World Wide Sports and Miami's Vice...

It didn’t take spending the summer in Europe to teach me that Football is the king sport in this world, but it was quite the reminder.  Obviously, it’s more than a sport out there; it defies both cultural boundaries and sensible emotional ones.  People go crazy and I get that.  It was amazing to watch my first Classico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid on tv a few days ago, just imagining what it must have been like to be at Camp Nou that night for the insanity.  It was impressive to watch how expertly FCB controlled the ball and the tempo, and seeing Messi in real time was great, and of course I was happy with the Barca victory.

Look, I can appreciate a good football match and the nuance of offenses and defenses even in a nil-nil draw, but for better or for worse, I must admit that I have my limits.  What can I say?  I’m American.  And now that I’m back stateside in Miami, I have been quite happy to get back to basics; to good ole ‘Murican sports.  And even though Major League Soccer is in the midst of its playoff schedule (and the LA Galaxy pushing for a three-peat,) let’s be serious for a second.  At long last, the NBA has returned to action!

I’ve written before, perhaps one time too many, about how fun the offseason is for us NBA junkies.  In a lot of ways it’s more fun than the games themselves.  It’s all about free-agents, salary cap space, new coaches, general managers, trades, and trade rumors, and we absolutely love this stuff.  Which teams got better?  How will player x, y, and/or z, play together?  Can the new coach/system work with the personnel?  What trades are left to be made?  But all of the elements regarding each team and their respective efforts to improve, all lead to one all-encompassing question.  Can any of these teams beat the Miami Heat?    

LeBron James may have said it best, when he said that, “sometimes in order to win championships and back to back championships you have to get a little lucky.”  And of course, that was never more clear than in last year’s Finals Game 6, when the Spurs basically had their fifth title in hand.  One of the greatest coaches of all time chose to keep his best rebounder out of the game in a crucial stretch, and it ultimately cost the Spurs the title.  One play, and one guy named Ray Allen, changed the entire outcome.  Sometimes it comes down something as simple as that, and history is written, and the whole underdog world is sucker-punched in the gut.  San Antonio should have been the champion!  Again!  The year before, if Oklahoma City hadn’t mystically elevated their offense to an unbelievable and absolutely unsustainable elite level in the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs would have been matched up with Miami even earlier.  And as I thought at the time they would have been in a fantastic position to beat Miami, before the Heat really solidified their playoff identity. 

It’s crazy to think how close we came to having two more Spurs championships in a row these past two years.  It’s infuriating, but it’s sports.  LeBron and the BeachBoys were just too much for all-comers.  And yea, we can complain all we want about the depleted east and how unfair it was that the Heat basically waltzed into the finals while the giants in the west had to battle it out amongst themselves, but in the end Miami was the team left standing, earning them their second straight championship.  So as annoying as it is, they are now the ninth team in NBA history to attempt the ever-elusive three-peat.  Mikan’s Lakers did it in the ‘50’s, Russell’s Celtics did it in the 60’s (twice,) Michael’s Bulls in the 90’s (twice,) and Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers in 2002.  Magic’s 80’s Lakers, Isiah’s 90’s Pistons, Hakeem’s 90’s Rockets, and Kobe’s 2011 Lakers couldn’t pull it off.  And interestingly, Russell’s Celtics couldn’t finish off their third one losing to Philadelphia in 1967, but it’s hard to imagine another team winning an incredible eight championships in a row, (so you could call it an acceptable failure.)  All in all it’s happened six times in the NBA’s sixty-six year history, and that’s what the Miami Heat face this year.  It’s just really hard to win basketball games this consistently.

So the question remains.  Who is the team to beat these guys?  What team has Miami’s Vice?  Of course it’s well documented that I think San Antonio had that squad, and still does, but getting out of the brutal West is never a given.  So this year the giant slayer needs to come from the East, and I think this team plays in the city of New York!  Only they don’t go by the greatest abbreviated nick-name in sports.  Those Knicks will falter quickly on the defensive end and go out in the first round, Indiana will put up a valiant fight but run short on talent, and the Bulls as always will be too feeble and undermanned when the moment counts the most.  No, there’s only one team in the East that has a shot to dethrone King James, and they play in New York’s most populated borough. 

Yea, I’m talking about BC Brooklyn!!!  Owned by a Russian Billionaire, they should have a European name, and the will be the ones to challenge Miami.  Mark my words!  But, more on that later... for now, the MLS playoffs are on.  
Just kidding ;)

Thanks for reading!

Underdogs out!   

    

Exercising the Demons... and the World Series...

Sports can be full of ironies, just like life.  And like life, it can also be full of those things that aren’t really ironies, but we like to say they are.  Like interesting coincidences, or sometimes not-so-interesting, depending on the time of day or the general mood of the person reading.  But in my opinion, playing itself out on baseball’s greatest stage this week, is something of an irony; or at least a mildly interesting coincidence.  Which brings us back to Toronto!  Did you see that coming?

