Micheal Jordan is a "better" player but Lebron Means More...

A friend of mine responded to a facebook discussion by say this this quote," Micheal Jordan is a "better" player , But Lebron means more", and he could not be more correct. Micheal Jordan came a long to this world when we were still getting over Muhammad Ali's retirement. Reggie Jackson and his Yankee Days. Magic and Larry were must see t.v. The Doctor J show. Lawrence Taylor and Joe Montana legends growing. In other words the sports world was okay. Hell it was better than okay. It was thriving. We met a man named BO. We had Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. The Mets were big in baseball. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl were fierce rivals. Chrissie and Martina were opening the door for Steffi. Carl Lewis was God. Excess was the word and everyone was having fun. Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at age 46 and Hale Irwin had a magical run at it too. SPORTS was as Good as it gets...
This generation needs Lebron. Tiger does not connect to all people like people want him too. No matter how many golfing academies he opens or what he does for main stream America, people will always want more from him.  Baseball is treated like pro wrestling.  No one believes in any number put up or no one fully understands the P.E.D rage in the game. Football wants so badly for a new face to emerge because it is tired of re-tread coaches and old quarterbacks winning titles thus making all of the old boy network proud that their style of football still wins over this new age of football. Plus football players are wimps and are incapable of taking care of themselves. All of the new rules implemented to keep players safe or on the field have diminished the game to the point that fans would rather the players play flag football than to watch penalties called for hits that made players millions of dollars in previous year. Even Hockey is pushing harder for a more open ice/European style game. The story lines are more about concussions and players who fail than giving credit to the ones that have succeeded.
The NBA has been ridiculed over the past 15 years because they seemed to be more interested in just putting bodies on the floor instead of proven talent. Inviting 18 and 19 year old kids to play has hurt the game so much that teams have been moving at a feverish pace because of no fan support. Think about this, what other sport was given a mandate to dress up or improve your attire for press conferences before and after games? This couldn't be more insulting than any mandate that anyone could think of. Lebron is pure. Lebron is the savior of this generation.  He is Derek Jeter, Micheal Jordan, Joe Montana wrapped up in one enormous figure. He represents everyone. He is Tupac to most people because he is just like all of them. Raised by a single mom. Educated but has a street edge. He is the voice of this generation because no one is. RG3 could become that in football if he stays healthy. Tiger Woods showed that no one is perfect or teflon. Lebron has to keep quieting main stream America who resents him for making a choice. When he wins an entire generation wins because he took the short cut that so many want to take and is thriving. He is like Jay-z selling records out of his car and creating his own brand and company.  Jordan did it too, but he had Nike, gatorade, and other large corporations blow him up. (plus he was winning dunk contests, and doing the unimaginable at the same time). Lebron had one commercial run during the entire playoffs!!! Jordan had McDonalds, Gatorade, Nike, Wheaties, Hanes all going while he was at his highest peak. If that does not tell you why he must continue to grow and win, nothing else will....
Jordan is a much better player. He would average 45 points a game in this era. There are no obstructions to the rim in this era. No Bol.  No Shaq. No Olajawon. No Robinson. They hand checked back in those days. There was no flagrant fouls called in this series. Lerbon this new generation of fans needs you to keep being you. I hope you do...

Dr.J... The forgotten star

When I was a lad, I had a few sport heroes. I loved Reggie Jackson. He was bold, cocky, intimidating. He believed he could do no wrong. Even though he struck out a lot, I watched just to see if he could hit a home run. Before he became the most notorious criminal since Al  Capone, I loved the "juice". He was poetry in motion on the field. His teams stunk, but I would still watch to see if he could break a long one or make someone look foolish. Sports in the 70's was about to erupt with these individual talents that no one had ever seen before. Pele was still a stud. Yes I know teams were still the talk of all sports. The "big red machine" in Cincinnati was awesome. The dynasties of UCLA, Boston Celtics, New York Islanders were outstanding. But they were all dying out. Gretzsky was about to emerge. Magic and Bird were about to take over the NBA. Joe Montana was creating a legacy at Notre Dame. And then there was Doc.
Julius Erving was a playground legend. He is went to the University of Massachusetts and I could imagine what kind of playground games were being played at the shoe. He was must see television no matter what level of basketball he played. You did not care if he won or lost. You just had to see the Dr. The NBA should have gotten the doctor out of college but they had rules against players going hardship. So he went to ABA and blessed them with his playground antics. The ABA was ridiculed for its individuality on the court. It would be no surprise if games were in the 150's or 160's in regulation. Defense was an option but seldom played.  When both leagues merged, many old school NBA people thought that the way Doc played would not succeed in the league. Yes he did not win several titles but he was extraordinarily successful.
The Philadelphia 76ers were the lucky team to get Doc. He led them to the NBA finals four times. His first season in the NBA, Doc led the Sixers against Portland. They won the first two games but couldn't overcome Bill Walton. Doc was awesome in the series. He quieted most of his critics with his dazzling dunks and outstanding play. He has several posterising plays in that series that are still legendary. He next faced Magic Johnson and Kareem a couple times in the finals. Losing one and winning one in 1983. The final defeats keep him out of the best player conversation. Which is unfair because he could play against anyone and dominated them. His ABA career was ridiculous. He was a three time M.V.P., two time champion, and three time scoring champ in 5 years. As a rookie he averaged 29 points a game. His playoff numbers were better than his regular season numbers. He averaged over 30 points in each of his playoff seasons in the ABA.  He was the show. He did not play defense like Micheal or Lebron, but no one ever gave it to the Doctor. If he had won NBA titles like Bird or Magic, there would be no argument. He even did a movie . The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh was a must see for any Dr. J fan. He opened the door for all of the creative players that followed him. Connie Hawkins and David Thompson were spectacular as well but did not do it like the Doctor.
You all know how much I love Jordan. Dr.J is on that same mount Rushmore. The Milwaukee Bucks had a chance to have Oscar, Kareem and Doc. Can you imagine what kind of dynasty that would have been?  Doctor J should never be over looked in these best ever discussions. For my money Dr.J is still in the top 5 conversation. What do you think?

