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Damaramu

NBA: Is Pushing Stars Over Teams Right?

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Tony LaRussa (not very many guys in charge manage that feat), Scott Spiezio, Brandon Backe, Luis Vizcaino, Juan Uribe, Joba Chamberlain...shall I continue?

 

Yes. I hadn't heard of any of those besides LaRussa and Joba.

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Okay. Alberto Callaspo, Julio Mateo, Brett Myers, Milton Bradley...that's all I've got for now. I'm keeping steroid trials and arrests surrounding that out of it.

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Ugeth Urbina

 

and of course all the steroid cases.

 

The NBA has had a surprisingly low number of drug suspensions in recent years, to the point where I have to believe their weed testing is an absolute joke.

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Ugeth Urbina

 

and of course all the steroid cases.

 

The NBA has had a surprisingly low number of drug suspensions in recent years, to the point where I have to believe their weed testing is an absolute joke.

 

You don't think a guy asking "do you smoke weed?" is stringent enough?

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Ugeth Urbina

 

and of course all the steroid cases.

 

The NBA has had a surprisingly low number of drug suspensions in recent years, to the point where I have to believe their weed testing is an absolute joke.

 

You don't think a guy asking "do you smoke weed?" is stringent enough?

 

"Are you high right now?"

 

"No."

 

"Hit the court, kid."

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Dama's custom title is idiotic, pure and simple.

 

Dama's been complaining about this for years and it's why I wasn't sad to see him banned. He constsantly whines about ESPN and the media blah blah, but he seems to watch it more than anyone else.

 

Stars Are What Market the League. No one gets attached to a team, unless they live in that area.

 

I'm so sorry Bob. I'll try to fix all that, because my one goal on this board is to please you. I'm sorry I've failed you in this regard.

 

 

I'm attached to the Celtics. I don't care that the Thunder are in my backyard. I'm still a Celtics fan, always have been and I don't see that changing. So people do get attached to teams without living in the area.

 

Maybe that'll change one day if the Thunder grow on me? I don't know, but as of right now it hasn't and doesn't appear to be changing.

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I don't care that your a Celtics fan, good for you. Most of my teams are non-local.

 

But you're bragging about Boston's 17 titles, when you're old enough to remember one of them, and it's not like you grew up in Boston and happened to live in a city with a great basketball team. You decided to be a fan of a team that had won 16 titles. So you're basically bragging about being able to pick the most successful team in NBA history.

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I don't care that your a Celtics fan, good for you. Most of my teams are non-local.

 

But you're bragging about Boston's 17 titles, when you're old enough to remember one of them, and it's not like you grew up in Boston and happened to live in a city with a great basketball team. You decided to be a fan of a team that had won 16 titles. So you're basically bragging about being able to pick the most successful team in NBA history.

 

And Lakers fans that don't live in LA aren't doing that too? That's what my custom title is a dig at. Lakers fans that act like they're the greatest thing since sliced bread and act like they're infinitely better than Boston and last year was a fluke.

 

So are you saying that I can't be happy about any of the Celtics tradition? Because I wasn't around for Russell's titles I can't be happy about them or like the tradition? Well damn, I didn't realize that everything that happened before I was born is inconsequential to my life and I shouldn't care about it.

 

You're really teaching me a lot bob. I'm so glad I have a friend like you here to watch out for me and show me the error of my ways.

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So are you saying that I can't be happy about any of the Celtics tradition? Because I wasn't around for Russell's titles I can't be happy about them or like the tradition? Well damn, I didn't realize that everything that happened before I was born is inconsequential to my life and I shouldn't care about it.

 

I agree with Chris Russo that it's kind of dumb to brag about sports things that you weren't even alive for. And you decided to be a fan of Celtics. So you're basically saying: guys, I picked the team that has won 17 titles v. your 14, suck it.

 

You're really teaching me a lot bob. I'm so glad I have a friend like you here to watch out for me and show me the error of my ways.

 

No problem!

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So are you saying that I can't be happy about any of the Celtics tradition? Because I wasn't around for Russell's titles I can't be happy about them or like the tradition? Well damn, I didn't realize that everything that happened before I was born is inconsequential to my life and I shouldn't care about it.

 

I agree with Chris Russo that it's kind of dumb to brag about sports things that you weren't even alive for. And you decided to be a fan of Celtics. So you're basically saying: guys, I picked the team that has won 17 titles v. your 14, suck it.

 

You're really teaching me a lot bob. I'm so glad I have a friend like you here to watch out for me and show me the error of my ways.

