I Am Sporticus

Last night marked the 2008 NBA draft, and unlike in the years past, there wasn’t a true “all star” or sought after number one pick in this draft. Yes Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose are outstanding athletes, but Rose wasn’t even in consideration at this point last year. As for Beasley, he played in a weak conference and was ousted early in the NCAA tournament. One of the toughest choices for any player is whether to take the shot at the pros or not.

Here’s the deal. If you are not chosen in the first round, you are not guaranteed a contract. That’s right, you had better hope that you’re in the top 30 if you’re a big time player. The second round isn’t too bad, except for the fact you are no guaranteed a contract and might end up in the D-league or over in Europe.

There were only two underclassmen not drafted on Thursday night, Mississippi State junior Jarmont Gordon and USC freshman Davon Jefferson. Here they learned a tough lesson: the NBA’s not easy. Well, getting into it that is. The catch is that they had both hired agents, which voids their ability to return to the NCAA to play basketball. Now they must take the hard road, because this time next year they will be no-names searching for a job.

How can they do it? Work outs, work outs, work outs. They will have to push themselves to the limit and hope that one team out there will want to take the risk on them. At best, they will be sitting the bench in the NBA making money. But far better, in my opinion, is the Euro league where players rack in $200K a year. Some of my favorite Tar Heels have went on to be great Euro players. For instance, Dante Calabria and Rayshaun Terry are ’stars’ in their leagues, and my personal favorite, David Noel is heading there next season. It’s a good life, and you get paid to play in beautiful European cities. Terry currently resides in Rome.

So even though they weren’t chose, keep your head up boys . . . better days will come.

*Sigh* Joakim Noah might be my most hated player in NCAA and NBA basketball. He is the son of a tennis star and also Miss (Random European Country . . . maybe Sweden). Either way, the kid is uglier than the backside of a 2 dollar bill. Just check out this dance after the NCAA Championship:

According to EPSN, he was probably high. Good news for the Chicago Bulls, because now their star rookie could be spending 6 months in prison. But they won’t have to worry about the prison guys fighting over him . . . he’s not much to look at.

Last week, the site www.fanmanual.com released a sub par list of “The Best Finishes in College Sports” with abundance of Duke plays and lackluster finishes. While I agree with his selection of Boise State in the Top 5, all the rest of the plays belong on the sidelines. While I would love to rank these finishes, I do not believe it is possible. So, here are the BEST finishes in college sports history that the site happened to leave out.

Appalachian State vs. Michigan - 2007

In what is deemed the greatest upset in college football history, the southern boys from a small North Carolina school upset one of the greatest football programs in the nation. The game wasn’t even televised in their home state, as impending defeat surely loomed for the Mountaineers. What they did that day will always be remembered.

The Guilford College Miracle Throw - 2006

Down by 2 points with 0.6 seconds left to go, Guilford College’s opponents miss a free throw which would surely end the game. However, Guilford guard Jordan Snipes, a small town boy from Siler City, NC had other plans 90 ft from the basket.

The Timeout - 1993

I love Chris Webber in all his glory, but when you are down by 2 points in the National Championship game, try not to walk then commit a technical foul during the last possession.

LSU vs. Kentucky - The Bluegrass Miracle – 2002

Kentucky drank the coolaid a little too early in this game. Plus you get a short glimpse at the “Hefty Lefty” . . . the “Pillsbury Throwboy” . . . and then an amazing catch for the win.

Trinity vs. Millsaps - 2007

15 laterals. 62 seconds. 7 players touching the ball. This isn’t only one of the most impressive single touchdowns of all time, it’s also one of the most impressive finishes.

Doug Flutie’s Miracle in Miami – 1984

Probably one of the most impressive and memorable hailmary’s in the history of college football to give BC the 47-45 win over Miami. Truly incredible.

NC State vs. Houston – The Dunk - 1984

When the clock was winding down, and all hope was lost, this desperation shot somehow found the basket. We all know how this ends.

Not too long ago, Barack Obama reportedly practiced with the University of North Carolina men’s basketball team during his trip to Chapel Hill. Surprisingly, Barack isn’t a bad baller. He can slice, dice, juke, jump and dribble with the rest of the players. I for one would like a president that can get respect on the court as well as in office. No look passes, blocked shots, a reverse layup . . . . Barack O’Balla has it all.

I guess the only question in my mind is if Hilary has any athletic abilities at all. Just one sport, that’s all I ask for in the next president. Hopefully a healthy president will send a message to the obese adults and children of America and we will no longer be one of the fattest countries in the world. That would be the day . . .

Just when it seems like his opponent has beaten him off the dribble and is about to score an easy two, Tayshaun comes from nowhere to deny the basket. He is arguably the lankiest player in the NBA to date. He is currently listed at 6′9” and weighs merely 205 lbs. But as Prince has shown time and time again, size does not matter in the NBA . . . it’s speed and determination. This southpaw is not only explosive offensively, but he is a catalyst for the much feared Piston defense. He proved this last night as he pinned Hedo Turkoglu’s attempted dunk against the backboard in the closing minutes of game 5 . . . sealing the deal for the Pistons (then 3 - 1) in the best of 7 games series.
Here is a video of the play:

With all due respect to Turkoglu, the play should have been finished. However, it wasn’t Tayshaun’s speed or height that allowed him to recover . . . it was his wingspan. Although he is 6′9” his wingspan is listed at an amazing 7′2” wide. I feel embarrassed for Hedo in this play, but when you’re going against a guy with arms as long as those, it’s bound to happen sometime.

So earlier today USC basketball superstar OJ Mayo denied ever receiving gifts from the university or supporters for playing in his one and only season at the school.

I call BS on this statement by just looking at the attitude of this young man.

First of all, Mayo had the nerve to call up Coach Tim Floyd and tell him “Coach, this is O. J. Mayo. I’d like to come to your school.” Now that is completely fine in this day and age, but he then responded “Don’t worry about recruiting [. . .] I’ll take care of it”. It was right then that OJ Mayo had a grip over the control of Floyd. Although critics will argue that “he was just trying to leave a mark” or “he still was a good kid”, I will respond with the actions of his last basketball game.

What kind of player does an off the backboard self alley-oop, catches the ball, slings it into the stands, and leaves his final game under an ejection? One that is showy, self indulged, and likes to be flashy.

Why would anyone believe that a player such as this wouldn’t accept $30,000 cash, flat screen tvs, cell phones, or airline tickets to see his extravagant lifestyle? After all, a player that went to a school to merely “better market himself” can’t do so without money. It had to come from somewhere and the monthly living stipends for regular college students are unlikely to be the case.

Anyone who says loyalty doesn’t exist in the NBA any longer is patently false. Sure, there is not as much loyalty between player and team, and vice-versa, as perhaps there were in decades past. However, players still care as much about their teammates as ever before.

Case-in-point, Gilbert Arenas has announced he will not return to the Wizards unless his teammate, Antawn Jamison, is re-signed by the team. Because Antawn will be a Free Agent, and Arenas’s contract gives him the right to opt-out, the two have decided to make a stance for their team (as they have served as co-captains the last few seasons).

While I can’t say that I believe the loyalty will ever be on par with the true camaraderie you see in college basketball, it is a refreshing turn of events to see players defending one another in such a fashion. Perhaps there is hope for the NBA.