The Dallas Mavericks show the Left that the Team is the thing
June 13, 2011
As the clock struck zero and the NBA Finals ended, the national sports media found itself forced to focus solely on the Dallas Mavericks. The time for analyzing and re-analyzing Lebron James and the star-studded Miami Heat had come to an end. There was a new champion in town, and the time had come to praise the victors.
Mind you, this wasn’t a chore for the media. The NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks are an eclectic group. From their mercurial owner Mark Cuban, to their on-court leader Dirk Nowitzki, to a a roster filled with familiar names and long journeys, this was a Team to celebrate. In beating the vaunted Big Three of the Heat – James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh – the Mavericks had shown themselves to be what sportswriters most love – a great Team.
Watching it all unfold, I was struck by how much the Left could learn from these Mavericks, and how similar the travails of both have been these many years. Few teams in the NBA have dealt with more disappointment and failure than the Mavericks. Year after year Dallas put a team on the court that would cruise through the regular season, only to see it all collapse in the playoffs. Year after year, a talented group of men led by a singular superstar would head home without a prize.
The similarities to the Left are striking, especially the past few years. Led by one of the great superstars in political history – Barack Obama – the Left has fielded an impressive and diverse group of men and women, only to see pressure from inside and out defeat them.
Compare the 2006-2007 Mavericks with the 2009 Democrats. The Mavs blasted through the regular season, winning 67 games. Nowitzki took home the regular-season MVP award. Yet somehow this group was beaten in the first round of the playoffs by the lowly and oft-maligned Golden State Warriors. It was a collapse for the ages.
In 2009, Obama took home his MVP Trophy with the passage of Health-Care Reform. But as a team, the Left struggled and sputtered on nearly all key issues. Despite wild advantages for Democrats in the Senate and the House, the left never gelled and eventually became a group of individuals marching to different drummers. And in 2010, the lowly and oft-maligned Republicans dealt Democrats a brutal defeat in the mid-term elections.
As of June 2011, the Left is the Miami Heat not the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a group with a leader that is both the most hated and most talented man in the game. It is a group that brings to mind greatness. But it is a group that collapses under pressure and plays as individuals when it matters most. It is now a group defined by its greatest defeats rather than important victories.
This is not a call for the Left to march lockstep with one another. After all, the Mavericks won the championship with a team of diverse personalities from diverse backgrounds. But whenever it mattered, they showed confidence and trust in one another. When it mattered most, the Ring became the Thing, and the entire Team was on the same page.
While it is an imperfect comparison, there is indeed a lesson the Left can take from the World Champion Dallas Mavericks. To achieve any victory, what’s needed is confidence and trust. A group of spectacular solo artists will only take one so far, whether it be politics or basketball. But at the highest levels of both of these things, only one thing will garner true victory, whether that victory is an NBA Title or making life better for Americans – becoming and playing as a Team.
–WKW
You Don’t Deserve Lebron James
June 8, 2011
Ok, I’ve had about enough of this. Let me be succinct in my opinion here: Lebron James is the best basketball player on the planet. His combination of size, strength, talent and basketball IQ are completely off the charts. He plays defense like his hair is on fire. It is literally a joy to watch him play the game of basketball.
And you people just aren’t appreciating him at all.
For basketball fans, this postseason has been an embarrassment of riches. The Mavericks have become a brilliantly cohesive team around the great Dirk Nowitzki, and rolled to these NBA Finals after completely humiliating the defending champion Lakers. The Heat have had intense series against the likes of Boston and Chicago, and have emerged at the top of their game.
Add to that the strong efforts by up-and-coming stars like Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, and it has truly been an epic postseason.
But for some basketball fans, this post-season has been about one thing and one thing only – waiting for Lebron James to fail. And throwing darts at him the whole way. Sportswriter Skip Bayless is dedicating his waning years to hating James. Heck, there’s even a blog called “I Hate Lebron James.”
