Bill Simmons Hits a Home Run

I've sort of weened myself off of the Sports Guy over the last few years - for many reasons, but primarily because he's been insufferable since Boston turned into Title Town. He's also anti-blog and anti-small/middle markets, and has become more of a bully and less of a voice of the common fan IMO.

But this is a pretty damn good read. You may disagree with his solutions, but I think he hits the mark regarding this year's playoffs. There have been some potentially all-time great series going, but the officiating has made them more of a disjointed mess than they should be.

5 months ago otis29 14 comments 0 recs |

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Agreed

While I dont mind Simmons as much as many here do, I think todays column is really well written and truthful.

Wait....Why is everybody clapping? Everyone around me is clapping.... I guess I should be clapping too... GO LAKERS!!! I hate living in So Cal

by 27freethrows on May 28, 2009 12:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for passing this along Otis

It is a terrific read.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 28, 2009 1:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The wussification of the NBA

needs to stop. I find it hilarious how the refs try to control things with unwarranted tech’s and flagrants which only makes the game even more ugly. That tech on Howard in Game 4 has to be the stupidest tech I’ve ever seen. He screamed…that all he did…screaming at no one. The NBA needs to stop worrying so much about alterations. They’re going to happen as it is a competitive and physical sport. And if the media treats another NBA fight like Sept 11 like they did with the Artest and Denver/Knick fights, Stern should grow some balls and point out the double standard and when it comes to covering fights in the NBA to the NHL and Hockey.

smell the ashes

by iamstern'skippah! on May 28, 2009 1:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's the Black thing

If so many players in the NBA weren’t black, I’m sure Stern and his cronies wouldn’t be worried about it. Fans let it go. Its quite often the worthless national media that won’t let it go.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 28, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I HATE the wussification of the NBA

Michael Jordan said a few years back that he would foul out in the 1st quarter in today’s NBA, and he’s right. Players used to drive to the basket to try to score. Now players drive to the basket to draw a foul. Defenders used to actually try to stop players that drove in. Now they just try to slide their feet underneath them to draw a charge. It’s pathetic and sometimes painful to watch.

They really need to change the officiating to make the players play against each other instead of trying to draw calls from officials.

by Charlieb on May 28, 2009 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

One size fits all?

The NBA needs to stop worrying so much about alterations.

I agree. They really need to make some wholesale changes to their officiating situation.

And yes, I just used a typo to make a joke and a point at the same time.

by smgmatt on May 28, 2009 8:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dead on!

I was going to suggest the article myself until I saw that this fanshot. For such a blatant issue, it really blows my mind that the NBA has such a stranglehold on anyone scrutinizing the officiating situation.

by Linz on May 28, 2009 4:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Sports Guy

I don’t think he is inherrently anti small market, he seemed to look favourably on the Kings in there heyday. Sadly the Kings are abad team and he is calling it like he sees it,

The point he makes about the draft is interesting that good players end up going to bad teams and some get buried and never really reach there potential talents as losing and playing with guys with bad attitutudes and they just end up playing for a pay check. Do I agree with it totally no, but I like that he has different ideas

NBA HQ has confused entertainment with sports, once you start marketing players instead of the teams and the game its potentially problematic as while you have a Jordan, Lebron and Kobe to promote thats great but not all teams have those players. I can remember the promos for Glen Rice and the Miami Heat or Steve Smith and Atlanta Hawks, while those guys were decent players they weren’t stars and the public gets wise to this after a while. Look at the arena situation in Sacramento David Stern has exactly been able to wave his wand at this situation and make it work has he

by Murf on May 29, 2009 9:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He never liked the Kings in the heyday

He resents the Kings being in Sacramento. He acts like it’s a crime against Sacramento.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 29, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

a crime against the NBA^

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 29, 2009 3:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

RE would say

it’s a crime against Sacramento

by LPKingsFan on May 29, 2009 6:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

I said that wrong. Simmons acts like Sacramento stole the Kings outta KC, when they weren’t actually doing much in KC. The Kings didn’t even sell for a great amount.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 29, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Which doesn't make a lot of sense

Does he chide the Lakers for “stealing” the team from Minneapolis?

I think after 25 years, and as successful as the team has been in Sacramento, you’d have to call the move from Kansas City a smart one.

by otis29 on May 30, 2009 7:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know

I don’t get it either.

Evil Cowtown Inc: Screwin' Suckaz over since Nineteen Eighty-Five.....

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

by pookeyguru on May 30, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs