Knocked Off His Throne

He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school basketball player. He was the #1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He dropped 25 points against Sacramento in his first NBA game. LeBron James was the chosen one and he had arrived as the next NBA all-time great. LeBron James deserves a lot of credit. Very seldom does a young phenom meet and exceed expectations at an early age and for an extended period of time. By James’ 4th season, despite being swept by the veteran San Antonio Spurs, he had led his no-name Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals in history. The road back to the Finals got a little tougher each season in Cleveland. They were stopped by the eventual champs, the Boston Celtics, in 2008. In the off season, an unprecedented countdown began in New York, Miami, Chicago and around the nation. LeBron would become a free agent… in 2 seasons! In 2009, the Cavs were upset in the conference finals by the Orlando Magic. In 2010, they were beaten in the conference semis, again by the Celtics. Here is where LeBron’s legacy starts to change.

It was in a six game series that Boston eliminated LeBron’s Cavs in 2010, but it was game 5 that we may always remember. Plain and simple, LeBron checked out. He was absolutely disengaged. The series was even at 2 games each and the NBA’s reigning two-time MVP took it upon himself to play completely flat. 3-for-14 from the field, 15 points total, getting nine of those points from the free throw line while settling for jumper after jumper and not attacking the hoop. The Cavs lost games 5 and 6, both blowouts. As bad as that felt in Cleveland, it got even worse when LeBron decided to take his talent to South Beach, joining Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, becoming the next and perhaps most dangerous Big 3. It should be noted that LeBron took less money to join the Miami Heat in pursuit of a championship. We would like our favorite athletes to put winning before making more money, so for that James should be applauded. But the way he made this “Decision” was very poor. Can you imagine being married to someone for seven years, seven relatively happy years, only to find out your spouse is leaving you for another? It would probably feel like a constant punch in the stomach. Now imagine that you find out on national television and the whole nation gets to watch your divorce. That’s what the city of Cleveland experienced and that’s how the “King” treated his people. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert did act like a spoiled brat, but the issue was LeBron, acknowledging that he couldn’t do it alone, leaving for greener pastures.

Fast forward to the 2011 playoffs. Miami Thrice takes care of the young 76ers in five games. Then, the Big 3 eliminates the big 4 Boston Celtics, also in a relatively easy five games. LeBron states that he couldn’t have gotten past the Celtics while still in Cleveland, almost in an apologetic “I told you so” way. In the conference finals, LeBron outplays MVP Derrick Rose and sends the Bulls packing, also in five games. LeBron, Wade and company are in the NBA Finals and it seems like it’s all falling into place according to plan. They even draw the Dallas Mavericks, a team that Dwyane Wade dominated in 2006, earning Finals MVP along the way to his 1st ring. Game 1 of the 2011 Finals, a very solid performance by LeBron, 24 points on 9-16 shooting, although only 1-3 in the 4th in a 92-84 win. The Mavericks even the series in an historic comeback, down 15 in the 4th to win Game 2, 95-93. James, 20 points on 8-15 from the floor but 0-4 in the 4th quarter. As the series moves to Dallas, Dwayne Wade asserts himself in a hostile environment, scoring 29 points, this after scoring 36 in a Game 2 losing effort, leading the Heat to a 88-86 nail biter. From James it was more of the same, 17 points on 6-14 shooting but just 1-3 in the 4th. Are we seeing a pattern yet? If anyone was expecting a big bounce back game from LeBron in game 4, they were utterly disappointed. The Mavs once again even the series, 86-83 but the story is clearly LeBron James. Only 3-11 shooting for a meager 8 points, again disappearing, avoiding the 4th quarter shooting 0-1 from the field. Sports radio and television shows are going crazy, not to mention all the stories on the Internet. LeBron is not clutch. LeBron can’t get it done. LeBron this, LeBron that. He is getting killed by the media, deservedly so. So what happens next, LeBron states that Game 5 is probably the biggest game of his life. And in the biggest game of his life, James does record a triple-double, 17 points on 8-19 shooting, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Yet again, he shrinks to the pressure in the 4th quarter, shooting 1-4  in the final period. Final score of LeBron’s biggest game of his life, 112-103 Mavericks, taking a 3-2 series lead going back to Miami.

Where do we go next? Let’s start off by summarizing that in the five 4th quarters of these NBA finals, LeBron James is 3-15 from the field and the majority of his 4th quarter attempts are outside the paint around the perimeter. When you add his free throw totals for the entire series 11-16, getting to the charity stripe on an average of 3 times per game, you can conclude that LeBron is just not being aggressive. Remember, this is a two-time regular season MVP we’re talking about here. Dallas has not one, but two guys, coming up big in the series as well as the 4th quarter. Has anyone in NBA history shot as well as Dirk Nowitzki for a stretch of two months? He is a big shot making machine in the 2011 playoffs and Finals. He is also getting a lot of help, especially from Jason Terry, who is backing up his big boasts and hitting big shot after big shot. Miami’s only Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade, is playing like an MVP, a go to guy.  His point totals: 22, 36, 29, 32, and 23 for a per game average of 28.4. LeBron is averaging 17.2 points per game, well below numbers you might expect for the so called “chosen one.” Dare I say that LeBron James is the 4th most effective player on the court, especially in crunch time? The Mavericks go on to beat the Heat in game six to earn their first NBA Championship, Dirk being the Finals MVP.