Now, I do understand why Cleveland fans would despise James. Without him, the Cavaliers will now go another few decades without being a factor. But I don’t think Art Modell received the same amount of hate for moving the Browns to Baltimore as James has gotten for leaving. And yes, the epic Heat rollout of James, Bosh and Wade was over-the-top and silly. And yes, James has at times shown arrogance, but in the sports world, that’s to be expected.
Deal with it, people. Lebron James is a decent enough fellow. There are no skeletons in his closets. He tries to do and say the right things. If the biggest error of his career has been celebrating, so be it.
As for “deferring” at the end of games? Well, can we have a little respect here for Dwayne Wade? The man may very well finish his career as one of the greatest performers ever in NBA Finals. That’s not deferment, that’s smart basketball.
And as for the “He’s not as good as Michael Jordan” claims, well, that’s just a strawman. The only people comparing James to Jordan now are Lebron-haters.
Personally, I have never seen as good a player as Jordan. He was magical (and arrogant). But check out his accomplishments at the same age as James. At 26, both had zero rings.
But that’s going to change this year. Miami has just too much for the Mavericks to deal with, and James will get his first ring. The haters will still hate, but they are just denying themselves the joy of watching one of the great talents that has ever played in the NBA.
Myself, I’ll be enjoying every minute. I feel like I deserve it.
–WKW
Brazil’s 2014 World Cup in jeopardy as work lags on stadiums, airports
June 7, 2011
As Brazil readies itself for the ultimate one-two punch of international sporting events – the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics – one thing has become increasingly clear – Brazil isn’t even close to ready to host these two events.
Despite an economy that can be called “robust” in these troubled economic times, good old Brazilian bureaucracy is threatening both events, especially the World Cup, which will feature games throughout the nation. The problems lie with numerous stadiums being behind schedule for restoration – or for being built from scratch – as well as the monumental problem with air transportation in Brazil. From The Economist:
The 12 host cities have among them nine airport redevelopments which are well behind schedule. São Paulo has not even started to build the new stadium that is supposed to stage the opening match. In Rio de Janeiro the Maracanã stadium (pictured), pencilled in for the final, is a money-guzzling building site. The contract for Natal’s proposed arena was signed only on April 15th—more than three years after Brazil was named host. Air travel is essential to shuttle fans between games, but most of Brazil’s airports are already operating above their nominal capacity. Baggage handling and check-in are slow; delays and cancellations common. On April 14th IPEA, a government-linked think-tank, said that even if all the planned airport upgrades were completed by kick-off (which it said would not happen), hectic growth in local demand would still leave most airports overcrowded—even without 1m football fans stopping by. The number of internal flights taken annually rose by 83m in 2003-10 and will rise by almost as much again by 2014, the study said.
Keep in mind, Brazil’s airline industry has been riddled with high-profile accidents over the past few years. Here’s what I wrote about their airline industry for WorldGolf.com in 2007:
For Brazil, what this accident means is that it’s time to put aside the bickering, name-calling, finger-pointing and inaction that dominates its political system. Now is the the time for serious, professional and concrete action. It will be an expensive proposition to update the air industry here, but it is something that must be done and be done thoroughly. Having the nation’s military control the airline industry is obviously not working,especially when even more close calls are being reported just days after the horrifying accident. With nearly 400 lives lost in less than a year, Brazil is on the verge of becoming a complete pariah in the tourism world, which is something that will only further hurt the poor and hinder the consistent economic strides the nation has made over the past eon.
The stadium situation is even worse for Brazil. According to Brazilian magazine Veja, as of May, only 7.5% of the money put aside for building or renovating stadiums has been spent. At the current pace:
- The National Stadium in Brasilia will be ready in Oct. 2021.
- The Arena Amazonia in Manaus will be ready in April 2024.
- The Estadio de Corinthians – a $700 million project – will never be done, as they have yet to start.
