George Mason taking on University of Houston in the CBI Quarterfinal
I feel like that really uncool kid eating lunch at the edge of the cafeteria all alone, except replace the lunch table for a high-def TV and that’ll be me tonight.
No, it’s not the Madness that comes with March. It’s not even the NIT, but big news in The Blonde Side’s world is George Mason is set to take on University of Houston for the first time ever tonight in the CBI Quarterfinals at home inside the Patriot Center.
Why is this game important? Well, because Mason is my alma mater and secondly, I live in Houston, so it’s kind of a world colliding kind of thing for me. Oh and don’t forget, once upon a time (back in 2006 that is), George Mason was relevant during March Madness. You remember that Cinderella story, right?
And lucky for YOU, the Sweet Sixteen doesn’t start until Thursday, so your TV is wide open to watch this game.
The Patriots (19-14) in the Colonial Athletic Association and Cougars (20-12) in Conference USA will be meeting for the first time. While Houston has won five of their last six games (the last and most notable against Texas), the Patriots have struggled a bit more alternating ticks in the win and loss columns to get to the Quarterfinals.
Mason, led by head coach Paul Hewitt, had a buzzer-beater against the College of Charleston to get to this matchup. And not playing on the big stage like they did a few years back, the Patriots are hungry for attention and relevance once again – something they haven’t had much of since the departure of Jim Larranaga almost two years ago. It seems he too decided to take his talents (and subsequent growing bank account) to South Beach.
The Patriots are 7-6 while at home in the Patriot Center and averaging 67.1 points/game with a free throw percentage of .719, but the red and white Cougars, who are just 5-7 on the road this season, are on their own mission. Houston is one of 98 teams in NCAA Division I with 20+ wins this season (out of 345) and remain just one of two Texas teams still alive in the College Basketball Invitational (Baylor the other).
Houston Cougars headed to CBI Quarterfinals
The winner of tonight’s game advances on to the Semifinals on Wednesday where unlike traditional tourneys, the CBI is re-bracketed after the quarter round.
Let’s go MASON!
Honestly – cheering for and paying attention to the CBI while Dick Vitale and the Madness is going on around the corner feels weird. But a W by the Patriots will sure as hell help this awkward feeling. While the CBI may not sound like much now, the two teams have clearly had success over the years and it’s just a matter of a better record next season where you might see more action from either team. U of H has had 5 NCAA Final Fours, 19 NCAA Tournaments, 13 Conference Championships, 24 All-Americans, 3 Hall of Fame Inductees, 24 NBA Players, 2 No. 1 Overall Draft Picks and Mason (while not nearly the same kind of success), has had 3 NBA players, 6 NCAA Tournaments including one glass-slipper Final Four finish, and made it to the NIT 4 times.
[Please tell me someone somewhere cares about this game as much as I do? And did I already mention March Madness is on break tonight?]
HOUSTON — Linsanity officially ended at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
At that moment, point guard Jeremy Lin became a member of the Rockets, perhaps transforming Texas into the Lin Star State. Or maybe the 6-foot-3 Asian American phenomenon will inspire the era of Linergy, in homage to the self-styled Energy Capital of the World.
To read the full article on Linsanity in Houston (otherwise soon known as Lin Star State), visit ESPN Playbook.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/JeremyLin_HoustonRockets.jpg360640Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2012-07-18 16:07:172012-07-18 16:07:17Lin Star State
Battier's Frivolous Dom Celebration via his Twitter page
Shane Battier played 29,001 minutes in the NBA before reaching his first NBA Finals. He responded by being a serious perimeter threat for the Miami Heat, making 16 3-point shots over the five games, scoring in double digits in three of them.
Battier has completed the trophy trifecta, winning a high school state championship, an NCAA title at Duke and an NBA title. And he has been enjoying his victory lap, banging on pans in the Heat’s victory parade and throwing out the first pitch at a Marlins game.
To read my entire interview with Shane and the full article, visit ESPN Playbook.
For the NBA season that-almost-wasn’t coming to a close, David Stern could not have scripted a better matchup than the two best players in the league meeting for only the third time this season; putting it all on the line for the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy.
None of the writers from any of the multiple Real Housewives series could have strategically set up a better finale: three-time MVP LeBron Raymone James taking on three-time scoring champ Kevin Wayne Durant.
The Heat are the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions back for revenge and bloody eyebrows after having to start this NBA season on Christmas Day watching the Dallas Mavericks banner raising ceremony in that other American Airlines branded facility. If that does not hurt worse than a Chris Bosh ab injury, I don’t know what does.