No doubt LeBron James is getting tons and tons of criticism, some exaggerated and some warranted. After all, he was supposed to be among the all time greats. He still is, but his performances in these Finals align him with Kevin McHale, James Worthy and Scottie Pippen. Of course there is nothing wrong with that. Those 3 names each won multiple championships and had prolific Hall of Fame careers. However, those names are not Larry Bird, Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, the NBA’s best of the best. LeBron is a great all-around talent and a great teammate much like Bird, Magic and Jordan. However, no way is Larry Bird only taking just 3 shots per 4th quarter of crucial NBA Finals games. Magic Johnson was involved in every play down the stretch, whether it was leading the legendary Showtime fast break or hitting the junior sky hook. And you know Jordan would put an exclamation on a game and a series. Looking at more recent times, the Black Mamba Kobe Bryant has been a killer in the Finals over the past decade, never afraid to succeed or fail. Perhaps the most important thing the all-time greats have that LeBron doesn’t is the fact that when they take the big shot, they expect to make it. When LeBron attempts the big shot, albeit few and far between, he hopes to make it. LeBron may have a few big moments and hit some big shots, but it’s more likely that he will always defer to Miami’s go to guy Dwyane Wade. Being the second option is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, even Batman needed Robin.

Is now the time?

It’s a beautiful day at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The two teams are lined up and ready to play. The best team in the world against the underdogs. Today, however, it isn’t the Superbowl or the World Series. In fact, today, it’s not called a field, it’s called a pitch. The current World Cup champions and the number one team in the world, the Spanish national team, versus the United States. Pause for the baseball, football and basketball fans to say that soccer is not a real sport.

9^th minute – Spain was robbed of a goal, a questionable offside call. The Spaniards have dominated play thus far controlling the ball while the Americans stand and watch

28^th minute – GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! Santiago Cazorla, 1-nil Spain. It was a beautiful sequence that led to a blast in the upper left hand corner of the net. In terms others can understand, Kobe fed Chris Paul who gave a cross court pass to LeBron for a 2 hand slam dunk.

I use that analogy because the equivalent of the Spanish soccer team in their country is the US men’s basketball team here in America. The difference is that while Spain’s basketball team gave our basketball team all we could handle in the gold medal game in 2008, it seems more of a dream than a goal for the US men’s soccer team to wind up in the World Cup final versus a team like Spain.

32^nd minute – 2-nil Spain, Alvaro Negredo. It’s hard to imagine that the US team defeated Spain 2-0 just two years ago. Ian Darke, the play-by-play man just added that the “Spaniards are toying with the Americans.”

40^th minute – The first shot of the match for the US, wide right, but a decent scoring opportunity nonetheless.

41^st minute – Its becoming a blow out, 3-nil Spain, Cazorla’s 2^nd of the match. Using a baseball analogy, A-Rod’s grand slam gives the US a commanding 10-0 lead in the World Baseball Classic.

Mercifully, halftime…

Let’s review where US soccer has gone in the past 20 years.

1990 – The US qualifies for the World Cup only to get embarrassed in round-robin play.

1994 – The US hosts the World Cup for the 1^st time. Thanks to Escobar’s own goal, the American’s advanced past Colombia and into the round of 16, only to fall 1-0 to the eventual champions, Brazil. Soccer in America is on the rise and popularity is at an all-time high. Names like Tony Meola, Alexi Lalas and Cobi Jones are becoming favorite athletes of 9-year-olds across the country. But then…

1998 – The US team embarrasses themselves, finishing dead last in the Cup. To add more salt to the wound, they lose to Iran.

2002 – The US advances to the knockout round, upsetting Portugal along the way, although we needed South Korea to beat Portugal for us to advance. As fate would have it, we drew our rivals to the south and outlast Mexico to get to the quarterfinals, but lose to world power Germany. Names like McBride, Donovan and Ramos are popular around the country.

2006 – The US team embarrasses themselves again, scoring only 1 goal on their own in this Cup and fail to advance out of round robin play.

2010 – We know this story, Landon Donovan scores in stoppage time to beat Algeria and advance to the knock out round, only to lose to Ghana.

Do you see the pattern of inconsistency?

And finally, back to the game, 73^rd minute – 4-nil Spain, Fernando Torres knocks one off the right goal post and it trickles in. I’m sure goals 2, 3, and 4 were more of just workouts and practice than serious play, as if they were saying to each other, “Here you go pal, knock that in the back of the net, will ya?”

Final score, 4-nil

In a time where baseball has provided virtually no positive headlines in 2011, a time where the only thing you hear regarding the NFL is how there may not be a season in 2011, a time where the NBA Finals are of great interest but another work stoppage is lingering and hurting the chances of a 2011-12 season, this was a grand opportunity for American soccer to make a statement and give us a chance to say something like, “Well hey, at least there is soccer. I guess that Landon Donovan guy is ok.” Yet the US team fails to create any excitement. To make it more frustrating, the world has caught up to the United States in other sports. In both the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics, Japan has come away as the champion. In fact, the US was not even in the final game in either tournament. What’s worse, in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, our men’s basketball team was upset by Argentina, who eventually won the gold medal. ARGENTINA?!?!?!?! Aren’t they a soccer power? We had to settle for the bronze. With all the resources and finances our great country has, the only question to ask is, “Why aren’t we better?” The easy answer is we just don’t care as much about soccer as the other sports. True, but doesn’t Argentina care more about soccer than basketball? The US men’s soccer team is currently ranked 20^th in the world. That is embarrassing. Are we as good as Spain or Italy or Brazil or Argentina? Of course not, but we should play well enough to be ranked higher than 20th. We will never be the world power in soccer that they are, but we should consistently be in the top 10. It’s on you men’s soccer. If you want the public to follow, give us something more than one good run. Give us something more than one player to follow. Give us a chance to root for soccer. The United States is a land of winners. People like winners. People need winners. We don’t need soccer, but with American football and basketball struggling to have a next season, we need something to watch.