Tiger at 75. Are we still spoiled?

I will not deny that I am as big a Tiger Woods fan as they come. I am not a stalker nor have I been to any golf tourney that he plays in, but I will watch if he is on television no matter where I am. He is a once in a lifetime athlete who commands your attention no matter what you think of him. The media today is truly spoiled. Micheal Jordan showed us how winners are on the floor. Derek Jeter does the same on the baseball field. Roger Federer personifies it on the tennis court. Floyd Mayweather does it in the ring. Micheal Phelps in the pool.  These men just know how to win and do it at all costs and do it at a level that most of all of us cannot comprehend.
Listening to the media coverage after Tiger won on Monday, you would think that Tiger was still public enemy number 1 and that winning this tournament was no big deal. Yes he has won at this course 8 times which is unprecedented. Some of the people chasing him had won their as well. The big question after the victory is whether or not he was going to win a major or not this year. Every pundit said the Masters maybe or the P.G.A. because they are a course he has played on before. Implying that Tiger can only win at the tournaments where he has a history at or has won before on. Yes last year he won Arnies', Jacks',his event to give him his victories last season. So I can see where they are making their argument. My point is that he has seventy five victories and they haven't all come on his favorite courses. If they did,so what? Can you same something that you have done successfully 75 times and made s billion dollars doing it? I understand his compulsion to be better than Jack and emulate Federer. Tiger is still under 40 and firmly number 2 in the world with his sights set on number 1. Can't we just enjoy his pursuit without being inundated with speculative questions. If he wins 100 tournaments and on 17 majors is he still one notch below Jack?
Will the public be that cruel on Tiger if he cannot pass Jack? If we are cruel, then we are truly spoiled. I look forward to finding out...

should they retire Micheal Jordans number?

