I guess Manny feels that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. You bash anyone who criticizes Pop, and the next time you counter any argument with a basketball take will be the first.
Oh, and you shouldn't lecture people like Manny about "getting a life", when about the only people with more posts than you either moderate here to some extent, are incredibly close with Kori and LJ, or have 5 billion aliases.
As for baseline, I can respect his take, because he usually talks basketball and demonstrates some knowledge for the game (even something as mundane as the ball being round would be a step up for you).