My confidence level is about the same as Bolt's for Team USA's game vs. Argentina (image from BBC's Olympics 2008 blog)

For a year I have been worried. Beginning the moment that Team USA finished up the FIBA Olympic Qualifier last summer, doubts crept into my mind.

What if a key player gets injured (LeBron), convicted (Melo), engaged (all of them — they’re NBA players)? What if Colangelo makes an asinine roster mistake? What if any superstar attitudes that were pushed selflessly to the side during the qualifier emerge during the Olympics? And worse: what if none of this matters because the international competition is simply too good now?

After only six games, only 10 days, though, I have put all fear behind me.

With Argentina waiting tomorrow morning (10:15 am ET, USA network I’m assuming), I am almost unable to even imagine a scenario where Team USA does not walk away with the W and march onward to the gold medal game. The team is playing too well, their defense (save for some occasional slap your forehead lapses) too scrappy, their desire too fierce.

More importantly, Argentina is a squad full of NBA players. Trust me, this is a good thing. Manu Ginobli and Oberto play on the Spurs — a team that has been playing long into the post season for numerous years now. That’s built in scouting right there. Additionally, Kobe and Prince have both matched up against Ginobli in important games before, so they know what to expect.

Likewise for Nocione and, to a lesser extent, Scola. Both played on playoff teams recently and are good enough to have garnered some attention.

Then there’s Delfino. Delfino… well, whatever, he’s just Delfino.

The point is, Team USA has performed well against all the teams they have faced in these Olympic games with NBA talent. They beat China (two current, one former, one future NBAer) by 31, Spain (four current, one former, two future) by 27, and Germany (two current) by 49.

Meanwhile, they “only” beat Angola and Greece by 21 and 23 respectively, neither of whom has a current NBA player on their squad.

This isn’t a knock on the USA scouting staff. It’s simply easier to get up for a game against a rival, and it’s easier to play against opponents that you have game familiarity with.

With the final goal so close to being realized and the team rolling, Argentina should prove to be nothing more than a turnstile for Team USA: an obstruction offering little resistance, and the only thing between USA and a shot at gold.

Hornets get classy by tweaking their late 90's retro look (image from an attendee of unveiling, via forum on hornetsreport.com)

It’s official, the Hornets have the illest threads in the L starting NOW. Pinstripes, a la the Glen Rice days. Perhaps the Hornets will follow in the NFL mold of improved success with a new look (Pats, Bucs, Seahawks, etc.) and take the trophy this year. They’ve got to be in contention even without the makeover luck, so now, who knows?

Go here, here, and here for pics, and then here for video. Big nod to Hornet247 and SLAM.

Did you know that dishonesty is a top trait of pre-historic creatures? (image from LATimes.com)

Please forgive the brief diversion from sports — my take on the US destruction of Spain (and nuclear holocaust of the German squad) will follow shortly — but this article (from the New York Times) needs to be discussed.

I flipped back and forth between the Olympics and the Presidential Forum with Rev. Rick Warren on Saturday night, mostly to catch what Obama had to say. But after Obama had his time with the Reverend, the Olympic events weren’t really holding my attention, so I decided to catch a fresh soundbyte or two from McCain. I ended up watching most of his hour-long portion.

I found myself surprisingly impressed with McCain’s overall performance at the event. Granted, it was a no teleprompter affair, so McCain didn’t have to face down his biggest nemesis, but he was relaxed, straight forward, a little funny, and overall, came across as a more intelligent and less anger invoking version of the Republican candidate that I remembered. In fact, I even called my father the next day to express that exact sentiment.

Well, this is most likely why McCain performed so well:

Senator John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” on Saturday night while his rival, Senator Barack Obama, was being interviewed at the Saddleback Church in California.

Members of the McCain campaign staff, who flew here Sunday from California, said Mr. McCain was in his motorcade on the way to the church as Mr. Obama was being interviewed by the Rev. Rick Warren, the author of the best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life.”

The matter is of interest because Mr. McCain, who followed Mr. Obama’s hourlong appearance in the forum, was asked virtually the same questions as Mr. Obama. Mr. McCain’s performance was well received, raising speculation among some viewers, especially supporters of Mr. Obama, that he was not as isolated during the Obama interview as Mr. Warren implied. (read rest of article here)

Allow me to be brash: this is bullshit.