Underrated and Underappreciated

In today’s sports, there is overplaying of highlight reels and players making millions of dollars. A lot of the time, players really don’t deserve the fortune or fame. On the other hand, there are plenty of players who seem to get overlooked for most if not all of their careers. The list below is a group of team-sport athletes of our era who fit the description of underrated and/or underappreciated. There are no set criteria or perfect outlines, just guys who didn’t get the love they deserved. This list of athletes, made up of current Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, and some who may never make the Hall of Fame, are great players who won more often than not, were great teammates, and yet are underrated.

Here are a few players who just missed the cut: Derrick Brooks, Adrian Dantley, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Greene, Rickey Henderson, Barry Larkin, Mike Mussina, Robert Parish

So without further ado, the list:

20. Tim Hudson – It is hard to believe that a pitcher that is currently 2^nd among active pitchers in winning percentage and has won at least 17 games per season 5 different times has only made the all-star team 3 times. Hudson is the ultimate competitor who would be higher on this list if his post-season record was a little better.

19. Mitch Richmond – Richmond’s bad luck was that he was one of the best players in the league while playing for generally bad teams, and then in his last season, he rode the bench for a Lakers championship. Take that last year away, Richmond averaged around 23 points per game for a 12-year stretch and shot nearly 40% from 3-point range. He even averaged around 23 points in post-season play. Michael Jordan once called him the best shooting guard in the league.

18. Tony Gonzalez – That Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end in NFL history is undisputable. That Tony Gonzalez is one of the best receivers of all time is absolute. In his 14 year career, he is 10^th all time in TDs, 15^th all time in receiving yards and 6^th all time in catches. He has fumbled only six times in his career and just once in the last 10 seasons.

17. Hakeem Olajuwon – Who are the greatest centers of all time? The usual answers are Wilt, Russell, Kareem and then… either Shaq or Olajuwon? It should be almost indisputable that Olajuwon belongs in the top 5. Yet every time you hear talk of the NBAs all-time greats, we forget that “the Dream” led the Rockets to back-to-back titles, averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds for his entire 18-year career and when the spotlight was on in the playoffs, he raised his game to 26 points and 11 rebounds. I guess he settles for the title of greatest foreign player in NBA history.

16. Dennis Johnson – His career numbers aren’t that great. He was top 50 all-time in games played, assists and steals. Yet it was his durability and tough defense that paved the way for DJ’s Hall of Fame career. Johnson played on 3 NBA championship teams and was the teams’ defensive stopper. A seven-time all-defensive 1^st team member, it would have been great to see him guard Jordan during his prime years. RIP

15. Champ Bailey – He also doesn’t have the numbers to suggest he is among the all-time greats, but after watching him cover a receiver it is clear that the other teams won’t be throwing his way anymore. Only Ed Reed and Darren Sharper have more INTs among active players. Even though he is a ten-time Pro Bowler, his name seems to go unmentioned.

14. Cris Carter – Chris Berman says, “All he does is catch touchdowns.” This is true, he is 4^th all time. But Carter is also 8^th all-time in receiving yards and 3^rd all-time in catches. Add 9 Pro Bowls, 144 straight games started and a class act, do you think the Eagles regret releasing him after his 3^rd season?

13. Steve Yzerman – The token hockey player, Yzerman is 8^th or better all-time in the three major categories of goals, assists and total points. He was also the captain of three Stanley Cup Championship teams.

T-10. David Cone, Jack Morris, Dave Stewart – Each of these three pitchers had similar careers, and wherever they went, they won. They were gamers and at many times of their career, a dominant ace. Stewart went 4-0 during the 1989 post-season, winning LCS and World Series MVPs. Morris had a career World Series ERA under three and pitched one of the greatest games in history, a 10-inning shutout in game 7 of the 1991 World Series. Cone went undefeated in four different World Series with a 2.12 ERA. Combined these guys have 11 rings.

9. Fred McGriff – He has one of the best nicknames in history. The “Crime Dog” hit 493 homeruns in a time when that number actually meant something. He hit 30 homeruns per season in 8 straight seasons, 11 times overall. He also hit 10 HRs and batted .303 in 50 career post-season games, helping the Atlanta Braves to their only championship.

8. Robert Horry – In other sports, you have specialists elected to their respected Halls of Fame. In baseball, relief pitchers get in. In football, kickers and punters are in. So why not Robert Horry? Credit that argument to Colin Cowherd. Throw out his per game numbers, here’s all you need to know: 4^th all-time in post-season 3-point field goals made, as many big, clutch shots as Jordan and Bird (maybe more), and seven rings. Enough said.

7. Dennis Rodman – Forget that he had dozens of hair colors. Forget all of his technical fouls, fines and suspensions. Forget that he married himself. Dennis Rodman is hands down the best defensive NBA player ever at his position. Seven straight years he led the NBA in rebounds per game. Seven times he was 1^st team all-defense. Don’t forget the five rings.

6. Craig Biggio – 3000 hits is great. It pretty much ensures a Hall of Fame berth. Also, only Lou Gehrig scored more career runs as an infielder than Biggio. But when you add that to the fact that Biggio played three different demanding positions, was an all-star as both a catcher and 2^nd baseman, and won 4 gold gloves, it is remarkable. Then, the icing on the cake is that spanning a 20-year career, only once did Biggio fail to play at least 134 games (throwing out the strike season).

