Bleacher Report - Articles by winslow

Michael Vick, Britney Spears, and ESPN

winslow — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:28:23 -0400

At this time, it is impossible to know for certain, where Michael Vick will end up playing football during the 2009-'10 season. However, what has become painfully evident is that the Entertainment Sports Network (ESPN) has developed a very unhealthy obsession with Vick.

I have always maintained a bit of sympathy for iconic figures like Britney Spears.

Critics of celebrities argue that multi-million dollar paychecks give members of the paparazzi the right to stalk celebrities on vacation, in their own backyards, driving down the road, visiting the restroom, and eating at restaurants.

I strongly disagree with this assumption, and feel that wealthy or not, celebrities are humans who deserve every right to privacy that we are afforded as members of the general population.

I understand the need for ESPN to compete for breaking news with other sports outlets, and even their desire to be the first to announce when Michael Vick actually signs with a team.

However, the worldwide leader is taking on a National Enquirer vibe, more and more with each passing day.

I mean, do we really need employees of ESPN ducking and dodging behind trees, attempting to obtain photos of Vick visiting youth centers and high school football practices?

Has ESPN really stooped to the level of running stories on Vick, based upon assumptions and predictions, with no concrete, factual evidence to back up their stories?

Thanks to ESPN, Michael Vick is getting a taste of what life is like for Britney Spears on a daily basis.

When Vick leaves his driveway, ESPN is there. When Vick visits the local courthouse, ESPN is there. When Vick plays in his yard with his kids, ESPN is there. When and if Vick does actually work out for an NFL team, ESPN will be there.

As if stalking Vick is not bad enough, the worldwide leader consistently runs stories on which teams are in the running for Vick, only to backtrack hours later, once the teams that have been identified as potential suitors have outright denied these false reports.

As fans, we understand that Michael Vick will be signed by an NFL team prior to the end of training camp. We are aware of the fact that Vick is taking steps to repair his damaged image.

For the sake of escalating medical costs and the risks involved with such gross behaviors, I would advise ESPN to recall the reporters that they have stationed in trees throughout the country, in search of breaking Vick footage!

I am a fan of ESPN. I turn to the worldwide leader each day to obtain information on events taking place in the sports world. My allegiance to ESPN will not be damaged if Fox just happens to get a ten minute jump on announcing which NFL team has signed Michael Vick.

The credibility of the organization is at stake here, and each time an announcement is made, only to be refuted by NFL teams, ESPN comes across as a cheap knock-off of the artist formerly known as US Magazine.

The "Sticky" Point in The Lamar Odom Bidding War

winslow — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:13:03 -0400

This just in: It appears that contract negotiations between Lamar Odom, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Miami Heat have all reached a stalemate. Our sources tell us that although Miami and L.A. are both extremely attractive places to live for the free agent, and that the money is relatively the same; we have just recently learned of one particular sticking point: a five-year supply of Skittles candy.

Our sources have confirmed that Odom did in fact place a phone call over the course of the past weekend to the home of Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss, where he outlined specific details, including his favorite Skittles flavors and the exact location that he would use for the storage of his candy supply, were he to in fact sign the latest contract offer.

It appears that Buss is reluctant to meet Odom’s latest demands, for fear of the potential for future lawsuits, should Odom come down with Type-2 Diabetes, as a result of his candy addiction.

When contacted, Miami Heat President Pat Riley only had this to say on the latest twist in the Odom contract negotiations: “Lamar has made it painfully clear to us that his heart is somewhere other than in Miami. We were willing to go as far as to provide a five-year supply of fresh crab, but after several unsuccessful attempts to convince Lamar to come off of his Skittles demands…we have decided to consider other options at this point.”

Our sources tell us that Odom is now seriously considering a contract offer from the Philadelphia 76ers, for considerably less money, due to the club’s close proximity to Hershey, PA.

It appears that Ed Stefanski, General Manager of the 76ers, may have received an inside tip from a close friend of Odom, stating that Odom also has a secret addiction to Jolly Ranchers, which is a Hershey’s product.