It is worth noting that virtually every nation that hosts major international sporting events gets behind on the work but eventually catches up. But in June 2011, Brazil is nightmarishly behind schedule, and catching up will require an incredible, and incredibly expensive effort. Remember, Brazil needs to be ready by 2013 in time for the Confederation Cup.
What does this all mean for Americans? Well, should the worst happen and FIFA pulls the World Cup from Brazil, the U.S. stands to gain the cup. The infrastructure is there and the airports are ready. Which is much, much more than Brazil can say at the moment.
–WKW
Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather dream fight means Domestic Violence charges can be ignored
May 8, 2011
When the stories of Michael Vick’s abuse of dogs came to light, there was understandable outrage from both the public and the media. But the case also seemed to serve as a wake-up call for some sports journalists, who seemed to realize that something was amiss with their own lack of outrage over athletes who commit domestic violence against women.
“Why is it, then, that we barely shrug when we hear of athletes beating up their wives, girlfriends or acquaintances?” wrote John Sleeper of the Everett, Wash., Herald.
Which brings us to last night’s fight between popular champion Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley. Following Pacquiao’s lopsided victory, sportswriters and others were quick to clamor for the brilliant Filipino to fight the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Sportswriter Skip Bayless tweeted about the possibility of such a match. USA Today and other newspapers and magazines discussed the fight. No one, however asked the important question: Why on earth would Mayweather deserve the fight, and why are the Domestic Violence charges (which could net him up to three decades in prison) being ignored?
Perhaps no one showcased the lack of interest in the domestic violence charges better than CNN’s Roland Martin, who tweeted:
“Maybe if @FloydMayweather is focused on Manny, he won’t keep getting in trouble with the law. If he refuses to fight Manny, his rep is hurt.”
You see, maybe a fight that would bank him nearly $50 million will get Mayweather to stop beating on women. And it would keep Martin’s opinion of his reputation high.
The fact of the matter is that Mayweather is innocent until proven guilty (which didn’t seem to bother anyone in Vick’s case). In June, he will face the judge and jury for three charges of felony domestic violence, as well as charges for grand larceny and robbery. He is also facing new charge in a different case. But none of that seems to matter. After all, a great fight hangs in the balance.
More than anything, the interest in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight shows one thing crystal clear – most sportswriters and many sports fans still don’t care about violence against women.
Update: Mayweather has received a slap on the wrist after pleading guilty to domestic abuse. Now everyone is debating whether he will fight Pacquiao before he has to spend 90 days in jail in June.
–WKW
This and that
April 27, 2011
I suppose the further Right you move, the inevitable destination is Left. Because maybe it’s just me, but a couple recent developments in the world conservatism show makes it appear there’s a pinko side emerging.
First, Ayn Rand sends John Galt to create a rich-person commune, and the right-wing swoons. Second, Conservatives seem to want to have some type of government takeover of the oil industry.
Luckily, if Conservatives do become full-on communist-totalitarians, the Democrats have more than enough politicians that would love to fill the void and become the new Conservatives.
Also Playing
GSP for the win: Georges St. Pierre fighting Jake Shields this weekend? I’ll be watching. And I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching GSP pulverize Shields.
Obama answering Birthers?: Not sure what the point is. They won;’t believe it, anyway.
–WKW
Class Act: Chris Paul Edition
April 25, 2011
From ESPN.com news services:
“Regardless of what happens in this series, it was good to see the city with a smile on their face,” said Paul, who hit 7 of 14 shots and all 11 of his free throws. “It was fun, man. I’m just so thankful to get to say this is my way of life.”
– New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, after scorching the Lakers for an explosive 27 point, 13 rebound, 15 assist triple-double. The Hornets evened their series with the Lakers, 2-2.
–WKW
Will an active professional American male athlete ever come out of the closet?
February 28, 2011
Q: What do the NBA, Major League Baseball, PGA Tour, NFL, Major League Soccer and NHL have in common?
