Bleacher Report - Articles by Brad Scott

Birdman: The Other Other White Meat

Brad Scott — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:28:00 -0400

Despite his ability to fly, Chris Andersen is here to stay! The undrafted center/power forward for the Denver Nuggets (AKA Birdman) has put aside his ornithological antics and drug use to bring back a rare breed of player not seen in the NBA since Dennis Rodman.

Rodman gained success as "The Worm" so it's no coincidence Andersen coined himself Birdman, despite all his fans attributing it to his chicken-dance routine. Besides, a chicken's not even a bird. A bird doesn't get caught bare-handed by some overweight hillbilly in overalls.

And we all know the bird gets the worm. But in this case, it wasn't so early.

Chris Andersen went undrafted in the 1999 NBA Draft. He played in the Chinese Basketball League until 2001, when the Nuggets added him to their roster. He played three seasons with Denver before going to the Hornets in 2004, averaging only about 15 MPG coming off the bench for both teams.

He appeared in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2005. In a sideline interview, he famously uttered, "It's time for the Birdman to fly" and the 6'10" Long Beach native proceeded to miss his first 13 dunk attempts.

Shortly after, with enough drugs in his system to warrant an intervention from Timothy Leary, Andersen was banned from the NBA for two years for violating the league's drug policy. He tested positive for meth, cocaine, LSD, heroine, codeine, morphine, and PCP.

PCP? Really?? Now we really know why he thinks he can fly!

The Denver Post called him, "the most disgraced NBA player since the drug-induced haze of the 1980s."

Now, one year removed from his ban, he is hands-down The Comeback Player of the Year in the NBA.

Birdman is currently second in the league in BPG at 2.42 per contest despite playing only 20 MPG. That's 5.68 BPG per 48 minutes! Best in the NBA.

He made 55 percent of his field goals this season, shot 72 percent from the line, and averaged 6.2 RPG and 2.5 BPG. And he did it on a team that's a legitimate contender for the title. No easy stats come your way with the likes of Melo, Billups, K-Mart, Nene, and J.R. Smith on your team. Those guys go for the ball.

So far in the semi-finals he's averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, including six big blocks in Game 1 against a tall Mavericks lineup.

This white man can jump. And that's probably why he won't ever be taken as seriously as the aforementioned Rodman.

If he were on a meat-platter at an AIG Fundraiser Event, he'd be the turkey. Only good if hidden between two slices of bread and smothered with enough mustard you might as well be eating tofu, or tofurkey. A one-dimensional meat that needed a holiday tradition implemented just to get those over-sized birds off the supermarket shelves.

But at least the turkey is responsible for its own unpopularity. Where's the flavor? Why does it take two days to cook the damn thing? Stuff it? Isn't it supposed to be the one doing the stuffing?

No, Birdman isn't responsible for his near-unknown status in the NBA. The responsibility lies on the nearly-identical play by most white, American NBA players. A work-horse that can do the "little things" a team may overpay them for.

Since we're now in the playoffs, the first images that come to mind when thinking of current white, American players are Matt Scalabrini and Luke Walton. A doughy, red-head player with the luckiest timing known to man, and a guy on the roster because he's the son of a legendary player.

The only current aforementioned players that do not fit that mold are David Lee, Kirk Hinrich, and Jason Williams (who reinvented the no-look-pass).

It's not a race issue. We all know plenty of white European/Canadian players in the All-Star lineup. The new-generation NBA wants excitement from above the rim, and inexplicably America's best white athletes have been choosing baseball and football over basketball.

Thankfully for them, Europe still plays futbol.

It's just the way it is. I don't find the NBA to have any different persona attached to it than any other professional league. Ten years ago, maybe.

Maybe the resurgence of Chris Andersen in all his "renaissance-fulness" will spark some future emulators of Birdman and continue to add to an exciting breed of NBA player.

He's better than Rodman. Times his blocks like Dwight Howard. Excites the crowd. And best of all, unlike his wormy predecessor, we will never have to see him in a wedding dress.

Let's just hope he doesn't enter another dunk contest. Or decides to go on tour now that Phish "has gotten the ole jam band back together."

Forget Peyton, Eli Should Prove the Better Manning When All Is Said and Done

Brad Scott — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:44:58 -0500

As reigning Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants will be targeted like never before. Just the kind of fodder Eli Manning needs to separate himself as a superior quarterback to brother Peyton.

Take nothing away from Peyton Manning. He’s the best regular-season quarterback in the game. But there are three moments in brother Eli’s short NFL career that foreshadow the greatness still to come.

In the 2004 NFL Draft, Eli was selected No. 1 overall by the San Diego Chargers. Eli (along with father Archie) decided the Chargers were not dedicated to winning and refused to play there. This was a bold move by a player thought by many as being drafted merely because of his last name.

The move showed he had the confidence to be a leader and, most importantly, the ambition to become a winner.

He became a New York Giant.

In 2005, Eli was named starter after Kurt Warner voided his contract. In only his third game, his Giants traveled to San Diego to take on a Charger team the quarterback snubbed a year prior. Amidst being booed loudly every time he touched the ball, Eli went 24-41 for 352 yards and 2 TDs in a 45-23 loss.

