Okay, so I really wanted to start some commentary on the Suns-Lakers series. However, I really don’t want to jinx anything, especially after the way game 3 turned out. So I’ve turned to a much more generic theme for this blog post, although still a passion-filled theme. It’s time to bust out azsportsmeister’s pet peeves of sports. In no particular order or rankings, here is the first cut:
1. Presence of Mind
What in the world is presence of mind?! Yes, I know what it means, but do we really need to hear it as often as announcers use it? For instance, if you have third baseman that dives for a ground ball, only to have it hit off his glove and roll a few feet away; is it really worth noting his presence of mind to hurry to the ball and throw it to first base? Or do we really need to praise the basketball IQ of a player who jumps for a ball going out of bounds to turn and throw it at a player close by? Is it just me, or should I be able to expect that a person playing basketball since his childhood would understand that he cannot land out of bounds with the ball in his hands? What about the football receiver that leaps for a pass going out of bounds that has the presence of mind to try and put both feet on the ground in bounds?
I really cannot think of many scenarios where presence of mind becomes useful insight into a game. Perhaps Chris Webber could have used some presence of mind when he called a non-existent time out that cost his Michigan Wolverines the national championship, but that is about it. I mean, come on, do you ever hear someone longing for more presence of mind from his team, “Man, I sure wish our guys had more presence of mind out there. They just keep stepping on that out of bounds line.” My all-time favorite is Reggie Miller knocking down two threes to tie the Knicks in waning moments of a playoff game in 1995. He makes one three, steals the in-bounds pass and retreats to the three point line. Why? Because of his superior presence of mind. Remember, you cannot expect every player to remember how many points their teams is down, let alone calculate that kind of math in their head like Reggie did after making that first three point shot. Please, next time you are announcing a sporting event, take it easy on the presence of mind commentary.
2. Eric Byrnes
Need I say more?
Maybe…
Okay I will. Eric Byrneses happen all over professional sports. He is just our example here in the desert. Eric Byrnes is the antithesis of what we, as fans, hate about professional sports. He is the poster child of the athlete that gets his payday and shuts it down. After he signed a three-year $30 million extension with the Diamondbacks, his production soon plummeted, and was eventually cut before he could finish the third and final year. I know what some of you are thinking. “He suffered some heart breaking injuries that derailed him after he signed his big contract.” He got injured there is no doubt about that, but suffering there was none. Eric Byrnes didn’t suffer; he was getting his paycheck and didn’t have to travel with the team. He was free to shoot new episodes of “The Eric Byrnes Show,” and dabble in the fashion industry. Newsflash Eric, faded jeans and surfer t-shirts have already been done. The Diamondbacks certainly didn’t suffer either. A.J. Hinch no longer felt the pressure to try and fit this .200 hitter into the lineup to appease the front office because they were paying him $10 mil for the year. He was recently just cut by the Seattle Mariners. Now, he’s sitting at home in California, playing city-league softball, drinking Coors. Oh yeah, and still getting paid the $10 million by the Diamondbacks to do it. He just recently said on a national radio program that he hasn’t had this much fun in four years. Awesome, I wouldn't mind getting canned at the workplace to earn myself ten million dollars so I can sit around and drink beverages.
3. Whining and Flopping
I recently watched an NBA Finals game from 1986 on ESPN Classic. There were a couple of things that stuck out to me. There were a number of things missing from this game between the Celtics and the Rockets. Except for a few exceptions, the players did not complain. Rarely did I see a player react like his girlfriend just dumped him for his best friend when he was called for a foul. Tim Duncan, by the way, is the ultimate-I can’t believe you just called that, I haven’t come near the guy all game-face, followed closely by Derek Fisher. Almost every single foul call in the NBA leads to a player or coach barking at the ref or a guy giving the said Duncan-face. That just didn’t happen in the olden days. Now, I’m not one to harp on the old, glory days, but some things really do need restored to order. Giving officials crap for an entire game, so his team can get a foul call should not be a hall of fame characteristic by a coach. If anyone has that responsibility it’s the fans (more on this to come). I just want to see the players play, and get back on defense. You were not fouled just because someone sneezed on you.
This brings me to my next pet peeve: flopping. I know this has been covered a lot over the years, but the extent it has gotten to makes me want to put on some tube socks, throw on some butt-huggers and really throw an elbow at a guy. That will give him a reason to drop to the floor. This is oft credited to the influx of European, soccer-style players into the NBA. This very well may be true, but it certainly isn’t limited to just these players today. Derek Fisher gets the double play today for also being one of the most skilled actors in the game today. As much as I love it when one of my players draws a charge, or an offensive foul, I just can’t stand to watch players like Fisher and Ginobili flailing their arms around when they go through a screen in an effort to try and deceive the officials. That’s not basketball.
4. Must Win
This one has really crept up on me recently. I don’t think I can listen to another talking head tell me why a game 2 is a “must win” for a team. Game 2 is a must win? Really? Because I’m pretty sure there are potentially five more games left. I don’t care what kind of statistics you can rattle off to me about the coach’s playoff record when he wins games 1 and 2 of a conference semi-final when his team has home-court advantage. I don’t care what momentum a team has going into a series (Ask Orlando how all that momentum worked out for them). I really don’t care about a team’s fragile psyche after losing game 1. I can understand not wanting to go down in a series 3-0, but that game 3 still isn’t a “must win.” Sure, going down 2-0 or 3-1 is a tough hole to get out of, but teams still do it.
Please spare me these things, and my life will be so much more pleasant.
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