A die-hard Underdogs reader may remember a post from two years ago, in that swell city north of the border, where a couple of friends and I shamefully committed a baseball atrocity.  With about a month left in the season and the visiting Red Sox up about ten games in the standings, and leading the Blue Jays by 4 runs that night, we decided to leave the game at the end of the seventh inning.  The dome roof was open that night and it was getting chilly and starting to rain a little bit, so we made the call.  But what happened next changed baseball history forever.    

My Bostonian pal and Red Sox lifer, Eve, who was well imbibed at this point, proclaimed the game over as we left, in demonstrative fashion (as she had been proclaiming things all night.)  She was filled with confidence after a moment earlier in the game, when she called a Big Papi homerun two seconds before he hit a monster shot.  I have it on video.  It was amazing at the time, but would eventually prove to be disastrous for the Red Sox’ season.

Surely a less confident Bo-Sox fan wouldn’t have dared utter such infamous last words as, “this game is over, we got this,” and, “we are definitely in the playoffs anyway.”  It was a violation of a century-long ingrained baseball superstition.  The baseball gods simply do not smile upon this kind of behavior, not with a game so unpredictable.  So what happened next?  The Blue Jays came back to force extra innings that night, and won the game in the 11^th.  Then from there, the Red Sox went on an abysmal losing streak for the remainder of the season and it turned into a historic slide.  No team had ever been up so many games that close to the end of the season, and then not made the playoffs!  It was absolutely shocking!  And it all traced back to that crisp September night in Toronto; a cataclysmic disturbance in the Red Sox space-time continuum.  I could never forgive myself. 

Of course I’m not a Boston Red Sox fan, but I have enough friends who are Saux fans, that I felt a great guilt about the events that occurred that night.  And since that time a once mighty Red Sox team hadn’t been back to the playoffs.  So given the opportunity I had no choice, it was time to act.  It was time to excorcise the demons. 

I found myself back in Toronto, this time at the beginning of the season, and when the Red Sox came to town, I knew it was my civil duty to get out there and repent for our horrendous actions on that fateful night.  And for all my die-hards, hopefully reverse the curse.  So I went out with a couple of cast mates Dana and Kyle to check out the game.  The Rogers Centre was horribly empty that night, because it coincided with the Maple Leafs playoff game against the Boston Bruins, and well, every Blue Jays fan is a Maple Leafs fan first.  There was a strange symmetry to everything.  The Hockey game was playing on TV’s around the stadium and the baseball game was more like background music, as the Red Sox predictably rang up an early lead. 

The Rogers Centre announced the Hockey score only once, early when the Leaf’s scored and the crowd erupted, but then it was never mentioned again.  We found out why later, because the Bruins went on to score four goals in a row taking the game easily, and eventually the series, crushing the Torontonians.  And as for the baseball game, aw man, it wasn’t even close.  Maybe it was the odd mall-like feeling at an indoor baseball game with fake grass and controlled temperature, (the roof was not open that night) or the enormous space being so sparsely populated, but it felt like there should have been a mercy rule enforced.  Like a t-ball game!  The Blue Jays were completely out-matched and the Red Sox won handily.  Yes!  We had done it.  Of course, we had done nothing, except drink a beer and eat a hot dog, but we had done it!  We had reversed the curse!  I don’t want to take all of the credit for the incredible 2013 Red Sox season of course, and I won’t, after all Dana and Kyle were there too.  But our heroic actions that night at least made it possible. 

And here’s that irony, or slightly interesting coincidence, that I mentioned earlier.  Kyle is from St Louis!  Where the Red Sox have just won 2 out of 3 to take control of the World Series; a fantastic matchup between two historically storied franchises, and the perfect end to the Major League Season.  Kyle is a Cardinal through and through, and undoubtedly completely loyal to his team, but I don’t think he regrets reversing the Red Sox Curse.  That pivotal night in Toronto, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; a part of a minimal footnote in the annals of baseball’s great lore.  Not cruel, but apt.  Not tragic, but perfectly appropriate.  This was the way it was supposed to be, and it all comes down to this.  Tonight we find out if it comes to fruition.  We will find out if the Red Sox rejuvenation will be completed and all of the demons exercised in their entirety.  And if not, it’s game seven on Thursday night.  And Kyle gets to smile that St Louis Cardinal smile for one day longer. 

It’ll be a tall order and if any team can do it, it’s the Cards, but fate, as they say, is working against them.  Boston vs St Louis tonight! 

Thanks for reading,

Underdogs out!      

The Name Game, and Sports-Nerdery...

Part of the fun about the slow sports time of August, is seeing how those who cover sports for a living, justify their columns and broadcasts.  And in my opinion the fantastic NBA writer Zach Lowe, over at Grantland on Figueroa, hit a homerun this past week, with The Definitive Guide to NBA Team Names Part 1 and Part 2.  C'mon take a look.  It's fun!  (Or just scroll down and look at the Underdog's list... because ours is better.  Sorry Zach ;)  It’s not that these installments were examples of his consistently excellent observations on basketball, or that I even agreed that much with his conclusions.  But it's just fun, and one of the reasons why we enjoy talking about this stuff.  

