- Toronto Raptors vs Houston Rockets tg200812 145 © by Rudy E. Escoto
Lockouts are an ugly business. They hurt everyone – the fans most of all. And they are the ones who least understand it. In their eyes, it’s a bunch of millionaires squabbling over their hard-earned money. I mean they’re the ones buying the tickets, the jerseys, the kids clothing, the sports packages, and the key chain flashlights. And they’re the ones who suffer having to miss out on an entire year of watching the team they support so faithfully, while getting nothing in return. It’s no surprise why they are the most ticked off about the whole thing, and rightfully so. But when the league returns, it’s like a shepherd calling his flock; they return with smiles on their faces and cash in their hand. So why wouldn’t the league (whichever league it may be) take their time to “squabble” over who gets which piece of the pie? I mean, obviously there’s more to it than that, but as a fan it’s hard to justify.
The current league that just underwent this process is of course the NBA. And as I mentioned, it’s the fans who are suffering. I, however, am not one of them. But I do feel their pain, having watched two of my beloved leagues lose entire seasons to the lockout. It’s not that I’m not a fan of basketball, I do love to play the game, and I’m actually deceptively good, kind of like Prince. I just don’t like the product offered by the NBA, and I never took to the Raptors the way most people in Southern Ontario did. Although I will be happy for the city and the team if they ever win. The only basketball I do watch religiously is March Madness. It’s exciting, unpredictable, raw, and played for the love of the game.
I guess my main beef with the NBA (and be warned, it is a little juvenile) is all of the trash talking after a dunk. Or maybe more that it’s seen as such a spectacular play. I mean if you’re tall enough, how hard is it to place the ball directly into the basket? I can’t dunk (unless you drop the basket a foot), but every player in the NBA pretty much can. It’s literally the easiest way to score a basket. How can you possibly chirp after that? But players still do. They slam it down, pump their chest, tough-talk the camera, and taunt the other team. It’s ridiculous. It would be like a soccer player tapping the ball into a wide open net and then… well bad example. It would be like a running back in the NFL punching the ball in from the 1-yard line and… wow, another bad example. Ok I know, it would be more like a golfer tapping in a put. The most you’ll ever see from a golfer after tapping in an easy putt is a fist pump. The game just exudes class. Or how about a hockey player? Have you ever seen a player score on an empty net, do a chicken dance, then tough-talk the other team? Most of the time they’re too embarrassed to put it in the empty net, that if they have the option, they pass it off to a teammate. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing goal celebrations, and watching the emotions of the players. But not from the easiest of plays, have a little class. The other problem with dunking is it’s made even easier by the defensive foul rule, which basically allows the offensive player to run right through the defender on the way to slamming the ball. Yes, I understand how defense works, and the whole feet being planted thing, but you see the former more often than the latter. And if for some reason they don’t make it to the hoop, there probably going to the line for some free shots anyway. Which brings me to the last few minutes of any basketball game. Basketball has the worst finishes of any major sport, where the players run around slapping each other, and taking free shots. Well, maybe the NFL is worse (where they can kneel the last few minutes away, and shake hands while the game clocks still running).
Anyway, despite my dislike for the NBA, and my joy of a basketball-free Sportscentre, chalked full of hockey, with in-depth discussion and player bios, I am happy that the NBA is returning. For the sake of the fans if for nothing else (again I know how painful it can be), but also for the city of Toronto. They need every possible chance they can get, to somehow win a major sports championship this millennium!
…and that is the last word.