The 76ers, in conjunction with the Hershey’s company have offered Odom a five-year contract in the amount of $10 million, and a LIFETIME supply of Jolly Ranchers.

Although our sources feel that the Lakers will eventually win out in the Odom bidding war, it is worth noting that Odom was in fact visiting Hershey’s Chocolate World last night.

Our own Andy Craig reached out to Kobe Bryant via Twitter this morning, and Kobe responded with the following:

“If they actually offered LO Jolly Ranchers…iz a wrap!” Black Mamba 1

Stay tuned. We will have more on these latest developments, as they come in. This could get a little sticky before it’s over; LITERALLY.

ESPN and Erin Andrews Are Now Facing the Monsters They Created.

winslow — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:26:55 -0400

Please allow me to preface this article by saying that, I, too am greatly disturbed by the fact that the privacy of Erin Andrews, of ESPN, was violated by a pervert shooting video of her in the confines of her hotel suite.

That being said, allow me to move on to a much more pressing issue, that should be of equal or greater shame; but that has yet to draw nearly as much attention as it certainly deserves: Erin Andrews and ESPN are both just as guilty as the pervert behind the camera in this situation.

ESPN hired Andrews back in 2004, and immediately went to work establishing her as a “sex symbol.”

Everything about Andrews from the tight and sleek clothing that highlighted her physical features, to the zoomed in camera shots that often appeared to “inadvertently" catch her in compromising positions that allowed perverts the world over to ogle over her, were routine features on each of her broadcasts.

I read an article recently that painted Andrews as a victim, and pointed out the fact that her male colleagues did not have to worry about issues such as being taped while walking around naked in their hotel rooms.

I would like to add two points to totally denounce the aforementioned article. Most of the men that work on ESPN actually hold their positions based upon intelligence, sports knowledge, and the ability to deliver a timely punchline from time-to-time.

Secondly, I just have a hard time imagining that Stuart Scott or any of the men working at ESPN prance around in their hotel rooms naked. This entire story just reeks of foul play, and fits right in line with all of the other “hoopla” surrounding Erin Andrews.

Up until last week, I had never heard of Andrews, and my first introduction to her was a story that ran about “the hottest reporter on television,” getting hit in the face with a ball; followed by a series of close-ups of a variety of her body parts, caught on camera while covering sportscast.

ESPN created the monster that is Erin Andrews, and she “innocently” went along for the ride, from start to her unfortunate finish. It is an insult to couch-hugging perverts throughout the country, for the network and Andrews to now turn on these animals, after feeding their starving sexual fantasies of Erin Andrews for the past five years.

Are we to believe that Erin Andrews was one of the most sought-after reporters in search engines because she knew so much about the Syracuse Lacrosse team, or that sports fans around the country simply could not construct their fantasy teams without first consulting the “final fantasy report,” by Erin Andrews?

The truth of the matter is, the sport’s network wanted lust-buckets to crave Erin Andrews, and ESPN has certainly had no little success in this endeavor.

Unfortunately, what ESPN did not consider, was that there are no limitations on what can be expected once perverts actually do become affixed upon a single target.

LeBron James Continues Childish Behavior

winslow — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:40:19 -0400

I was shopping at a local retail mall recently, when I noticed a kid that could not have been any more than four years old, prostrated on the floor, wailing his arms and feet in the air, and screaming to the top of his lungs.

The child’s young mother, who was obviously overwhelmed, knelt nearby, staring straight ahead, and looking totally helpless and humiliated, as annoyed onlookers wiggled their way around her toddler as they entered and exited the establishment.

In observing that scene, I found myself quietly thinking, “This kid is going to have severe social problems as an adult.” I thought of my own childhood, and the repercussions that I would have suffered at the hands of my mother, if the mere thought of falling out on the floor in public had even crossed my mind.

Eerily enough, as I look back on that moment, in the local retail establishment; I see stunning similarities when comparing that four year old kid lying on the floor, and one of today’s biggest and brightest sport’s stars: LeBron James.

