USA Today - A toast to the Spurs

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colum...terstitialskip

By Mike Lopresti

San Antonio, this one's for you.
Looks as if the Spurs could be gone soon. Maybe Tuesday, probably Friday. They appear to be too thin, too injured, and the Dallas Mavericks are up 3-1, ready to finish them off. The team that so often has graced June might be done before May, and since the world never granted them proper renown as serial NBA champions, will anyone notice when they've left the room?

Let's hope so.

It was always amazing, how the Spurs could win so many rings and do it so quietly, like a locomotive barreling unnoticed through the backyard. Guess they were never brash enough or showy enough or controversial enough.

The Lakers always got more publicity before breakfast.

But the Spurs knew how to become champions — at least in odd-numbered years. They did it in 1999 and 2003 and 2005 and 2007. The calendar said they were due this season, even if the standings didn't.

But Tim Duncan just turned 33 and Manu Ginobili is hurt, which is what happens when time starts to take over. Tony Parker scored 43 points in Game 4 in Dallas, and it was still not enough.

I read somewhere that the aura isn't working anymore. What aura? The Spurs had an aura? I thought all they had to truly draw public notice was Eva Longoria's husband at guard.

Why, then, didn't we give them more credit when their aura was plugged in? Now they are in imminent danger of a first-round exit, and that hasn't happened since 2000.

So pardon some sympathy for the former center of the basketball universe. San Antonio not only has been home to the world's most unheralded dynasty, but it also became one of the most admired hosts of the men's Final Four.

Now the Spurs are fading, and the NCAA has turned its back because the Alamodome is neither spacious nor plush enough. San Antonio has lost the event to, among other cities, Dallas and Houston.

What next, the Alamo gets moved to Austin?

At least the city will host the next women's Final Four. (Memo to Connecticut for future reference: Don't miss the Tex-Mex lunches on the River Walk).

Meanwhile, about the Spurs. They've lost three to the Mavericks, and it takes four, so they're not dead yet. "We've been in the hole before," Duncan reminded the assembled media after Game 4. "All you can do is take one game at a time. As cliche as that is, that's all you can do."

But should they fall, it begs the question whether the fires are going out on their era. If so, the Spurs will join the list of people, places and things not fully appreciated until they were gone.

You might recognize some of the others:

Sunday doubleheaders.

Diving boards at hotel pools.

Real letters in the mail. With most of the words even spelled correctly.

Customers in Yankee Stadium box seats.

Main Street.

Dinner on an airplane.

The magic in the title: "heavyweight champion of the world."

Fans in your row who say "Excuse me" when they walk in front of you in the middle of a game.

Local customer service. Not an 800 number to a voice 400 miles away.

The U.S.-Soviet Olympic rivalry.

Barry Bonds, pre-steroids.

The Buffalo Bills playing in four straight Super Bowls.

The Atlanta Braves winning 14 straight division titles.

Double features.

Phones that get answered by live people.

The mile run.

Late night scores in newspapers.

Interstates without orange barrels.

Crowds singing "God Bless America" at sports events. (Not to worry; it'll be popular again next terrorist attack.)

The biggest college football bowls on New Year's Day.

World Series games in sunshine, with the temperature above 50.

College basketball lineups dominated by seniors.

Understandably, the Spurs are in no hurry to join such a distinguished club. But one day they will, whether they want to or not.

great peace.

thanks, senior spur.

Pretty good read.
Thanks for posting it!

Nicely done. I hope, but fear that it is not, premature.

I wish some of the jerks who broadcast basketball and reinforce the prception that only the brash, the controversial, the loud-mouths of the NBA deserve respect could read and absorb some of this. But they won't. TNT's announcers and the ESPN announcers are as classless as any in any sport...but it is what sells the NBA today. Too bad for those of us who appreciate the sport as it used to be played, and who actually like to support players who are decent human beings.

so stupid the amount of media a team like Larry Bird's celtics continues to receive and be heralded on, when the TD-era spurs have been more consistent over a longer period of time - i won't mention the fact they didn't repeat, and TD has 4 as opposed to 3.

the media hate of the spurs will have tim underrated in 10 years, parker and ginobili and others forgotten completely. One of the worst media debacles in sports.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EVAY

Nicely done. I hope, but fear that it is not, premature.

I wish some of the jerks who broadcast basketball and reinforce the prception that only the brash, the controversial, the loud-mouths of the NBA deserve respect could read and absorb some of this. But they won't. TNT's announcers and the ESPN announcers are as classless as any in any sport...but it is what sells the NBA today. Too bad for those of us who appreciate the sport as it used to be played, and who actually like to support players who are decent human beings.

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Amen to that. It is a shame that the Spurs always go unnoticed, they deserve to be recognized alot. Even if they've only won in odd years they deserve to be called a dominant team.

: (

The only thing the Spurs are recognized for is being unrecognized. :depressed

I can't help but think many of these articles are just celebrating the demise of the Spurs. There only seems to be acknowledgment of a "dynasty" just so they can herald its end.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

I can't help but think many of these articles are just celebrating the demise of the Spurs. There only seems to be acknowledgment of a "dynasty" just so they can herald its end.

