Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeff Yang

Government and Sports: Where Integrity Stops and Control Begins

Jeff Yang — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:00:33 -0400

Sports in 07/08 have been so far, astonishing.

We have watched Barry Bonds break the all-time home run record. We have followed a Celtics team going from being the laughingstock of the NBA to the NBA Finals in mere months.

We have witnessed possibly one of the greatest sports upsets of all time by a NY Giants team and the fall of one of the greatest seasons of all time by the Patriots. This year has been so far a great year in sports but one aspect that has been more relevant then ever is the loss of integrity in all of these professional sports.

Corruption is nothing new to the area of sports. It has happened many times over the decades. The 1919 Black Sox Scandal is probably one of the first and most well known sport scandal to ever take place.

Even 89 years later, There are still scandals that revolve in sports. Of course, none of these more current situations like the Mitchell Report and Roger Clemens, SpyGate or the Donaghey Scandal revolved around organized crime, but it still doesn't defeat the fact that each of these situations has changed the integrity of each of the sports involved.

Let's take a look at each of these situations and how it has changed the sport.

While the Mitchell Report in itself was not very effective in the sense of "changing the aspect" of the game of baseball; It still provided fans and the media a like a question of integrity that occurs in the sport of baseball.

Roger Clemens' situation is an obvious result of what the Mitchell Report was set out to do. While Roger Clemens can be called one of the greatest pitchers of all time, the entire integrity of his career and his legacy have now become tainted because of his use of performance enhancing drugs.

The report may not have effected baseball as a whole, but the fact that even some of the greatest players of the sport can no longer be trusted and are suspect to using steroids or drugs is one aspect that makes fans cringe.

Even more surprising is the fact that we no longer find it condemning or even surprising that a player uses steroids, It's just accepted.

One can tell that the sport has lost all shred of integrity when baseball fans even have come to terms with the player who uses steroids and just let the player get off easy.

Granted, not all fans are like this, and a lot of fans are outraged by players who do use steroids or drugs to get by in the MLB. But the fact still remains, there are a great amount of fans who just no longer "care" about players using steroids in baseball anymore.

The Mitchell Report in itself did one thing that did changed the aspect of the other professional sports: government involvement.

The report ran by George Mitchell has started an influx of government interference and involvement into the world of professional sports.

SpyGate is one of the scandals that was attacked by Arlen Specter at the end of the season which generated because of the occurrence of the Mitchell Report. While Spygate was handled mostly in the first few weeks of the NFL season, Specter kept attacking the Patriots and the NFL for a supposed "cover-up" by the NFL to take into the integrity of the game.

Yet the fact still remains, the Mitchell Report has started something that will eventually hurt professional sports in general. While it may seem that all Congress want to do is to watch out for the sport in question, there are some aspects of sports that the government does not understand.

The belief that an outside force needs to regulate a sport, is rather dumb. Thinking that an entire sport is corrupted from the inside out is just plain stupid.

If the entire sport of football, baseball, basketball or any sport is corrupted from the head office of the league, then what is the point of the fans watching the sport anyways?

If the league that hosts the sport doesn't have any credibility, why bother when you may be watching a completely fixed game?

Spygate was handled soundly. It's over and it's done. Let's take a look at the Donaghey situation.

The whole Donaghey scandal, in my opinion, is a cross road between what happened in the Mitchell Report and what occurred in SpyGate. Tim Donaghey is a convicted felon for gambling on games he officiated and attempting to throw them towards or against teams he bet on.

While he is convicted and he is being put on trial, He has released information to the public of the officiating in two playoff series in 2002 and in 2005. People who do recall the 2002 NBA Playoffs will easily realize that Donaghey refers to the King-Lakers series in 2002.

Anyone who watched that series could call it the worst officiating ever in all of professional sports. The integrity of the NBA was put into question after that series was over, and the fans and the Sacramento Kings demanded Stern's investigation into the matter.

It eventually died down and was basically forgotten for years until Donaghey revealed to the public of the officials intent to give phantom calls and try to throw games into seven games.

Donaghey may be a felon and probably just wants to lighten his sentence as much as he can, but the fact still remains that he has become specific on certain series and occurences in which the head office "intentionally" wanted to throw games towards other teams.

David Stern has came out and said that this is nothing new to the league and the FBI and Congress along with the league will investigate anything else that Donaghey says.

But fans are now asking, is the NBA really looking out for the best interest of the fans? Is the NBA really that corrupt? I say no.

But the FBI and Congress are already looking into the matter, which brings back my point that government involvement will weaken the sport.

What if the FBI or Congress calls for a "Mitchell Report" on the NBA? Do they start throwing out policies and regulations the entire league must follow? Government control over the situation is not needed for any of this.

David Stern and the head offices of the NBA has proven that they have handled any situation thrown at them before. What if the entire league is regulated by the government and the commissioner becomes just a pawn?

I know this is mainly speculation and exaggeration, but if a league cannot regulate itself, it shouldn't exist.