 

No problem!

 

 

Yeah, but that would say that I can't claim any of OU's tradition either in college football. When college football is all about tradition and it's usually different than just "picking" a team.

 

Besides my reasons for picking the Celtics have nothing to do with titles or tradition and is one of those goofy little kid things where you pick a team for kiddy reasons and then that team sticks with you forever. I liked the fact they wore green.....yup.....my young self liked green.

 

Then again I picked the Eagles because I was young and loved watching Randall Cunningham.

 

So it usually washes out on why people pick teams when they aren't geographically close to them.

 

I swear sports has got to be the one thing where everyone's loyalty and reasons for liking something are called into question and challenged all the time.

 

It's like you meet someone and they ask who your favorite sports team is. You tell them then you accusingly get a "Why do you like that team?" Like you're doing something totally wrong by liking that team, or if your answer is unsastifactory they will tell you that you cannot be a fan of that team. As if that's going to affect you liking the team.

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I don't have any issue with you being a Celtics fan, I think it's silly to brag about them winning 17 titles when you've been alive for two of them and you picked them, you're not from Boston.

 

OU is a little different, since you went to that school.

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It's all good bob. Let Dama bask in the glory in only Celtics championship he can remember. It makes it all the more sweeter, when the Celtics will eventually lose to Cavs (I think that would be worse than to losing to the Lakers for Dama. Can you imagine LEBRON JAMES and ESPN celebrating the Cavs second ever NBA Finals trip on the Celtics' home court?). It's all in good fun anyway. It's just entertainment.

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Guest Czech please!

Oh man, the Cavaliers were in the finals two years ago. I almost forgot about that. That was pretty unfortunate.

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It's all good bob. Let Dama bask in the glory in only Celtics championship he can remember. It makes it all the more sweeter, when the Celtics will eventually lose to Cavs (I think that would be worse than to losing to the Lakers for Dama. Can you imagine LEBRON JAMES and ESPN celebrating the Cavs second ever NBA Finals trip on the Celtics' home court?). It's all in good fun anyway. It's just entertainment.

 

I can only hold out hope that those NBA Finals will end the exact same way Lebron James last trip to the NBA Finals ended.

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But then it'll be 4 championships for the Lakers compared to your Celtics 1.

 

Plus then you will have to endure the media hyping Kobe Bryant as the greatest player of this decade and possibly of all time! What will you do Dama?

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But then it'll be 4 championships for the Lakers compared to your Celtics 1.

 

Plus then you will have to endure the media hyping Kobe Bryant as the greatest player of this decade and possibly of all time! What will you do Dama?

 

For some reason the Kobe hyping doesn't bother me as much. It's the other Lakers that I hate. I can't stand Walton, Gasol, Farmar or Odom. Kobe really doesn't bother me as much.

 

And it'll actually be 17 titles to 15. I don't buy into that argument at all. Overall the Celtics still have more titles. Now if the Lakers go on another 3-peat, then that sucks. ;)

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Is there a reason you hate Lebron James other than the fact that he's considered by most to be the best player in the NBA? I get that there is no reason to be a fan of a player from another team, but you almost seem offended by his mere presence in the league. It's as if you want him to fail for no other reason than to say, "Look, he failed."

 

I have a little more understanding for hating Kobe, since he raped a chick and every teammate and coach he's ever had say he's a self-centered dick, but by all accounts Lebron's a good guy.

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Oh and Sasha Vujacic. How could I forget that little bitch? I wish he'd go far away too. Actually the only Lakers I can stand are Kobe and Fisher (i actually like fisher).

 

As for Lebron. Yeah, I hate hearing about him all the time and hearing how great he is. So it turned me on him. I do want him to fail, you are correct in that regard.

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I have a little more understanding for hating Kobe, since he raped a chick and every teammate and coach he's ever had say he's a self-centered dick, but by all accounts Lebron's a good guy.

 

Evidence?

 

Even though I root for the Hornets, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cavs win it all just to see Dama go nutso.

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I can understand hating LeBron in a way. I kinda felt the same way when he came barnstorming into league as King James and how he's going to be better than Jordan. LeBron is a great player, but for all the hype and attention he gets, he really hasn't accomplished much in the NBA yet (save an NBA Finals trip). And I can understand the angst and the LeBron hyperbole causes in some people. Dama just says the things we all secretly feel about LeBron sometimes.

