Reply With Quote
my thoughts in an article.
- Mars
Two articles, this is the "love" reasons. The "hate" reasons are below.
http://media.www.easterneronline.com...-3357930.shtml
San Antonio Spurs: Love them or hate them
Taylor Reed
Every year I ask my peers who they think will be NBA champs. Every year I get a different response, but one thing always remains the same: the San Antonio Spurs are always omitted from NBA Finals discussions. I find this especially troubling considering they are clearly the most dominant team of the past decade.
Yes I realize that they aren't the most exciting team to watch in terms of flashy drives and dunks. They might not have that star that sells the most jerseys. And Tim Duncan's bank shots may not make the highlight reel, but the bottom line is that they know how to win.
For all the Spurs haters out there, here are five reasons why you should embrace the NBA's most complete team.
(1) "Big Fundamentals" Tim Duncan- For 10 years, Duncan has been atop the list of dominant big men. He can shoot, handle the ball, defend the paint, pass and rebound as well as any seven-footer. Let's not forget that he was the only post player to stop Shaq in his prime… Oh yeah and he's collected three NBA Finals MVPs.
(2) Manu Ginobili- The NBA's sixth man of the year does whatever it takes to win and does it very well. He can shoot from anywhere. He can take it to the rim. And he has mastered the art of taking a charge. Maybe that's why Argentina won the gold medal in the Olympics instead of the United States. Maybe that is why he is hated so heavily amongst Spurs haters; because he is that good.
(3) Tony Parker- Last year's finals MVP is unstoppable in the playoffs. Each year, he is near the top in points in the paint... As a POINT GUARD! It should be exciting to watch the Parker/Chris Paul match-up in the second round.
(4) Bruce Bowen- Bowen does the dirty work that doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Each series, he defends the opposing team's best perimeter player; not an easy task, but he always seems to get it done. His three-point shot from the corner: CLUTCH!
(5) Gregg Popovich- The Spurs's head coach is probably one of the most underrated coaches out there. The future Hall of Famer has his team prepared for every series. In a game of match-ups, Pop puts his players in the positions that will give the team its best chance of winning.
The most common opinion I hear from NBA haters is that the NBA is filled with egotistical athletes that don't play defense and only play for the money. But often they are the same people who are against the Spurs for being "boring" or for their lack of personality. Yeah, they might not score the most points or allow many points, but they play the game the way it should be played.
As the cliché goes, "Don't hate, appreciate."
my thoughts in an article.
- Mars
Second article, the "hate" reasons.
http://media.www.easterneronline.com...-3357928.shtml
San Antonio Spurs: Love them or hate them
Brandon Hansen
I'm waiting for ESPN.com's first "The Spurs are for real in the playoffs" column after they hand another western conference team their butts in a low-scoring exhibition that is about as exciting as the Home Shopping Network.
If the NBA wants to continue to increase its popularity after the power-vacuum left by the retirement of Michael Jordan, they're going to have to do something about the Spurs.
I don't care if it takes a referee conspiracy or a video-taping scandal, but these guys have to stop winning.
Why? Aren't they all the things you look for in a good team? Unselfish stars, solid fundamentals and no trouble off the court.
Please. That's not why Americans watch pro sports. The Spurs suck for several reasons:
(1) They give every Hoosier-wannabe in the state a chance to rant about how fundamental basketball should be played and complain about how much showboating and dunking have taken over the game. My advice to you: go back to Indiana, find yourself a nice farmhouse, put up all your high school basketball photos on the fireplace mantel and stop talking about your team's sixth-place finish in the state regional.
(2) Their main star, Tim Duncan, debates every single foul that's called against him. The NBA isn't Judge Judy, Tim. Everything doesn't need to be a debate. As far as the quiet star's reputation goes, just mic him up after a whistle is blown and see how quickly that dissipates.
(3) Manu Ginobili: worst thing to ever happen to the NBA. Wasn't he in the show "Perfect Strangers?"
(4) So many more cities have much more deserving fan bases. San Antonio is known for its bowling alleys and retirement communities. Attendance increases at Spurs games when they have bingo night. Somebody throw Milwaukee a bone, or maybe Atlanta. San Antonio? The city in the United States that has the heaviest concentration of Elk clubs? Are you serious?
