I’ll say it – I’ve never been an NBA fan. Except for about three weeks in June 2001, I’ve never cared about the NBA at all, and it never seemed wrong to me. I’ve always been a baseball fan – as a kid, Phillies games are all we ever went to. The NFL caught my attention as a teenager, because growing up in this area I got to see how rabid their fanbase was and it made me want to be a part of it. I’ve always “kind of” liked the NHL, but I never became a die-hard until my Freshman year of college when everyone on my dorm floor loved hockey and sucked me in. For those sports, I don’t really need to watch a Philadelphia team to be entertained. A good baseball or football matchup keeps me occupied, and I’ll watch pretty much any NHL game that makes it to TV (the other day I watched Blackhawks – Wild on Versus. Patty Kane dangled one home in a shootout. Totally worth it).
But the NBA? Basketball in general? Too boring, too dependent on one guy running the show, too showy, too long…it just brought nothing to the table for me. I always thought I could watch the last ten minutes, catch the rest of the highlights on Sportscenter and be somewhat up top date one what’s going on with the NBA.
In 2009, I had a roommate who always watched soccer, and I hated it. I thought soccer was the most boring sport under the sun – that year, I was much more receptive to watching curling than watching soccer (and I did. Anyone remember how much curling was on TV during the 2010 Winter Olympics? I probably watched curling more than everything else combined, and felt let down when the US didn’t win). But that summer, I got sucked into the World Cup hype, started playing FIFA regiously, and now I can watch and appreciate a soccer game. I watched more MLS this past season than any of my other 21 year combined. I even watched the WPS championship game for some reason. If I got into soccer, I feel like it shouldn’t be a stretch for me to get into basketball.
Last year, I watched the Finals just to see if Lebron would win. That’s the only reason I tuned in (and I’d wager I’m not the only one). You know what? It wasn’t bad. The Finals were dramatic, entertaining, exciting, and got me kind of interested in what was going on. Even though the Sixers were out in the first round, I still felt like it was time not wasted watching those games, which is really all you can ask for out of sports when you think about it. So this year, I’ve decided to really try my best to follow the full (short) NBA season. Why now? The way I see it, there are four major reasons.
1) The Sixers are looking good. Not to be a bandwagoner, but the Sixers, for the first time maybe in my life, have a solid, young core that should be able to win some games. Even in Iverson’s days, we had him and a pretty rough cast of characters – a past-his-prime Mutombo, an underwhelming Eric Snow and Raja Bell, and Todd MacCulloch. Now? Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, and Evan Turner are all exciting, Andre Iguodala is a star, and shit, Elton Brand might have something left in the tank, who knows.
2) There are a lot of teams to bandwagon. Even if the Sixers pull a 180 from last year and stink, there are plenty of interesting teams to watch. The NHL is kind of the same way for me – I’m a huge Flyers fan, but I can watch a non-Flyers game and be thoroughly entertained throughout. I figure the top five teams to watch this season are the…
Los Angeles Clippers – The Clip Show have sucked since I owned NBA Live 97 on the original Playstation, but these past couple seasons they’ve gotten better and better. Blake Griffin is the maybe the most exciting dunker in the western conference. This off season they made news by getting CP3 from under the nose of the Lakers.
New York Knicks – Sure, why not. Last year the only regular season NBA game I watched from start to finish was Melo’s debut game in the Big Apple. He posted a double double and the Knicks won. Amar’e is still good, and they added Tyson Chandler.
Boston Celtics – An older team who still might be able to do some magic. This short, intense season might destroy them.
Los Angeles Lakers – The Lake Show are worth watching if only to see if this is the year Kobe starts to age, and to see “World Peace” on the back of a jersey.
Miami Heat – Obviously. Love them or hate them, the big three put on a show every time they touch the court. They’re like the Patriots of the NBA – you hate to see them win, but when they do it is fun to watch.
Notable teams left off the list: Mavericks, Bulls, Magic (if they keep Dwight), Thunder (probably the sixth team on the list), Kings (for Jimmer), Spurs.
I know that’s like, the biggest bandwagon list ever, but at this point I’m a casual NBA fan at best.
