Buzzer Beaters [6/13/11]

last-second thoughts on recent sports ongoings

(just throwing 'em up there)

• Okay, never mind. Fuck LeBron. Well I go and defend your ass, and what do you do, LeBron? You go and post horrendous numbers in the fourth quarter of every game of the NBA Finals (okay, so he put up 7 points in the fourth quarter of Game Six; whatever). I can deal with you ditching Cleveland, I can deal with you being an arrogant asshole, and I can deal with you mocking Dirk. But what I cannot deal with is you ruining my blog post. 

  

  Yo, Dwyane. I think I really hurt Brandon's feelings.

  I defended you, Bron Bron. And this is how you repay me? That, said, is it possible this could be a positive for LeBron's image in the long run? By losing in such pathetic fashion, he got what he "deserved" for the Decision. The haters got what they wanted, and they can now celebrate (which they obviously are). Maybe next year we'll see a humbled LeBron, who essentially served his time and punishment by losing this year, and everyone will forgive and forget. Eh, I doubt it. A) I can't really see LeBron ever being humble (not that this is necessarily a reason to hate his guts; pro athletes are not typically a humble breed), and B) I can't really see people not hating him. It's just too much fun.
• And another thing about the NBA Finals: Why does Dwyane Wade get so little criticism? He scored less points than LeBron in Game Six. He's the one who seemingly initiated the mocking of Dirk Nowitzki (which, I must say, was all rather overblown). Yet, he doesn't get any of the heat (sorry). The way I see it, from now on, this needs to be LeBron's team. Sure, Bron Bron sucked it up this series, but if Dwyane Wade is really one of the best players in the league, he should have been able to take over and get the Heat those close wins, especially when he has Chris Bosh and LeBron James — who, even at his worst, is a tool that should be easy to utilize — on his team. So, I think James needs to take lead. He needs to function as the Big One if the Big Three are to succeed. Sure, he can pass to Bosh if he's open in a clutch situation, and he totally should, but he needs to be in command. This whole divided leadership thing seems like it's too confusing and too chemistry-dissolving for these guys. I don't know if a team can operate when the supposed best player in the league is the second-most important player on the team (Also, LeBron needs to learn how to post up if he's going to truly be the best player in the league.). That said, I don't know if the Heat (including Wade himself) are willing to take Wade out of the driver's seat. 
• Congrats to Dirk. Obviously the Mavs are getting overshadowed by this whole thing, partly because the '11 Finals will be vividly remembered for LeBron's collapse and partly because the Heat are such a huge factor in the league's popularity. But Dirk definitely needs to be commended. I know everyone in the world wide web is saying this, but Dirk did it the hard way. True, one ring does not a legend make, but it's hard to win multiple championships when you're not exactly surrounded by star talent (although, yes, Dirk probably should have gotten a ring in '06). And I'm not just talking about LeBron here. James needs multiple (eight?) rings to cement his legacy because he's in such an ideal situation. But Jordan, Kobe, Russell, etc., all needed — and (take note, LeBron) got — their handful of rings because they were also in ideal situations. Sure, their situations were created by their front offices and not by their own Decisions, but nonetheless, they probably would not have been legends without those rings. Dirk, however, can go down in the books as a perennial superstar because he put up the numbers year in and year out and because he wasn't in a situation that demanded multiple championships. Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing have a combined total of zero rings, yet they all have some historical clout, which Dirk should now garner if not surpass. (Even in this achievement, however, Dirk cannot avoid a LeBron angle. His approach paints an obvious foil to LeBron's: those who find themselves in enviable situations have more room for greatness, but a failure to reach greatness through championships leaves much more room for failure. LeBron cannot be a Karl Malone. He'll either be remembered as a Kobe or as a name synonymous with disappointment and wasted opportunity.)
• Plaxico Burress is not Michael Vick. Burress will be returning to the league (if there is one) soon, and everybody's treating it like Vick's return from jail a few years ago. Burress is probably not the most standup of guys; he has been sued nine times since 2000 and has had various legal issues since beginning his professional career. That said, accidentally shooting yourself in the leg is not the same as heading a dog fighting ring. NFL players have a good reason to own weapons. Sure, he should have had a license, and whether or not he needed to bring it to a club via sweatpants is certainly debatable, but let's not treat this guy like he's Mike Vick. If the league and the non-PETA world can forgive Vick, then there shouldn't be any questions about Burress.
• MLB gerrymandering. There are rumors that the MLB is going to realign from it's current 16-team NL, 14-team AL format. One consideration is having 15 teams in each league with no divisions. In this format, the top five teams from each league would make the playoffs. Another consideration is moving an NL team to the AL and having three five-team divisions in each league. One of the arguments for realignment is that currently an NL Central team has a 1/6 chance of making the playoffs (plus whatever chance of getting the Wild Card), while an AL West team has a 1/4 chance. Switching to two 15-team, division-less teams would give every team a 1/3 chance of making the playoffs. What exact percentage is the ideal number is certainly debatable, but I think it's fair to say that 33 percent is still preferable to the NHL or NBA playoffs, where half the teams make the postseason. Although, even this is debatable: When more teams make the playoffs, there is more room for upsets, which keeps it exciting (or "Amazing," as the NBA likes to say). Regardless, I think change is definitely necessary. The Pirates would already have a hard enough time making the playoffs; festering in a six-team division doesn't do them any favors. Plus, having two 15-team leagues (regardless of whether or not there are divisions) means there would be interleague play all season (All teams play on Saturday and Sunday, and you cannot pair up 15 teams without having at least one team play a team from the other league. Unless you just let the Nationals play themselves every weekend, which might not be a bad idea.). This is something that baseball desperately needs. It's kind of ludicrous to think that these teams are playing 162 games a year, and they don't even get to play most of the other league. Constant interleague play would boost interstate rivalries like Mets-Yankees, Dodgers-Angels and Cardinals-Royals, which is good for ticket sales. Plus new rivalries/traditions could form. I know the no-division, chase-for-the-pennant format is more traditional — and boy, does baseball have a hard-on for tradition — but I personally like divisons because they foster rivalries. For example, the Cardinals and Reds are building a rivalry that has become even more heated than Cards-Cubs, and this rivalry probably never would have happened if not for division races. But whichever route is taken, I think change is definitely a must, for the sake of fairness and pure entertainment and overall success.