5. Tim Brown – Talk about a guy who did so much with so little, Brown is 6^th or better all-time in the 3 major receiving categories. The quarterbacks who threw to him? Steve Beuerlein, Jay Schroeder, Donald Hollas, Jeff George, Vince Evans and Jeff Hostetler. It wasn’t until Rich Gannon arrived that Tim Brown finally had a good quarterback. But Gannon is no Joe Montana or Steve Young, just ask Jerry Rice. Never has an NFL player done so much with so little.

4. Warren Moon –Warren Moon not getting to a Super Bowl was absolutely not his fault. He played on teams with subpar defenses, to put it nicely. Warren Moon is the quarterback who does not get the recognition he deserves. He’s 6^th all-time in touchdown passes and 5^th all-time in both passes completed and yards. This doesn’t even take into account the numbers he put up in the Canadian Football League. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Moon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

3. James Worthy – How many players in their sport can be named top 50 in NBA history, be inducted into the Hall of Fame, earn a Finals MVP and still be the team’s 3^rd option? That’s what Big Game James gave to the Lakers in helping them to three NBA championships. It is also what makes Worthy so great and why he is ranked so high on the list. Could he have scored more and put up numbers on other teams as their go-to guy? Sure, but he just did the job he needed to do to win. He did not need the glory. He came to play every night and was one of the greatest teammates in any sport.

2. Curtis Martin – Name the top 3 running backs in rushing yards. That’s easy, right? Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. Fourth is Curtis “my favorite” Martin, the most underrated football player of our generation. Only once in 11 seasons did Martin fail to rush for 1000 yards in a season. When you count RBs who played at least 10 seasons, Martin’s 83.9 rushing yards per game is 5^th all-time. These stats are often overlooked, but the one thing that may always stick with him is the nickname given to him by his head coach Bill Parcells, who dubbed him “boy wonder.”

1. Roberto Alomar – He hit over .300 in nine seasons. He stole 30 bases or more in eight seasons. He drove in 90 runs in four seasons and also hit 20 plus HRs in four different seasons. Did I mention he did this from both sides of the plate? However, that’s only the half of it. Roberto Alomar won 10 Gold Gloves and was the best defensive 2^nd baseman maybe of all time. In 12 World Series games, Alomar posted an on-base percentage of .407 and hit .347 while helping the Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series championships. He was the total package and that makes Roberto Alomar the most underrated player of our generation.

Feeling Dodger Blue

So I’m watching the recap of MLB Network’s 20 greatest games, which has been an amazing series, and my favorite game ranks #10 on the countdown. It’s the Dodgers vs. the A’s, Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. I find myself watching the Gibson homer for what has to be the 3,714 time, although my wife will swear its more. It always seems to take me back to that day, how I was feeling and what I was doing. As a 9 year old, watching a moment like that and watching my favorite team in my favorite sport win the World Series, it is something I will never forget. As 9-year-old witnessing that series, I thought that my team would win every year, or at least win more often than they lose. However, looking back on the memory I do the math. The year 1988 subtracted from the year 2011 and all of a sudden, it’s been over 22 seasons since the Dodgers appeared in any World Series. Twenty-two seasons is the longest drought of World Series appearances in franchise history, a franchise that dates back to the late 19^th century. If you haven’t noticed, the Dodgers in 2011 don’t seem to be anywhere near ending that drought. So it raises the question, what has happened to the Dodgers?

Fact: The Dodgers 1^st World Series appearance was in 1916. In a 72 year stretch, the Dodgers appeared in 18 Fall Classics, winning 6. It’s not a great winning percentage, but when you run into the Yankees, the odds say you’re probably going to lose. The Dodgers lost to the Yankees in 8 different Series matchups. In fact, only the Yankees have appeared in more World Series than the Dodgers, which shows that the Dodgers, at one time, were the class of the National League. It also speaks to the fact that 22 years have passed it is only the Yankees ahead, although way ahead by a long shot.

Fact: The Dodgers won their first World Series championship in 1955, against the Yankees. It was the only championship they won while in Brooklyn. That team had a collection of stars, known as the Boys of Summer: Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, all of which are Hall of Famers. Since then, the Dodgers had a good run of having at least one big star on the roster. That Brooklyn team passed the torch to Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, followed by Steve Garvey and Reggie Smith, who then passed the reigns to Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, who then ushered in Mike Piazza. But that’s where it stopped. You could make a case of Eric Gagne and Manny Ramirez, but their success was very short in the grand scheme of things, not to mention tainted. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw could wind up having great careers but the jury is still out.  This leads to the next question. Where have all the stars gone?

