NBA Playoffs: 2 Months for 2 Minutes

Photo: kobebeef.com

10 years ago, David Stern decided to extend first-round playoff series' from five to seven games. The obvious addition of TV ad revenue dumbed down a maligned playoff system. If the casual fan didn’t need to watch an NBA game until the final two minutes, it certainly didn’t need to watch the Playoffs until the final couple games.

Last year, the Playoffs started on April 28 and ended on June 21st. The Heat beat the Thunder in 5 games. If the series wasn’t so one-sided, the playoffs would’ve taken over two months! Half the league makes the playoffs (16/32 teams) and it takes 82 games to decide the seeding? 10 years ago, the Heat, Bulls, Knicks, Thunder, Spurs, and Warriors would’ve already been in the second round. Boom, 33% of the playoff teams decided before the end of April and most NBA analysts chose the aforementioned before the season even started! With the exception of Derrick Rose’s injury to the Bulls, the previous teams either have depth or remained healthy a majority of the season.

The Bulls aren’t serious contenders without Rose just like the Celtics were never contenders without Rajon Rondo. The Lakers proposed starting five of Nash, Kobe, Ron Artest, The Llama, and Superbitch played SEVEN games together all season. Add to all of this the offseason movement of Jeremy Lin, James Harden, and the effect that it had on the Knicks and Thunder’s depth, the Miami Heat actually got better by the law of attrition (Judas Shuttlesworth also helped).

Russell Westbrook’s injury made the Thunder’s return trip to the Finals almost impossible. “Almost” because Kevin Durant is still special, but the West has come down to one series: Lob City versus Z-Bo and the Grizzlies. They’re tied at 2 games apiece while the Spurs watch after sweeping the Fakers. Considering the rest of the first round match-ups, wouldn’t a fifth game to decide it all between the Clippers and Griz be great? Instead, we wait for the Grizz to win two more while the Spurs veterans get their much-needed rest, waiting to face Golden State (educated guess).

Essentially, this is the 66-win Miami Heatles against the winner of the Grizzlies or Spurs. Miami got to rest its stars last month after their win streak came to an end. The Spurs get to rest their stars for about a week right now. I’ll see you in June for the final few minutes.

2013 NFL Draft: A Television vs. Twitter Tragedy

This year marks the 30th anniversary of, arguably, the greatest NFL draft class ever: 1983 for the liberal arts majors out there. Quarterbacks John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino, along with running back Eric Dickerson, all went in the first round. Marino was selected 27th out of 28 picks! Since then, so much about the league has grown, with the NFL Draft becoming a microcosm for the league, its popularity, and financial prowess.

Vulcan death grip to those who question me!

Starting in 2010, the NFL moved its annual April weekend all-day broadcast to Thursday Night prime time (actually, a 7:30 broadcast start in 2010) because there was money to-be-made on behalf of the league and ESPN. The worldwide hype machine could dedicate hours of promotion leading up to its coverage and charge top dollar for ad space, much like the financial model for the Super Bowl. Last year, the NFL Network and ESPN shared 8.1 million viewers for their first-round coverage. It was the second-most-watched first-round in NFL history, up 16% from the year before. Part of that could be attributed to Andrew Luck and RG3, but with the NFL Network already broadcasting the NFL Combine, journalists and experts have enough football fodder to feed any addict’s appetite up until draft day. “Oh, it was an ingrown toenail that caused him to run a slow 40 at the combine! He’ll do better at his pro day. Nice! He’s passed his last eight drug tests, guess he’s changed those character issues. Maybe my team should draft him.”

Naturally, since both networks have thrived in the instant-information age, they're banning their journalists and NFL experts from tweeting or reporting a team’s pick before [commissioner] Rodger Goodell announces it on television. In addition to the twitter edict, both networks have agreed not to tip-off viewers by showing prospects on the phone prior to Goodell announcing the choice on television. (insert shitty Chris Berman sound effect) Wait, what?!

The Masters, Indeed!

While you’re smelling the Azaleas, some facts to think about:

• The tournament has a number of traditions. Since 1949, a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after the time of that player’s victory. In most instances, the green jacket is only removed from the club’s grounds by a first-time champion. A golfer who wins the event multiple times uses the same green jacket awarded upon his initial win (unless he needs to be re-fitted with a new green jacket)
• Before 1982 all players in the Masters were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddy, who by club tradition was always an African American. Indeed, club co-founder Clifford Roberts is reputed to have said, “As long as I’m alive, golfers will be white, and caddies will be black.” The Masters requires caddies to wear a uniform consisting of a white jumpsuit, a green Masters cap, and white tennis shoes. The surname, and sometimes first initial, of each player is found on the back of his caddie’s uniform. The defending champion always receives caddy number “1”: other golfers get their caddy numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament.
• The Champions Dinner, inaugurated by Ben Hogan in 1952, is held on the Tuesday before each tournament, and is open only to past champions and certain board members of the Augusta National Golf Club.
• In 1997 Fuzzy Zoeller was asked about Tiger Woods dominating performance and responded, “He’s doing quite well, pretty impressive. That little boy is driving well and he is putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year…or collard greens or whatever they hell they serve.”
• In 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots at age 21, in the process breaking the tournament four-day scoring record that had stood for 32 years.
• The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones, who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, of which Jones said: “Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it.” The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery since 1857.
• The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.
• In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters, doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member.
• Former Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson infamously said in 2002 that the world-renowned golf course might someday have female members “but that timetable will be ours and not at the point of a bayonet.” In 2012, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore became the first female members.
• In 1994, Fairway announcer and former touring pro Gary McCord claimed the greens were so fast it was as if they had been “bikini waxed”. Since Augusta National has a strict policy on referring to fans as "patrons or gallery", McCord was banned from Augusta.
• In 2010, Masters Chairman Billy Payne said in regards to Tiger Woods' rock-star side life, “It’s not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here, it is the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids.”

Hootie Who?!

Augusta National has 300 members a year that are invited to join. They do not accept applications. Augusta National has a year-to-year to contract with CBS. When threatened with the idea of losing sponsorship due to woman’s groups boycotting sponsors, then-chairman Hootie Johnson simply fired the sponsors. In 2003 and 2004, the Masters did not have any sponsors. They don’t need them just like they don’t need television networks.

In 2001, the course measured 6,925 yards and was extended to 7,270 yards for 2002, and once more in 2006 to 7,445 yards; 520 yards longer than the 2001 course. This was commonly referred to as “Tiger-proofing” Augusta and requires the winner to now hit long, high, drawing (right to left) shots off the tee, around Augusta’s corners in addition to navigating the treacherous greens.

The Big 3

Tiger (7/2) is the obvious favorite because physically, mentally, emotionally, and short-game wise, he looks as strong as ever. My only concern is Tiger has been working the ball left to right with his last two coaches. He’s had two weeks to work on hitting a draw again. He is Tiger, but does a big miss lurk under Major pressure? Rory (8/1) finished second this past weekend at the Valero Texas Open. Martin