A: Spacious closets.
Yes, friends, the six biggest male professional sports leagues in America share one major thing – not a single one its athletes is openly gay. Not one.
Which makes English cricketer Steven Davies admission that he is a gay male all the more brave. From Towleroad:
In a frank and moving interview with Monday’s Daily Telegraph, Davies, who started his professional cricketing career with Worcestershire when he was 18, said he could no longer bear to lie about his sexuality. Davies, who told his family he was gay five years ago and has enjoyed their complete support, said it was a huge relief to finally come clean and be honest with the wider public.
And he said he hoped his decision would help other young gay people to have the confidence to follow in his footsteps. He explained: “This is the right time for me…I feel it is right to be out in the open about my sexuality. .”
There are Gay males in the major American sports leagues. Any arguments that athletes can’t be gay are not just illogical, but outright stupid.
There are approximately 4,000 men actively participating in the six major U.S. sports leagues. There are Gay males amongst those 4,000. To think otherwise is both old-fashioned and out-of-touch thinking. Yet not a single one of them has come out of the closet.
Take it a step further – no active athlete in the history of these sports has EVER admitted to being a gay male.
This is by no means to insinuate that it is the fault of Gay Male Athletes in these sports that none have ever come out of the closet. It is a cultural issue, and a decision that will most definitely cause a loss of income and a plethora of hateful comments and actions. Even in 2011, it is strictly taboo for a professional male athlete – especially in a team sport – to come out as Gay.
And a post such of this would be woefully misinforming if it didn’t mention the athletes that have come out as LGBT while either active or following their careers. They are to be respected and applauded.
One day, an active male athlete in one of these sports will come out of the closet about his sexuality. It will be a brave and selfless decision. It is time for this taboo to end. And to paraphrase Mr. Davies, it will be a good thing.
–WKW
Reggie Bush catches fire on Twitter
February 17, 2011
Here we have a short tale on Twitter of how professional NFL Player Reggie Bush handles a fire at his neighbor’s house.
Reggie Bush – @reggie_bush
Damn my neighbors house is on fire!!!!! Whoa!!
Brand new house he couldn’t have been living in it more than a month! This is crazy!!!!
I’ll tweet pics tomorrow too dark to tweet now
My response?
Wolfrum – @Wolfrum
Walter Payton would have put out the fire in the time it took you to Tweet RT @reggie_bush Damn my neighbors house is on fire!!!!! Whoa!!!
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: Talk Talk
November 30, 2010
Lots of talk, not much action.
News.Politics
Obama to talk to Republicans: Don’t expect much.
Haiti: Well, at least the election in the ravaged country wasn’t really, really fraudulent. Cholera, however, is not slowing down.
Wikileaks: Julian Assange will do just fine in prison. Really.
Fed Pay Freeze: No more raises for two years for Federal workers – unless they are in Congress, of course.
Iran Nukes: Another discussion on tap, general sentiment is that Iran could conceivably be lying about everything and will continue.
Sports/Entertainment
Barca: The world’s best soccer team thrashes Real Madrid.
Leslie Nielsen: Remembering a funny man.
Blogs
Mediaite: Hillary Clinton not at all pleased with Wikileaking.
X17 Online: Barbara Walters finds Justin Beiber and Sarah Palin interesting.
Crooks & Liars: Joe Lieberman loves Fox News, and will love them more when he’s an official Republican.
Bob Cesca: Sarah Palin’s DumbStupid.
Finally
Keep on talking.
–WKW
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: Leakage
November 29, 2010
We must stop all leaks.
News/Politics
WikiLeaked: Look at it this way – it’s not like being in the dark on a lot of these things was helping us out at all.
Korean War II: A little Korean War helps the medicine go down.
Iran: Death.
Afghanistan: Death.
Haiti: Election fraud.
DADT: The final push begins to rid U.S. of blatantly discriminatory rule.