What do you get when you take a poor kid, raised by a 16-year old mother, and surrounded by “yes-men” for the majority of his life, who did nothing but bow at his feet, worshipping him as they would a God?

If you answered, “ LeBron James,” then you are now eligible to move on to the next category for $200.00.

I mean literally, from cursing at his mother during last year’s Celtic’s beat down, to refusing to shake the hands of Magic players after getting his butt kicked in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals, to costing his team a number of top free agents this summer, with his selfish refusal to make a decision on his future known, to the latest incident where Jordan Crawford smashed one in his face, at the LeBron James Skills Academy, only to have “His Greatness,” demand that a representative from Nike confiscate the tape; this guy is literally suffering from a lack of pre-teen, parental guidance.

Seriously, how many NBA players do we see walking around during the offseason, wearing t-shirts that read, “LBJ-MVP,” or “Check My Stats?” This guy is literally a spoiled, immature, selfish piece of work.

The unfortunate part in all of this is that those who are actually close to him (LeBron could care less about the opinions of fans), and that should be making attempts to curtail some of this ignorance, are behaving just like the mother of the kid at the retail outlet. They are kneeling idly by, overwhelmed by his presence, and allowing this child to act a fool in public on a daily basis.

Memo to Danny Ferry: If this brat wants to pack his bags and move to New York, after all that you’ve done for him, wish him good riddance! You don’t owe this arrogant jerk anything. He’s single-handily stunting your ability to upgrade the roster, due to the fact that he gets some sick sort of pleasure out of all of the media attention surrounding the possibility of his leaving. Let the guy go. Good luck leading Eddie Curry and Chris Duhon to a ring, when he couldn’t get it done with the roster in Cleveland.

Ricky Rubio Is Making A Mockery of The NBA Draft

winslow — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:30:34 -0400

Does the name Yi Jianlian ring a bell? For those of you who have forgotten of his existence, he was the “all-world,” Chinese sensation that thought enough of himself to hold the Milwaukee Bucks hostage following last season’s NBA Draft, because he wanted the right to decide which NBA city was the best fit for his night-life.

Once all of the hype of an impressive summer league outing had worn off, we were exposed to the truth, and the truth was that this “young” guy, was nothing more than a 6’11, soft, jump shooter, who wanted absolutely nothing to do with life in the paint, and the Bucks quickly became supportive of the notion that Yi “deserved” the right to play in a different city, before shipping him off to New Jersey.

Now we have this year’s “Great European Hope,” in the form of Ricky Rubio, threatening to stay in Spain if the Minnesota Timberwolves refuse to trade his rights to a team in a major market. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s view this situation for what it really is, and the fact that it has very little to do with the city of Minnesota.

Following the NBA draft, Rubio and his father had a heart-to-heart discussion, and they both realized that by reporting to Minnesota, not only would Ricky end up playing for one of the worst teams in the NBA, but that he’d also be third on the depth chart, behind two tough-as-nails New York kids, who were both eager to take his heart.

Those who fell in love with Rubio based upon his performance against the Redeem Team; need only Google, “Shea Seals,” to get an idea of just how much stock you should invest in players who play well against Olympic All-Star teams.

I know what you’re thinking right now, “Shea Seals?” My apologies, and I should explain this reference. Shea Seals was a scorer while in college, playing for a relatively unknown team at Tulsa University. As a member of the college team that helped prep the sophomore version of the Dream Team for the 1996 Olympics, Seals went off in the game featuring the pros vs. the amateurs, prompting Charles Barkley to remark following the game that, “This kid just made himself a ton of money.”

Well, in actuality, Shea ended up being a second-round pick for the Los Angeles Lakers, played in four games with the team, and is now coaching high school basketball. What NBA scouts and teams realized after watching Shea against “real” NBA talent, was that he was all hype, and very little substance. This will be the same case with Ricky Rubio.