I usually confess my dumb blonde moments long before others have the chance to in an attempt to save face, but last week in New Orleans I did it again letting my “true” blonde shine.
Looking up at a t-shirt for sale I yelled out, “I love that shirt! Too bad it’s not sports related.” The shirt had the Jazz logo on it and said New Orleans, making me believe it was a play on the town of Jazz, but I couldn’t quite figure out how NBA licensing had allowed such a shirt to be made and sold. I was with my friend Joe from National Football Post and unknowingly he responded, “How is an old school NBA New Orleans Jazz t-shirt not sports related?”
As the “highly coveted sportswriter” I’ve become over the years, even I had no idea the Jazz (currently Utah Jazz) originated from New Orleans. Just as soon as the realization hit me, I wanted to belt out a big fat Homer Simpson style DUH.
My earliest recollections of the Jazz were from the eighties and nineties when Karl Malone and John Stockton ruled the purple jerseys in The Mormon State. And how dumb do I feel because for a team to be named The Jazz, of-freaking-course they started in New Orleans, the city synonymous with Jazz music. Duh again blondie. That’s like saying you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy for years and never realized the show was named after Meredith Grey, the main character (and narrator). Those are just the kinds of things people should know. As a caveat, the team only lasted in New Orleans five years, all before my time, so I should be granted some level of acceptance. So for the other “dumb blondes” out there, I did some research on the origin of the team and some random facts you can throw around at dinner parties. Or bars. You can thank me later.
My "new vintage" New Orleans T-shirt with Joe Fortenbaugh
In 1974 New Orleans officially became the 18th team of the NBA (the expansion franchise cost $6.15 million). As with many sports teams, a contest was held to name the expansion team. Over 6,500 names were submitted and eight semi-finalists were selected (that really told the story of the city): Jazz, Dukes, Crescents, Pilots, Cajuns, Blues, Deltas, and Knights. Steve Brown, a 27-year old self-proclaimed “Jazz freak” was the winner who ended up naming the team.
The name Jazz was selected due to its definition “collective improvisation.”
1974 was not the first time a professional basketball team had called New Orleans home. From 1967-70, there was an ABA team called the Buccaneers.
The Jazz only won six of their first 50 games in their first season in NOLA and finished with the worst record in NBA (23-59).
The team only stayed in New Orleans, the city synonymous with Jazz & Mardi Gras for five short years (1974-79) before being shipped off to Utah. While it’s not unusual for new cities to change the team name (i.e. Seattle SuperSonics now being the OKC Thunder), Utah decided to keep the name and embrace all the qualities the team had become known for.
After the Jazz headed to Utah, the city of New Orleans would occasionally host Atlanta Hawks games, but the real desire to get basketball back into their city came from the Final Four. The Superdome hosted the 1982 Final Four, the same Final Four where Michael Jordan, a then freshman, nailed the game winning shot as North Carolina won the Championship. New Orleans also hosted the Final Four in 1987 and again in 1993. It wasn’t again until 2002 that New Orleans could once again called itself an NBA home when the Hornets moved from Charlotte into a brand new arena. (Again, there was debate about a name change or trying to bring the name Jazz back to its city of origin, but the name remained as the New Orleans Hornets.)
Worst season record for the Jazz franchise came in 1974-75: 23-59 (.280) – New Orleans
Best season record for the Jazz franchise came in 1996-97: 64-18 (.780) – Utah
Marketing Guide For The Jazz Logo
As a former brain at an ad agency, I find the progression of the logo and team colors particularly interesting.
1974-79 New Orleans Jazz | Colors: Purple, Green, Gold (these started as the main colors as they represented Mardi Gras)
1979-96 Utah Jazz | Colors: Purple, Green, Gold
1996-04 Utah Jazz | Colors: Purple, Teal, Light Blue, Copper, Black
2004-10 Utah Jazz | Colors: Navy, Powder Blue, Purple, Silver
2010-Present Utah Jazz | Navy, Dark Yellow, Dark Green, Gray
Want more random facts and followings? Follow The Blonde Side on Twitter @jaymelamm
There comes a time in everyone’s life where bragging rights start to take over societal norms. For me, that was in 2006 and I still hold tight to those fleeting front-page memories probably the same way Britney Spears holds tight to her old Catholic schoolgirl hot bod. Those were the days, right?
And based on the picture to the left, it’s pretty obvious I’m a George Mason fan (and alum) and firmly believe they are one of the greatest Cinderella Stories in NCAA history, if not the greatest. Although, based on definition and parallels of the actual 1950 movie, I’m not sure anyone in NCAA Men’s Basketball has really fit the proverbial glass slipper to a T. Not even my Patriots if we’re being honest.
