, no less – the Washington Redskins. On the surface, it seems as though the ‘Skins have pulled off a remarkable trade, landing a six time Pro Bowler with eight years of playoff experience. But the more important questions is: Are the Redskins really getting that player?

McNabb has been plagued by injuries over the past few years. Arguably, his best seasons are behind him. Now he takes over a Washington team lacking elite receiving talent, and he must somehow shake the stigma of being so ineffective that his previous team was not scared of dealing him inside the NFC East. These factors make McNabb the NFL player with the most to prove, and potentially the hottest seat.

While it may sound strange to suggest that McNabb and the Redskins could part ways so soon, it is important to remember that Nan FL player’s career seems to live and die by the “what have you done for me lately” motto. Clearly, one of the reasons Donovan McNabb was deemed expendable was for failing to win the big one. In spite of leading the Eagles to a slew of playoff appearances, he proved incapable of bringing home the Vince Lombardi trophy. So, until McNabb finally wins a Super Bowl, it will be increasingly easier for organizations seeking a new direction, or a scapegoat, to find an easy target in old #5.

McNabb’s price tag certainly shouldn’t shy the Redskins away from benching, trading, or cutting him at the first significant sign of ineffectiveness. Washington acquired a new quarterback for the measly cost of a 2010 second round draft pick and a lesser 2011 conditional draft pick. That is not a price that would prohibit the Washington from going in a different direction should things go South. Add to that the fact that Washington’s current back up QB, Jason Campbell, is more than capable (finishing ten spots higher than McNabb in completion percentage rankings), and the former Eagle is looking less valuable by the minute.

McNabb is also charged with the unenviable task of reviving a Washington team that has only posted two winning seasons since 2000. While McNabb’s mom and dad are vocal about their belief that he can “resurrect” his career in D.C., I still have my doubts. It’s clear that the Redskins have been in a state of flux during the modern millennia. With the head coaching job being a veritable revolving door, players must constantly adjust to new personnel, schemes, and styles. Next season, when new head coach Mike Shanahan takes the reins, it will mark the seventh coaching change since 2000. McNabb and the Redskins are sure to struggle a little out of the gate, which may also be compounded by the Washington’s challenging schedule. Over the first six games McNabb and company will be thoroughly tested by the Cowboys, Eagles, Packers and Colts.

For all the support and praise McNabb receives, critics abound as well. People are going to question McNabb’s potential until he proves them wrong. Fantasy football analyst Brendan Roberts suggests, in the ESPN Fantasy Football 2010 magazine, that “… people will finally realize just how big a role Andy Reid’s offense played in McNabb’s success.” Perhaps he is right, but only a solid performance next season will silence the critics. Should McNabb struggle, the boos, jeers, and second guessing will not be far behind. But hey, that should feel like home to a guy who played in Philly.

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