No love for NBA
By Brian Betz
Maybe if I run my mouth off every October preaching that Yankee magic will prevail, I will never again have to endure another New York title until the day I die.
That said, I now look toward the NBA, where I can only weep for the Bird-Magic rivalry of the '80s, or the awe-inspiring Jordan of the '90s. Instead, I have to stomach watching the Lakers win the title like they've just dismantled the Warriors in a preseason game, while talented teenage superstars run up and down the court four years too early. Deceptive scouts bombard high schools until they stumble upon the next MJ, ruining the lives of such kids with broken promises and unlawful gifts. Eventually the day will come when rookies will have to hire a chauffer to get to practice because they aren't yet old enough to legally drive their iced-out Cadillac Escalades.
If names like Leon Smith, Omar Cook and Scotty Thurman don't sound overly familiar, well, they shouldn't. These are just three of a handful of many young phenoms who made bad decisions by entering the draft before they were ready. Yes, I would be a fool to argue that players the likes of Bryant, Garnett and McGrady were wrong to opt for the money, but frankly, they don't compensate for a league that is engulfed with too many immature athletes.
Dicky V pleads for "PTP-ers" to get their education, and so do I. Watching a league where even my grandparents could pencil the Lakers in for a championship isn't entertaining. Yet, if there were more seniors coming out of college who could step in and compete with the likes of Shaq right away, maybe, just maybe, someone could stop the Zen Master's bunch from the elusive four-peat.
It's unfortunate to see various rookies, who had an abundance of skill fall off the face of the planet because they weren't prepared. Sometimes I'd rather sit in front of the TV and watch old reruns of XFL games. Better yet, a Nascar Truck Series Event. Hell, I'd even eat a Shaq-pack. Whatever the case, just don't expect me to embrace the NBA, cause right now, "I don't love this game".