This being the morning after the report leaked (I believe it went up on the site late yesterday), I haven’t read or heard a massive backlash in response to this story. But I can’t imagine I’m the only one who feels this way. I feel slighted, lied to, absolutely taken advantage of.

The whole point of a forum is for the candidate to react, think on his feet, and answer some hard hitting questions (at least a few — there were a number of soft balls lobbed by Rev. Warren). Getting the questions in advance, gauging crowed reaction to an answer, and knowing how best to differentiate yourself from your rival is a marked advantage.

McCain’s manner of speech was too easy, his responses too calculated. There was much less of the bumbling and stammering than prior engagements. Did he listen to the entire Obama portion of the Forum? I bet he listened right up to the point of exiting his motorcade. After nearly eight years of a Presidency where I feel like I have zero knowledge of what decisions Bush and his cronies are making, dishonesty is tops on my list of qualities a candidate should not have.

Give me straight talk, give me honest thoughtfulness, and give me a willingness to make a mistake or two (a President is a human too) — as long as you own up to them when you do.

Don’t give me scandal and diversion. Don’t give me that bullshit.

I suppose what I’m saying is give me Obama. To hell with McCain.

UPDATE: More possible McCain lying shamockery, this time from the Huffington Post, where blogger Mark Nickolas notes the blogosphere buzz surrounding the discovery that McCain’s “cross in the dirt” POW story may not be his story at all.

A fitting summation of the game (image from USABasketball.com)

At times, it was almost magical. There were moments so inspiring that I stood up from my chair in the empty newsroom of my grad school, yelled to myself with a silent, mouth open roar (so as to not break the spell), and celebrated with arms flexed, just as I saw Chris Bosh do later, just as I once did during my own playing days.

The moments were entrancing, engulfing:

• Dwyane Wade’s steal/save/alley-oop to Kobe Bryant’s most emphatic finish since christening Dwight Howard
• Kobe Bryant’s over the shoulder flip to a cutting Wade for the strong, hanging and-one finish
• Chris Bosh’s numerous improbable lay-ups, scored after absorbing hard contact and nearly inhuman body contortion (perhaps the best in-air body control I have seen from a PF before)
• Chris Paul’s near destructive inside out dribble on a Grecian defender who only remained upright thanks to a screen from a USA player that prevented his descent into infamy
• LeBron James’s Harlem Globetrotters-esque slipping spinning dribble to lay-in
• The successive LeBron James and Chris Bosh block, a tangible exclamation point on the statement: this is for the last time, this is for all time

In what was billed as a heavyweight rematch between a former champ with a chip on his shoulder who against the all-business international talent that shocked, embarrassed, and dethroned him, the former champ regained his belt with a stunning KO in a display of intensity, heart, and determination.

Cherish the moments, those of you that watched the game, when USA Basketball simultaneously (and finally) realized both the necessary respect due to the rest of the world and the achievable results when motivating itself to perform to its highest level against that competition.

What you saw was the greatest collection of talent the world has seen since 1992, on one court, of one mind, and at its unstoppable best. What you saw was the Colangelo model attaining the grandiose intention that its original blueprints had schematically laid out.

Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard. Possibly Deron Williams and Chris Bosh. The case could be made that they could all reach the Hall of Fame.

And then, perhaps, that they were inches away from the same level as the Originals.

But, talk of the future matters little. Leave the comparisons to the number crunchers – now is the time for the fans, for those who sipped the sweet nectar in a shared experience this morning, and all, with a due, cleansing gulp, exclaimed: “They’re back, and it tastes glorious.”

The intensity must remain, the ultimate goal is not yet attained. Spain is next. Germany will follow.

But, for today, for now, for those moments, the nectar tasted a tad more than glorious. It tasted as though tinged with gold.

Is tomorrow the day that this image is rectified? (image from NBA.com)

So this is it. It’s now just a little under 24 hours before the game that should be the heart of Team USA’s motivation takes place: a rematch with Greece, the team that beat the US squad in the FIBA World Championship semis, and officially made it clear that the Dream Team glory days were gone for good. The team assembled for those FIBA games was a constructed team, one built to best compete against the international brand of basketball, one built to rebound from the bronze medal finish in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Greece showed that the building was unstable – it had flaws in its architecture.

Tomorrow morning is the chance for a small salvation. It’s the game that DWade, LeBron, and Melo have been replaying over and over since that 101-95 loss.