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The whole thing that bothers me about people like Dama is claiming titles that were won before their parents or grandparents were born as though they were there and enjoyed them. It's the main reason I hate Yankees fans. Unless the league contracts to 4 teams and the Yankees aren't one of them no team will ever catch them in terms of championships, but stop going back to the early 1900's for validation that the team you like is worthy of your fandom. During the '80s when the team was shit, Yankees fan STILL brought up the glory days like that was really relevant to the discussion of why their team was still the best in the league.

 

LeBron could lead the Cavs to 10 STRAIGHT titles and they'll still be 7 short of Boston and 4 shy of the Lakers. A Cavs fan in this hypothetical scenario, wouldn't give a shit though. I also wouldn't think that a Celtics fan would enjoy seeing this happen even though they'd still have the most NBA titles as a franchise. It's just silly to me.

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I can understand hating LeBron in a way. I kinda felt the same way when he came barnstorming into league as King James and how he's going to be better than Jordan. LeBron is a great player, but for all the hype and attention he gets, he really hasn't accomplished much in the NBA yet (save an NBA Finals trip).

 

Yeah, I mean other than quickly establishing himself as one of the two best players in the league, reviving a once moribund franchise, and singlehandedly leading said frachise on an improbable NBA Finals run all before the age of 24.

 

I mean, give credit where it's due. I cannot stand the fucking sight of Kobe Bryant and will generally avoid watching him play, but there's no sense in me denying his obvious greatness. All of this grousing about players being overhyped is, as noted elsewhere in this thread, just a product of watching too much ESPN. And because ESPN isn't going to change their winning formula, it will probably be necessary for you--the angry, antacid-popping ESPN addict--to change your viewing habits.

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Guest Czech please!

I'm wowed by what he can do, but as a person I find him wholly unlikable and hope he doesn't succeed as much as he would like to.

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Dama is complaining about something that has been going on for a bare minimum of 20 years. I get where he is coming from, I felt the same way about promoting players over teams a long, long time ago, but I also knew it wasn't going to change, especially with the rise of ESPN over those years. When they went for more entertainment and less sports, I shook my head again.

 

While I understand your point of view, you're way, WAY late to this party, Dama. LeBron is the Next Big Thing, just like Kobe was when he came into the league, just like Shaq before him, like Jordan before him. That's the nature of the beast, kid. Its the way it has been, and its the way its going to be until David Stern steps down. And its not like I see whoever takes over for him is going to go back to the way it used to be either. Its a superstar-driven league. Deal with it, and accept it. Just like the NFL is an owner-driven league, MLB is a tenuous balance of power leaning toward the owners, and the NHL is, well, not very well run.

 

Complaining about this now is more than a little silly. If this just happened I can understand it, but this train has been going down this track for awhile.

 

EDIT: Yeah Czech, LeBron can be an asshole, but I would love to see anyone here who has ability coming out their ass and has been told since the age of 11 or 12 how special and unique he is, and how he is going to own the world when he comes into the league, still be a humble human being. Not many of of us, I'm afraid.

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I hate to get into overrated/underrated arguments because so much of it depends on how and where you're getting your news, but Lebron deserves every bit of the hype he gets. He may not be as dynamic as Kobe, as dominating as Shaq, as creative as Magic, or as otherwordly as MJ, but he has every opportunity to exceed them all as a player. Whether or not he accomplishes that is to be seen, but as 24-year-old, his on-the-court accomplishments are unprecedented. The fact that's going to take the Cleveland Fucking Cavs to two Finals appearances in three years indicates that he's something special.

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The whole thing that bothers me about people like Dama is claiming titles that were won before their parents or grandparents were born as though they were there and enjoyed them. It's the main reason I hate Yankees fans. Unless the league contracts to 4 teams and the Yankees aren't one of them no team will ever catch them in terms of championships, but stop going back to the early 1900's for validation that the team you like is worthy of your fandom. During the '80s when the team was shit, Yankees fan STILL brought up the glory days like that was really relevant to the discussion of why their team was still the best in the league.

 

LeBron could lead the Cavs to 10 STRAIGHT titles and they'll still be 7 short of Boston and 4 shy of the Lakers. A Cavs fan in this hypothetical scenario, wouldn't give a shit though. I also wouldn't think that a Celtics fan would enjoy seeing this happen even though they'd still have the most NBA titles as a franchise. It's just silly to me.

 

As a fan of the team you're allowed to enjoy the tradition. You can't use past titles to claim your team is the shit right now, but when it comes to a historical argument about which team is all-time better then yeah, you can use the previous accomplishments to determine which is better.

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