Finally, someone had the temerity to call out some of these franchises.  Many of which, for mostly inexplicable reasons, just chose terrible nicknames for their basketball teams.  I’ve been dying for some accountability on this topic for years.  And after Mr Grantland himself Bill Simmons taped a podcast with Lowe about this ever-important sports-nerd topic, it got me even more fired up.  Because I’ve had these thoughts for a long time, I found myself almost talking back to these guys, while listening on the treadmill, as if we’re actually friends having a conversation.  Okay, so clearly I have some issues, but that doesn’t change this fact.  The NBA has really let us down in the team name department, and for those of us who care about this stuff, it’s about time we talked about it. 

Before we show our own list of best and worst nicknames in the league, I want to first reply to Zach and Bill about some of their comments this past week.  So if you listened to it, maybe you can chime in with your ideas as well.  If you didn't listen to it, or don't care, just scroll down to the list and then send me your hate mail Laker-fans!    

This is actually the Raptors Logo.  No kidding

First, the Toronto Raptors:  These two intellectual giants missed one major point, when wondering why there are so few bird nicknames in the NBA.  They mentioned that the newly re-branded New Orleans Pelicans will be the second bird nickname after the Atlanta Hawks, but they are wrong on this point.  The Pelicans (which is a great nick-name by the way) are actually the third bird nickname in the league, it’s just that the Toronto Raptors have mis-marketed their team name for the past twenty years.  Everyone assumes (because of their ridiculous logo choices) that the team name refers to The CGI villains in Jurassic Park, a modified take on actual creatures that once existed named Velociraptors.   But the word “Raptor” means, “bird of prey.” An Eagle, a Hawk, a Vulture, a Condor; they are all Raptors.  They even have their own section at the Safari Park in San Diego, if you don’t believe me.   The sign says “Raptors” for crying out loud! They’re alive and well!  Just change the logo from that stupid dinosaur with sneakers on, and give the team a complete make-over.  And even though it would probably only mildly improve their place on this list, it’s an extreme improvement. 

LA Clippers = YEARS of misery

Then the Clippers: speaking of bird names, next up in their discussion was the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers really should have changed their name long ago.  Bill proposed losing “LA” from the name, to separate themselves somewhat from the Lakers enormous and popular shadow, and claiming “Hollywood” instead, as the Hollywood Knights or the Hollywood Stars.  I like this idea but I know that the marketing guys would never go for it, because Hollywood has too many we’re-better-than-you perceptions tied to it.  Even though I live there and love the area, even just mentioning it, can turn off people in the hinterland.  So how else do the Clippers completely rebrand their franchise and diminish their absolutely miserable history, and get rid of the LA name while keeping all of the big market advantages?  How about changing their name to the California Condors?  A conservation project over the past 20 years has successfully brought the majestic birds back from the verge of extinction.  Not a bad angle right?  The team’s identity is shifted, and it’s a feel-good story to boot. It may be a bit corny, but it can’t be worse than Clippers, and the extremely negative connotations the franchise’s ineptitude has piled up over the past 30 years.  If you think about it, this is the perfect time to change the name of the team, as they are true contenders in the West for the first time ever.  But of course nothing like this happened this summer, because, well, they are the Clippers.

Sneakers, Floor, Backboards, Nets...

And finally, the Nets: Lowe and Simmons went back and forth about the best way for the Brooklyn Nets to drop their completely uninspired nickname, attached to the franchise since the ‘70’s, and they pontificated that it might be best for them to just not have a nickname at all; to just be called Brooklyn.  Which is actually a very cool idea.  They are the only team in the league to have home jerseys that say the city name as opposed to the nickname, so they’re really halfway there already, but ultimately Simmons other podcast guest Dave Damashek quashed the idea as unworkable.  But after spending last week seeing how obsessed Barcelona is with FC Barcelona, why not have an NBA team called BC Brooklyn.  I love the idea.  Make it happen Prokhorov!  

If you looked at Lowe’s list I disagreed with quite a few of his rankings.  Nets at number 30 was solid, but the Cleveland Cavaliers at 29 made no sense to me.  It might not be the best name, but it’s far better than at least eight other names in the league.  And his rationale that “cavalier” is also a word for lazy was weak, as many words have multiple meanings.  The Cavs are fine.

The Minnesota Timberwolves at number 23 was way too high too.  Even though the team has been horrible for the past twenty-five years, basically its entire existence, the name is good, and regionally appropriate.

The Denver Nuggets at 21 might be about right, but I’ve wanted Denver to change this name for years.  It’s just a really terrible name for a basketball team, and I have it higher (worse) on my list than Zach Lowe did. 

The Washington Wizards at 17 is too low.  Even though it is technically appropriate because it is plural of a person, and ends in s, it is without a doubt one of the worst names in American sports. 