This was the first sign of an eager quarterback willing to step up his play in a big-game environment. And not his last.

In 2007, after losing to the Cowboys and being out-played by Tony Romo, Giants co-owner John Mara publicly questioned Eli’s ability to lead the Giants for the future. Eli bounced back to beat wild-card competitors Detroit Lions on the road and then almost single-handedly ended the Patriots' undefeated season by throwing four touchdown passes in their regular season finale.

He would get another opportunity.

After dismantling Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay; Eli’s Giants met the Patriots for Super Bowl XLII. And in the biggest game of his career, Eli became only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw two go-ahead fourth quarter TDs in a Super Bowl and beat the heavily-favored, undefeated New England Patriots.

He was named Super Bowl MVP the same season he almost lost his starting job.

Peyton Manning’s regular-season stats are too good to list here. Just picture Adriana Lima on her wedding night. Eli’s are more like a Kate Moss, after a two-day binge. Both are worthy. In Eli’s first full season he ranked top five in passing yards and TD passes. And he's only gotten better.

He has a reputation of struggling the second half of a season. But those declining numbers have more to do with key injuries to Amani Toomer and a broken leg of Luke Petitgout than they do the play of Eli.

And since numbers only sometimes lie, take a look at Eli’s playoff stats versus big brother Peyton. Eli has led his team to the playoffs every season as a starter. His post-season record is 4-2. Last season his QB rating elevated over 20 points in the post-season.

The season before that, it rose almost 30 points. As well as increases in completion percentage and YPG.

Peyton’s numbers go down after the regular season. His postseason record is 7-7. His regular-season QB rating is 10 points higher than his playoff rating. His completion percentage is down.

Not to mention the help he’s had throwing to All-Pro Receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne all these years.

He does have a Super Bowl MVP Award to go along with Eli’s, but even in those playoffs, he only had the one great game against Denver and an overall 70.5 passer rating. Which was more than trumped the following year by possibly the most memorable quarterback drive in Super Bowl history, by his brother Eli.

Peyton better start getting used to it.

Vijay the Villain?

Brad Scott — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:55:56 -0500

It’s 2004 and you’re 41-year-old Vijay Singh. You have just ended Tiger Woods’ streak of 264 consecutive weeks at the top of the Official World Rankings. You’re the first golfer to earn $10 million in a single season.

You’re the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year with nine victories, 18 Top 10’s, and you won the Vardon Trophy. It was one of the best seasons of all time. The Year of the Veej!

Yet, you may just be the least admired player in professional golf.

Vijay’s journey to the top of the golfing world has been well documented. He’s the son of an airplane technician who also taught golf.

Growing up in Fiji, his family couldn’t afford golf balls so he used coconuts instead. He emulated the swing of Tom Weiskopf to help formulate his own, and in 1982 he turned professional.

In 1984, he won the Malaysian PGA Championship. But despairingly, the following year would possibly turn out to be his most defining moment in golf.

At the 1985 Indonesian Open, Vijay’s scorecard was altered two strokes so he could make the cut. Although he denied any involvement, he was accused of cheating and banned from the Asian Tour for two years.

He moved to Borneo, where, for two years he gave golf lessons and hit practice golf balls. He admits this was “the lowest point of my life.”

The next few years is what shaped Vijay into the complex and obsessive golfer we know today. He bounced around different golf clubs trying to earn money and resurrect his career.

At one time, literally ‘bouncing’ at a bar in Edinburgh while trying to qualify for the Open, which he failed to do. He used golf as a means to not only a better life, but also a better person.

He became involved in philanthropic relations in his native Fiji, where he’d later be appointed Goodwill Ambassador.

Being born an Indo-Fijian, he knew from experience what it’s like to be on the undesirable side of race relations and called for Fijians to put their differences aside.

After all, he was a man of color trying to make a living in a predominantly white sport. And for the man whose name means “Victorious Lion,” this new way of life resonated on the golf course as well.

In 1988, he entered the European Qualifying School and was finally successful. In 1989, Singh won his first European Tour title at the Volvo Open Championship in Italy and finished 24th on the European Tour Order of Merit.

He won seven more tournaments before finally entering the PGA Tour in 1993, where he won Rookie of the Year.

His meticulous work ethic became legendary and, as they say, the rest is history—and historical.

So why is it that such a man is respected rather than admired? Golf Digest wrote that Singh had become “pro golf’s bad guy” due to a quote about Annika Sorenstam that was taken out of context. Spectators refer to him as a “sexist oaf” and “Vijay the Villain.”

The aforementioned race issue could be a factor, but we all know in today’s game the most popular player is a man of color. The reason is simple.

Golf is to blame.

Golf is an individual sport; making it an anomaly in America. It gears itself towards creating sub-cultures for its own profit.

Who else would still be giving sponsorships for John Daly to play drunk? David Duval needed the biggest downward spiral in sports history to become a fan favorite.

It’s the culture attached to golf that’s not befitting for an uncharismatic Fijian who refuses to take time out from hitting practice balls to do some arbitrary interview.

He’s president of the club that knows it’s better to have something to say, than to have to say something.