The greatest basketball player ever to live in most people's eyes is Micheal Jordan. Wilt and Bill Russell are in the conversation. Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Dr.J deserve to be there as well. Some will say that Connie Hawkins and Earl "the Goat" Manigoat created a basketball art form that Jordan and Dr. J perfected. Kareem had the most unstoppable shot in the game, but he was 7 feet tall. The height issue is what kills Wilt. Many people don't credit his stats because he was bigger than everyone and stronger than everyone. If he played in today's NBA he would be as dominant if not more because of the rule changes and superstar calls. The interesting part of this is that most of us never saw some of these greats play so we cannot really assess who was the best. So does Micheal Jordan's number being retired league wide really need to happen? I don't know if I think so and here are a couple of reasons for both sides of the story.
Wayne Gretzky is recognized as the greatest hockey player ever to play. He too has people that say otherwise and feel that there were a couple of players who should be in the same conversation. Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr are usually the 2 players who get mentioned with Gretzky. On paper and in on the ice it is hard to argue against Gretzky. He hold most of the records in the game, whether it is season or playoff or even career. He was hockey's greatest ambassador and tried to bring the game to the states and give us the same excitement that he did for the Canadian people. His number being retired is a tribute to his contribution to the game on and off of the ice. Micheal Jordan essentially raised the last 2 generations of basketball fans. Every kid said screw the jump shot, I want to dunk. At most high schools, colleges and A.A.U. teams around the country, the player usually wearing 23 was usually the teams best player. Has Jordan been the ambassador to NBA that Gretzky has been? Hell No. Most people think that Magic Johnson would be that person. As an executive and team owner Micheal has not enjoyed life as he did as a player. To me that hurts him in getting his number retired because he has not been to his league what Gretzky has been to his. When they retired Jackie Robinson's number in baseball it was because of the social change and pioneering aspect of his career. Jackie was a great athlete. Baseball wasn't even his best sport. Just because Michel was the greatest ever does not mean his number should be retired.
Now the one way they could honor him is the way Syracuse does with the number 44. If you have a superstar player like Lebron, he can wear 23. Marcus Camby is a very good player but he is no Jordan. Jodie Meeks may someday be Jordan like but he should have to earn the number. Jason Richardson won a college title and won a slam dunk contest so he has potential but he should change his number. Kevin Martin has been a star on the Kings. I think that there are 11 players currently wearing the number. Can you believe that only one player is wearing the number 16 in the NFL? I believe that Joshua Cribs on the Cleveland Browns is the only player wearing 16. I remember Chris Weinke and Matt Cassell wore the number but that is it in recent years.No starting Quarterback is wearing 16. Most of the players wearing 56 are actually really good players but none of them are in L.T.'s league.I was surprised to see that not many receivers wear the number 80 and not many running backs wear 32. I think Lebron should wear 23 or put on a number gives him autonomy over that number. I guess some players just have respect for the numbers mentioned and choose to create their own legacy.
I will conclude and say this. If they do retire Micheal's number it should be in all sports. He was the first athlete since O.J. Simpson to make corporate America take notice that an athlete can help you make money. He has his own line of clothing and accessories that make him millions of dollars too. As a global Icon he is probably the second most famous person on the planet. Ali is the 1st and Tiger is catching both of them. Because of his endorsement appeal, Jordan has made it possible for athletes in all sports to flourish. What do you think?

who is the most hated man in sport?

Did ya miss me? I have a lot to blog about today so lets get to it. As an avid sports fan, I have had a lot of athletes that i could say that i hate. Hate is such a strong and cruel word so tend to say I dislike. I, like everyone else would dislike these players and secretly say that if they were on my team i would root for them like crazy. I hated Pedro Martinez for a long while until he became a Met. I hated Barry Bonds but when the world decided to dump on him I became his biggest fan. The funniest thing is that the players that most people associate hatred with never played for any of my teams. Bill Laimbeer, Bill Romanowski, Terrell Owens, Alex Rodriguez, Bonds are just a few names that immediately come to mind. I am going to shock you by telling you who is the most hated man in sports today is. His name is Isaiah Thomas.. Little Zeke has been cast into the fire hotter than O.J. Simpson. Whether you believe O.J. did the crime or not at least his hatred is for actually doing something to be hated for. Isaiah had a scandal with this secretary with the Knicks and he was made to pay the price for it with not his job but with cash. But the hatred for Isaiah goes back much farther than that.
After winning the national championship against North Carolina, Isaiah wanted to follow in his great "friends" footstep and turn professional at a young age. Mark Aquirre and Magic Johnson had turned pro after prolific endings in their college careers and went pro. Magic was a champion right out of the gate with Lakers and Mark had to wait some years but was a top notch rookie with the Mavericks. Isaiah went to the Pistons and seemed like a match made in mid-west heaven. He had a great career in Detroit. At the time when he was looking to come into the pos many people were against underclassmen from entering the draft early. They talked about how small he was and that he couldnt hold up for a full season. He did and that slapped a lot of the media in the face as well as the NBA brass and the NCAA. He is undoubtedly the greatest basketball player 6'1 and shorter and may be the best point/ shooting guard the eastern conference ever saw. No one could stop him. There are stories that Isaiah conspired with other players to make sure that Micheal Jordan would not get the ball in the All star game. The Dream Team players allegedly went to head of Olympic basketball operations and told them not include Isaiah on the Dream Team. His accusations that Magic Johnson was gay so when Magic came out with his announcement that he had HIV destroyed allegedly the friendship between he and Magic. Remember when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons and he and 7 other teammates walked off the court and did not congratulate the Bulls? That angered a lot of people. He was the first gm of the Toronto Raptors and drafted Damon Stoudamire and everyone thought that he was a genius. Stoudamire was rookie of the year the Raptors had a great future ahead. He drafted Tracy Mcgrady, Marcus Camby too. The Raptors did not win often and when new management came on they clashed on the direction of the team and he was gone. He coached the Pacers and apparently ruined them too. He was the owner of the CBA and ruined that too and of course he was the blame for the fall of the New York Knicks. He screwed up their salary cap, got rid of Larry Brown, couldnt co-exist with Starbury and Donnie Walsh who was a friend even turned on him. He gets hired to run a college team down in Florida and they lose their first exhibition game to a division 3 school. "What the hell is going on here?"
I have never seen someone so beloved be so hated in any capacity of life. Osama Bin Laden has fans. O.J. was still getting women after his crimes. Mike Tyson is loved by women all over the world. Isaiah went from being the guy who scored 16 points in 94 seconds and a superstar to the most hated man in sports. I have not heard a positive thing said about Isaiah in 15 years. His petty spat with Jordan kept off of the Dream Team. When he was put on the second Dream Team, none of the stars were playing then so it was like a consolation prize. To make matters worse, he destroyed his Achilles and had to retire. The crowd was chanting Magic, Magic last night during the game and he smiled. I am sure the talking hairdos around the country thought he was crazy for smiling. He is a misunderstood man I guess because very few people say anything complimentary about him. For Micheal Jordan to spend time in his retirement speech talking about him shows how much he was hated by him. He was a good T.V commentator. To be exiled to Florida International University is so sad. Indiana University had a scandal a few years ago and he should have been considered for that job. NOT....

