NPR Compares NHL to Tim Duncan

[howbouthemspurs]

NBA And NHL Playoffs: Does Anyone Really Care?
by Frank Deford

It's the climax of the hockey and basketball seasons, but both have potential playoff visibility problems. Let me explain.

OK, the NBA first. As you know, basketball is the most individualized, celebrity-ized team game. Like movie stars, the best players are known by their first names: LeBron, Kobe, Dirk. Every basketball superstar wants to take his talents to a hot-dog, big-time market. Or at least marry a Kardashian.

So, for goodness' sakes, why is San Antonio once again the best team? And what is the matter with the Spurs' perennial star, Tim Duncan? Who? Tim Duncan is not only not known just as Tim, he is not even known as Duncan. In fact, he is always called "Tim Duncan," to make sure we remember who he is.

Tim Duncan just doesn't get it. He is happy playing down there in San Antonio. He never tries to get his coach fired. He even likes his coach, Gregg Popovich, whom everybody just calls "Pop."

Pop doesn't get it, either. He's been quietly coaching the Spurs since 1996, and even though he is the coach of the year again, he doesn't think he is either a genius or a guru. Tim Duncan has himself been hiding in San Antonio since 1997, after he graduated from college with honors. He is so weird — he never even gets in the columns.

So it's really not even going to seem like the NBA if Tim Duncan and Pop lead San Antonio back to the championship. Of course, outside of the Greater Alamo area, maybe nobody will even notice.

Now, that's the exact problem the whole, entire, complete National Hockey League has. This is because what we used to call "the sports world" is actually now "ESPN-world." And of all the major sports leagues it carries, ESPN doesn't carry the NHL. As a consequence, the NHL is like a tree falling in the forest — because pretty much if a sport isn't on ESPN, then it doesn't count as a sport. Poker became a sport when ESPN started showing it.

Angry hockey people even tabulate the few minutes that ESPN deigns to mention the NHL. ESPN replies that hockey is not in the "national discussion." The NHL is not just like LeBron or Kobe, or baby bumps, or Mitt Romney's dog.

In fact, to ESPN the NHL is rather like Tim Duncan. Hockey fans say that the NHL can't be in the national discussion unless ESPN discusses it, because in American sports today, that's how you get national: You get on ESPN. Look at it this way, ESPN to sports is like Fox, MSNBC, the Comedy Channel and MTV all in one.

ESPN might have a problem, though. The New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings may very well end up playing in the NHL finals. Is ESPN even bigger than L.A. and New York City, together? Stay tuned.


http://www.npr.org/2012/05/23/153197...ne-really-care

A rather good description of ESPN IMO

[gameFACE]

I love NPR. I love the Spurs. You could say that the Spurs are the NPR of pro sports teams.

[Budkin]

Great article.

[davidbowie]

yeah that was great. nhl playoffs have been amazing this year.

[Cane]

And in other news, Dan Patrick compared Tim Duncan to the god damn WNBA just the other day

[jhfenton]

You could say that the Spurs are the NPR of pro sports teams.

Please don't.

[Jimcs50]

Love Frank Deford, he uses sarcasm to get his points across.Good to see ESPN get raked over the coals.

[lefty]

ESPN used to broadcast the NHL, and it was pretty good

Giving it up was a huge mistake

LOL at them if NY meets L.A in the Finals

[41times]

That's your mistake listening to NPR

N-ational
P- rogressive
R- adio

[thispego]

hockey really is boring though

[jhfenton]

Hockey doesn't translate well to TV. In person, though, it's a great spectator sport.

[Budkin]

That's your mistake listening to NPR

N-ational
P- rogressive
R- adio

Keep your political bull in the Politics forum.

[pgardn]

That's your mistake listening to NPR

N-ational
P- rogressive
R- adio

Yes sir.

Only thing anyone should listen to are news shows that call themselves fair and balanced.

[Galileo]

NBA And NHL Playoffs: Does Anyone Really Care?
by Frank Deford

It's the climax of the hockey and basketball seasons, but both have potential playoff visibility problems. Let me explain.

OK, the NBA first. As you know, basketball is the most individualized, celebrity-ized team game. Like movie stars, the best players are known by their first names: LeBron, Kobe, Dirk. Every basketball superstar wants to take his talents to a hot-dog, big-time market. Or at least marry a Kardashian.

So, for goodness' sakes, why is San Antonio once again the best team? And what is the matter with the Spurs' perennial star, Tim Duncan? Who? Tim Duncan is not only not known just as Tim, he is not even known as Duncan. In fact, he is always called "Tim Duncan," to make sure we remember who he is.

Tim Duncan just doesn't get it. He is happy playing down there in San Antonio. He never tries to get his coach fired. He even likes his coach, Gregg Popovich, whom everybody just calls "Pop."

Pop doesn't get it, either. He's been quietly coaching the Spurs since 1996, and even though he is the coach of the year again, he doesn't think he is either a genius or a guru. Tim Duncan has himself been hiding in San Antonio since 1997, after he graduated from college with honors. He is so weird — he never even gets in the columns.

So it's really not even going to seem like the NBA if Tim Duncan and Pop lead San Antonio back to the championship. Of course, outside of the Greater Alamo area, maybe nobody will even notice.

Now, that's the exact problem the whole, entire, complete National Hockey League has. This is because what we used to call "the sports world" is actually now "ESPN-world." And of all the major sports leagues it carries, ESPN doesn't carry the NHL. As a consequence, the NHL is like a tree falling in the forest — because pretty much if a sport isn't on ESPN, then it doesn't count as a sport. Poker became a sport when ESPN started showing it.

Angry hockey people even tabulate the few minutes that ESPN deigns to mention the NHL. ESPN replies that hockey is not in the "national discussion." The NHL is not just like LeBron or Kobe, or baby bumps, or Mitt Romney's dog.

In fact, to ESPN the NHL is rather like Tim Duncan. Hockey fans say that the NHL can't be in the national discussion unless ESPN discusses it, because in American sports today, that's how you get national: You get on ESPN. Look at it this way, ESPN to sports is like Fox, MSNBC, the Comedy Channel and MTV all in one.

ESPN might have a problem, though. The New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings may very well end up playing in the NHL finals. Is ESPN even bigger than L.A. and New York City, together? Stay tuned.


http://www.npr.org/2012/05/23/153197...ne-really-care

A rather good description of ESPN IMO

college and HS basketball, continue to be more popular than NBA basketball, be at that level, teamwork and sportsmanship are emphasized. Maybe if the NBA got their head out of their ass and promoted the Spurs, ratings would go up. Duke basketball is more popular than any NBA team.