Most of you reading The Blonde Side should be acutely aware of what a Cinderella or “Cinderella Story” refers to, but since I know my mother is reading this (thanks mom), I’ll elaborate: this concept refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament than expected (via Wikipedia). The amount of media attention and bandwagon fans these Cinderellas get is b-a-n-a-n-a-s.
Take George Mason for instance – one of the biggest schools in Virginia, but because we lack a football team, we are either off the sport’s map completely or people assume we’re a small private school. Wrong. Wrong. And wrong’er.
But the thing that really bothers with me with this fairy tale analogy is that in the Disney classic, Cinderella just kind of shows up out of the woodwork and surprises everyone. Coming out of obscurity, much like George Mason did in that 2006 season when they stole the show as an 11 seed. The 2006 brackets were in worse shape than the Titanic marking the first time in 26 years that all four No. 1 seeds didn’t make the Final Four.
In the movie, Cinderella has to work harder and overcome multiple obstacles to get her shot at the prince. George Mason did that as well, but obviously not for their shot at a dude, but rather a bid into the dance and then the chance to keep advancing game after game after game.
George Mason Patriots - The Ultimate Cinderella Story
Here’s where I see the difference. In the movie, it’s all about the ending – Cinderella finding her Prince Charming (who by the way, for a cartoon character is totally my type for those keeping track). Sure, the story of how she got there and all the wicked haters (her stepsisters and stepmother) were part of the storyline, but the gist of the movie is that she made it. The slipper fit. The two lovebirds tie the knot, which is more than I can say for any of the twenty seasons of The Bachelor, but again, I digress.
The difference, as in most cases with the sporty Cinderella is it’s more about their journey. How they got the bid to the Madness that takes over March, all the teams with massive season highlight reels they took down to get there (Wichita State, UCONN, Michigan State and UNC), but then, unlike any Disney fairytale we’ve seen, the George Mason Patriots lost in the Final Four to Florida (just another reason I can’t stand those damn Gators).
While it was a good run, no make that a great run, this particular Cinderella Story, and all the other ones sports blogs and networks hammer on about end more like, well a Lifetime movie. In Lifetime movies, Tori Spelling (or one of their five other actresses they meticulously rotate) typically has a hard time trusting guys and doesn’t think she’ll ever fall in love, and then without warning (yeah right) she meets the love of her life. That’s where a typical Disney story would end – after a few babies of course. But no, she ends up getting brutally murdered by her doting husband while skiing down an Olympic mogul double-black after ACL surgery. Not that Mason got murdered by those damn Gators, but it was kind of hard to watch. I wasn’t left with warm and fuzzies like I am after watching Ariel get her legs for the final time to live as a human rather than an underwater mermaid or Sleeping Beauty wake up to a tongue in her mouth.
Doesn't look like the Cinderella we know from Disney, does it?
And of course it’s clear after watching VCU’s run last year (another Virginia school, mind you), that there may be more than one pair of glass slippers open for the taking. Butler had their shot at the slipper two years ago, but again, where’s that perfect Disney ending?
Who do you think has a chance at claiming this year’s slipper or at least trying to put a fat foot into it? Creighton? Saint Mary’s? Long Beach State?
PS – ever wonder where the term Cinderella came from? Thanks to Bill Murray’s impromptu line in Caddyshack, we can now successfully bridge Disney and Sports and feel OK about it.
For those of you gearing up for the Madness that is March, here is the 2012 NCAA Tournament Schedule:
Selection Sunday – March 11, National Bracket Day – March 12, First Four – March 13 – 14, Second Round – March 15 – 16, Third Round – March 17 – 18, Sweet 16 – March 22 – 23, Elite 8 – March 24 – 25, Final Four – March 31, National Championship – April 2
just another example of an awesome sign. AP Photos/Mark Humphrey
Oh, and contest galore. Two ways:
1. Two lucky readers of The Blonde Side will receive either a $50 Visa gift card or an NCAA team jersey. Simply leave a comment with what your favorite thing about the NCAA tournament and I’ll select two lucky random winners this week. If you win, you can pick either the gift card or an NCAA team jersey which will be mailed to you directly. Note, if your email address isn’t present, I’ll skip over you.
2. Want to see the action in person? AT&T is hosting a sweepstakes right now to go to the Final Four AND the Championship game! That’s right, you get to go to both. I’m jealous because I don’t think I’m eligible. To enter go to http://bit.ly/ATTSweeps for details. What are you waiting for? Get in the game!
