Is it me or does the NBA Playoffs seem extra dull right now? There is not much side chit chat or discussion going on with basketball these days, and this is supposed to be the most exciting time! Yes, I know plenty of people tuning into the games, but mostly it is to watch their favorite teams and by teams I mean the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers, and, of course, that really means Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The Eastern Conference games are done, except for one notable exception. The only intrigue (and I use that loosely) is from the Western Conference, which I still am not all that excited about. Do not get me wrong; there are many exciting games and topics going around the NBA Playoff blog scene, but nothing noteworthy. Maybe it is my circle of friends because they are still bitter. These are the people who are still angry that their favorite ex-Wizard players moved to Dallas and are now showing the league what they are made of in the playoffs. Maybe it is the fact that the only drama or questions that I have is why the Denver Nuggets’ interim coach Adrian Dantley is not getting the calls. Really? Isn’t there always one head coach that does not get the calls? It could even be that depending on how the Lakers feel like playing on any given night determines whether they win or lose.
I am not sure what the exact issue is, but I am sure that it probably deals with the same result and opinion that I have had of the NBA Playoffs for years – they are simply too long. I do not feel obligated to watch the First Round of the playoffs, I will not miss anything. Maybe I will start watching every minute of the games in the latter part of the Semifinals, but I have a suspicion that my need to watch what happens will not return until the Conference Finals.
I firmly believe that I am not missing anything and that is very different from many of the other playoffs. I am just having a hard time understanding why I should watch these teams play about five months and then again for about 2 more months. They are the same teams that were on primetime all season long anyway. Same players, same teams, same excitement makes watching the NBA Playoffs pretty dull so far.
I will not lose hope, however. I will tune in when it matters. Please Commissioner, give me something to cheer, watch, and scream for when I look at these games. These are the best players that you have and honestly, there is nothing driving me to watch. I am sure it will get better, right?
A Lesson in Decisions
http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/12508/roethlisbergers-statement-on-suspension
So…it has been quite awhile since my last entry and I must say that I have missed it! Jumping right in, of course, I will start with an issue from the NFL. Big Ben. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ million dollar franchise quarterback cannot seem to keep his name out of the headlines during the offseason. For the second time, he was accused of a sexual assault. The first occurred in 2009 from a woman in Nevada. Recently, a 20-year old college student from Georgia is accusing Roethlisberger again. In 2006, he received a lot of criticism by not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle and consequently received several injuries when he crashed. Why Ben? What is going on with you? To me, it is not a matter of whether you did it or not. Since I am not law enforcement, it is not up to me to determine guilt or innocence. As a sports fan, however, he is guilty of putting himself in bad situations that are hurting his reputation in and out of the locker room. No need to send the jury out on that one. Frankly, I am not sure if it is possible to continue to cheer for him after all of these situations. Things just keep adding up.
I was in a fiery debate with a friend about this situation. He basically questioned why Roethlisberger was getting so much flack when he was not charged with any crime, and while he understands why Roger Goodell suspended the quarterback for six games, this friend does not agree with the backlash that Roethlisberger is getting from the media, fans, and teammates. My response to him was and still is it does not matter. He is held to a higher standard. That is what happens when you make the kind of money that he makes. You are in the spotlight and are judged when you are a Super Bowl winning quarterback (particularly a two-time winning one). My friend went on to say that he is a young, single man doing what most young, single men would do.
Well, there lies the problem. It is not acceptable at all and it is definitely unacceptable from a quarterback who (corny or not) is (or at least was) a role model. There is no doubt that he is being targeted because of who he is and what he has done, but if this is the type of behavior he wants to engage in then he must be prepared for the consequences. That would be my suggestion to any young, single man. The difference is that most young, single man does not have as high of consequences to deal with as Ben.
So…it has been quite awhile since my last entry and I must say that I have missed it! Jumping right in, of course, I will start with an issue from the NFL. Big Ben. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ million dollar franchise quarterback cannot seem to keep his name out of the headlines during the offseason. For the second time, he was accused of a sexual assault. The first occurred in 2009 from a woman in Nevada. Recently, a 20-year old college student from Georgia is accusing Roethlisberger again. In 2006, he received a lot of criticism by not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle and consequently received several injuries when he crashed. Why Ben? What is going on with you? To me, it is not a matter of whether you did it or not. Since I am not law enforcement, it is not up to me to determine guilt or innocence. As a sports fan, however, he is guilty of putting himself in bad situations that are hurting his reputation in and out of the locker room. No need to send the jury out on that one. Frankly, I am not sure if it is possible to continue to cheer for him after all of these situations. Things just keep adding up.
I was in a fiery debate with a friend about this situation. He basically questioned why Roethlisberger was getting so much flack when he was not charged with any crime, and while he understands why Roger Goodell suspended the quarterback for six games, this friend does not agree with the backlash that Roethlisberger is getting from the media, fans, and teammates. My response to him was and still is it does not matter. He is held to a higher standard. That is what happens when you make the kind of money that he makes. You are in the spotlight and are judged when you are a Super Bowl winning quarterback (particularly a two-time winning one). My friend went on to say that he is a young, single man doing what most young, single men would do.
Well, there lies the problem. It is not acceptable at all and it is definitely unacceptable from a quarterback who (corny or not) is (or at least was) a role model. There is no doubt that he is being targeted because of who he is and what he has done, but if this is the type of behavior he wants to engage in then he must be prepared for the consequences. That would be my suggestion to any young, single man. The difference is that most young, single man does not have as high of consequences to deal with as Ben.
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