It is possible to look at things a certain way and say, “1988 hurt the Dodgers.” Yep I’m saying it, and all my family and friends reading are about to call and yell at me. Good thing the thousands of Dodger fans don’t have my phone number. But here is why I say that: Before 1988, the last time the Dodgers signed a free agent was 1980. Sure they made trades, but it was mostly home grown products through the system. Not only was it baseball’s way at the time, but it was definitely the Dodger way, that and good pitching. However, in 1988, the Dodgers signed Kirk Gibson, acquired other veterans like Jesse Orosco, Jay Howell, Mike Davis, and Alfredo Griffin, who all had a hand in helping the Dodgers win that year. They seemed to have the formula figured out, go get the big names and reliable veterans, piece them together, and it was easy. Being successful that season, they continued to get big names: Willie Randolph, Eddie Murray, Darryl Strawberry, and Eric Davis, all of whom have seen multiple all-star teams. But it didn’t work like it had in 1988. The Dodgers strayed from their structure, home grown and pitching

Speaking of home grown and pitching, the Dodgers had a kid from the Dominican who looked like a diamond in the rough. They signed him in his teens. When he joined the big club, everyone could see the potential was there. His brother was on the team too, so what a great story it would have made. But the Dodgers needed a leadoff hitter, so they traded the younger brother to Montreal for Delino DeShields. The younger brother was Pedro Martinez, who went on to win 3 Cy Young Awards, led the league in ERA 5 times, and is likely headed for Cooperstown. Delino DeSheilds is not. Another example is Mike Piazza. He was drafted in 1988 in the 62^nd round as a favor from his godfather, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda. Piazza, after a few seasons in the farm league, goes on to win Rookie of the Year honors in 1993. Piazza then goes on to have 5 amazing seasons, which are some of the greatest in the history of men who played behind the plate. But alas, he, along with Todd Zeile, were traded in 1998 for Bobby Bonilla, Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson and Jim Eisenrich. Sheffield had a solid tenure with the Dodgers. The rest of them, not so much. As for Mike Piazza, he is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. What could have been if the Dodgers had a battery of Mike Piazza and Pedro Martinez?

Instead, major changes came in the same year Piazza was traded. Peter O’Malley sold the Dodgers to the Fox Group in 1998, ending a 48-year ownership of the O’Malley family which oversaw 17 post season appearances and all 6 Dodger titles. The Fox Group went through general managers and field managers like Elizabeth Taylor went through husbands. It wasn’t until 2004 when Frank and Jamie McCourt purchased the Dodgers that L.A. won its first division title in 9 years. Things were finally looking up. The McCourt’s had the Dodgers playing in October again, 4 times in 6 seasons. 2008 and 2009 were very bright, but blown saves by Jonathan Broxton and too many walks by the Dodgers’ pitching staff gave the Phillies the win in both seasons. Then, the championship window was shut with a resounding slam heard throughout Dodger Stadium. The franchise falls again, possibly further down than before. The McCourt’s are on their way out. They and the Dodgers have become an embarrassment. The Dodgers may not make May’s payroll and more and more empty seats are appearing at Chavez Ravine.

Fact: The longest tenured current Dodger is not a superstar as would be expected. It is Hong-Chih Kuo, a relief pitcher.

Fact: From 1954-1996 the Dodgers had 2 managers. Don Mattingly is the 7^th skipper since Lasorda’s retirement.

Fact: The Dodgers have had 16 Rookie of the Year winners, none of which were after 1996.

Fact: The last Dodger MVP was in 1988.

This leads us back to the beginning. The past 22 seasons have gone by so quickly in some respects, but so slowly at the same time. The good moments have been overshadowed by the not so good moments. Other than Vin Scully, it seems that everything has changed. The outfield walls of Dodger stadium look like the yellow pages. Dodger Dogs aren’t what they used to be. The Lakers have easily surpassed “Los Doyers” in popularity among Angelenos. And to make matters worse, they have seen their northern California rival win a World Series, finally equaling the championship count at six. Unless the next owner stores credibility and a winning attitude back in to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s going to get darker before it gets brighter. I understand that other franchises have also suffered some even more so. The Royals and Pirates would love to have the Dodgers’ problems. The Indians have a current long drought of World Series Championships in their franchise. We all know about the Red Sox before 2004, and everyone feels sorry for the lovable loser Chicago Cubs. But as for the Dodgers, one of the classiest and most successful franchises in all of American team sports, they have spiraled downward leaving us to wonder when they will take our blues away?  

Foreclosing on a Big Shaq

It’s 1992. You’re watching your favorite NBA team play and there is a stop in the action for a commercial break:

A big man knocks on a big door. A tiny sliding door within the frame of that big door opens and a voice behind it says,

“Password!?”

In response, “Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk!”

“You’re early.”

The man outside the door says, “But I’m ready.”

“Then prove it.”

When the door opens, there stands the Mount Rushmore of the NBA big men: Russell, Wilt, Kareem and Walton.

There they are waiting to see what this youngster can do. “The Diesel” takes the basketball and dunks on the rim, destroying the backboard “Chocolate Thunder” style. The big fella grabs the ball and is ready to hand it to the legends on a platter as if to say, “Here I am.”

Kareem responds saying, “That’s not enough,” and gives him a broom and dustpan.

Shaq replies, “This is one of those rookie things, right?”

And thus begins the colorful, dominating career that somehow leaves us wondering, “Couldn’t he have done more?”

Shaquille O’Neal took the NBA by storm in his rookie campaign in 1992-93. Not only did he go on to win rookie of the year, he finished 7^th in the MVP ballot, and finished in the top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. Finishing in the top 10 in those four categories is quite an accomplishment. He did it in his rookie season, and virtually every season after. Some people could be heard saying things like, “Wow, what power” or “How agile for a big man” and, “Another backboard bites the dust.” Meanwhile, at the same time, others were saying, “Can’t he hit a free throw?” or “He’s too much of a clown” and, “Stop doing movies and rap albums and focus on basketball.” It seemed all throughout Shaq’s career, it wasn’t possible to give him praise without some sort of caveat. Almost from the minute he left LSU, he was supposed to be the next Wilt Chamberlain, a dominating presence in the middle with size unmatched. Yet no matter how well he did, he would still get the backhanded praise like, “Of course he dominates, look how big he is.” And when the team would falter, he’d get, “How could he lose that game? He’s the biggest guy out there!” This is some of the criticism Shaq has always dealt with. If you were told that you would be a center taken #1 overall in the draft, go on to win an MVP, 4 rings, 3 finals MVPs and finish your career 2nd of all-time in field goal percentage, 12^th in rebounds, 7^th in blocks and 6^th in points, you would take it right? Of course, anyone would. So why has Shaq bounced around like a journeyman? Let’s review:

It’s June, 1992. Shaq is drafted by the Orlando Magic, an expansion team at the time. By his 2^nd season, with the help of another lottery pick, Penny Hardaway, they take the Magic deep into the playoffs for 3 straight years. They reach the finals in 1995, only to be outplayed and outclassed by Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets.