3) There’s drama. Between The Decision, last year’s finals, the lockout, and the rapid fire free agent period this year, there are tons of interesting plots and sub-plots running through the NBA this year. Will Lebron finally overcome and win his first title with a dominating team in a short season? Will the Clippers be all hype? Will the Mavericks repeat even though they lost important pieces? Will Jimmer and that guy from Spain do anything? What’s up with Kobe’s trips to Europe for treatment? Is Dwight going anywhere?
4) It’s a short season. Think about it. This season is going to be intense. There are going to be meaningful games on every night. Every team has to fit 66 games in four months. There are going to be back to back games for every team, and some triples in there too. The lockout that was supposed to burn the NBA’s fan base actually got me more interested because of the season that is about to unfold. Do you understand how barren TV is these days? There are only so many NHL games to go around. At the very least, the NBA gives me a reason not to watch crap like “The Big Bang Theory” on a Thursday night.
Who knows? Maybe after a week of the NBA I’ll lose interest and go back to being a three sport guy (well, three and a half counting soccer). But with a season starting tomorrow, I’d like to introduce myself as the NBA’s newest fan.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
5 TV Shows You Should Be Watching
In 2011, we spend a lot of time parked in front of our flat screen, LED, high definition TVs watching whatever we can find. Whether it be the intriguing Monday Night matchup or the latest Kardashian drama, many hours are spent weekly engulfed in our entertainment. Well, there are 5 current television shows that you should absolutely be watching.
5. The League
Surely not a family show, this raunchy comedy follows a group of high school buddies and their annual fantasy football league. Initially, many people thought how could a 30 minute show about a fantasy league catch on, but of course it is not just about the teams and their players. We follow the guys (played by a bunch of comedians) dealing with hilarious every day problems, like hooking up with an au pair, getting grey pubes or eating mystery meat that leads to a vicious bout of the runs while stuck in traffic. Definitely worth checking out, Thursdays at 10:30pm on FX.
4. Happy Endings
Yes, this show is in it's second season and is getting better every week. It began as a mid-season replacement last year coming on Wednesdays at 9:30pm on ABC, which gave it a good lead in with Modern Family in the 9pm slot. I started watching it for Elisha Cuthbert to be honest, but she is the weakest part of the show I'd say. The show follows a group of friends living in Chicago, an interracial married couple (featuring Damon Wayans Jr.), an previously engaged couple that has remained friends, and a couple that used to date until the dude realized he was gay. Yes, it is similar to Friends except this show is actually funny. The jokes highlight stereotypes but I find myself laughing (at least chuckling) for 17 of the 22 minute program.
3. Modern Family
The mockumentary style comedy show has been pretty big the last few years (The Office, Parks and Recreation, etc) but Modern Family is the best one. We are focused on a family with Ed O'Neil in the role as family patriarch and his two children with their respective families; a gay son with his partner and their adopted child, and a daughter with her goofy husband and their off the wall children. My love of this show was rounded during season 1, where I saw some of the funniest scenes I saw on TV in recent memory; Phil explaining to his kids what jagermeister actually is or Luke looking out at the plane they getting ready to board, pondering "what if we crash on an island like in LOST" while his mother has a nervous breakdown from his comments. Modern Family is still an excellent show now in season 3, and every episode now ends with some kind of lesson how family is such an important aspect to life. It can be sappy, yes, but the comedy just puts it over the top for me. Worth watching with everyone in the family, Wednesdays at 9pm on ABC.
2. The Walking Dead
I consider myself in the minority here, but The Walking Dead is one of the best shows on television. I feel like most people want this to be a bad ass, post-apocalyptic, shoot em up zombie show but the writers have taken this a different way and taken time to mold each character into what they are. It is based (loosely) on The Walking Dead graphic novel, but the characterization of the show makes me tune in every week. The biggest complaint is "nothing ever happens" so if you don't like deep, meaningful, character based shows I guess this isn't for you. The final scene of the last episode made all the developing worth it in my opinion. I find myself comparing it to LOST many weeks; good vs. evil, fate vs. freewill, etc. It is currently in mid-season hiatus, airing Sundays at 9pm on AMC. It is set to return February 12th for part 2 of season 2.
