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I can't believe this guy has a job! And what an absolute ingrade for making a ridiculous crack at a national monument.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...4650612.column
Lakers give one up just to break the monotony
Maybe if the Lakers were more interesting, a lifetime sentence of three days in San Antonio would be all right. But we already know what's going to happen.
T.J. Simers
May 26, 2008
SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers are so boring.
Why are we even here?
It's steaming hot and the only thing this city has going for it is the River Walk -- where everyone walks around a winding, polluted river, maybe catching a table by its side for dinner and watching the garbage float by.
There's also the Alamo, named for a rental car company, I believe, but none of it is Boston, and isn't that what everyone is really waiting for?
Maybe if the Lakers were more interesting, a lifetime sentence of three days in San Antonio would be all right. But we already know what's going to happen.
The Lakers are going to win. And then win again.
That's how it's gone so far. When they went to Salt Lake City for a couple of games, I stayed behind with the granddaughter, and I hear they lost.
I wouldn't know. I'm 10-0 with the Lakers, and each of our guys is great, the "we take just one game at a time" clichés flowing freely, and everyone else stinks.
The thrill of sports is the unexpected, an occasional Lakers defeat maybe and our heroes digging deep to fight back and win the next day. As the TNT or TBS commercial goes, "We know drama."
The Lakers don't.
They lose, and at least we can take a closer look at everyone without first patting them on the back.
The other day I get this e-mail from "bw," who wrote: "In the midst of all this Laker playoff euphoria, why haven't you cast a spotlight on Luke Walton's shooting?
"Have you seen it? What is he now, about two for 40? And other than a fifth-grade girls' playground game, have you ever seen a shooting form to match it? Have you noticed the deathly silence from the Laker broadcast team whenever he slams another brick off the glass? How many years is this guy signed for?"
First of all, he makes "deathly silence from the Laker broadcast team" sound like a bad thing.
But as for Walton, I repeat, the Lakers are 10-0 while I've watched them play, and if Walton is that bad, who cares?
I checked, though, and although he's two for nine against the Spurs, it's not exactly two for 40, and if you add up all the playoff games, he's 33 for 66, and that's darn good.
I suppose I should be concerned when the e-mailers are tougher on the Lakers than Page 2, but how does anyone pick them apart while they're doing so well?
I'm now reduced to checking out what the guys from ESPN are wearing. Marc Stein is sporting a Cal State Fullerton tennis T-shirt from his days at the school as a ball boy, but surprisingly Ric Bucher isn't wearing a Kobe jersey.
But that's it unless the Lakers go human and stumble here, but how can a team win by 30 and two days later lose to that same old team?
I guess maybe if Derek Fisher doesn't make the trip. Where was he? I had no idea he was even in uniform until the referee called a technical foul on him.
Lamar Odom makes a low pass to Pau Gasol and Gasol shows him up when the ball goes off Gasol and out of bounds. He bends down low again, letting Odom know he can't catch it there, and then raises his arms showing everyone where Odom should have passed the ball. Maybe that flies in Memphis, but not here.
But then Gasol is always seemingly blaming someone else when things don't go well. Usually it's the referees, and enough already.
Manu Ginobili, by the way, who made no excuses for his horrible play so far in the series, is bombing three after three over Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic should know where a three-point shooter likes to get the ball, but he continues to give Ginobili space.
Later he looks to the sideline with disbelief when TimDuncan makes an unbelievable shot over him -- like Phil Jackson can do anything about it. Enough already with the grimaces, just play.
Odom, meanwhile, is one for 10 at one stretch and a disaster at the free-throw line. Would someone please tell him he has no balance at the free-throw line. He begins with legs spread, and then just before shooting takes away his own base, accounting for every wobbly attempt. No excuse, none, for the way he shoots free throws.
If someone locates Fisher, I suspect Vladimir Radmanovic will be with him. My guess, they're out to lunch.
Too bad they didn't take Vujacic with them. He would have had the same amount of threes in the game had he not come to the arena.
Bryant shoots one free and misses. Holy Utah, what's with that?
I swear, even the Spurs' cheerleaders are looking better than the Laker Girls, a 49-point swing from Friday to Sunday here, some drama, and a series that is no longer boring.
Isn't it great? One more loss here, and how much fun would it be returning to Staples Center, the best of three against the defending champions, Lakers fans a little nervous, and now that's entertainment.
The Lakers winning it all in the end, of course, or someone is really going to have to rip into the bums.
WHY AM I not surprised that an ultimate fighter who runs away from Page 2 loses every round unanimously Saturday night in Las Vegas? Just surprised o Ortiz even showed up.
