According to Dashiell Bennett at deadspin.com, (Paul Pierce Now Inviting Strangers To Harass Him On The Street) spotlight NBA tweeters are “dorks” and “nerds” for tweeting and asks, “Considering all the half-time Tweeting and elaborate pre-game choreography when do these guys ever find the time to play basketball?”
What started out as my quest to find out why Kyle Korver told the world (via Twitter) “I have been told to disable this account until the end of the season. Sorry guys. I don’t want this to be a distraction…” turned up a post that made me laugh at the true idiocy of what social networking is all about – even for superstars.
Bennett obviously doesn’t get it. There’s a rhythm to it, there’s a reason for it. It’s not just about getting press, it’s about getting attention. Some, like Mark Cuban, get negative attention, which can actually get a positive thing. It creates a buzz, and not just any buzz, a real buzz from a real person, not some paparazzi or reporter who thinks they can share all the ins-and-outs of a gossip ring. That person will get no buzz. When’s the last time you remember the name of the news anchor that told you that crazy fact about your favorite player?
Example – who broke the story about Dwayne Wade’s legal issues? Or the “problems” that were illuminated about Jason Kidd and his family a while ago? I HAVE NO IDEA. And do I care who broke the news? No. But, when Shaq takes a nose-shot pic of himself at 3:11 a.m. Do I care? Not necessarily, but I do remember.
Bennett, for “…some serious, Dungeons and Dragons stuff” I’ll advise you look elsewhere. The type of D&D you’re referring to is the great escape for marginalized people who probably have major social anxiety issues (among other things). Sounds like flawed logic to me. I’ll spell it out for you – Twitter is a way to connect with people, not hide from them.
Keep up the tweets, the fans love it and it’s good for your brand.
My post last night, mainly out of frustration, turned out to be rather accurate. Mid-game, the inevitable was obvious and only got worse.
LeBron ended the night with 0 – yes ZERO assists and only one rebound; he was basically on lock-down. Ben Wallace broke his leg – and continued to play for awhile, which I still can’t fathom. And through it all, it seemed that the Cavs just couldn’t make the shots or stop them on the other side. Fact is, the Rockets shot better, moved faster and called the shots.
My “dilemma” in the last post, was of course facetious (Go CAVS!) but nonetheless frustrating. I still think they’ve got it, and deserve the championship. They’ve gained great players – Delonte West, Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and a few more I’m probably forgetting about at the moment – oh yeah – Mo Williams. But, I have to ask, what are the Cavs facing now with Varejao taking the Center role now that Ben’s out for who knows how long? Verajao has a history of being unpredictable – at least in my opinion. I think Wallace upped the ante for the Cavs, and Verajao can’t fill that role.
The Cavs are going to have to look at the shooters for sure to get the job done, or, is there a chance that supporting members, like Verajao, Ilgauskus and Szczerbiak can provide the support the team needs to keep their standing and pull out on top? What do you think?
Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong, will. This has been my relationship with the Cavs as of late. I mean, I’m a busy person and have to “pencil in” Cavs-time. And what happens? They don’t play like the #1 team in the East.
Tonight the Rockets killed them in nearly the entire first half. As it stands, the Cavs are catching up, but who knows where it will end up.
So here’s my dilema- do I continue to dedicate time to watch the Cavs play badly? Or do I continue to torture myself by watching my team stink, as it seems- only on the days that I watch?!?
Anyway, does Murphy’s Law seem to apply to any of you when you sit down for a little R ‘n’ R with your team?
I’ll stay positive tonight in hopes that West and LeBron can get their groove on!
Believe it or not, one of the biggest news items during the All Star festivities was Allen Iverson cutting off his braids. I have to admit, I loved them, they were like a trademark for him and really, he looked good. Bye, bye, braids and hello clean-cut A.I. I wonder if his new look had anything to do with the East’s loss? (Sorry, I’m a bit superstitious.)
