Tired Tuesday Daily "Linkin' Logs" (12/2/08)

You know what you get when you mix to 4-7 teams on Monday night...

Shit.

Anyways, Bill Simmons has declared that the NBA season is down to six title contenders. So Philly, New York, half of Los Angeles, Detroit, Denver and so on and so forth can just stop watching. And this is why I hate both of them (Basketball and Simmons) to a certain degree. The basis of Simmons's argument is that teams like Boston, L.A. (Lakers), Cleveland, San Antonio, New Orleans and Utah all have had "reps" at being good. Which would be awesome...except Detroit has had a lot of reps and they don't even get addressed. Add to that, Simmons egotistical nature of knowing more than you (a common theme amongst writers who piss me off...a paradigm I will explain another time) and finally a dash of "Celtics basketball" to fellate himself. But my favorite part:

The Celtics survived a grueling championship campaign, gained a noticeable swagger, embraced the Lloyd Neal Memorial "That's right, we're the f------ champs" mentality and aced their three biggest tests in November (two against Detroit, one in Houston). They're getting those Defending Champ reps.

You see, Simmons uses an oboscure reference to make you believe he knows what's up, and if you know anything about Neal (I looked it up), you'll discover that all and in all, he was just an untalented but hard working player...I guess that adds up.

But really, They're the "Fucking Champs."

Now the other part the pisses me off is simpler: How can the NBA give off the feeling that only six teams are capable of winning it all. Maybe this is why that league will never be tops. In the NFL, the league thrives on the parity that anyone can win and you can go from rags to riches (to rags again...) in a three year span. In the MLB, it is a little be harder, and perhaps why they're second fiddle right now, but there are as many as 15 to 20 teams who appear to be able to put it together an eighth of the way through the season and, as was the case this year, any of 8 teams capable of winning it all (when the playoffs started, would you have been surprised to see any team win it all...I wouldn't have) and even Hockey has seen 8 seeds upset ones and is beginning to experience its own salary cap parity soon enough.

This is what makes college ball so much more appealing. If Stephen Curry can lead Davidson to the sweet 16, and a team like Villanova can win it all, then why would you skip any of the tourney games you could watch...

The NBA sucks...

• If someone can explain to me, how Pacman is back and Plaxico could be suspended (for a significant period of time...like a season), I'd like to know. Its not that I agree with Plax or think what he did was in any way intelligent (though getting shot in the league sucks as is), but between Michael Bloomberg throwing the book at him because he is a football player is already ridiculous and if Goodell follows suit in his typical fashion, I'd be just as outraged for Plax, as I would be for not being heavy-handed with Jones.
• Michael Bloomberg seems intent on throwing the book at Plax. Now typically, we're outraged by athletes getting away with things, but being heavy-handed with Burress is just a case of the opposite. He should be treated just like any other person/criminal in his position. I'm well aware of the 3.5 year minimum, but the fact of the matter is; rarely does a first time offender of said law ever spend 3.5 years in prison; why should Plax be the exception? I say, punish him like you'd punish me or Joe the Plummer
• Nice for the fans of Houston, but frankly that game sucked.
• From bad to worse in Cleveland. Kellen Winslow is out for at least a week, though the season was over a few weeks ago and Derek Anderson appears to be done as well. While Winslow's injury doesn't really matter (and a high ankle sprain wouldn't be something you'd play through unless it mattered), the Anderson injury may be a blessing in disguise. The Browns appear to be moving into the Quinn era and the injury to Anderson provides them with a reason to leave him on the bench and get Quinn ready without hurting Anderson's trade value any more (though between his poor play and injury, an MCL tear, he certainly isn't at the same point he was when he signed a three year deal last year).
  
• Arbitration day in the MLB, as 24 players were offered it.
• The Phillies appear to be ready to coast off their World Series run, by not offering arbiration to anyone. While they still are working to retain Jamie Moyer's services, it appears as though the Pat Burrell era is over in Philly. A sad ending to a much maligned player who finally found his niche.
  
• AA takes another jab at Emmitt Smith and Plaxico "Berries" (their word, not mine). Man, they're ridin' Emmitt hard, though its not their fault the man can ran through gaps in the English Language
• And finally, EC's DMtShooter gives us 10 ways to end the "Warbury" issue in New York.

Send me hate mail: Justin@badnewsbloggers.com