I think much more highly of the Dallas Mavericks than Mr Lowe as well as he put them at 17.  I thought that was too harsh as I’ve always considered it a pretty great name.  Totally different and regionally appropriate.  

But of course, all of those lame, singular, entity names took their rightful place in the lowest third of the list.  Indefensible nicknames like Heat, Magic, Suns, and Thunder.  None of which make any sense for a basketball team.  Jazz gets a pass from Mr Lowe, because of the improvisation nature of both art forms, and their wonderful logo design, but I don’t totally agree with him on that either.

So with no more further ado… Here’s the list that no one asked for.

The Underdogs rankings of NBA Team Nick Names.    

30.  Charlotte Bobcats

The expansion team for the state where human flight was invented could have been the Pilots, the Flyboys, the Airmen or any other cool name for Flyers.  Or anything but the lamest name in American Pro sports.  The ABA had a team called the Carolina Cougars, which wouldn’t have been that bad.  Oh but I guess the owner at the time wasn’t named Cougar Johnson; it was Bob Johnson.  Seriously, how did they decide on this name with straight faces?

29.  Orlando Magic

I don’t think it really needs to be explained.  It’s just really bad.  Even the Wizards would be an improvement, because at least Wizards are the dudes that do the magic.

28.  Phoenix Suns

In our solar system there is one sun.  Are they insinuating that the team is a group of unthinkably massive celestial infernos spanning many different galaxies?  They couldn’t have thought of something better than this?

27.  Miami Heat

Just terrible.  An invisible force that cooks things.  This is the name of your basketball team?  Although with three championships now and counting, it doesn’t sound as bad as it probably should. 

26.  Denver Nuggets

A golden nugget is worth quite a bit of money, and there is a nice historical connection to the area, but how does that relate to players on a basketball team?  Major puzzlement that they’ve never changed this name.   

BC Brooklyn.  

25.  Brooklyn Nets

I agree that this name is very bad, but what Lowe leaves out of his argument is that, to “net” is also a term used occasionally in basketball that refers to scoring.  Ripping the nets, scorching the nets… those are good things in basketball.  He does mention that when they moved to New York in the 70’s they wanted to rhyme with Mets and Jets for visibility.  But still, the fact that the team moved to high profile Brooklyn last year and didn’t sever the ties with that inanimate object that hangs below the rim, is indefensible.

24.  Washington Wizards

When the Bullets changed their name to the Wizards in 1997 it was shocking. And even though, then-owner Abe Polin’s attempt to distance his franchise from the high crime rate in DC seemed like a decent idea, it just doesn’t ring true over time.  It’s unlikely that a basketball team named after a Bullet would realistically encourage someone towards criminal activity who wasn’t going to head that way anyway, and frankly the Wizard name is just abominable. Plus the Bullets had real NBA history dating back to their Baltimore days.  The Wiz should become the Bullets again and if Orlando wants to be called the Wizards, step right up. 

23.  Los Angeles Clippers

For reasons that I mentioned earlier, just an all-round swing-and-a-miss here.  They share a building with the greatest franchise in the sport and historically they’ve been one of the worst, and the only reason they have any fans at all is because LA is filled with transplants from other cities who love basketball but can’t be Laker fans.  It made some sense during the brief time that the team was in San Diego, but it’s crazy that this name has never been changed.     

22.  Toronto Raptors

Also for reasons that I mentioned earlier, I think this name still has potential.  Raptors are killer birds, and that’s a great name for an NBA team, but the franchise has insisted on branding themselves as goofy dinosaurs with sneakers on.  It’s just insane.  Who is advising these people?  Presumably, the three people in Toronto that actually care about the NBA. 

21.  Oklahoma City Thunder

When this team moved from Seattle, and everyone was imagining what they could be called, there were so many great options.  As Lowe said, Roughriders, Renegades, Outlaws, Barons, Bison, Deputies, Sheriffs, or Marshalls were all decent choices.  I remember really wanting them to be the Desperados.  How amazing would that have been?  But no one listens to me.  The only reason Thunder seems somewhat okay now is that it rolls of the tongue okay, they’ve had successful seasons, and they finally figured out that AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck is perfect for a chant.  “THUNDER! aaah-ahhhh-ahhhhhh-ah… THUNDER!!!”

20.  Utah Jazz

I have to disagree with Lowe majorly here.  They’ve done admirably by the name and have had quite a bit of success, so I don’t blame them for sticking with it although it obviously originated in New Orleans, but it can’t be considered a great nick-name.  It’s just horribly mismatched. 

19.  Cleveland Cavaliers

Not a great name, but not terrible either.  Par for the course for these guys.

18.  Indiana Pacers

I don’t hate the name Pacers.  I like the ABA history and the connection to the Indy 500, but when I think about it, basically their team is named after the Pace car… which is the car that isn’t even in the race!  That’s your goal?  Middle of the pack?  Why were they not called the Indiana Racers? 

17.  Sacramento Kings

A fine name for a team.  Boring, and possibly sadly ironic in this case, but okay.