Ricky Rubio has no jump shot, plays horrible defense and in the tradition of most European players that make the jump to the NBA, he is relatively soft. There is absolutely no chance of his having the toughness necessary to play in the NBA ahead of Sebastian Telfair, and/or John Flynn.

To add insult to injury, Ricky would be sitting in street clothes for the worst team in the league. Father knows best.

Witness The Evolution Of Pau Gasol

winslow — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:55:53 -0400

Lost in the media frenzy surrounding the match-up of Dwight Howard vs. Kobe Bryant, has been the evolution of Pau Gasol.

Unlike Kobe, LeBron, and Dwight before him, Pau has no marketing campaigns with Vitamin Water—nor is he a major draw, with regards to ticket sales.

In fact, Pau’s unkempt appearance would be a much better fit in the Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins hockey series. Observing Pau on television at times seems reminiscent of scenes of the movie “Forest Gump.” I often wonder if Pau is even aware of the fact that he has scruffy facial hair, protruding down his neck.

Prior to this season, Pau had the reputation that has become widely accepted with European basketball players. That is to say that he was thought of as a soft, fluid, jump shooting forward—with a preference for hanging outside of the paint as opposed to mixing things up with the big boys.

After the Celtics completely manhandled the Lakers in last season’s NBA Finals, this view of Pau’s approach to the game of basketball had officially been validated.

I, for one, feared that Kobe would never have another opportunity to win a ring with a soft Pau as his sidekick.

However, a strange thing happened during the course of this past off-season. Maybe it was the result of competing and holding his own against the U.S. Redeem Team. Maybe Pau made paid a secret visit to The Wizard of Oz for a heart transplant.

I have not been able to put a finger on it, but we haven't seen this version of Pau Gasol prior to the 08'-09' season. The guy literally came back nasty and playing with a chip on his shoulder.

Suddenly Pau was seeking out contact from bigger and stronger players. In this year’s match-ups with the Celtics, Pau was scoring through contact and growling in the faces of the Celtics following each basket.

I literally jumped out of my seat during Game Four of the Finals after Mikael Pietrus delivered a flagrant foul to Gasol, and Pau jumped right into the mug of Pietrus immediately upon sticking his abrupt landing. It appeared that his response caught a number of individuals off guard, from both teams.

Pau has always been a unique talent. At 7’ and ambidextrous, he is literally impossible to guard.

When asked about the match-up of guarding Dwight Howard without any assistance, Pau responded with, “it really hasn’t been that difficult.”

We have witnessed the evolution of Pau Gasol throughout the current NBA season, and these playoffs.

With the emergence of Pau Gasol, as a physical, dominating force, Laker fans can realistically expect their team to be right back in this same position next Spring.

Memo to Dwight Howard: Kobe Bryant Isn't Your Friend

winslow — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:08:34 -0400

The Lakers' series against the Orlando Magic came to an abrupt halt, on a single play, late in the second half of Game Four.

Dwight (Superman) Howard yanked a rebound out of the air and appeared all but headed to igniting yet another Magic fast break, when out of nowhere came Kobe (Black Mamba) Bryant, bullying Superman and snatching the ball out of his hands.

Bryant followed with a series of sharp elbows to the body of Howard, and the expression on the face of Howard in the moments that followed was a look of humiliation, anger, and absolute betrayal.

“Kobe,” Howard said. "We played on the Redeem Team together last summer, and even though you never did give me your phone number, I was under the impression that we had formed a bond. How could you do this to me on national television? I’ll never be able to explain this to my boys back home.”

Kobe responded with a string of profanities, which was clearly visible to the viewing public and ended up being a topic of discussion during his post-game press conference.

Cameras zoomed in on Howard’s face just as Kobe unleashed this verbal tirade. Suddenly Dwight’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of anger and resentment. “Who the heck is this guy?” Dwight thought to himself. “This certainly isn’t the Kobe that I shared birthday cake with in China last summer!"

The rest of the game was an afterthought. Kobe had surgically removed the heart of what had previously been the toughest member of the Magic team.