It’s 1996.  After 4 seasons, Shaq decides that he can no longer play with Penny and leaves for L.A. He is the decided savior of a franchise that has fallen upon hard times. Shaq would be the missing piece needed to lead a bunch of young guys back to prominence. One of those young guys is Kobe Bryant, a kid who went from high school to the NBA and also had the aspirations of being the greatest of all time. Teaming with Shaq, who proclaims he is on the road to becoming the MDE, most dominant ever, it seems like a match made in Hollywood. By their fourth year together, Shaq wins an MVP award and they win a championship, the first of what would become a three-peat.  During their success, Shaq and Kobe bicker and battle. Shaq wants to be the man and Kobe isn’t going to hold back his game for anyone. It is as if Shaq is hoping Kobe will lighten up while Kobe is hoping Shaq will get serious. After a finals loss to the Pistons in 2004, Shaq decides he can no longer play with Kobe and tells Lakers’ ownership, “Me or him!” They choose Bryant. Shaq packs his bags and is on his way to the Sunshine state, after being traded to Miami in exchange for three players.

It’s the fall of 2004 in the humidity of Florida. Rededicating himself, Shaq teams up with up-and-coming star Dwyane Wade, and together they bring to Miami its first NBA crown, and Shaq’s fourth. It seems as though the Lakers had chosen the wrong star. However, as Shaq seems to do, he wears out his welcome in South Beach, yet continues to live by his expression, “I got hurt on company time, I’ll recover on company time.” After a first-round exit the next season, Shaq decides he can no longer play with Wade (do you see a pattern here?) and asks to be traded to Phoenix, wanting to team up with Steve Nash and promising to bring that elusive ring to the Southwest.

It’s 2008 and the season begins promising. Unfortunately, he has yet another first round exit against the Spurs. From here, he moves to up to the Northeast to play with King James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. By this point, Shaq is only getting in the way of LeBron’s explosive drives to the lane. They lose to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.

It’s 2010. Speaking of Boston, they decide to take a gamble on the now broken-down center for one last gasp. Shaq plays just 6 minutes total from the All-star break to the end of the season, and the team leaves with another early playoff exit.

It’s 2011. We’re on the verge of a possible retirement of one of the greatest players in NBA history. You can argue that Shaq ranks in the bottom part of the top 10 players in history, or perhaps just outside of that top 10. You can also argue that Shaq has been a great role model. No drug busts, no bouts with alcohol, no spousal abuse or anything off the court that the public could hold against O’Neal. But if you’re keeping score over an 18 year career, Shaq was fortunate enough to play with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, LeBron James and Boston’s big 4. To add it all up, that’s 6 regular season MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs, and some of the greatest players in the past decade. He also played under Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Doc Rivers, who have a combined total of 17 NBA championships. When you look at it that way, are four championships enough? If he had stayed dedicated and hungry like his sidekciks along the way, is it plausible to say that Shaq could have challenged Bill Russell for rings, or at the very least Michael Jordan’s rings? And that, I believe, is how Shaquille O’Neal will be remembered. He won, he was funny, and he will be remembered, but the big question, what if?

Where were you?

We all have moments in our lives that we always remember just where we were, what we were doing and what we were feeling. The first time you heard that certain song on the radio, the first time you saw that unforgettable movie, especially something as intense as a world stopper like the Twin Towers falling. For me, this is also true in sports. I am the first to acknowledge that this list is not without omissions. Clearly there are dozens, even hundreds of sports moments that are worthy of recognition. So forgive me if I failed to mention the likes of Buckner, Bartman or Boone. I apologize for not adding the Drive, the Catch or the Play. I cannot help that I was too young to remember Mike Eruzione, Lorenzo Charles or Doug Flutie. Nor was I born to see the likes of Franco Harris, Carlton Fisk or Hank Aaron. I am also not against female sports, so pardon me for not including Billie Jean King, Kerri Strug or Brandi Chastain. That being said, here is my list of moments that stick with me to this day, moments that transcended the sporting world:

January 4, 2006

It was the clear cut #1 vs #2 in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship. But it was more than that, it was USC with 2 Heisman Trophy winners, coming off back to back championship seasons (now forfeited) and a 34 game winning streak. Texas had their Heisman hopeful, runner up Vince Young, who was the Rose Bowl MVP just a year prior. I was in Sacramento at my girlfriend’s house (girlfriend at the time) trying to explain to her the magnitude of this game. She never did understand. Because of Vince Young’s super human performance, 267 yards in the air, 200 on the ground and 4 TDs, Texas ended USC’s mini dynasty in what many call the greatest college football game ever. Where were you?