16.  Atlanta Hawks. 

Same thing here.  Decent name, nothing wrong with it.   

15.  Minnesota Timberwolves.

This is actually a wonderful name for a team; imaginative and appropriate, and it’s even fun to say!  I think we would think much higher of this name if the team hasn’t been in the basement for the better part of twenty-five years. 

14. Los Angeles Lakers

This is actually a great name for a basketball team, even though no one knows what it means.  Of course we all know that Minneapolis is the land-of-lakes, and that's where the franchise was founded, but still, "Laker" is not a word.  Maybe it’s because this nonsensical name has been synonymous with basketball excellence for over fifty years.  I admit, it probably should be lower on this list, but… we don’t know what a Laker is.

13. Milwaukee Bucks

I think this name is solid.  Simple.  Classic.  And their “fear the deer,” slogan is one of the coolest in sports.

12. San Antonio Spurs

Fantastic franchise.  Unbelievable success.  Good name too, but a little confusing.  A spur is basically a knife on your foot right?

11.  New Orleans Pelicans

I do like this name.  I know some people laugh at how silly it sounds, but they must not realize that pelicans are actually pretty amazing birds and fierce hunters too.  But realistically, since they haven’t played a game yet, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.   

10.  Memphis Grizzlies

I like this name.  Everyone talks about how stupid it is that they didn’t change it when they moved from Vancouver.  There are no bears in Tennessee?  Are there Bears in Chicago? 

9.  Golden State Warriors

Another solid name.  Just beautiful to read and write too as they are only team in the NBA to not be named after a city or state.  Poetic really.

8.  Dallas Mavericks

Not sure why Lowe was down on the Mavs, I think this is a great name.  I’ve never heard another team with this name and it gives us the cowboy edge in a different way.  Plus it has a “v” and a “k” in it! 

7.  Philadelphia 76ers

I like the historical significance here.  Maybe a little confusing as to what the word really means, but great name. 

6.  Houston Rockets

Brilliant connection with the city, even though they originated in San Diego.  Everything about it works.   

5. Chicago Bulls

Perfect name.  Classic.  And the Jordan years alone probably should have this nick-name at number one. 

4.  Detroit Pistons

I love this name.  What could be a better name for a team from Detroit?  And they started in Fort Wayne too.  What are the chances?  Just beautiful.  The Rockets and Pistons franchises moving to their current cities was a clear example of divine intervention, as far as sports team names are concerned.     

3.  New York Knickerbockers

The Knicks haven’t had nearly as great of a history as they should have, being in New York, but the name is right on the money.

2.  Boston Celtics

I’ve never been a Celtics fan.  It doesn’t make much sense at all, and isn’t it even mispronounced?  But just like the Knicks, it works so well as a classic basketball team name.  No other name like it exists in American pro sports.  They have to go ahead of Knicks though because of their incredible success.    

1.  Portland Trail Blazers

I have to agree with Zach here.  They really nailed this name.  It works on all levels.  Perfect for the region, for the pursuit of excellence, and "Blazers" is a perfect short-hand for the team.  Bravo Portland.  You win the the big prize!

Of knowing that you're cool.  

As if you didn't know that already.

Thanks for Reading,

Underdogs out!      

More than a game...

Being in Europe for the past three months has freed me somewhat from the constant barrage of American sports in the media.  It might shock you to learn that ESPN has actually taken something of a backseat in my consciousness, for probably the first time since… I dunno, 1991?  Ah, do you remember Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann firing up Sportscenter in the early ‘90’s?  The blue sets, the cheesy lettering, the ground breaking meaningless banter that we all adored.  They changed sports forever.  It was no longer just about the games anymore.  Following sports became a way of life.  Coverage of sports wasn’t three hours a night anymore, it was 24/7, and of course it’s not only stayed that way ever since, but it has progressed ridiculously.  We covered ESPN's world domination here, if you want to check it out.    

2010 in Bristol... the post Blue Era

I guess you could say that it’s the “something for everyone” approach.  Just tune in to one of espn’s many cable channels, check their online content, scroll their podcasts, or check one of the hundreds of radio channels they have across the country.  They’ve got something for everyone and business, of course, is booming.  Everyone loves a distraction, and sports offers it in spades.  It’s even a socially condoned distraction actually, and everybody loves those, right?         

And right on cue, I was just made aware that last weekend, that the NFL started its Pre-Season schedule.  These are games that actually mean nothing, (and not just in the grand-scheme sense that my theatre friends like to talk about.)  The best players don’t really play at all, and yet pretty much everyone in the states celebrates them as if they are Thanksgiving Day parades.  Why?  Because Americans are so over baseball, and endless drug scandal stalk.  Well except for Red Sox fans and Dodger fans, I guess.  And the Braves are always good of course.  But for the rest of America, Basketball and Hockey have been done for two months already, and the dregs of the summer, (i.e. enduring 4,860 games of a baseball season) inevitably take their toll. 