(5) Bandwagon fans have embraced the Spurs with open arms. In the last 10 years, they've won four NBA Championships.
Reaaaaal hard to get behind that team.
The Spurs need to be broken up or moved to Oklahoma City so the Sonics don't have to. At least Seattle fans occasionally tune in to their team's playoff games. San Antonio fans are too busy watching the History Channel.
what a .
- Mars
Typical idiot bandwagon NBA fan.
The fault here is the NBA's on one side and those very same reporters on the other. The finesse basketball the spurs play represents the true basketball as it was played since the beginning, with skills, technical prowess and perfect timing.
That's the best basketball there is.
A perfect jump shot is much more enjoyable than a dunk IMHO.
This is quality journalism.
You should see the stuff I don't post.
I seriously resent this guy saying the Spurs should be moved to another city. San Antonio fought like to keep the Spurs, and it could be argued that drafting Tim and getting our first championship in 1999 is the reason they're still here. Unlike other cities which have seen their teams fall apart and the fans stop supporting them, San Antonio has stuck by their team when they were losing and when they were winning. If Seattle and Vancouver fans were than committed to their teams, maybe they'd still have teams as well.
This guy Brandon does not know basketball. Forgive him for he has sinned.
San Antonio is known for it's bowling alleys and retirement communities?
You learn something new every day.
What an idiot! Since when is San Antonio known for bowling alleys and Elk Clubs? I don't even know what an Elk Club is and I have lived in San Antonio my entire life. And for him to even suggest that Manu is the worst thing that has happened to the NBA, I can think of a lot worse things.
And that is the definition of a hypocrite. There are about 10 national sportswriters who should have a scarlet H stuck to their laptops.
That was about the laziest thing I've ever seen. He could have used those same witty barbs about any city in the country, and they would be equally generically meaningless.
Pop? Best matchup for winning? How about Finley on Diaw?
Fans not committed to the team was NOT the reason the Grizzlies left Vancouver, in fact they averaged more spectators here the last four years than any year so far in Memphis, there was an article in the local newspaper not a week ago with a table of attendance by year.
it may have not been the best individual match up but it took nash out of the game, reduced Amare and shaqs roll, basically forced the suns to be a different team than they ever were. So I would say it put the team in the best position to win.
forgot to add, he played it perfectly in the end, bringing the double team in final moments of the game after not doubling diaw all night.
Off, but not 'tumbleweed' off.(4) So many more cities have much more deserving fan bases. San Antonio is known for its bowling alleys and retirement communities. Attendance increases at Spurs games when they have bingo night. Somebody throw Milwaukee a bone, or maybe Atlanta. San Antonio? The city in the United States that has the heaviest concentration of Elk clubs? Are you serious?
The first sentence shows this writer is way out of his element. Exhibit A:
The Spurs put up 100+ three times against the Jazz, three times against the Suns, and in the 90s all five games against the Nuggets. Not exactly mid-90s Knicks basketball like this guy seems to believe. In fact, those are damn high figures.I'm waiting for ESPN.com's first "The Spurs are for real in the playoffs" column after they hand another western conference team their butts in a low-scoring exhibition
The Finals were a different beast, because it was Cleveland and NOT San Antonio that was fighting to drag the tempo in that series, since that was Cleveland's only hope to compete.
I left off the "exciting" portion of that first sentence. Any time the "e" word comes up in a Spurs detracting column, I know that it was written by someone who doesn't know good basketball and just like DUNKZ, DOOD!!!1~~@!~!1
And Manu Ginobili is the worst thing to happen to the league? I guess he's right, what with all his technicals...oh wait, that's Rasheed. Maybe it's his tendency to flagrant foul opponents...sorry, that's Raja Bell. Um, he was busted for DUI...er, that was Carmelo. Could be his rape trial and narcissistic at ude...no no, that's Kobe. Yeah, worst thing to happen to the NBA
I will remember these writers about as much as I remember who stood behind me in line at the movies 6 months ago.
couldnt have said better myself.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