Or maybe he still hasn’t gotten over being labeled a cheater by his peers. No matter the circumstance, he still has a certain amount of responsibility attached to the claim.

Could that be why he shuns interviews and seems to have an issue with Tiger’s "Do no wrong" reputation. (Vijay’s caddie wore a “TIGER WHO?” cap during his 2000 President’s Cup match versus Tiger.)

If it’s a villain that golf wants, then Vijay is certainly willing to play the perfect candidate and prosper from it. He’s cast himself as the outsider and knows the world of golf doesn’t owe him anything.

That being said, he does deserve a bigger gallery than Daly while he takes home the FedEx Cup this season at age 45!

Until then, he’ll just keep checking into hotel rooms and rearranging the furniture so he can refine his swing to fit his tall, slender, and villainous stature.

"Official" Bizness or: Officials are to Sports What Scorcese is to Goodfellas

Brad Scott — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:51:10 -0500

Ever had your face kicked in while trekking across Europe in search of your next rolled cigarette? If so, then like me, you already know the solution to arguably the biggest controversy in professional sports—OFFICIATING.

The answer came to me just before a homeless guy instructed my "doctor" on how to set my broken nose: ”You get what you pay for!”

See, in a country where health insurance is free, it’s only logical that their brightest minds would choose a career other than medicine. Who wants a career that’s limited by its own government and can’t thrive like a business? Ambitious minds seek ambitious salaries.

And what could be more ambitious than choosing a career where you’re expected to perfect split-second decisions in front of thousands of angry fans while wearing zebra stripes?

In America, professional sports are big business. We’re talking billions of dollars. Athletes date Oscar-winners, team owners sip cocktails with cowboy politicians: It’s entertainment! It’s showbiz! Within these ego-filled arenas, there lies only one leader. The head-honcho: the official.

Yet, we treat them like they’re not even part of the bizness (biz-nis: noun—an occupation whose clientele become celebrities.

None of the "Big Three" in pro sports regard their officials as full-time employees, which eliminates tons of paid benefits. Most officials need supplementary jobs. The NFL leads the “Big Three” in average salary for officials at $1,687 per game. NBA referees average $1,542 per game and MLB Umpires get a whoppin’ $870 per game.

That is a pittance of a salary.

Yet, we expect these guys to perform on par with a computer chip! Job duties include: living on the road, being away from family, working in hostile environments, receiving death threats, being scrutinized in the public eye, and ignoring text messages from Tim Donaghy.

If we want the best results on the field we have to reward these guys off the field. Pay them lots more, obviously. Maintain their employment during offseason to perfect their craft. Monitor them constantly and show the fans their stats. Let them become a new breed of athlete. Let us become fans of officials.

There’s a saying in the profession of painting: “The only difference between a professional painter and an amateur one is that a professional knows how to clean up after himself.” Let’s hope this doesn’t bleed over into officiating.

Kobe the MVP

Brad Scott — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:27:09 -0400

Last week I had the chance to attend an early practice at the Staples Center. Given the hoopla surrounding this year’s Lakers team, it was refreshing to see the team focusing on the fundamentals of basketball—half-court shots.

I asked Coach Phil if he had to bet a hip replacement on who would win this half-court-heave-fest, who would he take? Radmanovic? Vujacic? The master Buddhist simply replied, "The Kobe Bryant." Then I watched as he knocked down 11 straight half-court shots.

Shocked? Probably not, huh?

The purpose of the aforementioned story is exactly that—it’s a story. A story so far-fetched it couldn’t have happened, and didn’t happen. But the basis behind telling it is to point out how believable the unbelievable can seem when you’re speaking about the likes of Kobe Bryant.

I mean, the odds of making one 47-footer are 1-20. Now take those odds and multiply them to the 11th power and you get, well, a lot!

So why exactly do we believe such a story so easily? I know some of you weren’t that impressed at such a stat upon initial reading. Maybe if I’d had said he hit it 47 consecutive times you may have raised a brow. But that’s my whole point—the guy is too good to be true so we just alter our conceivability level!

Score 80 points? No biggie. Win an MVP with an injured pinkie on his shooting hand? Not a problem.

But win a second straight MVP award with a pinkie that required surgery last year and still hasn’t been corrected, a seven-footer that can’t buy an alcoholic drink, a superstar being asked to come off the bench, off-court drama that includes Shaq Poetry 101, and a coach that needs to put his own health ahead of his career—I’ll bet the farm on it! (Or at least that insomniac rooster.)

For Kobe, it’s all about focus, and the sideline photographers focus on Kobe no matter where he is. Take for instance a typical Laker timeout. Who does Phil allow to speak first?

Phil may draw them up; he may make the substitutions, manage the clock, and manage the refs. But he knows Kobe is the one who will make Gasol and Bynum be able to perform together, Vujacic have trust in his shot, Odom come off the bench with pride, and Fisher stay tough despite his age and off-court easygoing demeanor.

Nobody in the league would argue Kobe’s playing ability alone could win him the MVP. But it’s his ability to wear so many hats in a league defined by one-dimensional players that gives him his second consecutive MVP award.