So people put all of their attention into Football!  It's much more "America's past-time" these days than baseball is.  America simply loves football, about as much as all the other sports combined, and this is the time of year when they are just begging their home-town teams (or close-by teams… or randomly selected teams thousands of miles away) to take them away from their thoughts.  Inclusion is a basic human trait, and there’s nothing like going to a sports bar on Sunday and taking in all the coordinated sea of colors to hammer home that point.  Sure, people need camaraderie, but how much?  And should it be in one’s daily thoughts? 

Which bring us from “tackleball,” to the real game of football; the one that makes a lot more sense to be called “football.”  The game that is loved all over the world as much as all other sports combined, by people that will probably punch you if you dare call their game “soccer.”  Especially here in Catalunya, and here in Barcelona.  Here football more than a sport.  It’s even more than a religion.  It’s identity, it’s historical and cultural, it’s everything.  It’s FC Barcelona. 

Walking into this stadium, Camp Nou in the heart of this city, I felt it.  Bustling with fans on a random Saturday a week or two before the season even starts, I saw true joy on the faces of the masses.  Celebrating in their crimson, yellow, and blue jerseys which almost all said Messi on the back, the crowds flocked to the museum mixed in with the stadium itself.  They called it the Camp Nou Experience.  It started with the museum, which was littered with about 2,000 trophies and an elaborate timeline of the club’s history.  My favorites were the old balls and banners.  These billion dollar industries had such meager beginnings, and especially with football.  Think about it.  What’s needed to play football?  When I was a kid, all we needed was a ball, two sticks, (or shoes, or shirts, or anything really) to mark the goal posts, and some space to run around in.  That’s it.  Even at the pro level, the basics necessities are just that; pretty much as basic as it gets.  And when FC Barcelona started playing matches back in 1899, I’m sure they couldn’t have possibly imagined the sights and sounds of today’s sports world.  

But what they did know was their own culture.  The eastern Catalonian traditions and history were being dismissed and overrun more and more by Spanish culture, and the two had long been odds with each other.  The government wasn’t interested in it, there was no place to sanctify Catalonian pride or to celebrate it.  So that’s what FC Barcelona became.  It wasn’t just about a team or about games.  It was a place to identify yourself, to learn values, to celebrate your family, and to become strong in the face of adversity.  The rivalry between FCB and Real Madrid became much more than a sports rivalry over the course of the last century.  It’s been the core of Catalan identity.  And to this day, the Barca’s live and die by whether they can stick-it to the government, to the Spanish, to Real Madrid.  It’s obsession.  Even the Red Sox and Yankee fans don’t hate each other like that!  

The experience continued through various press rooms, the visiting locker room, the concession cafeteria, and finally the walk down to the field.  That long walk also happens to pass the chapel , which has its own mini-version of the Black Madonna!  Yes the biggest stadium in Europe that seats 98,772, wouldn’t be complete without this.  Can you imagine how many of the faithful get their prayer on before big games?  This place must be packed. 

The real Black Madonna in Monserrat

A few months ago, I made it out to Montserrat, a beautiful monastery in the mountains north of town, to see the actual Black Madonna.  A wooden sculpture of Mary and child, which inexplicably turned black, and over time became the most sacred pilgrimage destination for the Catlan people.  It was said to have been carved by St Luke (of Gospels) and brought to the region by St Peter, but carbon dating has determined that its really only about 800 years old.  So y’know, chalk it up; another legend ruined by carbon dating.  Even so, people wait for hours up at Montserrat to walk by quickly and touch her hand because she’s that important.  I think I waited for about 45 minutes when I was there so it must have been a slow day.  But I’m sure at Camp Nou, on game day, the line would be much longer!

So after the field level view and walk through, we ended up in the tv and radio booth, which was way cool.  They even have the tvs running the greatest Barca goals of all time, so you don’t have to depend on your imagination.  And of course, everyone had to take turns yelling, “GOOOOoooooooooooooooooAAAAALLLLL!!!!”

Greg Fakes the call!

From there the experience lead us back into the museum which of course eventually spills out into a massive gift shop; a constant reminder of the firm grip this club has on the area.  It would be like if you combined the Yankees and the Lakers (which of course, I would never do) and that’s what it’s like.  



Well, if Derek Jeter and Kobe Bryant were combined into Lionel Messi (who looks like an accountant by the way, doesn’t he?  Talk about an unassuming mega-star athlete!  This guy isn’t Lebron!)

Lionel Messi... played by Matt Broderick

But here, that guy is the King.  

And so is football.

So don’t mess with it…. and don’t call it soccer :)

Let the season begin!

And thanks for reading

Underdogs out! 

The Toronto... Almost Miracle...

Wow.  Long time no see Underdogs.  Sorry about the hiatus, and for missing the rest of those promised NBA articles the past three months.  All I can say is I’ve been in Hockey Country and that isn’t an easy thing to shake.  Toronto, and all of its historical NHL swagger, even if it hasn’t been good history as of late, is the real culprit.  It seems that one comes to this town and suddenly loses the will to write much about American Sports. 