And how did Team USA prepare for the game? By looking lackluster against Angola, that’s how.

When the biggest factor in the success of the team over the past 4 years has been its motivation and intensity, the leisurely stroll of a win over the Angolans has to make all fans of Tea, USA at least a little bit nervous. Sure, it’s not as if Angola is an international power (“Angola’s only aim was to lose to the Americans by a margin of less than 40 points…”), but the last few USA National teams have shown that it’s no longer possible to turn the proverbial “it” on and off at will against the current world competition.

Tomorrow morning’s game (8am EST on USA or the NBC HD basketball channel) will come down to a battle of style – which team will be able to impose theirs on the game?

Greece’s best chance to win is by keeping the USA greyhound mentality at bay by dictating a half court offensive tempo, minimizing turnovers, and packing it in on D to force outside shots and limit offensive rebounds (remember when I said that no having Tyson Chandler’s rebounding presence may come back to bite Colangelo in the ass?).

If USA is able to force turnovers and play fast break basketball, the game will in essence be theirs. Greece may hang with them a little better than China and Angola, but if the tempo is fast, USA will inevitably space out some form of a lead early in the second quarter, as they did against both China and Angola.

But the deciding factor in which team imposes its style on the game will be determined by how hungry Team USA is, from the opening tip to closing horn.

For their motivation is the only way they will be able to take the first step in suppressing that gnawing feeling in all of their stomachs that is redemption.

Team USA was ready on Sunday (photo from NBA.com)

If there is one thing to take away from Team USA’s game against China, it’s that the intensity displayed by Coach K’s squad is the most promising thing I have seen from USA Basketball in the last six years.

Was it a perfect game? Not by any means. Jason Kidd continues to be turnover prone in his older age. Kobe Bryant was out of rhythm (his first jumper hitting the side of the backboard a la Richard Jefferson of the Bad-Dream Team). Melo never got involved on offense (neither on his accord or the rest of the team’s). Redd spent too much time on the bench while the rest of the team spent too much time missing 3′s. And the entire team went for too many perimeter steals, which led to some uncontested looks for China.

But none of that mattered; the will to dominate was apparent. Surely the fact that they were playing the home team in front of a packed, pro-China/pro-USA house helped keep the energy level up. China’s decision to try and play uptempo with them early on helped as well.

Regardless, the old fire was there.

You could see it in LeBron’s continuous attacks on the rim for lay-ups, and-one’s, and inhuman slams. You could see it in Kobe’s two-handed dunk on two unprepared Chinese defenders. You could see it in Paul’s everything. Well, you can always see it in Chris Paul, be still.

Team USA won’t escape the preliminary round without a struggle, not with Greece on Thursday, Spain on Saturday, and Germany on Monday. But for the first time since the last time, I feel reassured that regardless of the opponent, Team USA will bring it from the opening tip until the lead is comfortable.

With the talent of the current roster, that level of intensity makes them notably better than even Spain and Argentina.

The challenge of being mentally read has been met. Now, the next challenge is remaining so for Angola tomorrow. After that, the competition should make the desire to win a non-issue.

Is it possible that Team USA is not the best of all the teams in this vast expanse? (image from AccuWeather.com)

In case you haven’t heard, the Olympics are about to start. I know, it snuck right up on me too!

If there’s one thing I’m looking forward to more than NBC’s bastardizing Sirius/XM-like monopoly of all coverage 5 rings, it’s the constant scrutiny every sports media outlet in the damn country is placing the Men’s Basketball Team under.

I mean, I get it. Team USA lost the gold medal last Olympics. I am aware. Argentina, right?

But lets clear something up right now. The rest of the world is better. Two times for those who learn best through repetition: The rest of the world is better. You know it, I know it, the criticizers, quotemongers, ESPN talking heads, blogosphere residents-everyone knows it. So lets all take this into account and stop acting like USA should be utterly dominant. It’s a new time. Deal with it.

Should Team USA win the gold medal? I think this is where all of this scrutiny comes from: people are having a hard time coping with the fact that the gold medal isn’t a guarantee. Can you handle the fact that maybe, possibly, there is better national team out there?

But the more pressing question is, will Team USA prevail? Should or should not, will they? I’ve turned to a Socratic method of logic and questioning to answer this. Allow me to play a little subjective Q and A with myself (for your entertainment, not self-gratification-naturally.)