Then there was Shaq the Jabbawockeez. What fun! We’ve all seen the Diesel get down before, but the whole mask thing was crazy! That’s a Shaq I’d like to see more of.
One of my favorite pieces of entertainment was our beloved Craig Sager. His outfit stole the show. Sporting a pink and red ensemble, which was commented as being something that looks like “a cake store blew up” it was a real piece of work. During an interview, Kevin Garnet tells him to burn his clothes. And we can’t forget his obsession with ostrich shoes. What’s up with that? Sunday wasn’t the first time I’ve heard him defend his footwear.
The All Star game itself to me was a lackluster performance. Sure, there were some cool dunks and a lot of good humor, but in the end, it was just a game, and won by the West. The All Star MVP announcement, however, was a much needed surprise. Both Shaq and Kobe were named MVPs and they both deserved it. It was nice to see them together again and actually getting along. Shaq even said (via tweet) how great Kobe was for telling him to take the trophy home to his boys.
All in all, it was a pretty good weekend, and according to the NBA, this was the highest ranking year for viewership – that’s great news for the organization!
Rumors had been spreading about the possible firing of Terry Porter, the Phoenix Suns head coach, and in the middle of All-Star weekend, the truth came out. Sunday, the news spread across twitter like wild-fire. “It’s official – Terry Porter is out” came out just before the East vs. West All-Star game tip-off.
With all the hype surrounding All-Star weekend, it seemed that no one cared at the time, but today’s another story. But, what is the story here? Porter’s only been the Suns’ head coach for about four months after taking over for Mike D’Antoni. Is four months really enought time to prove or disprove your ability as a head coach? On top of it, Suns has instated Assistant Alvin Gentry as interim coach – who knows what that will lead to.
With coach changes and trades galore, it’s no wonder the Suns are struggling this year. Phoenix is dying for a championship title. They nearly had it under D’Antoni, but it seemed again and again, they just couldn’t make it over the top. Currently, they’re down one game for the final play-off spot. Is it realistic to think that an interim can lead them to secure it?
The tweets were flying tonight. When rookie Derrick Rose took the Skills Challenge title, I thought I’d seen it all. A rookie? Really? I suppose that having skills is what counts. This year’s 3-Point Shootout was a bust in my opinion. What happened to the 20+ scores we saw last year? Pathetic. Though, I shouldn’t talk – I doubt I could hit one from any of those positions – I guess I have higher standards for the pros.
Of course my favorite part of the day was the Slam Dunk Contest. When Dwight Howard brought out the 12′ basket and utilized the phonebooth to bring back Superman, I couldn’t help but laugh. It was great – even though (as in a previous post) I requested the costumes be left behind this year. Thankfully, cupcakes were. I’m still not sure how Nate Robinson got away with the step-stool approach to dunking. Whatever works, I guess. I am blown away that at 5’2″ he made it over Howard. Wow! He deserved it, though I was still pulling for Dwight. I was really hoping to link in some video for those of you who couldn’t watch – this is as close as I could get NBA All-Star Video Highlights.
Did anyone catch the crazy rims D.Wade was sporting? And LeBron – he needs to return Usher’s wardrobe. Shaq, of course, looked as dapper as ever in his – What did Reggie call it – cream and cactus suit? Speaking of LeBron, he announced he’s putting his name in for the 2010 Slam Dunk Contest – it’s about time!
Overall, great entertainment and looking forward to the All-Star game tomorrow!
Finally, an NBA app for the iPhone! Much better to navigate than NBA.com – virtually unusable otherwise. The interface could use some work, but it’s a start. And, for only $0.99, it’s worth it, for sure.
Now, if they’d only come out with a full NBA.com version – I’d be happy (and addicted)!
Friday night is the fun night. The glam and the slam. Seriously, did you see T.O. dunk? No wonder he came out again with the MVP – should he be playing b-ball or what? Rumor has it the Cowboys don’t like him anymore and that crazy attitude would fit better with the NBA (especially for entertainment value). What do you think?