when did this change..

When did the sports world change to the players vs. the media? Neither entity can exist without each other but somehow both entities seem to always be at odds about something. Ever since we have gone to these 24hr news services, a rivalry has started over privacy and what is news. Everyday is the same tale. An athlete is accused of something, they hide behind the story, the media draws its own conclusion, and then we have a problem.
In the 40's, 50's, and 60's the press never violated the players privacy in any capacity. They new that without the players they couldn't sell newspapers. Many people in other states who could not see Joe DiMaggio play or listen on the radio would buy the newspapers to see if he got a hit to keep the streak alive. Even in the 20's and 30's how many stories did you read negatively about Babe Ruth or Bobby Jones. Joe Louis was the man in the 30's and 40's and the press absolutely loved him. Can you imagine all of the dish that the press has on the Yankees and the packers in the 50's and 60's. The press absolutely worshipped the Yankees. They knew that if the sold out any of the players they would not be allowed to be at the nice clubs that the players attended. The players also respected the press. They loved the limelight. They loved taking photos with Sinatra and the boys and of course the many starlets that graced the movie screen. I crack up every time i see old movies that show how exaggerated the admiration of the press to the stars of the day. Paul Hornung, Frank Gifford, Mickey Mantle not only graced us with their on field performance but their Madison Avenue smile made them idols for an entire generation. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Henry Aaron and Jim Brown were icons in every community.But one celebrity out shone them all and we know him as "the Greatest". So how did we go from the "the Greatest" to Barry Bonds?
This is what happened. The greatest sports celebrity to the media in my lifetime after Ali is Reggie Jackson. Reggie couldn't find enough microphones to talk to. He said what he felt and he meant what he said. The press loved him and hated him at the same time but they never trashed Reggie. The athletes that followed Reggie probably needed a class from him on how to handle the media. All hell has broken loose. The questions have changed, the respect is gone, privacy is a joke. The athletes of the 80's did some reprehensible things. They openly did drugs, the admitted to things about their pasts at colleges and universities that offended people. They showed off their excessive wealth and literally made a mockery of the working man. Athletes devalued the the dollars. We will blog another day about how the black athlete has changed sports forever, but in this context, the white faces of the 50's and 60's and 70's were gone and replaced by "air Jordan" and "showtime". The media loved Magic Johnson. He was a bigger than life personality who ruled the west coast. He was different from Reggie because he had respect for his opponents outwardly and inwardly. Micheal Jordan was treated like god until he alleged had gambling problems.
The press will go through your garbage today. They will hide in the bushes, your carports, the local market, even your favorite Starbucks. When the 1996 Yankees decided not to answer questions asked by Jim gray because he chose to ask Pete Rose questions about gambling, NBC nearly crapped its pants. Chad Curtis hit a game-winning home run and with the whole world watching basically told Jim gray to kiss his ass. ESPN sometimes makes it seem like it is company policy to hate Barry Bonds or Terrell Owens. Even new reporters would come on and bash Bonds or embellish stories painting him in negative light. I remember being at Dodger stadium watching him hit two home runs in the year he hit 73 and that night on sports center they reported that the crowd booed when he hit home runs. When he hit 714 against the Phillies and Jon Leiber, Pedro Gomez said that the crowd booed. I watched the game like millions of people and you don't hear a boo in any audio feed. Is it jealousy? The hate fest between both sides rears it ugly head when a player commits a crime. whether a misdemeanor or serious.. Nothing is private anymore. Who you are dating, what you are eating is a matter of public record. In the 50's and 60's that was okay because the press would never cross the line. If you had girlfriends and cheated on your spouse, the press kept it quiet and to themselves. They would never want to cross any of the teams. Today, the press would probably hire the girls to entice you to cheat. The players today don't make easy to like them because of their inflated egos. The media will turn on you faster than a speeding bullet.. Ask O.j.