Sports/Entertainment
Chicago Bears: Death.
NFL: Steelers, Chargers collect wins. All scores here.
Keeping it Quiet: Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher and others set to go offline to fight AIDS.
Blogs
Richard Klass: How the GOP is planning to defeat Obama.
Brilliant at Breakfast: Abstinence not helping matters in Alaska.
NCD: Has Iran accomplished its goals in Iraq?
Ted Rall: ‘US Zombie Empire: Re-distributed bailout would mean $350,000 per American’ (Video).
Finally
Keep the fight alive.
–WKW
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: You’ve Got the Touch
November 17, 2010
TSA has the touch. They have the power.
News/Politics
A Time of Cholera: When Cholera deaths explode in Haiti, no one will have been able to anticipate it.
TSA = Touching Some Ass: The TSA chief is about to have fingers wagged at him.
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: Nothing Miner
November 9, 2010
Ok, two other Chilean miners died recently. But let’s focus on the positive.
Wolfrum’s Word
One day, a saved Chilean Miner will murder someone. And it will be the most life-affirming murder ever.
News/Politics
Follow the Money: Long-time blog frememy Martin Eisenstadt unleashes his usual bluster – and some unassailable research work – to point the finger at MSNBC executives who donated money to Republicans, while suspending Keith Olbermann for doing the same.
Chase the Money: Wisconsin doesn’t want Federal funds for high-speed rails? Illinois will take it.
Tony Hayward: It was BS of the press to point out the inadequacy of BP’s Oil spill response, while BP was still pulling it out of its ass.
Rand Paul: Ok, he was just kidding about those earmarks.
Elizabeth Smart: Is an incredible young woman.
Sports/Entertainment
Steelers Win: Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati and Ben Roethlisberger didn’t rape anyone. It was a good day.
Conan O’Brien Returns: So, you know, now there’s that.
Blogs
Crooks & Liars: Just go read everything over there. They’ve been hitting nothing but line drives lately.
Donal: Hyperstagflation.
Bob Cesca: They’re not embarrassed.
Kevin Drum: DADT and the courts.
Finally
–WKW
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: Just a Kiss
October 28, 2010
It’s just a Kiss.
News/Politics
Indonesia: The death toll rises.
No Kissing: Facebook shuts down group planning a Same-Sex Kiss Flashmob in front of Pope.
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning – Keep Your Hands to Yourselves
October 21, 2010
No touching!!!
News/Politics
Boy Scouts: Firing of Gay troop leader continues a fine history of discrimination
William K. Wolfrum’s Morning: Let’s Get Kinky
October 4, 2010
I feel a little Kinky.
News/Politics
Travel Alert for Europe!: Screw it, I’m going anyway.
Pakistan: Death.
America’s Elite Media: Broder and Woodward Still on Lecture Circuit.
Brazil Elections: Brazil doesn’t get its first female President and Lula doesn’t see his successor win. Just yet. President Dilma is one vote away still. Also: Guess who got the most senate votes in all of Brazil? An illiterate clown, you say? Ok, you’re right.
Kinky Stuff: America – at least we’re getting kinkier.
Rahm Gone: Rahm Emanuel was born in Kenya!
SCOTUS: The New Supreme Court is here! The New Supreme Court is Here!
Sports/Entertainment
Kissing Suzy Kolber: Don’t sweat it Tom Brady. “European standards of public behavior are different than ours.”
NFL: Donovan McNabb wins in Philly; Jaguars kick the Colts, Ravens out-tough Steelers; See all scores.
End Times: Lady Gaga and Yoko Ono performing live. These truly are the end of times we are living in.
Blogs
Mother Jones: Howard Dean’s Farewell to Rahm.
Barth: Winter.
Skippy: Cold-hearted Incompetence.
Gary Weiss: Useless Auditors and a Persecuted Blogger.
It’s Monday
Let’s Play.
–WKW