1. Boardwalk Empire
Best show on TV, no question about it. The only reason you don't watch this show is because you don't have HBO. It is another deep, character-driven show; you have to pay attention to everything that goes on. Set in Atlantic City in the 1920s during prohibition, Nucky Thompson (inspired by real life Atlantic County treasurer and racketeer Nucky Johnson) is played by Steve Buscemi who has been just utterly brilliant in the role. You see the horrible criminal side of him one scene, then the caring family man in the next; you cannot help yourself from feeling bad for him then realize something he did was a real asshole move. The final episode in season 2 proves the writers care capable of anything. Sundays on HBO at 9pm, season 2 just ended so you have 9 months to catch the 24 episodes that have aired.
5. The League
Surely not a family show, this raunchy comedy follows a group of high school buddies and their annual fantasy football league. Initially, many people thought how could a 30 minute show about a fantasy league catch on, but of course it is not just about the teams and their players. We follow the guys (played by a bunch of comedians) dealing with hilarious every day problems, like hooking up with an au pair, getting grey pubes or eating mystery meat that leads to a vicious bout of the runs while stuck in traffic. Definitely worth checking out, Thursdays at 10:30pm on FX.
4. Happy Endings
Yes, this show is in it's second season and is getting better every week. It began as a mid-season replacement last year coming on Wednesdays at 9:30pm on ABC, which gave it a good lead in with Modern Family in the 9pm slot. I started watching it for Elisha Cuthbert to be honest, but she is the weakest part of the show I'd say. The show follows a group of friends living in Chicago, an interracial married couple (featuring Damon Wayans Jr.), an previously engaged couple that has remained friends, and a couple that used to date until the dude realized he was gay. Yes, it is similar to Friends except this show is actually funny. The jokes highlight stereotypes but I find myself laughing (at least chuckling) for 17 of the 22 minute program.
3. Modern Family
The mockumentary style comedy show has been pretty big the last few years (The Office, Parks and Recreation, etc) but Modern Family is the best one. We are focused on a family with Ed O'Neil in the role as family patriarch and his two children with their respective families; a gay son with his partner and their adopted child, and a daughter with her goofy husband and their off the wall children. My love of this show was rounded during season 1, where I saw some of the funniest scenes I saw on TV in recent memory; Phil explaining to his kids what jagermeister actually is or Luke looking out at the plane they getting ready to board, pondering "what if we crash on an island like in LOST" while his mother has a nervous breakdown from his comments. Modern Family is still an excellent show now in season 3, and every episode now ends with some kind of lesson how family is such an important aspect to life. It can be sappy, yes, but the comedy just puts it over the top for me. Worth watching with everyone in the family, Wednesdays at 9pm on ABC.
2. The Walking Dead
I consider myself in the minority here, but The Walking Dead is one of the best shows on television. I feel like most people want this to be a bad ass, post-apocalyptic, shoot em up zombie show but the writers have taken this a different way and taken time to mold each character into what they are. It is based (loosely) on The Walking Dead graphic novel, but the characterization of the show makes me tune in every week. The biggest complaint is "nothing ever happens" so if you don't like deep, meaningful, character based shows I guess this isn't for you. The final scene of the last episode made all the developing worth it in my opinion. I find myself comparing it to LOST many weeks; good vs. evil, fate vs. freewill, etc. It is currently in mid-season hiatus, airing Sundays at 9pm on AMC. It is set to return February 12th for part 2 of season 2.
1. Boardwalk Empire
Best show on TV, no question about it. The only reason you don't watch this show is because you don't have HBO. It is another deep, character-driven show; you have to pay attention to everything that goes on. Set in Atlantic City in the 1920s during prohibition, Nucky Thompson (inspired by real life Atlantic County treasurer and racketeer Nucky Johnson) is played by Steve Buscemi who has been just utterly brilliant in the role. You see the horrible criminal side of him one scene, then the caring family man in the next; you cannot help yourself from feeling bad for him then realize something he did was a real asshole move. The final episode in season 2 proves the writers care capable of anything. Sundays on HBO at 9pm, season 2 just ended so you have 9 months to catch the 24 episodes that have aired.