The only people who really lose in this situation is the fans. The integrity of each sport is lost and the love of the sport dies with it.

NBA: Move Aside MVP...Let's Look at the Most Improved

Jeff Yang — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:53:20 -0400

The MVP award is given out for the single player who has achieved the most or helped his team the most in any situation. These players of course are given the glory of knowing they are considered the "Most Valuable Player" for that regular season. Now that is all fine but there is one award that I adore and is even more highly underrated then any of the other awards and that is the Most Improved Player award.

We are essentially talking about the award that proves that the players can excell their game past and achieve their potential. We are talking about the players who can be potential all-stars and finally achieve that bit of glory that they never began with. We are talking about the players who can finally get their first scent of finally being recognized in the NBA as legitment stars. So let's break down our candidates, shall we?

5. Brendan Haywood

2006-2007 Statistics: 6.6 PPG, 6.2 RBG, 2.5 OFF, 1.1 BPG, 0.558 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 10.7 PPG, 7.3 RBG, 3.4 OFF, 1.7 BGP, 0.534 FG%.

Call me crazy but Brendan Haywood deserves to be on this list. Haywood has nearly solved the issue with one of the Wizard's key weakness, the inside game. While Haywood is not as prolific or as dominant as other centers in the NBA; his ability to score inside the paint along with creating inside defensive stops was one of the keys to the Wizards staying alive without Gilbert Arenas. Haywood may never reach being one of the top centers in the NBA but numbers don't lie and he is improving and becoming a reliable and consistent big man for the Wizards.

4a. Andrew Bynum

2006-2007 Statistics: 7.8 PPG, 5.9 RBG, 1.7 OFF, 1.6 BPG, 0.558 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 13.1 PPG, 10.2 RBG, 3.0 OFF, 2.1 BPG, 0.636 FG%.

It's quite a shame that Andrew Bynum really can't go any higher in the list of candidates because of the injury. His third year in the NBA has made a gigantic difference in making the Lakers one of the teams to beat before his injury. Before his injury, He would be consistently a 10-10 guy and help the Lakers have a dominant inside threat. His scoring has improved nearly double of what it was last year along with his rebounds. His blocks and FG percentage have also increased significantly. His training with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has proven to be one key reason why he has gained so much within such few years. His athletic ability and his rebounding skills are incredibly dominant and even has the flare of a Dwight Howard and of a young Shaq. Do not be surprised to see Andrew Bynum in an all-star game within the next couple of years in the NBA. The Lakers have themselves a young rising center and he will be in LA for a long time.

4b. Devin Harris

2006-2007 Statistics: 10.2 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.5 RBG, .280 3P%, .492 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 15.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 2.8 RBG, .319 3P%, .457 FG%.

Yes, I had two ties for fourth in my list of candidates. But, Devin Harris is one that should not be overlooked. Harris' play has evolved exponentially ever year that he has been in the league and this year is no different. A player who jumped five points above his last year's average is something that should not be overlooked. But, Devin Harris' ability does not just come from his scoring but of his unsung defensive skills at the point position. Reaching six assists is hardly a typical amount for a point guard but his uncanning defensive skills are to be feared at that position. What made Dallas so successful at defense was Harris guarding the perimeter and his athleticism to guard point guards that wish to drive in the paint as well. He consistently guarded point guards like Tony Parker and Steve Nash to some success. While some of his other totals are barely better then they were a season ago, He is still a growing point guard who can eventually make himself a perennial point guard in the NBA.

3. Mike Dunleavy, Jr.

2006-2007 Statistics: 12.7 PPG, 5.2 RBG, 2.8 APG, .314 3P%, .452 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 18.7 PPG, 5.2 RBG, 3.5 APG, .415 3P%, .481 FG%.

Mike Dunleavy is probably one of the sole reasons why the Pacers have even a slim chance to reach the playoffs this year. Going from the Warriors to the Pacers has upped his game even more due to the fact that he is probably the only player on that team that can prevent himself from being injured. His shooting is incredibly consistent and jumping from 13 to 19 points is not easy. Especially the fact that he can keep his field goal percentage and 3 point percentage high is another attribute that even makes Dunleavy even more deserving of this consideration. I would call Dunleavy's only downside is his lack of athleticism. He is more on the builds of a Stojakovic in just being a pure shooter. If he continues to give 15-20 points a game; We might see him finally get some recognization for being the Pacers' new ray of hope.

2. LaMarcus Aldridge

2006-2007 Statistics: 9.0 PPG, 5.0 RBG, 2.3 OFF, 1.2 BPG, .503 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 17.7 PPG, 7.3 RBG, 2.8 OFF, 1.3 BPG, .491 FG%.

