Finals Recap
I ended up going 10-5 this post season, which is not up to the lofty standards I set for myself at all. I probably would have been happy with 12-3, but my consolation is that I picked San Antonio to win it all back in October. Any time you select the NBA Champion in the pre-season you’ve got to be happy, and I am.
These Finals set an all time record low with a 6.2 television rating and 11 share. Those numbers were 5% under the previous low of 6.5/12 for Spurs-Nets in 2003. I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. The media tells the masses that SA is a boring team, so Joe Q Public doesn’t tune in. Well I’m here to tell ya that the Spurs *aren’t* a boring club, not in the least.
What SA did was what they always do, approach the game and play in way that gives them the best chance to beat their opponent. It’s not the Spurs fault that Cleveland wasn’t a deserving championship adversary. If you must place blame, it belongs squarely with the Cavaliers, who successfully mucked the series up to the point where I was flashing back to the mid-90’s. It was actually Cleveland coach Mike Brown that dictated the tempo, not SA’s Gregg Popovich.
Anyway, how can a squad that features Tony Parker (MVP), Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry be considered boring in the first place? Journeyman Brent Barry had what I though was a very poignant quote to the New York Times before Game 4, saying “No character issues, professionalism, preparation – everything people always say they want – it's all happening right here.” You know what? He’s 100% right on there.
Everyone always complains about the NBA being filled with thugs who lack fundamentals and have no respect for the game. Well the Spurs are class personified as Barry said, but somehow they get deemed “boring”. Huh, am I missing something here? Where are all those people that are constantly “outraged” by everything that happens in the Association? Those types should theoretically LOVE SA, but yet no one watched the Finals.
So am I to think that if another team, let’s say Denver, were to make it into the Finals that the ratings would have been higher? Of course not. The story line there would have been about Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith being too “hip-hop” to be universally accepted. The reality of the situation is that old school sports writers, and by proxy the average fan, hate the NBA for much more insidious reasons than the league’s “image” or “style of play”.
But that’s a column for another day.
As far as the Spurs being a dynasty goes, I’d say they are on the verge. One place I differ from most is that I don’t count the 1999 championship in this run. Think about it, how can you include that title when the Lakers three-peated in the middle of this so called “dynasty”? So right now SA has won three in five years, which puts them close, but not quite there. If they can repeat or maybe win two more in the next three to four seasons, then I’ll start dropping the D word.
I have to close with the “Big Fundamental” and his legacy. Let’s get something straight right off the bat, Duncan is *not* a boring player, he’s a boring personality. I mean witnessing him work in the low post on both offense and defense is a joy. Timmy’s like a “how to” instructional video for young big men out there. Away from the court though he reminds me of another great champion, Pete Sampras. TD spits out mundane quotes with a drab look on his face and never let’s anybody in. Which is fine, that’s his choice. But fair or not, one of the six best centers of all time is on his way to being a foot note in history. Again to go to tennis, people remember/love John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, but not necessarily Sampras and Roger Federer. Likewise, I get the feeling that Duncan’s generation will be remembered more for Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, than TD himself. I might as well blame the main stream media again since that seems to be the theme here.
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This summer I plan on handling the off season a little differently, as in I’m actually going to cover it for a change. I can’t say how regular the updates will be, but if anything big happens I should have something up within a day or two (or three). I also plan to start catching up on my music writing as well as reporting on the FIBA Americas Championship in late August. You might even get to read about a little NASCAR if the mood strikes.
In the meantime check out this great show from the Assembly of Dust. It’s high energy all around and one of the best I’ve heard from them. AoD brings a little bit of something for everyone, from rock to country to even a little folk. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
These Finals set an all time record low with a 6.2 television rating and 11 share. Those numbers were 5% under the previous low of 6.5/12 for Spurs-Nets in 2003. I wish I could say I’m surprised, but I’m not. The media tells the masses that SA is a boring team, so Joe Q Public doesn’t tune in. Well I’m here to tell ya that the Spurs *aren’t* a boring club, not in the least.
What SA did was what they always do, approach the game and play in way that gives them the best chance to beat their opponent. It’s not the Spurs fault that Cleveland wasn’t a deserving championship adversary. If you must place blame, it belongs squarely with the Cavaliers, who successfully mucked the series up to the point where I was flashing back to the mid-90’s. It was actually Cleveland coach Mike Brown that dictated the tempo, not SA’s Gregg Popovich.
Anyway, how can a squad that features Tony Parker (MVP), Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry be considered boring in the first place? Journeyman Brent Barry had what I though was a very poignant quote to the New York Times before Game 4, saying “No character issues, professionalism, preparation – everything people always say they want – it's all happening right here.” You know what? He’s 100% right on there.
Everyone always complains about the NBA being filled with thugs who lack fundamentals and have no respect for the game. Well the Spurs are class personified as Barry said, but somehow they get deemed “boring”. Huh, am I missing something here? Where are all those people that are constantly “outraged” by everything that happens in the Association? Those types should theoretically LOVE SA, but yet no one watched the Finals.
So am I to think that if another team, let’s say Denver, were to make it into the Finals that the ratings would have been higher? Of course not. The story line there would have been about Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith being too “hip-hop” to be universally accepted. The reality of the situation is that old school sports writers, and by proxy the average fan, hate the NBA for much more insidious reasons than the league’s “image” or “style of play”.
But that’s a column for another day.
As far as the Spurs being a dynasty goes, I’d say they are on the verge. One place I differ from most is that I don’t count the 1999 championship in this run. Think about it, how can you include that title when the Lakers three-peated in the middle of this so called “dynasty”? So right now SA has won three in five years, which puts them close, but not quite there. If they can repeat or maybe win two more in the next three to four seasons, then I’ll start dropping the D word.
I have to close with the “Big Fundamental” and his legacy. Let’s get something straight right off the bat, Duncan is *not* a boring player, he’s a boring personality. I mean witnessing him work in the low post on both offense and defense is a joy. Timmy’s like a “how to” instructional video for young big men out there. Away from the court though he reminds me of another great champion, Pete Sampras. TD spits out mundane quotes with a drab look on his face and never let’s anybody in. Which is fine, that’s his choice. But fair or not, one of the six best centers of all time is on his way to being a foot note in history. Again to go to tennis, people remember/love John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, but not necessarily Sampras and Roger Federer. Likewise, I get the feeling that Duncan’s generation will be remembered more for Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, than TD himself. I might as well blame the main stream media again since that seems to be the theme here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This summer I plan on handling the off season a little differently, as in I’m actually going to cover it for a change. I can’t say how regular the updates will be, but if anything big happens I should have something up within a day or two (or three). I also plan to start catching up on my music writing as well as reporting on the FIBA Americas Championship in late August. You might even get to read about a little NASCAR if the mood strikes.
In the meantime check out this great show from the Assembly of Dust. It’s high energy all around and one of the best I’ve heard from them. AoD brings a little bit of something for everyone, from rock to country to even a little folk. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
posted by D$ at 9:49 AM
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