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dp on Olympic Hoops
ahh, WWRWS? (What Would Ralph Wiley Say?)

the outright hatred of Team USA B-ball is... outright.
outright, as in "right out loud, audacious and rather joyful"

why?

i know they're not crushing teams like the one & only Dream Team in '92
i know that other teams have been shooting better than them
i know that they've lost twice in this tournament

yet, i hear folks saying things like:
"they're lazy"
"they're awful"
"bunch of overpaid, tattooed prima donnas"

hell, i even heard a good friend of mine who oughta know better spew venemous delight at their first round blowout loss to Puerto Rico, chortling at those "rich bastards... i'm glad they got their asses kicked"

i know that most of these judgements are being made without the aid of actually WATCHING the games. (shame on you, vibe conductor)

well, i took some time off work to watch a few games.
thus, i feel i'm partially qualified to speak...

but jason whitlock said it so much better

R Dub would be proud of you, mayne.

easy,
dp

ps. the dude with the tattoos and cornrows? he's playing with a BROKEN THUMB and nary a complaint. some of y'all would phone it in off a bad hangnail...

naturalaw-dp - 3:27 PM
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3 comments:

Wilbon & Whitlock made similar points, but I watched some games myself and had come to several of those conclusions independently. Anyone who knows me knows that I soured on the NBA long ago even though I was a rabid sports head up until a few years ago... style of play and celebrity minstrelsy being the prime contributors.

The reasons why the US team has been losing are simple: not acclimated to the international game, not ready for the zone, shooting horribly, taking their opponents for granted and a cobbled-together squad that wasn't the right mix of skillsets for these Olympics (this squad is a marketing ploy).

The reasons why I personally giggled with glee at their misfortune is that them bammas had the nerve to act swole when they barely squeaked by squads that couldn't even qualify for the Olympics and still didn't see the disaster ahead of them. The rest of the world developing a tight game of ball is not a new phenomenon, so why be surprised when you finally get served?

I'm not hating on the players. I'm hating on this inferior version of the game we've backed ourselves into that has an entire population of young folks valuing style over substance. I'm hating on hubris combined with cluelessness, from the top on down. Poor Larry Brown. AI's efforts are gallant, but he's been set up. They didn't see it coming when they lost by 17 to Italy? (no NBA players on their roster) Even AI started to realize the impending doom then.

I can't buy into the motivation thing being an excuse, although it is a performance factor. Blah, blah, the pinnacle of the amateur game means nothing when you've got millions waiting for you at your regular job. Well don't show up for the Olympics then if it's not that important. Playing hurt in the Olympics when it can jeopardize your millions is a sacrifice, but unless everyone else catches that Marbury bug, AI will be a sacrificial lamb.

Another reason to giggle? Sarunas Jasikevicius baby!! TERPS!! WHUT!!??! How's that for a slow fat white boy? Ultimately, this is all good though because it makes the game better. I might actually start liking it again.

posted by Stylus : 1:44 PM - (Main Page)

hmmm...
this part:

"The reasons why I personally giggled with glee at their misfortune is that them bammas had the nerve to act swole when they barely squeaked by squads that couldn't even qualify for the Olympics and still didn't see the disaster ahead of them. The rest of the world developing a tight game of ball is not a new phenomenon, so why be surprised when you finally get served?"

i saw carlos arroyo act swole while PRico mashed the US
i saw sarunas j act swole while Lithuania beat the US

i saw a bunch of relieved US dudes celebrate AI's buzzer beater in the tune-up tournament...

which games did you watch where the US was acting swole? and where they acted surprised when they lost? you act like cats are behaving like olympic sprinters out there.

there is basically one jackass on the team- carmelo anthony, and that's cuz he acts like a spoiled 19 yr old kid. beyond that, i've seen nothing disgraceful or boorish about the rest of the squad.

there was a picture in the paper of tim duncan & allen iverson on the bench, eyes wide open and scooted up to the edge of their seats during the PRico game. it could be interpreted in several ways:

a) watching a teammates shot go up
b) watching their opponents shot go up
c) watching a ref's call go for or against them
d) sitting there looking dumb

which interepretation did you pick?

i'm not saying you oughta root for the US Team- but just enjoy the game man. your rampant "Rhomie Jingoism" is gettin' jive ugly...

ps. Jingoism: extreme chauvinism marked especially by belligerent personal politics

pps. i'll get you some more flicks sized for the picture randomizer

ppps. you's a grimacing jingo-giggler

posted by naturalaw-dp : 2:47 PM - (Main Page)

Must be a fine line between 'swole' and 'relieved'. When bluster is the norm, perhaps it's tough to differentiate. Arroyo & Jasimashicus deserve to be psyced. Jingoism is generally nationalistic and I ain't no patriot. Ginobili... geyeah.

posted by Stylus : 3:26 PM - (Main Page)