• Q: What makes for a winning team?
• A: A number of things of course, but there are a few intangibles. Coaching, talent, cohesion, and team make-up are the main ones I can think of.

• Q: So, does Team USA have what it takes to be a winning team?
• A: Well… lets go through the list.

o Coaching: I’m not sure that Coach K has this team under reigns. I don’t know that any coach for the USA Basketball Team really can. It’s not their fault, it’s just that there is so little time spent with the team that, although there may be a level of respect from the players, it’s not the same kind that comes from battling together, arguing with one another, basically just progressing in whatever form that progression may take. This doesn’t mean Coach K won’t have the team motivated or hungry (if he even needs to worry about that at all with this group), but until I see the squad really execute with a total belief in whatever system he’s got them running, I’m not sure I’ll ever be convinced that he (or anyone else in his position) is much more than a substitute teacher equivalent.

o Talent: Got it in abundance. ‘Nuff said.

o Cohesion: Well, I think the potential’s there for team cohesion. From all accounts I’ve read and heard, the group gets along very well. And the main core has been at this for three years now. But a natural order needs to come from meaningful (exhibition counts little) game experience. The team needs to learn who’s going to be the go-to guy, who’s going to be the energizer, who’s going to set the tone with a hard foul. Roles will be necessary in these Olympic Games. Remember, the rest of the world is good, we’ve covered this. The competition will be… uh… competitive. Fiercely. And that will necessitate players doing their part. At some point, the over-passing flair that USA’s been playing with will need to go away. It remains to be seen if that can be accomplished.

o Team Make-Up: Not optimal. For all the work that Jerry Colangelo has done with this squad, leaving Tyson Chandler off of the team may be his downfall. I don’t give a damn about the Duke connections or what kind of success Boozer has had in the L over the past few seasons-USA needs more size, rebounding, and shot blocking. If you’re not good at math, size + rebounding + shot blocking = Tyson Chandler. Notice how Team USA has struggled on the boards in the exhibition games, often seeing rebounds tipped around before the ball is tracked down. That’s because the Redeem Team is undersized. Shorter players tip the ball out of opposing players’ hands when they can’t secure the rebound. Chandler wouldn’t be tipping rebounds, that’s for damn sure. He would be going up and eating them with an unquenchable hunger. This simple miscasting is my prediction for what will be the team’s biggest problem and/or deciding factor if there is a loss.

• Q: Does that last statement means that Team USA will lose a game?
• A: It is quite possible. In fact, I almost expect it. They’re playing some heavy hitters (Greece and Spain) in the preliminary rounds, and it remains to be seen if they are well coached enough to grind out a tough win against a near equal squad.

• Q: Then you don’t think they will win the gold?
• A: I’m not saying that. I believe, with my patriotic heart of hearts, that Team USA can win the gold, I believe that they are motivated to do so. But being the realist/skeptic that I am, I have already come to terms with the fact that USA’s place in the basketball world is no longer that of leader and foreman. Will they, we, win the gold?I damn well hope so.

Team USA takes their show to China for their 2nd of 5 pre Olympic exhibition games, this one against Turkey (photo from Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE, found here)

And we’re here. Good morning to all. This will be a mostly live blog of Team USA’s first pre Olympic tune-up game being played in China. Now, to the action:

• A little internet delay, so here’s your recap of the first few minutes. ‘Bron’s back (starting in place of Wade), and he looks focused. Hedo Turkoglu won’t be playing today. USA looks solid coming out. LeBron drives to the cup, Melo splashes a J, Howard turns the ball over. About right.
• Turkey has a couple of recognizable players. International basketball really is making a huge impact on the NBA.
• Bron hits a three, Melo hits his second from nearly the same spot as the first.
• Turkey is wearing soccer length jersey tops, and half of their players have them untucked. I don’t think I approve of that very much; it just looks sloppy.
• Jason Kidd continues his inexplicable high shooting percentage from last year’s FIBA tournament as he hits a top of the key three.
• Team USA then promptly gives up an alley-oop lay up on D as Turkey beats them down the court.
• Chris Bosh hits a very Bosh-esque lay up (awkward looking, body turned in a weird angle) off of a feed from Kobe, putting the score at 20-15 US.
• LeBron drops a gorgeous dime to Bosh for a quick two.
• Turkey quickly misses a three, US goes the other way but botches a Kobe to James oop that would have blown up the arena, and Turkey comes back with a quick lay-up.
• Dywane Wade, checked into the game for 5 seconds, uses his international play go-to move: the charge. And it’s good! Turkey ball.
  