TODAY'S LAST word comes in e-mail from Scott Willard: "Let me begin by telling you unequivocally that you should be ashamed by your written words. This column tells me quite a bit about your character, or lack thereof. Calling Mr. Ned Colletti a 'schmoozer' belies a man of great character . . . so I hope you slept well last night after you filed your column. Mr. Colletti and his interest in such causes (as Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA) are what God wants from every man. Perhaps it would serve you well to visit some hospitals on your own. I would imagine you would be less inclined to write columns such as this. I pray you take the time to apologize to Mr. Colletti . . . "
I'm sorry he doesn't spend more time with the kids in the hospital . . . and away from the Dodgers.
T.J. Simers can be reached at [email protected]. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.
I can't believe this guy has a job! And what an absolute ingrade for making a ridiculous crack at a national monument.
I've read a half of it.
he has right to have such opinion.
I bet lakers feels good about their chances in game 4. All in all they are leading 2-1 having homecourt adventage, having fresher legs, having Phil and Kobe in his career best.
If the spurs were in such situation I would not be concerned about one awa loss to the WCF opponent.
But the article was weak as weak can be
Even if it were pro-Spurs that's a very poorly written, rambling article. D-.
Are there any objective writers in LA? Probably but so far I haven't found them. He is just another writer playing to the LA crowd. Lakers are great and fantastic and everyone else sucks. Puts down the opposing city and belittles it's culture. Now where have I encountered that before? Oh that's right - Mark Cuban and his famous tirade about the Riverwalk back in '06.
Weak and lame article. Writer shows a total lack of respect for SA. Pathetic.
Read some of his other hack crap. The guy's a .
Every city has a writer that writes garbage critical of another city. It is totally classless but always seems to find an audience with the hometown readers. At least we have not had to read from one of our guys about the slums of LA, the filthy smog, grid lock traffic, etc.
Thats like making fun of pearl harbor.
Just cause it didn't happen to your generation doesn't mean it didn't mean .
T.J. Simers writes tounge in cheek -- you should have seen his critique of Nebraska when USC travelled there to play the Cornhuskers last fall. I wouldn't overeact to poor old T.J.
Lakers give one up just to break the monotony
T.J. Simers
Maybe if the Lakers were more interesting, a lifetime sentence of three days in San Antonio would be all right. But we already know what's going to happen.
May 26, 2008
SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers are so boring.
Why are we even here?
It's steaming hot and the only thing this city has going for it is the River Walk -- where everyone walks around a winding, polluted river, maybe catching a table by its side for dinner and watching the garbage float by.
There's also the Alamo, named for a rental car company, I believe, but none of it is Boston, and isn't that what everyone is really waiting for?
Maybe if the Lakers were more interesting, a lifetime sentence of three days in San Antonio would be all right. But we already know what's going to happen.
The Lakers are going to win. And then win again.
That's how it's gone so far. When they went to Salt Lake City for a couple of games, I stayed behind with the granddaughter, and I hear they lost.
I wouldn't know. I'm 10-0 with the Lakers, and each of our guys is great, the "we take just one game at a time" clichés flowing freely, and everyone else stinks.
The thrill of sports is the unexpected, an occasional Lakers defeat maybe and our heroes digging deep to fight back and win the next day. As the TNT or TBS commercial goes, "We know drama."
The Lakers don't.
They lose, and at least we can take a closer look at everyone without first patting them on the back.
The other day I get this e-mail from "bw," who wrote: "In the midst of all this Laker playoff euphoria, why haven't you cast a spotlight on Luke Walton's shooting?
"Have you seen it? What is he now, about two for 40? And other than a fifth-grade girls' playground game, have you ever seen a shooting form to match it? Have you noticed the deathly silence from the Laker broadcast team whenever he slams another brick off the glass? How many years is this guy signed for?"
First of all, he makes "deathly silence from the Laker broadcast team" sound like a bad thing.
But as for Walton, I repeat, the Lakers are 10-0 while I've watched them play, and if Walton is that bad, who cares?
I checked, though, and although he's two for nine against the Spurs, it's not exactly two for 40, and if you add up all the playoff games, he's 33 for 66, and that's darn good.
I suppose I should be concerned when the e-mailers are tougher on the Lakers than Page 2, but how does anyone pick them apart while they're doing so well?
I'm now reduced to checking out what the guys from ESPN are wearing. Marc Stein is sporting a Cal State Fullerton tennis T-shirt from his days at the school as a ball boy, but surprisingly Ric Bucher isn't wearing a Kobe jersey.
But that's it unless the Lakers go human and stumble here, but how can a team win by 30 and two days later lose to that same old team?
