Oh, for crying out loud! Really, ESPN????
by Jeff at the BBC on Jan 29, 2010 10:03 PM CST
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ESPN, having launched websites dedicated to sports solely in Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago, are now finding it necessary to hype those sites on a frequent basis. Yes, having those individual sites for cities with high-volume sports franchises are a good idea, but the evidence is now mounting that they are hyping teams from those cities at the expense of the remainder of the sporting world.
For example, on the main ESPN site at this very moment, the top story reads "Is Boston still the team to beat in the NBA?"
A shiny new dime to the first person who can correctly guess the answer.
ESPN says "yes". Offfffffff course they do.
- Never mind the fact that the Celtics have ALREADY lost more home games (7) than they did all last season (6).
- Never mind the fact that two of the "other" elite teams in the Eastern Conference just defeated the Celtics (Orlando 96-94, and Atlanta 100-91)
- Never mind the fact that Boston has won only four times in their last 11 games, only only won six times in their last 16 games.
- Never mind the fact that Boston is now tied for third place in the Eastern Conference, which would put them in a second-round matchup with Atlanta (who ALREADY have swept the season series against the Celtics, 4 games to 0).
- Never mind the fact that they now face a six-game deficit to the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Boston is apparently still the team to beat.
The main ESPN argument still falls back on "when they're healthy, they're the best."
Hate to burst your bubble, ESPN...but the four best players on the Celtics squad are 32, 33, 34 and 35 years old. They are NOT GOING TO STAY HEALTHY at the same time. They're old men in this young man's sport. Stop trying to prop them up with "if only" scenarios.
ESPN, it's time to stop the charade. We can understand that the Celtics are still a strong team and they are still near the top of the league. But to declare them the kings of the hill when they're so obviously tumbling down faster than Jack and Jill...well, that's just blatant bias.
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You brought it up so I don't have to
People still favor the Celtics because they won the season opener in Cleveland. If we had won that game there would be no argument.
A lot of actual good analysts were saying that last year was boston’s year. I agree with them. last year was the year they had to make it really. the window has been closing fast and I think is starting to shut in their face. ESPN however wants to tell everyone that the window is open and it is 80 degrees and sunny. in reality, it is shutting and it is a cleveland winter out there.
this is a rank of how many minutes each player is getting and their age
1. Rondo 36.7 min 24 yrs old
2. Ray Allen 36.6 min 34 yrs old
3.Pierce 36 min 32 yrs old
4. KG 30.8 33 (34 in may during playoffs)
5. Kendrick Perkins 29 min 25 yrs old
6. Sheed. 24 min 34 yrs old
7. Eddie House (tony allen & daniels have more mpg but he’s played more games than both combined) 17 mpg 31 (32 around the same time as KG.
There only significant players under 30 are rondo and perkins (who is good but a C and doesn’t move that well for one either) there bench is old too (scalabrine is 31, big baby is the only bench player under 26…the rest are just about at their peak)
Scalabrine! HAHAHA
because I couldn't go for 3...
by SouthBayBuckeye on Feb 1, 2010 9:48 AM CST up reply actions
Check the comments from their most rabid fans at the Celtics SN site.
Half of them think nothing is wrong but alot of them see the hand writing on the wall. I think they may be done, especially if Garnett does not recover fully.
Gosh, I love to read the Pilgrims bitching and moaning. Is that wrong?
So I told her," I'll be nicer if you try to be smarter!'..That was a mistake.
Lets take the East out of the equation completely...
They are saying that the team to beat is not LA? Wow. Shocking.
Yeah
Celtics as is the case when healthy have pretty much the exact lineup of the Lakers, but a good PG and more reliable bench, both are the biggest weakness of the Lakers.
But I agree that their window is closing and if any year is the year this is it. Number one is Garnett’s knee is most likely not improving and number two is that Ray Allen is nearing the end of his contract. Doubt they resign him so they can get a younger team.
I think their year was last year. the signing of sheed, plus getting rid of powe IMO was a bad move. yes powe is still hurt, but you get someone to take his spot while he is injured that is YOUNG. you don’t get rid of a 25 year old who is developing and is becoming a good player, for a 34 year old.
if you give both the same amount of minutes (average their stats out per 36 minutes), the only thing sheed gives you is a 3 point shot, and about .5 steals more for 36 minutes…where powe is a better shooter from the field and gives you 4 more rebounds.
The tradeoff in production is minimal, and if anything the celtics lose production. I am glad we have powe now.
Yeah
but your still missing production for the first three months of the season. On top of that, there’s no guarantee he recovers and plays the same way he was before he was injured.
I agree with that point. I am more talking about the fact that sheed isn’t anything special, is old, and worn down. the last 3 seasons, he has been extremely pedestrian after the all star game. his shooting numbers plummet, his scoring goes down and he doesn’t rebound as well.
I am more criticizing the pickup of sheed. I do agree about powe and what you mentioned, I was just trying to point out how the sheed signing was dumb.
the championship will still go through LA.
should be a good finals, if the cavs and lakers make it there.