During the ensuing timeout, as Kobe marched to the bench, I was reminded of Michael Jordan snatching the series against the New York Knicks, years ago, when he dared to go toe-to-toe with Xavier McDaniel.

In that moment, Kobe Bryant showed us exactly what it is that separates him from LeBron James. The man is a cold-blooded killer, with, as Phil Jackson put it, “intestinal fortitude.”

To add insult to injury, moments later Howard caught a pass under the basket and gathered himself to go up for another one of his highlight-reel dunks when Redeem Team member No. 10 slammed him to the floor mercilessly, having no regard for human life. Again, Dwight looked absolutely stunned, pleading with officials to stop this man, to no avail.

Memo to Dwight Howard: Kobe Bryant is not your friend. The man is on a mission to shut the mouth of your newest nemesis;Shaquille O’Neal. If you were trapped inside a burning building and Kobe was forced to choose between saving your life and winning his fourth ring...well, you get the point!

Disclaimer: The author had no way of verifying what was actually said during the verbal exchange that took place between Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant.

LeBron James Needs to Change His Leadership Style

winslow — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:09:05 -0400

One constant in business is that managers are hired to lead staff members and not necessarily to seek out popularity points and/or close friendships with subordinates.

The moment that a manager shifts from leading to seeking personal relationships; he/she sacrifices the respect of his/her peers.

This rule also applies to leadership in sports.

LeBron James is an enormous talent on the basketball court. He is probably the fastest end-to-end sprinter in the NBA, at 6'8" and 270 lbs.

LeBron can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Youtube is oversaturated with highlights of his facial dunks and highlight-reel passes.

LeBron’s face is plastered on the covers of magazines and billboards around the globe. His team had the best record in the NBA this year, and at times, it appeared as though they were a team of men, playing in a summer league for high-school boys.

Where did it all go wrong?

At the conclusion of the Orlando series, rumors started to swirl regarding the possibility of LeBron leaving Cleveland in 2010 if Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers front office failed to surround him with more “help” during the coming off-season.

I will be the first to announce that LeBron’s supporting cast was only half of the story, in terms of Cleveland’s absolute collapse during the 2009 playoffs. The other 50 percent lies squarely on the shoulders of No. 23.

Die-hard LeBron fans, please exhale, and allow me a moment or so to explain.

LeBron James wants to be a “global icon.” In essence, he wants to be loved by teammates, marketing companies, and fans across the globe. This desire to be loved is what separates LeBron at this point in his career from all of the greats who have led their teams to championships.

I’ve actually viewed footage of guys like Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson going as far as becoming physical with teammates during nationally-televised games, in fits of anger; as a result of what they perceived to be poor effort from members of their supporting cast.

Who can ever forget the episode where Garnett drove Glen “Baby” Davis to tears, completely undressing him during a time out as a result of Davis daring to step outside of his role on the Celtics team.

I was absolutely stunned recently when cameras locked in on a Lakers timeout, just as Bryant was delivering a blow to the back of Pau Gasol’s head in an effort to force Gasol to stop sleep walking during an important game.

In Game One of the Orlando series, with the Lakers leading by 18, Gasol gave up a free lay-up. On the way to the bench during the next time out, he was rudely greeted by Bryant in a cursing tirade for this bit of slippage.

Former teammates of Michael Jordan have gone as far as to write books about how miserable they were playing alongside MJ, due to the demands and expectations that he placed upon them throughout the course of games and practice sessions.

Magic Johnson failed miserably in his only stint as an NBA coach, and one of the most memorable moments of his short run took place during a team meeting, when Vlade Divac answered his cell phone. As Magic was attempting to deliver a message to the team. he responded by snatching Divac’s cell phone and smashing it to pieces.

Then we come back to the curious case of LeBron James. Yes, we are discussing the guy who acts like a jolly green giant, posing for pictures with teammates prior to games, and hugging guys who are playing absolutely terrible, and lacking effort, hoping that his love and support will motivate them to perform better.