December Update
Yeah, it's been a long while since the last post. I figured at least 3 posts for 2011 would be a good round number. Although, now I have a lot more time on my hands as I wait for the MLB season to begin again, so why not start writing. I need something to keep my office skills and WPM up while looking for a job/waiting for former employers to finally give me a call back.
The last post that was on this page was my prediction on the teams most likely to sign Albert Pujols after he played out his contract in St. Louis. I was really pulling for him to land in Washington, as he could fit right in that lineup, putting them in a good position with their young rotation and it would benefit any possible rivalry between the Phils and Nats. Alas, the Angels were on my list of potential landing spots and that's what happened. Doesn't hurt a team when they get a big boost in their television contract like that (just ask the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets...).
Should make for a good race in the AL West. This has been a good Hot Stove season for baseball, but we still have a number of days until pitchers and catchers report. Until then, there is NFL Playoffs, meaningless regular season NHL games, the start of the NBA and hopefully a number of blog posts from both me and my co-author (although I am making this post unbeknownst to him). Follow me on Twitter @cor820 and keep posted to the blog. I intend for more updates before the end of the year.
The last post that was on this page was my prediction on the teams most likely to sign Albert Pujols after he played out his contract in St. Louis. I was really pulling for him to land in Washington, as he could fit right in that lineup, putting them in a good position with their young rotation and it would benefit any possible rivalry between the Phils and Nats. Alas, the Angels were on my list of potential landing spots and that's what happened. Doesn't hurt a team when they get a big boost in their television contract like that (just ask the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets...).
Should make for a good race in the AL West. This has been a good Hot Stove season for baseball, but we still have a number of days until pitchers and catchers report. Until then, there is NFL Playoffs, meaningless regular season NHL games, the start of the NBA and hopefully a number of blog posts from both me and my co-author (although I am making this post unbeknownst to him). Follow me on Twitter @cor820 and keep posted to the blog. I intend for more updates before the end of the year.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Now batting, number five...
It has been well documented as spring training begins that Cardinals firstbasemen Albert Pujols will not be negotiating a new contract during the season since he is in the last year of his deal. So, by the end of the 2011 season, the best player in baseball will be free to sign with any team he pleases. Here are a few team I believe have the best chance to sign him:
As I said, this is just mere speculation on my part looking at teams that could potentially be in the market for one of the all time greatest hitters of all time. Of course, Pujols could surprise us all and re-sign with the Cardinals before the season ends. It will be interesting to see how far it goes; reports from spring training are saying Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright has a significant elbow injury (Tommy John surgery?). If their season crumbles, is it possible Pujols could become a rental player by the trading deadline? We shall see.
- Chicago Cubs
- Los Angeles Angels
- Texas Rangers
- Washington Nationals
- New York Mets
- New York Yankees
As I said, this is just mere speculation on my part looking at teams that could potentially be in the market for one of the all time greatest hitters of all time. Of course, Pujols could surprise us all and re-sign with the Cardinals before the season ends. It will be interesting to see how far it goes; reports from spring training are saying Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright has a significant elbow injury (Tommy John surgery?). If their season crumbles, is it possible Pujols could become a rental player by the trading deadline? We shall see.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Things We Learned from Super Bowl XLV
Yep, I know it's been awhile. Time to start writing again. And what better way than to take a look at some things we learned from the most watched Super Bowl of all time.
- The NFL is human. It seems like all the things that could go wrong, did go wrong in the world of Jerry. From workers getting hurt by an avalanche falling from the stadium to fans getting displaced because of temporary seating that was not cleared by the fire marshal, or Christina Aguilera forgetting the national anthem, and the Black Eyed Peas halftime show which had lights malfunctioning (and I don't mean Taboo's seizure inducing get up) and Fergie's mic problems at the beginning, things just didn't go smoothly.