"People are going to judge you. They threw rocks at Jesus. So what do you think they’re going to do to me?" -Stephen Jackson
It doesn't matter where the Cavs or anyone else ranks
anything can happen. Remember we’re not that far removed from Golden State beating the Mavericks. And I think Rondo is one of their best players. They’ve also gone through periods without Pierce and Garnett this year and are still only 6 games behind. You’ve just hit injury woes, but other teams have had them already. If you start to falter and lose now, anyone who would attack you off of that would be dumb cuz you’re not at full strength and that would be what you would be saying. So I don’t think they’re really out of line. Cuz clearly should they be healthy they have the means to take you otherwise you would’ve won that first game of the season. As someone above pointed out, had you won that there would be little discussion of it, and these last batch of losses would’ve been seen as evidence that they’re in fact a step behind.
Just got healthy
point was they’ve gone through long injuries and still somehow aren’t that far behind and are on the road to being healthy again, so they have a legitimate shot.
Disagree
The only thing Boston has a shot at is collecting both Medicare and disability checks at the same time
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by Jeff at the BBC on Jan 31, 2010 5:11 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
For the record, they do have an ESPN Cleveland.
But, for the most part, I agree that the experts often leave out the Cavs, which is which very ignorant. And it’s not only ESPN, Kenny “The lucky ass Jet, who rode Hakeem’s back to a ring” Smith seems the most notorious to me for never mentioning the Cavs in the conversation of top teams. It’s always about the Laker’s being the best team in basketball since Pau, while Boston and Orlando are the close ones.
He’s allows the fact the Gasol doesn’t try half the time to be an excuse for any loss the team has.
He (Kenny Smith) actually did an “analysis preview” of the Cavs-Lakers Christmas day match up in which he DECLARED that the Lakers Would “win easily, very easily”..and I don’t believe he ever publicly ate crow on that one
by cavslandrocks on Jan 30, 2010 8:51 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, you’re exactly right. That’s the website for the ESPN radio affiliate in Cleveland and it has nothing to do with ESPN.com. The only four cities that ESPN created special website for are the four listed above — Boston, Chicago, LA, and Dallas.
by Buckeye Brad on Jan 31, 2010 8:12 AM CST up reply actions
Two thoughts
1) I can’t STAND KNR anymore. Rizzo and Hammer are all about “me, me, me, me” and getting other people to bring food in for them. Kenny Roda spends half his day trying to get laid. And Jim Rome’s last good thought was in 1991.
2) Why the hell didn’t ESPN create a New York site? Dallas, but not NY?
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by Jeff at the BBC on Jan 31, 2010 8:32 AM CST up reply actions
I live in Columbus, so I never listen to WKNR.
And I assume that a NY website will be coming soon. They’ve just started launching these over the past few months and they seem to be coming out with one every month or two, so I’d guess that a NY one will be one of the next ones to come out since they obviously have more teams to cover than anyone other city.
by Buckeye Brad on Jan 31, 2010 8:39 AM CST up reply actions
Oh cool
I did not know that the sites were released separately.
Then again, I’m pretty sure that ESPN itself IS a New York sports website LOL
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by Jeff at the BBC on Jan 31, 2010 9:12 AM CST up reply actions
There's a whole bunch of NY teams
Probably takes a bit longer. Since its for all sports not just bball.
I live in LA
and absolutely HATE “ESPNLA”. It probably doesn’t help that I hate the lakers, torjans, … well basically everyone but the dodgers.
because I couldn't go for 3...
by SouthBayBuckeye on Feb 1, 2010 9:51 AM CST up reply actions
I never really have liked rizzo or hammer. they are kind of annoying and really have never talked about stuff. I also agree about rome…except for his rex streak. besides that he isn’t that entertaining anymore. I don’t get what you are talking about with rhoda, I always think he has something good to say. I usually just listen to reghi and Mike & Mike. those are the best guys on there..(plus I also kinda like cowherd)
Agree on Reghi
I do like Kenny, it’s just that every time I ruen it on, he’s pimping hotties.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just gets old. Plus, I wont forgive him for being a Steelers fan
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by Jeff at the BBC on Jan 31, 2010 5:13 PM CST up reply actions
I didn’t even know roda is a steelers fan. I don’t think I listen to him enough to have caught this. my main listening times were always 8-10ish and 3-6. I would rarely listen to wnkr outside of that time period. occasionally I would catch a little of rome or rizzo but its mostly Mike and Mike and Reghi. those are really the best analysts broadcast on there. Mike and Mike make a good program and reghi alsays something good to say.
id think that rondo is one of their best 4 players....
and perkins is their fifth best. Imo, Rasheed Wallace is (maybe) their sixth best player.
"People are going to judge you. They threw rocks at Jesus. So what do you think they’re going to do to me?" -Stephen Jackson
totally agree with you that the cavs are the team to beat in the east.
im hoping for a cavs – lakers showdown in the finals. that would be epic. and a media frenzy with kobe vs lebron plus kobe vs shaq.
"People are going to judge you. They threw rocks at Jesus. So what do you think they’re going to do to me?" -Stephen Jackson
I am talking about when they play each other. team to team. lebron has a winning record against kobe and has outscored kobe more than kobe has outscored him.
So, wouldnt your statement be "cavs vs lakers" instead of "lebron vs kobe", if its team to team.
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
isn’t that why the Lakers got Artest??…If you didn’t notice Anthony Parker, Jawad Williams and Delonte West were on Kobe nearly the entire game on Jan. 21
by cavslandrocks on Feb 4, 2010 12:36 AM CST up reply actions
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