• Moments later Wade goes baseline and hits a pretty reverse, prompting this from insane play-by-play guy Rick Kamla: “Dywane Wade with a sexy move to the hoop.” I knew there was a reason I just got goosebumps.
• Howard picks up a foul trying to block a shot that had no chance of going in. He picks up more stupid fouls that way, either swiping low at the ball as the player tries to bring it up to shoot or reaching across their body going for a block. That could be a major downfall for the team during the Olympics.
• Arslan, shot clock running down, wets a pull up three in Melo’s face, putting Turkey up 27-24 and extending their run to 8-0.
• Wade utilizes the “Euro step,” that move perfected by Manu that, according to Kamla, “looks like a travel, but is not.” No, half the time when Manu does it, it is.
• Carmelo gets a three point play off of yet another jump-in-the-air-and-whip-a-two-handed-pass-at-the-last-second Kobe feed.
• Turkey hits a corner three to close the gap to 31-30, USA, which is how the first quarter ends.
• I utilize the wonders of DVR to make myself breakfast without missing any action. What, it’s not as if you’re reading this in real time anyway?! Shut up.
• And we’re back. Start of the second, USA up 1. I am completely unsurprised the game is this close. It seems to be a trend in these international games; the teams hang with the US for a quarter or two, but eventually the overall talent spaces out the gap. Except when we lose.
• Chris Paul drives, throws a oop to Howard, who mishandles, recovers, dunks, makes backboard cry.
• And I just made the Stephon Marbury Amare-just-dunked-on-Olowakandi when Turkish guard Arslan, leading a 3 on 1, ball faked the hell out of Deron Williams and finished with a gorgeous tear drop.
• “Carmelo took it strong. You heard him grunting, and he generates a couple of free throws. That’s how Carmelo rolls here in international play.” Wow. Melo gets to the line to hit both freebies. 35-32 Redeem Team.
• Turkey with a quick backdoor cut lay-in. US the other way, Paul to Howard oop.
• We have yet to see Redd so far. I’m pretty sure dead eye three point shooting’s a good thing, but I’m no coach of Duke or anything.
• D Williams, LeBron, and Kobe run the 3 on 2 break to perfection, with Kobe capping off a touch pass from LBJ for two. Bron really looks good today. He was nearly unstoppable at the FIBA Tournament last summer, and looks the same today.
• 43-36 USA coming out of a TO with 4:40 left. Jason Kidd turns it over trying to feed Kobe. Kidd has had far too many turnovers in the last game and a half, something that seems to have carried over from this past season in NJ/Dallas. Thus far, Kidd has not been the great veteran presence that all the “experts” were talking about prior to these games.
• LeBron literally just takes the ball from the ghostly Ilyasova, prompting Ilyasova to intentionally foul Bron to stop the fast break. LBJ’s a monster.
• Kobe with an awful oop to DSOIHFOSIDF@#$#$OIHDSFSSF*$&(&(&!!!!! LEBRON JAMES!!!!
• Excuse me, I just blacked out.
• Howard with yet another two-hand tomawhawk. USA is pulling away, with the score now 52-37, 51 seconds left in the half.

2nd Half:

• USA 54 – Turkey 37 to start the 3rd quarter.
• Kobe with a leading alley to Dwight Howard, whose nickname, according to Kamla, is “D. Howitzer.” I’m thinking he just made that up.
• Turkey a miss, US the other way, Kidd a turnover.
• The game just got really slow, thanks to plenty of Turkey fouls.
• Dywane Wade with a nasty crossover, where he then rises up and drops a baseline dime to LeBron. That will need to be found on YouTube later.
• A track meet has broken out, and Turkey doesn’t have a chance. The USA is up 78-55 of a patented Chris Paul floater.
• Kobe Bryant just threw an alley-oop off the bounce to Carmelo Anthony. What is this, a Rookie/Sophomore game? I can’t believe that just happened in an actual game. Turkey’s name is fitting at this point.
• With just under 3 minutes left in the third quarter, we have a Tayshaun Prince sighting. Welcome.
• Oh Sweet Lord (nod to Murs), Dwight Howard just flew. Nothing beats Team USA for highlights.
• 4th quarter now, with Team America up 89-61.
• Wade is definitely back. His explosion and Flash like quickness have returned, and the just used his running step-over move that used to be his go-to on drives. Then he finished with a dunk. The Heat will be very interesting to watch this year. Maybe not good, but interesting.
• And I just got really bored and stopped paying attention. Team USA wins in a blowout. Final score 114-82. No surprise here. Nothing really matters until the medal rounds, but it’s always good to see the squad look solid, even if the D is shaky at times.