- The Super Bowl should only be held in places with nice, warm weather. Okay, honestly I will give the league a pass on this one this year. Jerry Jones built a palace in Dallas with the idea of hosting a Super Bowl and he is a major part of the success the league is enjoying today, so they threw him a bone and just to see what it would be like. And when you think Dallas in February, you don't normally think major ice storm. But from now on, I would keep it in Phoenix, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego (when they improve their stadium situation) and maybe New Orleans. Too bad 2 of the next 3 games will be played in weather questionable 'cities' (Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis and Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, New Jersey).
- A team based around throwing the ball can win the Super Bowl - with a great QB. You know Andy Reid got excited watching that game with all the throwing Aaron Rodgers was doing. That is, if he was watching the game and at Ruth Chris Steakhouse with Jon Gruden, of course.
- Seeing Alex Rodriguez getting fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz makes for great television. To me, this was the highlight of the game. Not because it was a huge surprise or because ARod committed a 'violation' as some have said but imagine being the director of that broadcast. On one of your cameras, you have Arod getting popcorn fed to him like royalty by his actress girlfriend. You just HAVE to get that on screen.
-The real defensive player of the year was Clay Matthews, not Troy Polamalu. When the game was on the line, Matthews actually made a play forcing a fumble. Polamalu, on the other hand, was absent for the Steelers.
- The NFL would be crazy not to get a deal done with the players. Coming off the highest rated televised season in the history of the league, I cannot imagine the NFL missing any weeks of this upcoming season. I won't get into details about the CBA but there is way too much money to be lost with not playing, by both the league and the players. I'm not saying a deal will be reached by March 4th, but I believe something will get worked out so zero regular season games are missed.
These are just some of the things we all learned from this past Super Bowl. The commercials were unimpressive overall, with my favorite being the Kim Kardashian spot late in the fourth quarter or the Faith Hill 'rack' commercial. Let the countdown begin for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a week.
- The NFL is human. It seems like all the things that could go wrong, did go wrong in the world of Jerry. From workers getting hurt by an avalanche falling from the stadium to fans getting displaced because of temporary seating that was not cleared by the fire marshal, or Christina Aguilera forgetting the national anthem, and the Black Eyed Peas halftime show which had lights malfunctioning (and I don't mean Taboo's seizure inducing get up) and Fergie's mic problems at the beginning, things just didn't go smoothly.
- The Super Bowl should only be held in places with nice, warm weather. Okay, honestly I will give the league a pass on this one this year. Jerry Jones built a palace in Dallas with the idea of hosting a Super Bowl and he is a major part of the success the league is enjoying today, so they threw him a bone and just to see what it would be like. And when you think Dallas in February, you don't normally think major ice storm. But from now on, I would keep it in Phoenix, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego (when they improve their stadium situation) and maybe New Orleans. Too bad 2 of the next 3 games will be played in weather questionable 'cities' (Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis and Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, New Jersey).
- A team based around throwing the ball can win the Super Bowl - with a great QB. You know Andy Reid got excited watching that game with all the throwing Aaron Rodgers was doing. That is, if he was watching the game and at Ruth Chris Steakhouse with Jon Gruden, of course.
- Seeing Alex Rodriguez getting fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz makes for great television. To me, this was the highlight of the game. Not because it was a huge surprise or because ARod committed a 'violation' as some have said but imagine being the director of that broadcast. On one of your cameras, you have Arod getting popcorn fed to him like royalty by his actress girlfriend. You just HAVE to get that on screen.
-The real defensive player of the year was Clay Matthews, not Troy Polamalu. When the game was on the line, Matthews actually made a play forcing a fumble. Polamalu, on the other hand, was absent for the Steelers.
- The NFL would be crazy not to get a deal done with the players. Coming off the highest rated televised season in the history of the league, I cannot imagine the NFL missing any weeks of this upcoming season. I won't get into details about the CBA but there is way too much money to be lost with not playing, by both the league and the players. I'm not saying a deal will be reached by March 4th, but I believe something will get worked out so zero regular season games are missed.
These are just some of the things we all learned from this past Super Bowl. The commercials were unimpressive overall, with my favorite being the Kim Kardashian spot late in the fourth quarter or the Faith Hill 'rack' commercial. Let the countdown begin for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a week.
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