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Yea thats so true, it seems like the only time i hear about the Spurs on ESPN or something is when their losing or in turmoil. I hate it, all this Laker, Cav and everybody else in the NBA is better but the Spurs attitude they have. Fuck them!!! They don't know what real basketball is, and they never will, but at least in our hearts we know who the best team is, and that's all that matters.

Nice article; glad to see someone give the Spurs respect. Just listening and reading sports media these days, many have put the Spurs out to pasture. The Spurs are down but I don't think completely out just yet. Still, they are getting old and nothing last forever.

Just Die already boring fucks!

And all because we made glaring mistakes on Howard and Scola.

The Big 3: Pop, Bufford & Holt all have their hands dirty on those two mistakes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spork KIller

Just Die already boring fucks!

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I would rather be bored winning, than excited losing.

Man - this article choked me up a little. :cry

It's so hard to say good bye to the Championship runs. Are we soon going to be like the Lakers' fans of the post Shaq era?

It was hard when the Admiral retired, but we still had Timmy, Tony and Manu. Now Timmy's days are numbered and there won't be another Duncan. It will be interesting to see how the Spurs evolve over the next few years.

I still want one more of these :lobt: before the end of the Duncan era!

Nice article...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SenorSpur

too injured

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nuff said

The local radio guys here in ABQ hate the Spurs and were saying the other day they need to die a slow, painful death and how excited they are to see it start happening.

Needless to say I responded to them. I'll laugh a hearty laugh when we win the 2011 NBA title to complete the sequence.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cherylsteele

I would rather be bored winning, than excited losing.

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Honestly, thanks to the spurms I've watched more playoff basketball than if I just watched the teams I root for...:lol :lol :lol



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Am I the only one who could care less for this article?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spork KIller.

Honestly, thanks to the spurms I've watched more playoff basketball than if I just watched the teams I root for...:lol :lol :lol

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thats because the suns cant make the playoffs :lol:lol:lol:lol

I hate the criteria of repeat title being used to define a dynasty. The spurs have been a great championship caliber team for over a decade. Teams that have repeats, and threepeats like the lakers, but do not have a dominant team over a long stretch of time are one time shots. The lakers had shaq and kobe but they only lasted for so long, the spurs have had a solid team that was always a threat for over a decade! It's bullshit to not have full reverence for a team that consistently wins.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EVAY

Nicely done. I hope, but fear that it is not, premature.

I wish some of the jerks who broadcast basketball and reinforce the prception that only the brash, the controversial, the loud-mouths of the NBA deserve respect could read and absorb some of this. But they won't. TNT's announcers and the ESPN announcers are as classless as any in any sport...but it is what sells the NBA today. Too bad for those of us who appreciate the sport as it used to be played, and who actually like to support players who are decent human beings.

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Because the American consumer has gotten STUPID.
Spurs are the classiest group of guys and their players embody humility, leadership, dedication. And they get rejected for being "boring" because they don't have drama queens like Shaq, Kobe.
I don't know where we went wrong from the 80's, when team ball was valued but Spurs definitely didn't get the national adulation they deserved as one of America's teams....:lol

but I guess "deserve's got nothing to do with it."

I might be on my own on this one, but I don't think the Spurs are done winning titles yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thomas82

I might be on my own on this one, but I don't think the Spurs are done winning titles yet.

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Depends upon what they do in the offseason. Duncan probably has another 2-3 productive years left. They wont win another championship by bringing in the next end-of-career vet dujuor.

In ten years nobody will remember the Suns, Mavs, or other perennial also-rans. But they'll all remember the Spurs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

In ten years nobody will remember the Suns, Mavs, or other perennial also-rans. But they'll all remember the Spurs.

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:tu

Can somebody tell me what are these in this article? I'm not an American.

Sunday doubleheaders.

Diving boards at hotel pools.

Real letters in the mail. With most of the words even spelled correctly.

Customers in Yankee Stadium box seats.

Main Street.

Dinner on an airplane.

The magic in the title: "heavyweight champion of the world."

Fans in your row who say "Excuse me" when they walk in front of you in the middle of a game.

Local customer service. Not an 800 number to a voice 400 miles away.

The U.S.-Soviet Olympic rivalry.

Barry Bonds, pre-steroids.

The Buffalo Bills playing in four straight Super Bowls.

The Atlanta Braves winning 14 straight division titles.

Double features.

Phones that get answered by live people.

The mile run.

Late night scores in newspapers.

Interstates without orange barrels.

Crowds singing "God Bless America" at sports events. (Not to worry; it'll be popular again next terrorist attack.)

The biggest college football bowls on New Year's Day.

World Series games in sunshine, with the temperature above 50.

College basketball lineups dominated by seniors.

I was just to create a thread about this.

Believe it or not, I think this Dynasty is over too. Sure the Spurs can still be somewhat of a threat...but not a championship team again.

It's kind of sad when you find the ways to measure the past 5 or 10 years.

I remember watching the very first championship run and win...in SA...rooting for SA.

Ten years later I find myself rooting against that very same team, in the city that takes them out in the first round....