We love his commercials, and my wife insists that LeBron is the cutest “invention” to come along since the inception of Cabbage Patch Dolls. From the Muppet commercials, to the sideline antics during blow out games this previous season, LeBron certainly knows how to appear as a likable character.

That being said, LeBron will never win an NBA championship—until he undergoes a serious transformation, grows up, and takes on a bit of the angry persona that often defines greatness in sports. Long story short, he needs to put away his pre-game photo shoots, and instead, focus on stabilizing the confidence of his supporting cast.

What LeBron must understand, is that if he wins, he will inevitably reach his goal of becoming “larger than basketball,” in a much shorter time than he ever could simply by shooting funny commercials and rubbing elbows with the stars.

My message to Danny Ferry would be this: You have done a tremendous job of surrounding LeBron with talent. There are great expectations placed upon you heading into this coming offseason.

But chances are that you will fail to meet those expectations, if you are unable to convince LeBron to: 1. Sign his extention; and 2. Grow up, and spend more time leading, and less time being a fun and loving teammate.

Breaking News: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings Talk Bores Me

winslow — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:02:16 -0400

Breaking news: Sources tell us that Brett Favre brushed his teeth this morning using Colgate toothpaste. Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, has denied these reports. Cook says that had Favre in fact switched to Colgate, he would have been the first to know.

Allow me to preface the remainder of this article, with the fact that I am not a huge fan of Brett Favre. That being said, I do feel that Brett is receiving a great deal of backlash in the public as a direct result of the media’s fascination with his every move.

ESPN is starting to resemble the National Enquirer and its obsession with Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, and others. I mean, do we really need Favre updates leading off SportsCenter on a daily basis when so many active athletes should instead be receiving their 15 minutes?

In July of this year, one of two things is going to take place at an NFL training camp near you: Either Brett Favre will suit up...or not!

In the meantime, there is a darn good series taking place in the NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Some guy named Tiger Woods is returning to form in the game of golf.

There are a number of young draft prospects preparing for life in the NBA. The Detroit Red Wings are locked in a fight for their lives in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yet, every two minutes, we interrupt our daily broadcasts with news of Brett Favre visiting his local Bob Evans restaurant for breakfast.

In all fairness to Brett, he is not responsible for this media obsession. Sports news outlets are in the business of competing for breaking news, and theirs is a business based upon being the first to announce breaking news.

However, when there is no breaking news, and the outlets insist on treating unimportant details as newsworthy, then we, the viewing public, are forced to consume this garbage.

My life will not change for better or for worse based upon Brett’s decision to be...or not to be. Personally, I happen to know a bit about the game of football, and based upon this knowledge, Minnesota will not compete for a Super Bowl, with or without Brett Favre.

At best, Brett will have the opportunity to heal his bruised ego by defeating the Green Bay Packers in a meaningless, regular season football game.

Of course, if this game does materialize, we can count on ESPN and the boys to dedicate 14 consecutive days of coverage to showing us memories of Brett’s 40-year career in Green Bay, attempting to drive us to goose bumps over the prospects of two .500 teams meeting in the middle of November.

Either way, Brett Favre considering a return to the NFL is no longer newsworthy—much like Angelina Jolie adopting another African child, Britney Spears showing body parts, and/or baseball players being busted for using steroids.

These things are daily occurrences, and there should be some difference in daily occurrences and breaking news.

Kobe Bryant is Human—This Series is Over

winslow — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:45:30 -0400

The grand celebration that followed the making of a prayer shot by “The Chosen One” in the Cleveland series, should serve as a stabilizing force to fickle fans the world over, who are suddenly all but prepared to jump off of the Laker’s bandwagon, following their loss to the Magic in game three of the NBA Finals.

While listening to the talking heads on ESPN, TNT, and practically every other sports new outlet across the country announcing that LeBron James had officially arrived as a clutch player, much like MJ and Kobe before him; in my mind, I was thinking that mentally, Cleveland was down 2-0 to the Magic…in spite of their miraculous win.