Aldridge is one of the key reasons why the TrailBlazers have had a decent amount success this year. One of the candidates for Rookie of the Year last year has incredibly improved his game in a lot of levels. He is their dominant power foward and with his consistent inside scoring game along with his increased rebounding skills have made Portland a tough defensive and offensive team. Nearly doubling his point total along with keeping a consistent shooting percentage while rebounding the ball has made Aldridge one of the key components for the Trail Blazers. Aldridge along with the entire TrailBlazers team will be one to be feared in a couple of years considering the fact on how young their team is along with the return of Greg Oden. The only reason why Aldridge is not the front runner for Most Improved Player is because of injuries.

1. Hedo Turkoglu

2006-2007 Statistics: 13.3 PPG, 4.0 RBG, 3.2 APG, .388 3P%, .419 FG%.

2007-2008 Statistics: 19.6 PPG, 5.9 RBG, 4.9 APG, .407 3P%, .453 FG%.

I'm sorry to tell you Rasheed fans but Hedo was robbed for the All-star game. Hedo Turkoglu is the Most Improved Player for the 07-08 season. His ability to score and his uncanning 3-point shooting ability has made him the number 2 guy for the Magic. I gurantee you NO ONE except hardcore Magic fans thought Turkoglu would have a break out season like this one. He has great court vision for a foward and has just enough shooting stroke to make him a deadly mid to long range shooter. Call him a Stojakovic clone if you want but his ability to stay healthy throughout the Magic season has been key for them to be successful. The MIP award is a rather close one this year but I have to give it to Turkoglu and give him the nod for the Most Improved Player for this year.

Statistics from NBA.com

Oh, How the Mavericks Have Fallen!

Jeff Yang — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:02:22 -0400

Three years ago, people would be laughing at me if I told them that the Dallas Mavericks would reach the NBA Finals within the next year.

They were of course proven wrong by one heck of a playoff run before collapsing in the NBA Finals.

A year later, we witnessed the Mavericks having their greatest season ever and once again we had believers. They pulled out all the stops and reached 67 wins and possibly one of the greatest regular seasons of all time. But they faced the Golden State Warriors and of course we know of the great collapse that occured at the hands of the Warriors.

Mark Cuban, Avery Johnson and Donnie Nelson attempted to convince themselves that this team was legit, that it could once again reach the summit and overcome the two seasons of disappointment. Dallas had the key to winning the NBA finals; there was just one piece missing. They looked at every position that they can improve on and they decided stupidly that it was the point guard position that needed the most help.

They might be regretting that now.

The powers-that-be decided that they needed an All-Star point guard instead of their exponentially improving point, Devin Harris. So, in a move made necessary by the great Pau Gasol heist of the Los Angeles Lakers, they made probably one of the worst trades in recent memory. They traded their growing point guard, the back up center and future draft picks for an aging point guard, Jason Kidd.

The impatience of the Mavericks has come back to bite them. Mark Cuban and the management were blinded by the fact that Devin Harris was improving on all cylinders. His scoring was up, his defense was improving and he was actually trying to improve his assist game!

No. That wasn't enough for the management and they traded him away because they believed he was the reason why they failed in the first round last year. Devin Harris was NOT the SOLE REASON the Mavericks lost to the Warriors in the playoffs.

Weeks ago, people were hailing this as a new revival of the Mavericks, the trade that would bring them back to the top of the Western Conference.

But has this trade even advanced the Mavericks to be any better then they were before? No. Actually they went backwards.

People in Dallas were calling for Jason Kidd because they thought that the major problem was our point guard position. Yes, Devin Harris is not a true point guard and his assists totals are barely better then a shooting guard. But when he was a Maverick there was something that they would actually do, BEAT TEAMS WITH WINNING RECORDS!

Believe me, I love Jason Kidd. I have so much love for a guy who can get triple-doubles in no hurry. I have respect for a guy who will be in the Hall of Fame but may not ever touch a championship ring. But Jason Kidd was not the answer to the Mavericks' woes. The last time the Mavericks beat a WINNING team was back when HARRIS was at the point.

The answer to Dallas was patience and a big man. Yes, Erick Dampier has gotten better with Jason Kidd around him but what could of been better for the Mavericks was to actually aquire or trade for a big man instead of trading your rising talent point guard and a back up center. Patience was also needed but the entire Mavericks team hit the PANIC button after they lost a couple of games in a row WITHOUT Harris.

Every team has their share of losing streaks to happen but going all nuts about it and throwing away players and draft picks was not the way to go at things. You freaked out because you were losing games without a starting player. Isn't that just EXPECTED to happen? Isn't there some common sense in that?

People who still support the Kidd trade give all the excuses for the Mavericks at this time.

"Oh, Kidd's system is too unique for the Mavericks and it needs time."

"Oh, He never played with a good team before so he has to get used to it."

Maybe their right in some sense. But that doesn't excuse the fact that the Mavericks can't beat a team with a winning record anymore. There should be ABSOLUTELY no excuse given for the failure to finish a game. The Mavericks were fine before but their impatience and inability to see the rising talent of Devin Harris grow and they paid the price for that. I will have one thing to say though.

Atleast they're not the Miami Heat.