Then again, Barack Obama said that if he hadn’t taken up politics he’d be playin’ pro ball…there are only a few reserved spots for skinny guys like him. Tayshaun Prince anyone? Remember Reggie Miller? Skinny guys can work it, but only when the big guys got their backs.
Anyway, tomorrow’s the highlight. We’ve got the Dunk, the Skillz and the Jumpers to look forward to. Please no more Super Hero costumes! It was cute last year, but this year = lame. Have fun, enjoy and stop by for more…
As much as I hate to say it – good! I’ve never cared for the Pistons, but living in the Midwest, I get to watch more Pistons’ ball than I care to. So now at least I’ll have something to watch. I have to ask – why in the world would the Pistons trade Chauncey Billups? Sure, a part of me is like “Yes! Ha! Try to win that championship now!” But, the other part of me is saying, “that’s the only player keeping you in the run for any chance.” So, what’s the real story here?
“We just felt it was the right time to change our team,” Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press. “Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven’t had here and we really think it’s going to help us.”
Yeah right. That statement might be half-way true, but I’m not buyin’ it as the entire story. Billups has family in Denver, but really, was that the right move? I’ve been a half-hearted fan of Iverson since his move to Denver. That move just didn’t do it for me. I thought he performed better in Philly, but then again, maybe his performance there was illuminated like a diamond shining in a heap of coal.
I’m sure that Billups can bring some game to Denver, but not sure if the Pistons should have bet on AI to “shake it up.” Anyway, I’ll be paying attention for awhile.
I remember watching Isiah Thomas play with the Detroit Pistons when I was younger. As a player, he’s one of those names you don’t forget, but now, he won’t even let you, no matter how hard you try. Thomas has been popping in and out of media controversy for the last few years, particularly since he led the Indiana Pacers to the playoffs.
What I want to know is what in the world happened? Thomas’ most recent media expose has been centered around a supposed overdose attempt involving 10 sleeping pills. (Before I go too far, I’d just like to say that I’m glad that whomever was involved in this situation is OK.) Anyway, this overdose situation, that was originally reported to be an accidental overdose of Isiah Thomas, has turned into a weird fiasco – something the AP reports as a “cover-up.” But for what? And why? Because now, Thomas is blaming his daughter for issues, saying that she is the one with a problem and that it was not Thomas himself, but instead, his daughter who had been taken to the hospital. Not only that, but his son is saying the same thing – which is completely against what law enforcement officers are saying about the situation.
A few questions:
The obvious – how does one accidentally overdose by accidentally taking 10 sleeping pills?
If someone did not accidentally take 10 sleeping pills, and in fact intended the worst-case scenario, why stop at 10? (I’m really not trying to be insensitive here…)
Assuming this was a complete accident and the person in question actually did take the pills and found himself in the hospital with media attention, why would he blame his daughter?
If this accidental pill taking was really accidental, what would the mind-set have to be of that one person to accidentally take that many pills?
The questions could go on and on and if the AP is right, I doubt anyone will ever find out exactly why any of this turned out the way it did.
Given all of the accounts of harrassment, speculation and of couse his firing from the Knicks’ head coach position last season, I’m sure he’s dealing with a lot. Please, get some help, man.
According to Dashiell Bennett at deadspin.com, (Paul Pierce Now Inviting Strangers To Harass Him On The Street) spotlight NBA tweeters are “dorks” and “nerds” for tweeting and asks, “Considering all the half-time Tweeting and elaborate pre-game choreography when do these guys ever find the time to play basketball?”
My post last night, mainly out of frustration, turned out to be rather accurate. Mid-game, the inevitable was obvious and only got worse.
Rumors had been spreading about the possible firing of 
The 
Friday night is the fun night. The glam and the slam. Seriously, did you see T.O. dunk? No wonder he came out again with the MVP – should he be playing b-ball or what? Rumor has it the Cowboys don’t like him anymore and that crazy attitude would fit better with the NBA (especially for entertainment value). What do you think?
I remember watching