Obviously, here, hockey is king and the town makes no attempt to hide it.  Let’s say the NBA’s Raptors get 4% of the pie, the CFL’s Argonauts get 8%, and the Blue Jays get 18%.  The Maple Leafs get the rest, and that’s 70% if you’re scoring at home, (of my fictitious Sports Fans Awareness Pie Chart.)  The point is that they love their hockey here and they love it so much more than any other sport.  It’s not even close.  So of course, you can only imagine how much was riding on the Leafs climactic game seven Monday night in Boston.  The entire city was abuzz with possibility.  Ready to erupt in the glorious coronation of a long awaited return to playoff relevance!  The dreams seemed justified though, because after two straight must-win games, the team was bristling with confidence and had positioned themselves as a shining example to underdogs everywhere; a team of destiny.  

The night before I had been at a comedy show at Second City, with some friends from the Book of Mormon touring cast, and the theatre’s lobby spills directly into Wayne Gretzky’s Hockey bar.  So on our way out we found ourselves swarmed with jovial Leafs fans, all decked out and cheering at level 11 volume, as their boys tried to close out game 6 at home.  And just down the street a few blocks south and east, the Air Canada Centre was rumbling.  Throngs of fans lined the closed-off streets to watch the game all night on the Jumbo-tron, jumping up and down screaming and waiving flags, and they seemed to get just as much TV airtime as the paying customers inside.  One of the commentators noted, “There’s an estimated twenty thousand fans outside watching, and undoubtedly later on, there will be another twenty thousand that will claim they were.”  It was a glorious time.  And as the final buzzer sounded, I couldn’t tell if the eruption was coming from inside Gretzky’s or in from outside on the street!   The Leafs had done the extremely improbable, they came back to tie the series after going down 3-1, to force the most thrilling game in all of sports; Game 7!

I’m not sure what happened with the scheduling or why, but it was the very next night in Boston that they played it, and the city of Toronto was basically shut down to anything else.  The throngs of fans were back at the Air Canada Centre but even more this time because there was no one inside.  I opened the window of my apartment balcony and you could hear the ups and downs from the fans, as if the entire city had a sole consciousness, united in willing the Leafs to the next round.

And midway through the third period it had been working extremely well.  A couple of goals early the period had extended Toronto’s lead in the game to 4-1, with only about seven minutes to play.  You could feel the heartbeat of the city.  It pounded louder and louder as the minutes ticked away, and victory almost seemed ordained.  They were moving on.  They had defied the odds and done the impossible, and… oh wait.  The Bruins scored.  The Boston fans came to life again, but it was still subdued.  The collective conscious of Toronto conceded the goal with a mild wince.  It was unwelcome, but not overly, because a 4-2 lead still felt good.  But then with 90 seconds to go, fortune changed once again.  Two Boston goals tied the game with 20 seconds to go, and later a golden goal in overtime, ended the 2013 season for the Maple Leafs for good.  Wow.  An unbelievable finish, and yes, that word is overused. 

And where did it leave the Underdogs.  Crushed.  Where did it leave Toronto? 

A much deeper question.

Thanks for reading.

Underdogs out!         

The Later On Show...

So now that the Superbowl matchup has been set, it’s time to do the obvious.  Talk about the NBA of course!!!  What an incredible year it has been so far in the land of Stern.  Basketball has been fantastic this year, and the stories… you couldn’t ask for better.  There are so many already.  The Clippers rise to prominence, the Thunder thriving after trading one of the best players in the league, the amazing team ball being played in Oakland under head coach Mark Jackson, New York playing inspired defense for the first time in over a decade, and of course Miami’s first go round as the defending champion.  Pro basketball is in Brooklyn, and now most likely, also back in Seattle next season.  And, oh yeah, San Antonio is good.

We will get to all of these fantastic story lines in the coming weeks, but since I’m in LA, I have to chime in on the Laker season so far.  Sorry to do something so run-of-the-mill, but I just have to.  Really, what can you say?  It’s been absolutely incredible.  It’s what soap operas are made of, and so much more.  The irony of course is that you’d expect this kind of stuff in tinsel-town on the low-brow screen, new drama everyday, but not in real life; and certainly not involving the NBA’s most storied franchise.  What is going on around here?

I have many die-hard Laker fan friends and it’s been something a case study observing the emotional roller-coaster they’ve been on this year.  Really, the Lakers ARE this town and although Laker fans take a lot of heat, undoubtedly spoiled by years of success, they are very good fans for the most part.  They are extremely passionate; they live and die by Lakers' wins and losses, even in November and December, when most NBA cities are barely paying attention.  I have to respect that, even if I don’t feel sorry for the fan base that has had great teams in every single era throughout the NBA’s history.  Even the Boston Celtics can’t make that claim. 