January 27, 1991

The best games are usually between contrasting opponents. This was never more evident than Super Bowl XXV between the run-and-shoot high powered Buffalo Bills vs the Parcells/Belichick defense and ground game of the New York football Giants. In the background, but also in the back of the minds of Americans, was Operation Desert Storm. America united behind Whitney Houston’s perfect rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and saw the Giants outlast the favored Bills 20-19. Most remember the wide-right game-winning field goal attempt by Scott Norwood. I remember this at my grandparents’ house as the closest Super Bowl yet. Where were you?

March 28, 1992

The Duke Blue Devils were the defending champions and were ranked #1 the entire season. They had a relatively easy first 3 games in the tourney until they reached the Elite Eight against Rick Pitino’s Kentucky Wildcats, a program on the rise from probation a couple years prior. This would be the Kentucky team that would set the trend of success for the Bluegrass State. However, Christian Laettner had other plans: A perfect 10-10 from the field and 10-10 from the foul line, 30 points, his last 2 in OT on a full court baseball pass from Grant Hill. With 2.1 seconds to go and down one, Laettner caught the pass, dribbled and faded from 18 ft for the win and a trip to the Final Four. I was just home from a family barbecue, missed the entire 1^st half but caught one of the most amazing games in college basketball history. Where were you?

June 17, 1994

My family and I had just got back from a weeklong vacation in Mammoth. All we saw on the TV and in the newspapers was the killing of OJ Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and friend Ronald Goldman. I had no idea what was going on and could not expect what happened later that evening. While watching game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, NBC’s coverage was interrupted by this white Ford Bronco in a chase. Driving the Bronco was Al Cowlings, who was chauffeuring a despondent OJ Simpson, supposedly holding a gun in an apparent suicide situation. Following them was the LAPD in full force and the rest of the nation learned just what the 405 freeway was all about. The chase finally ended sometime around 8pm that evening at Simpson’s house in Brentwood. Where were you?

June 23, 2010

There are plenty of Americans who claim that soccer is not a real sport. However, I bet most of those Americans remember where they were the moment Landon Donovan scored in stoppage time, advancing the US men’s soccer team into the knockout round. I was getting ready for work and found myself unable to leave the living room. With today’s technology, we can enjoy this moment on YouTube and watch the reaction of Americans in bars and other social settings around the country. Thankfully I DVRed it. Where were you?

July 19, 1996

I’m not sure who was in the hotel room with me, and it doesn’t even matter if I never remember. What I do remember in that hotel room in Fort Myers, FL was the self-proclaimed “greatest of all time,” Muhammed Ali, capping off an opening ceremony with lighting the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium of the Atlanta Summer Games. When Bob Costas uttered the words, “but look who gets it next!” I got chills and still do when I see the replay today. Where were you?

August 8, 1992

There was no drama, no game-winning shot, and no individual excelling over his peers. It was simply one unit so far above the rest of their competition. For the first time, professional basketball players were allowed to participate in the Olympics. Dubbed the Dream Team, the US squad, featuring Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (who was by this time in retirement due to the HIV virus), took Barcelona by storm. They created an atmosphere that was like a rock-and-roll band touring the world. The growing popularity of basketball around the globe began with this two week extravaganza. The event ended with a punishing 117-85 gold medal win vs Croatia. I was in the living room with the rest of my family when Marv Albert proclaimed, “this is the greatest team ever assembled.” Where were you?

August 9, 1988

They called it the trade of the century. At least that’s what Kings’ TV play-by-play man Bob Miller called it. Wayne Gretzky had come off a season that saw his Edmonton Oilers lift the Stanley cup for the 4^th time in 5 seasons and saw him win 8 of 9 Hart Trophys as the NHL’s best player. This would be like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan or Jim Brown being traded in their peak and to a team in another country, within the same division. I remember as a 9 year old boy growing up in Los Angeles, seeing the “Great One” cry at the press conference. I had an instant interest in hockey. The city on the beach had a star on ice. Where were you?

September 26, 1999

I was at my girlfriend’s family’s house (yes, another girlfriend) for her birthday. She just had her tonsils removed so she was in no mood to celebrate. In fact, everyone in the house was pretty quiet the whole day until the 17^th hole at Brookline. The United States was in the midst of the greatest comeback in the history of the Ryder Cup when the struggling Justin Leonard sank a 45 foot birdie putt, ensuring a point and giving the US a dramatic victory. As the putt went in, I yelled something like, “He made it, I can’t believe he made it.” And yes, I was yelling, which is what shocked and surprised the rest of her family as they had very little interest in golf or whatever tournament they had to watch because of me. Where were you?

October 15, 1988

In the land of Hollywood movie endings, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a season of dramatic endings in 1988. I was at a birthday party with some friends from school watching game 1 of the 1988 World Series. However, when Jose Canseco’s grand slam gave the powerful Oakland A’s an early lead, my friends left the TV to go play football outside. I stayed and watched, and was joined by the birthday boy’s father sometime around the 5^th inning. Not a word was said between us, not even when we saw a hobbled Kirk Gibson emerge from the Dodger dugout to the on-deck circle and then limp to the batter’s box. But when Dennis Eckersley’s full-count offering was lifted into the right field pavilion, we both started yelling in jubilation. I raced out the front door yelling, “Gibson won it, he homered, they won it!!!” Where were you?

October 23, 1993

It started out as a bad day, a day that I felt awful. I was actually just sick, but sick enough to stay home from school. As game 6 of the 1993 World Series began, I was still very much under the weather in the living room of my grandparents’ house. In a back and forth contest between the defending champion Blue Jays and the rag tag Phillies, Joe Carter delivered in a moment that we as kids all dream of, winning the World Series with a homerun in the bottom of the 9^th inning. As Carter was about to touch home plate, CBS play-by-play man Sean McDonough said it perfectly, “The winners and still champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.” Where were you?