One of the controversial Nike ads hung at the West 4th station

If you’ve been following the business section of the news lately, you may have heard about the firestorm Nike stirred up with its ad campaign for the release of the new (and supposedly revolutionary) basketball sneaker the Nike Hyperdunk (I want a pair — any givers for a broke Grad School Student?).

A brief summary for those who don’t feel like following the link: Nike’s ad campaign shows tightly cropped, staged pictures of one player dunking over/on another, with the dunker obviously sporting his Hyperdunks. The controversy lies in the fact that the player getting dunked on has the the dunker’s crotch in his face. Each picture has its own slogan, like “That Ain’t Right” for example.

Many people are claiming that the ads play on homophobia, a rampant problem in the world of sports.

Many others are claiming that the homophobia is not the intent of nor is it inherent in the ad, and that people are merely digging for something to dispute.

5 days ago, in response to the negative press and multitude of blog comment wars going on, Nike (story broken by Henry Abbot from TrueHoop, which was hosting a good deal of the ongoing debate) removed some of the deemed offensive ads from its campaign.

I’m not here to weigh in on the subject. My opinion is my opinion; think whatever you like about this whole thing. But, I have a question to pose to all of you.

Nike’s response to the negative criticism was to remove a couple of the posters with offensive tags on them (“That Ain’t Right,” “Punks Jump Up”): does that really solve the issue?

Look at the pictures I took last night. These are from the West 4th Street subway stop, where the posters have been hanging for at least two weeks now in my estimation. Now, they are a little different than the specific posters referenced in the controversy, as the slogan is spaced out across the line of posters along the long tunnel wall at the station rather than on each individual one. But, the images are the same. And they have remained so after Nike’s formal response to the issue.

Is the supposed homophobia that these ads play on contained solely in the offensive slogan of the poster? Does putting up a new slogan make the pictures instantly PC?

I personally think that if you found the posters problematic to begin with, a change of verbiage isn’t the solution. But, again, that’s me.

The forum’s open.

*UPDATE* I was in the West 4th Street station again today, and realized that I had failed to notice that the two posters and slogans that Nike had committed to removing, “Punks Jump Up” and “That Ain’t Right,” both still hang on the walls (both on the west 3rd street end of the station, one on the exit tunnel, the other just outside the turnstyles). I am not versed in how long a change in advertising takes when it comes to physical posters (compared to magazine or internet advertisements), but I suppose a few conclusions could be drawn about Nike’s commitment to rectifying the situation based on this reaction time. I’ll keep you updated the next time I am at the station. Feel free to check and post your own findings as well.

Or maybe not. Whatever.

Regardless of the reason, the most common form of “intelligence” found in sports writing comes across in humor, attempted or achieved (*this blogger guiltily raises hand*).

Rarely is there introspection, thought for rationale, or a tangible sense of care about more than the highlight, the end result, the historical implication or place in the Record Book.

So, when some actual deep thinking presents itself to me, I am thoroughly refreshed, as well as a little more hopeful. I don’t want to have to write solely about base hits in the bottom of the 3rd, post game quotes, or fan attendance numbers for the rest of my attempted journalistic career.

If Chuck Klosterman can write with a psychological lens and damn sharp power of observation (as well as a sarcastic tone that makes me borderline high school girlfriend jealous) and still remain popular, perhaps I can find a niche as well.

Check out his article on ESPN.com that comes from the latest edition of the Mag. He writes about the Kobe/Shaq feud and makes me feel like it’s the first (obviously not) and last (obviously won’t be) piece I need to read on the situation. Brilliant.

Excerpt:

Sports hatred is situational and generally metaphorical. Play-by-play announcers remind us that the Raiders hate the Broncos and the Sox hate the Yankees, but those alleged on-field enemies share the same agents and eat in the same restaurants and tip the same exotic dancers. If sports hatred feels real to the hater, it’s a self-styled fiction: hatred for the purpose of play. About 99% of the time, it’s a totally constructed emotion.

Go here for full article.