 |
||||||||||||
Historically
Speaking The Charlotte Bobcats are the worst ever. I mentioned it on the TV commentaries last week....Michael Jordan's NBA accomplishments both on and off the court are unsurpassed. There's no other way to describe it.....7-59. In your lifetime, you might not watch a more inept NBA team. Local scribe Tom Sorensen wrote that they aren't "likable". Neither are car wrecks, but you have to admit you stare at them when you drive by one. That car wreck is the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats. While attending the final game, I thought it was interesting that Gerald Henderson addressed the fans on the PA right before tip-off, thanking them for their support during the tough season. Where was Jordan? While Henderson handled the announcement with class...he also has a game to play. Jordan was hidden, as usual....either underneath the stands or in his cozy suite away from the fans. This is the same guy that is taking out full page ads in the paper and talking about being a part of the community while he builds his 25,000 square foot mansion in Florida. I can assure that this is not part of the "Jordan Brand". I'd bet you a million bucks to a bag of Bojangles' biscuits that if the club was 59-7, MJ would have been holding court on the court with the microphone in hand. The Bobcats can only hope and pray that the ping pong Gods smile on them next month. A team this embarrassingly bad deserves the first pick, regardless of what the NBA does with their ping pong machine behind closed doors. In the meantime, to get ready for the next NBA season, MJ will be playing golf at a ritzy country club near you. Another NFL Draft has come and gone. I wish I could say the same for Chris Berman. There was a time when Mel Kiper, Jr. annoyed me beyond belief, but Berman's ability to be annoying at all times is the new leader in the clubhouse. But I've taken a page out of my own book when it comes to the NFL Draft coverage....I watch as little as possible and find something better to do. As for the Carolina Panthers, I liked their selection of players, but I didn't really follow their reasoning based on immediate needs.....especially with the early selections. I've always contended that fans shouldn't get too wacky with the picks because you won't know who can really play and contribute until the boys show up in camp down in Spartanburg. Luke Kuechly, the first round pick from Boston College is a solid player....and Rivera & Hurney both claimed that the current health status of returning linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis appears to be fine. So with that said, why jump on a LB when you apparently have more pressing needs in multiple areas of your defensive team? Something tells me that Thomas Davis will once again find a way to get hurt while backing up his car to the Jerry Richardson bank. He's been ripping off the Panthers for years....yeah, when he's healthy he can really play. That's like me saying when the Bobcats score more points they win.....it just doesn't happen enough for my taste. I learned a long time ago that coaches know a helluva lot more than media talking heads. It doesn't mean they don't mistakes, but their inside info trumps anything you'll hear on radio or TV. I thought the club hit a home run with the selection of Joe Adams, the fantastic return man from Arkansas. The kid can fly and has a knack of making things happen on kick returns. I also believe that Armanti Edwards has an upcoming Spartanburg camp to prove that he can actually contribute to the club. I said it a couple of years ago, and I'll say it again today....the Armanti Edwards acquisition was absolutely dumb. He's a nice kid that just can't play on this level. But the countdown clock is already ticking for next year....and Chris Berman is already working on a list of lame nicknames. The Wells Fargo Championship gets underway this week in Charlotte. It will be good to see my buddy, Boo Weekley, in town again. I'll continue to pick him to win the golf tournament....one of these days, I hope I'm right. It's like all the NASCAR beat writers that pick Dale, Jr. every week....the last time I checked, Junior has gone 130-something races without a win. But, I digress. Quail Hollow is a beautiful place and the tournament is first-class. In my opinion, it is a perfect fit for the Queen City in every shape and form. Bruton Smith does an awesome job at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Johnny Harris and his crew do a splendid job at Quail. Charlotte is lucky to have those events and the folks that operate them are right on the money. I hope to get out to Quail Hollow, but my schedule is busier than ever these days....but if you are lucky enough to have a ticket...you'll have a great time. Finally, the NBA Playoffs are underway and there are storylines all over the place even after the opening weekend. What's up with all the ACL tears? The biggest one happened to Chicago's Derrick Rose. He's done for the post-season and so are the Bulls' chances to capture the NBA title...it is a devastating blow. The NY Knicks pulled a Bobcat and lost their opener to the Heat by 33. The record for consecutive playoff losses is 12....the Knicks now stand at 11. Even Jordan's Bobcats aren't close to that losing streak....of course, the Bobcats have to get there first. One line that I read this past week floored me....LeBron James stated if the Heat doesn't win it all he wouldn't consider the season a failure. He says "failure" is too strong of a word. This coming from the same guy that was predicting multiple NBA titles by counting up to 7 for Miami. Hey LeBron, it's time to man-up in the 4th quarter and win a title.....plus Chicago is no longer Chicago with Rose's injury. Championship or Bust....it's your call, LeBron. CBSSports.com published a story last week that claimed Roy Williams and his UNC players thought about cutting down the nets at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium after the Heels' victory to claim the top seed in the ACC Tourney. Coach Williams finally came to the conclusion that it would have probably caused a problem. You think? Can you imagine Auburn tearing down the Alabama goal posts after a football victory in Tuscaloosa? Had Roy Williams not convinced his kids it was a bad idea, the fight in Durham might still be taking place two months later. Plus, why would you think about cutting down the nets anyhow? Either way, it was a great story........ You know how much I hate NCAA Football recruiting rankings and NFL Draft grades immediately following their respective dates, but how about this bit of information: I read an article over the weekend that took into account the last four NFL Drafts. There have been 128 players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (2009-12), and here is the breakdown of the players drafted in the first round based on their high school recruiting rankings.
I know there is a large appetite for recruiting news and draft geeks, and there's nothing wrong with that passion. However, it needs to be tempered with the notion that you just never know how a kid is going to develop and compete on the next level. It's nearly impossible to predict or project this kind of stuff. The next time you hear somebody claim that their favorite college team has a Top 10 recruiting class or their NFL team rocked in the Draft....pass on the info and grab another cold one. We'll all find out how good these guys are down the road. |
|
|||||||||||