November 7, 1991

My mom picked me up from soccer practice on a Thursday afternoon and took my sister and me to my grandparents. I turned on the TV and there it was, plain as day. “Because of the HIV virus that I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers, today.” At that point, it was perhaps the saddest day of my life. My favorite basketball player was not only retiring, but he was going to die, at least that’s what a 12-year-old kid thinks when he hears that someone has the HIV virus. Yeah, we saw Magic Johnson play in the All-star game, the Olympics and also in his brief return to the NBA in 1996, but the curtain had closed on Showtime. And the smile was gone. Where were you?

The End of a Good Run

How do you build a champion? Ever since Red Auerbach’s Celtics, GMs and coaches who followed have had their ideas and theories. It sounds simple. You find a coach, get a star, and build around him with other quality teammates and role players. The San Antonio Spurs began using this formula in 1997 when Gregg Popovich took over for head coach Bob Hill, who was fired after a 3-15 start. With star center David Robinson hurt for most of the season, Popovich did a little better than Hill going 17-47 for an NBA season worst of 20-62. The bright side was that the lottery ensured them the 1^st overall pick in the draft, and as fate would have it, a 6’11” power forward/center out of Wake Forest University originally from the Virgin Islands was the pick.

Tim Duncan, who was the last number one overall pick that played 4 years in college (what a concept), joined “The Admiral” David Robinson and a collection of veterans and began contending right away. In just his 2^nd year, Duncan would lead the Spurs through the strike-shortened season all the way to the Finals, where they topped the Knicks in five games to earn the franchise’s first NBA crown. The Spurs would go on to win three more titles in 2003, 2005, and 2007, four in a 9 year stretch. Dynasty? Well not exactly. Sure, the Spurs over that stretch were among the class of the league. Duncan won 2 MVPs and sent David Robinson off into the sunset with 2 rings, the 2^nd coming in 2003, his final season. Other stars would aid Duncan in their run. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili turned out to be steals in their respected drafts and go on to play in numerous all star games. Along the way, the Spurs have had very reliable role players, veterans who knew their place and supported the stars in many ways. Avery Johnson, Sean Elliot, Malik Rose, Steve Kerr, Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, Brent Barry and many others made big plays when called upon and didn’t need the spotlight. In fact, none of the Spurs’ stars needed the attention. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have all led their team in scoring for at least one season. Duncan and Parker have each won NBA Finals MVPs. Even Gregg Popovich, it seems, would rather sit back and just let his team play. So as you can see, the Spurs have had a great nucleus, a great balance and great success. But here is why they wouldn’t be considered a dynasty:

1.       Let’s look at some of the great dynasties in sports, just rambling them off here in no particular order: 1960’s Celtics, 1960’s Packers, 1970’s Steelers, 1970’s A’s, 1980’s Lakers,  1980’s Edmonton Oilers, 1980’s 49ers, 1990’s Bulls and take your pick with the Canadiens and the Yankees, they each had multiple dynasties throughout the decades. All of those teams have at least a couple of things in common including multiple Hall of Famers and legendary coaches for starters. While the Spurs will have 2 Hall of Famers, they did not have a legendary coach, especially not a coach who rivals names like Auerbach, Lombardi, Noll, Walsh, Phil Jackson and others.

2.       Those dynasties also had a transcending style of play, giving each team some sort of special identity. For example, the 60’s Packers have the Vince Lombardi trophy and the legendary Packer sweep. The Steelers have the Steel Curtain. There are also The Showtime Lakers and Murderer’s Row, just to name a few more. The Spurs have the fundamentals and a knack for playing solid team defense but nothing that stands out.

3.       All of those teams were able to repeat. The Spurs could not. What’s that old saying? Winning the first is hard but staying on top is harder. And what’s more, they couldn’t even get to consecutive Finals. They were not able to sustain greatness many years in a row.

4.       Here’s the big one: in the same decade when the Spurs would be considered a dynasty, the Lakers have overpowered them and have staked claim as the recent/current dynasty. Tim Duncan, under Gregg Popovich, has won 4 rings. Kobe Bryant, under Phil Jackson, has won 5. Spurs’ fans are probably saying right about now, “The Lakers missed the playoffs in ’05, they had 2 years straight of getting knocked out in the 1^st round.” Here’s how common sense combats that. While the Spurs shut down the Forum in 1999 and eliminated the Lakers again in 2003, L.A. has eliminated the Spurs in the 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008 playoffs. To summarize, the Lakers, in the same timeframe, have more rings, more Finals appearances, and also have the edge head-to-head in the playoffs

Fast forward 30 years from now. We’re going to look back on the great teams in sports and when we come to the Spurs, what will we say? Let’s try this, “The front office did a fantastic job with draft steals and free agent acquisitions for a mid-sized market. Tim Duncan was among the best players of his era and arguably the greatest power forward in history. Manu Ginobili was so exciting to watch. Robert Horry and Steve Kerr got it done wherever they were. David Robinson had his moments of greatness but was not quite Shaq or Olajuwon. Gregg Popovich came from where? Pomona Pitzer? Tony Parker was very versatile, just ask Brent Barry’s wife, ouch!!!! Ok, so throw out that last jab. But other than Duncan, nothing there says “among the best of all time.” Nothing there says legendary. Nothing there says truly memorable. Nothing there says dynasty.