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This written by SpursTalk poster aaronstampler.
If Domination Equals Boring Then Denver is Party Central
http://www.woai.com/content/sports/s...b-d0f1b3fe82c3
By Michael Erler
SpursZONE.com
Are you like me? Are you getting this unshakeable sense of déjà vu to the spring of 2005 with your San Antonio Spurs? Manu Ginobili is dunking again. The good guys are hunting for a le again. And of course, the obnoxious Denver media is trying to start drama again.
Talk about your good omens.
Two years ago Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain news, one of the most respected people in his profession, labeled Ginobili an unrepentant flopper and Nuggets coach George Karl was quick to hitch his wagon to that horse and ride it as long as he could.
Five games worth, to be precise.
While the “flopper” label has stuck with the Argentine swingman to this day, Ginobili never let it or the Nuggets goonish tactics during that playoff series affect his play.
So this go around the Denver media has chosen even a more unflappable target. Fella by the name of Tim Duncan; you might have heard of him. When he wasn’t busy at Wake Forest laying the foundation for his dominating professional career, (and laying waste to the ACC in the process) Duncan was putting in the work at the library to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology
Call me a homer, but I don’t think childish mind games will work against him either.
For reasons that remain between him and his maker, Mark Kiszla, of The Denver Post, has designated himself as the muckraker du jour. In an April 20th column led “Tim's Timbre Falls Flat as Monotone,” Kiszla spends 670 words poking and prodding at all of the two-time MVP’s weaknesses. Specifically he bemoaned Duncan’s lack of facial expressions and his “impenetrable eyes.”
Ah yes, the building blocks of winning basketball. Bet you didn’t know that Steve Nash spends the first hour of his basketball camp for youngsters showing them the drills he uses to make his eyes more penetrable. Just like his defense.
Over the course of two columns in the past week Kiszla has called Duncan a whiner, a robot, and most damning of all for an athlete, soft. If the man had even a passing familiarity with those Transformers cartoons that ran during the 80’s he could have just compared the future Hall-of-Fame power forward to the Decepticon Starscream and covered that adjective trifecta in one fell swoop. Perhaps a forgivable trespass for you, the reader, but I’m afraid the Pulitzer committee will not be nearly as generous.
However the truly maddening paragraph in Kiszla’s envy-laden rant went as follows, “Although truly admirable for putting his art above the bombast that defines so many sports heroes of the 21st century, is there anybody else out there who agrees that Duncan's art most closely resembles ballet? Puts me to sleep before intermission every time.”
That compliment was backhanded more forcefully than any girly punch Carmelo Anthony could muster. If Tim is so “truly admirable” for putting substance above style, then why rip him for it? Somebody, anybody, explain that to me.
Duncan doesn’t dance after dunks or scream after blocks. He doesn’t engage in preseason holdouts or extra-marital relations. He doesn’t have a rap album or a rap sheet. He’s fathered one child and is happily married to her mother. He’s never thrown a punch on the floor and as far as I can remember, he hasn’t even picked up a flagrant foul. He doesn’t big time his teammates or coaches and has too much self-respect to trash talk.
One of perhaps the best fifteen players of all time and yet Tim Duncan is refreshingly innocent of every criticism fans lay at the feet of modern athletes. Still, this clown from The Denver Post calls him boring. Even that assertion is baseless. All anyone has to do is spend five minutes cycling through the video clips here at WOAI.com and they’d discover the big man has mastered the art of the deadpan punch-line. If only his free throws could connect as often as his barbs.
And people wonder why most jocks distrust the media. No matter how well Duncan plays, in some people’s eyes he just can’t win.
The good news for Spurs fans is that when it comes to this playoff series, neither can the Nuggets. Denver has nobody who can remotely slow down Ginobili or Tony Parker, let alone San Antonio’s automaton in the post.
Spurs in five.
This written by SpursTalk poster aaronstampler.
A quality retort.
A quality retort.
Very good.
Is the rap album a dig at Tony Parker?
Im kidding.
Great article Aaron, keep those coming
What? I would expect at least one Parker shot in there....
I must say that was pretty good, especially the thing about Nash.
Terrific, aaronstampler! Funny and to the point. Well done. A highly enjoyable read.
Spurs in 5, I must agree.
I pray to god everyone saying in 5 is right.
I just don't see it being that easy...
Spurs won't lose either of the first 2 in SA this time.
Nuggets won't win both in Denver.
Spurs in 4, 5 max.
I thought at first it would be 5 and not that tough, but the more I think about it, the more I think it will be tough. Camby, Evans and Nene on the boards? Carmelo and Iverson, two stars? If the Spurs slip up and defense and lose focus on rebounding, they could be in trouble. They are going to have to be extremely focused.
just because the spurs will win in 5 does not mean it will be easy
I think the games will be close and hard
Nicely done, Aaron.
Probably referring to headcase, ron artest...
Great article.
the Nuggets were crap on the road in 05 and they won game 1 on the road. The Nuggets just posted a franchise best road record this season.
I guarantee you they will steal at one of the first two games on the road. Their home play has been more concerning but it has been better lately.
This series will go at least 6 (no matter who ends up winning)
I'm sure it means absolutely nothing, but one common denominator in each of the Spurs' 3 championship runs is the fact that they've dropped one of the first two games in the First Round in each run. They lost Game 2 in 1999 to Minnesota; they lost Game 1 in 2003 to Phoenix; and they lost Game 1 in 2005 to Denver.
It will be interesting to see if the Spurs come out determined, motivated, and focused on Sunday evening, or if they play the sort of tentative, sloppy ball that has cost them those early games in years past.
Good read.
And one additional point to FWD's: the 2004 Spurs won their last 11 regular season games and their first six playoff games.
lol tpark called itHe doesn’t have a rap album or a rap sheet.
The "rap album" reference could have also been a shot at Iverson, rather than Parker.
Thanks for all the nice words my peeps. And don't you worry TPark and Ducks, it won't be my last column for WOAI.com, so I'll have plenty of chances to rip Tony.
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nice!