Contrary to popular belief, I knew even in watching the celebration of that winning moment, that LeBron James was still a choker, who could not handle pressure, and that if Cleveland’s hopes of winning the series against the Magic stood on LeBron’s ability to consistently make big plays in clutch moments, that the Magic would soon be on a plane to L.A. for the Finals.

Likewise, Kobe Bryant does not miss free throws in clutch moments. Kobe Bryant does not give away games that his team should win. In my mind, the Lakers are up 3-0 in this series. In the minds of the Orlando Magic players, they have to know that they did not win game three, but rather, it was a gift, courtesy of the best closer in the NBA.

I have established a routine during these playoffs of automatically adding points to the Lakers totals whenever Kobe has gone to the line to shoot free throws.

Naturally, in game three, each time that Kobe was sent to the line, I blurted out what the new score would be to my wife. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Kobe would come through, just as he had done for the 100 or so games leading up to these moments.

I’ll never forget the timeless quote, spoken by Michael Jordan in a commercial years ago. In the quote, MJ says, “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games.

"On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Kobe played horrible for the entire second half in game three. He forced shots, turned the ball over, missed free throws, and forced me to scan over my game programs more than once, to verify that I was in fact watching Kobe Bryant, and not the artist formerly known as “The King,” up in Cleveland.

The Lakers are a much better team than the Magic, and even after Kobe’s worst second half performance in weeks, the team from Hollywood, still had opportunities to take the win.

Kobe will not have another performance this horrible in this year’s finals, and we can and should expect the Lakers to take the next two games, before celebrating with a parade down South Figueroa Street.

LeBron James May Never Win an NBA Title

winslow — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:12:51 -0400

Entitlement is defined as, “a right granted by law or contract, (especially a right to benefits). From the moment LeBron James was drafted into the NBA, members of the media have crowned him as the future of the NBA, and all but guaranteed that he will end his career with more championship rings than Kobe Bryant.

The bad news is that LeBron is literally buying into this hype. The belief that teams were supposed to lie down, and simply allow him to cruise to his second NBA Finals appearance was at the core of LeBron’s failure to show good sportsmanship to the Orlando Magic, after they had successfully snatched his lunch.

LeBron actually believed that Jerry West was being sincere when he made the ridiculous comment regarding his having surpassed Kobe as the best player in the NBA.

Perhaps LeBron failed to realize that Jerry West bled purple and gold, and that West is literally responsible for the success of this current Laker team, as a direct result of his donating Pau Gasol two years ago, so that he could see his beloved Lakers dominate once again.

The truth of the matter is that as a result of Orlando’s absolute domination of the Cavaliers, teams are not going to be intimidated by the mere appearance of Lebron James in coming years. Add to this the fact that Cleveland will not be the only team making summer moves to enhance their roster.

Orlando is extremely attractive to free agents. They do not charge a state tax, and if I’m a free agent trying to sell my wife and kids on living in Cleveland versus Orlando; chances are that I could expect a bit of a challenge in explaining the benefits of hanging with LeBron James everyday, as opposed to making visits to Disney World and other historic attractions in the greater Orlando district.

Contrary to popular belief, LeBron James is not God. He is not the messiah. He is not the second coming. He will not be better than MJ, or KB. In reality, he’s a 6’8, 275lb basketball player, who does not know how to post up, and absolutely lacks testicular fortitude in clutch moments.

Of course, Lebron fans will point to the prayer shot that saved Christmas. However, the fact that Cleveland fell apart, blowing huge leads in back-to-back games against Orlando, while the “King” nearly gained five pounds by munching on his nails, and whining for fouls, clearly shows that he cannot handle pressure.

At the end of this week, Kobe Bryant will be celebrating his fourth championship ring. I understand that he does not make funny commercials, and perhaps his teammates hate his demanding style of leadership.

However, funny commercials, and pizza parties with teammates do not produce championships. LeBron James will absolutely not finish his career with more rings than Kobe, and I have reason to believe that he will never win a single championship in Cleveland.