Which brings us to this year, when the mighty Lakers were supposedly bringing greatness into the new era.  They had constructed a super-team in the off-season, bringing in not one, but TWO future Hall-of-famers, one of them in his prime, Dwight Howard who also was widely considered the best center in the league.  So you team them with two future Hall-of-famers already on the roster in Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and theoretically you had not just a super-team, but the super-team.  One who’s pieces fit together more harmoniously than other combinations we have seen around the league in the last few years.  It was “can’t miss,” and every single sports radio loud-mouth in this town was letting us know it.  Everyone was stoked for the start of the season.  And then it started. 

I’ve never seen anything like the outrage that happened here in those first three weeks.  The Lakers went 0-8 in the preseason, which people weren’t happy about, but wasn’t of much concern.  Coach Mike Brown was tinkering with his lineups and guys were learning the new system.  But in the regular season it wasn’t much better.  The team looked lost, uninspired, and out-matched even by average teams.  Laker fans were frothing at the mouth!  The obvious solution was to replace Mike Brown, who was the wrong coach to hire in the first place the year before, as I always contended.  (Not to toot my own horn or anything; lots of people knew this, except for Lakers owner Jim Buss apparently.)

So it happened, and everyone knew what was coming next.  Reports surfaced that the Lakers are talking to Phil Jackson.  It made so much sense.  He lives in Manhattan Beach, pretty close to the practice facility, he is virtually married to Jeanie Buss, (a team Vice President, real owner’s daughter, and current “acting” owner’s brother,) his specialty is facilitating egos and finding ways for great players to co-exist and thrive in his system, he only takes jobs with veteran teams that have to win now (and this team desperately fits that description,) new franchise cornerstone, Howard (who is a free agent at the end of the season) was dying to play for him in the triangle, and the fans were chanting “we want Phil” at the end of games while the Lakers were playing under interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff.  Oh, and it’s also worth noting that Phil Jackson is the greatest head coach of all-time in any sport.  He’s already won eleven championships as a coach, including five here with the Lakers.   

It was a done deal.  Everyone knew it, and this town was percolating in blissful anticipation and already dreaming of a deep play-off run.  Phil was ready to come back to cement his legacy here, and to erase the memory of his uncharacteristically unsuccessful last game back in 2011.

And then the news came down.  Ownership passed on Phil Jackson, in favor of Mike D’Antoni.  I still can’t believe this happened.  In real life.  In a film or cartoon, or a soap opera, it would have been implausible; unbelievable.  It’s so ridiculous that no credible writer would put it on the page.  You’d lose your audience, they’d be insulted, unable to suspend their disbelief.  But it did really happen.  So now ownership had to explain it. 

They brought in D’Antoni and his up-tempo philosophy and he waxed poetic about bringing back the old days of “showtime,” which was predictable.  The Lakers were trying desperately to save face and what better way than to get nostalgic.  Fans were weary though.  They wanted to know what had gone wrong with the obvious hire, and in response to this question came forth the most egregious lie I’ve ever heard from an NBA team’s management. 

Jim Buss said, that the front office’s collected opinion was that the current roster was more suited for D’Antoni’s system than it was for Phil Jackson’s triangle.  He actually said that!  Meanwhile every Laker fan knew this to be untrue.  Like all fans who play attention to basketball they knew that with two 7-footers who can co-exist together as great passers, two heady back court players, Nash, who is also one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and then Kobe who is, well Kobe, the triangle was a natural fit.  Add to that a semi-decent supporting cast and you can win over 50 games and make a deep playoff run.  And even if the triangle isn’t the perfect fit (which it is) the single offense that you wouldn’t want to implement is D’Antoni’s uptempo offense, which needs young legs, stretch fours who can shoot, and totally undervalues post players, as well as defense.  The Lakers exploited their own weaknesses and negated their own advantage!   It was absolutely incredible.  The other GM’s in the West must have toasted each other that day.  Lakers management had taken a huge risk, and it was clear that other factors must have been in play.

 

Because any objective person would agree that in your particular situation, with Phil Jackson available and willing to coach your team, even simply from a business perspective, you make that move 10 times out 10.  100 times out of 100.  3,456,687 times out of 3,456,687!!!  What???  Wow.  What could have been?  Sit down with Phil Jackson, sign him for one or two years, give him a piece of management decisions, have him mentor someone to take over when he retires.  Then your franchise is set for the next ten years, with Dwight Howard and whoever else you bring in after the rest of these guys retire.  But none of that happened, and Laker fans are still shaking their heads.  Or sitting in the front row wearing funny glasses.      

The diehards talked themselves into it, and got behind D’Antoni, and the rest is history.  Although not the good kind.  This “super-team” is flirting with missing the playoffs entirely, or at best, squeezing into the seventh or eighth seeds and going out in the first round.  Either way, even diehard Laker fans won’t look you in the eye when it comes up in conversation.  It’s too painful for them.

And yet this is what underdogs are made of.  They are certainly the most unlikely underdog in history, but here they are, the 2012-2013 Lakers.  The little juggernaut that could.  It'll be fun to see how far they can go.
And how this town will deal with it.    

Thanks for reading,

Underdogs OUT!