I guess maybe if Derek Fisher doesn't make the trip. Where was he? I had no idea he was even in uniform until the referee called a technical foul on him.Lamar Odom makes a low pass to Pau Gasol and Gasol shows him up when the ball goes off Gasol and out of bounds. He bends down low again, letting Odom know he can't catch it there, and then raises his arms showing everyone where Odom should have passed the ball. Maybe that flies in Memphis, but not here.
But then Gasol is always seemingly blaming someone else when things don't go well. Usually it's the referees, and enough already.
Manu Ginobili, by the way, who made no excuses for his horrible play so far in the series, is bombing three after three over Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic should know where a three-point shooter likes to get the ball, but he continues to give Ginobili space.
Later he looks to the sideline with disbelief when TimDuncan makes an unbelievable shot over him -- like Phil Jackson can do anything about it. Enough already with the grimaces, just play.
Odom, meanwhile, is one for 10 at one stretch and a disaster at the free-throw line. Would someone please tell him he has no balance at the free-throw line. He begins with legs spread, and then just before shooting takes away his own base, accounting for every wobbly attempt. No excuse, none, for the way he shoots free throws.
If someone locates Fisher, I suspect Vladimir Radmanovic will be with him. My guess, they're out to lunch.
Too bad they didn't take Vujacic with them. He would have had the same amount of threes in the game had he not come to the arena.
Bryant shoots one free and misses. Holy Utah, what's with that?
I swear, even the Spurs' cheerleaders are looking better than the Laker Girls, a 49-point swing from Friday to Sunday here, some drama, and a series that is no longer boring.
Isn't it great? One more loss here, and how much fun would it be returning to Staples Center, the best of three against the defending champions, Lakers fans a little nervous, and now that's entertainment.
The Lakers winning it all in the end, of course, or someone is really going to have to rip into the bums.
I'm not from San Anton', but you can't disrespect a city the way he did.
Unless it's Salt Lake City
Well, I just think its cheap to insult cultures and national history, however playful or not. Its self-degrading to do that. It just seems like he's desperate to throw out something different that'll seem witty, and he's pressured by the deadline. Its like he's thinking "oh, I'll be a genius and sneak on the back of Mark Cuban's 2003 crack about the dirty Riverwalk". He ends up looking unoriginal and like a jerk. I agree, it does ramble. But then again, so do my posts, so who am I to criticize that point.
+1Well, I just think its cheap to insult cultures and national history, however playful or not. Its self-degrading to do that. It just seems like he's desperate to throw out something different that'll seem witty, and he's pressured by the deadline. Its like he's thinking "oh, I'll be a genius and sneak on the back of Mark Cuban's 2003 crack about the dirty Riverwalk". He ends up looking unoriginal and like a jerk. I agree, it does ramble. But then again, so do my posts, so who am I to criticize that point.
eh, that's just his schtick.
Where do they find these guys at? That is terrible journalism.
This guy is a freakin idiot. Sasha played some pretty good defense on Manu at times, and Manu just made some incredible shots. Also, Timmy's shot over Sasha was a lucky shot, and that, after Sasha manned up pretty decently on Tim.
At least he puts some righteous digs throughout. He nailed Kobe's supporting cast.
"Those who can't criticize those who do."
Take it for what it is, tomorrow's birdcage bottom liner.
What a ...
DO NOT email him, and DO NOT follow the link. That just lets his bosses know that people read this .
Are you sure?
I emailed a famous Dallas sportswriter to blast his Mavs
You think he and his boss didn't surmise that you had read the article by emailing him? What they want is hits and responses. If you give it to them, they'll keep shoveling the same .Are you sure?
I emailed a famous Dallas sportswriter to blast his Mavs
Even Mark Cuban avoided mocking the Alamo when he badmouthed the riverwalk a couple years back. I've visitted the Alamo twice since I moved to texas and even though it's small, what it repressents is huge in regards to a fighting spirit.
BTW Texas, thanks for not knocking out my windows or slashing my tires for having a suns license plate bracket.
That is Simers typical, standard column.
You guys get so twisted because he makes fun of the Alamo and the River.
Boo-hoo.
In the same article, he also dumped on Odom, Gasol, Fisher, Sasha, Radmanovic, the Dodgers organization and their general manager.
That part didn't seem to bother you.
But make a reference to a car company being named after a battle LOST, and somehow that just crosses the line.
You'd think champions would have thicker skin.
Of course Simers hates San Antonio and everything associated with San Antonio. Clear Channel took him off the air last fall in LA where he had a show on KLAC and it still hurts big time. It just so happens that Clear Channel is a San Antonio company and its founders and top dogs live in San Antonio.
As far as I am concerned, Simers can eat .
BTW, Simers is the same dude who got concerned about some billboards of Maria Sharapova that, according to him, encouraged men to think "sexually" of then 17 yo. Sharapova. If I recall correctly, he was the only one to have this concern in LA media...
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