*A big thanks to AT&T who provided me with a gift card for promoting their sweepstakes but all thoughts and opinions on The Blonde Side and in this post are my own.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/57187513_crop_650x440.jpg440650Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2012-03-07 16:47:192012-03-22 10:13:47My Cinderella Story
Clutch is more than a furry cheerleader with hilarious non-verbal antics parading around the Toyota Center. Having shadowed the Houston Rockets mascots at a recent game, I’m not sure anyone is more excited to see the NBA back in action than Clutch himself.
With the Rockets riding a seven-game winning streak going into Wednesday night’s home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, there’s more reason to be excited than many people probably thought as well.
During those tumultuous NBA Lockout talks, people were concerned about the players. Then came growing concern for the dance teams, the athletic trainers, the customer service staff and the food vendors. Those part-time folks that relied on that extra income to pay bills became another concern.
With sweat dripping down his face, Boudwin (who can now talk because he’s not near any of the fans) huffs and puffs, “Man, I missed this.”
But did anyone stop to think about the mascots who are just as much a part of basketball as David Stern himself?
Clutch (or Robert Boudwin, the excited human inside) is a full-time front office employee with the Houston Rockets, as is his “Mascot Coordinator” Dominic Davila, who wears “Rocketman” on the back of his silver suit — the silver suit that accompanies Clutch almost anywhere inside and outside the Toyota Center.
A day in the life of an NBA mascot:
– Clutch and crew arrive to the Toyota Center at least two hours before the game. (For the sold-out crowd on opening night, they got there four hours early to rehearse the season’s new skits. The skit Clutch was most pumped about was set to the tune of Aerosmith’s “Back in the Saddle.”)
Remember, Clutch is a full-time Rockets employee, so on game days, he walks from his upstairs office down to his personal dressing room on floor level which makes for an extremely long day.
– About an hour before tipoff, Clutch hops on his Segway, zips around the concourse high-fiving vivacious fans and then heads outside to the Budweiser Lift-Off pregame concert for photo-ops and a dance party. After a few minutes of pictures, he hops on stage, grabs a microphone, does a jig or two and then his “handlers” forcefully encourage him to get back on his ride and head up to the Memorial Hermann Sky Court, because they too have a game clock to abide by.
– Clutch heads back into the Toyota Center with his crew guiding him the entire way. “Clutch, duck your head,” they yell as he gets into a private service elevator. “Clutch, turn left and look down,” they call out so he’ll notice the little kid below him trying desperately for a high-five.
Boudwin’s crew serves as his eyes and ears while he’s suited up — not to mention his voice. The most important rule as a mascot — NO TALKING WHILE IN THE SUIT.
Clutch relies on his nonverbals (ferociously waving, shaking his midsection, jumping up and down) to show fans his excitement and feelings. But when it’s needed (and I assure you, it is), Dominic, his coordinator for the past 11 years, speaks for him.
“Sorry kids, Clutch has to keep going,” or “Watch out guys, Clutch is coming through,” he yells to keep Clutch on his already tight schedule. Somehow Clutch still manages to find time to get in the face of an opposing team’s fan while Rockets fans laugh and capture it all on their iPhones.
– Pulling up to the sky court, there is already a line of fans of all ages, eagerly waiting. For the next 15 minutes, Clutch’s big furry hand autographs mini-sized posters and stops long enough for fans to take a photo. (Note: his handlers have to hand the poster to the fans, because Clutch’s hands are too big and clumsy to grab that flimsy piece of glossy paper.)
– Clutch makes his graceful exit (literally oblivious to all the fans trying to pull him from all directions for their own family photo) and heads down to his personal dressing room, which sits directly across from the Rockets team locker room. Finally, he gets to take his head off.
With sweat dripping down his face, Boudwin (who can now talk because he’s not near any of the fans) huffs and puffs, “Man, I missed this.” While in his room, he chugs two bottles of water, and changes the sopping wet Dri-Fit shirt he wears under his costume (he sweats through at least seven each game).
Because of how hot it gets in the suit, Clutch is supposed to take a break (with water and sans bear head) every 15 minutes. Sometimes he gets so into the crowd, he forgets how long he’s been out there and his team has to literally drag him behind the black curtains on the side of the court.
– Behind the curtain, Clutch is once again gasping for air. His arms are tired from holding up the bulky and awkwardly shaped 8’ x 4’ x 4’ box sign, which weighs exactly 40 pounds (the largest in sports) over his head multiple times while simultaneously leading the crowd in chants. Again, he changes his sweat-laden shirt right there in the confines of the hallway.
Meanwhile Mini-Clutch (also sweating and panting) hands a pink Starburst to his coordinator, who instinctively knew to unwrap it for him because his bear hands made it impossible. The pair heads back out to flirt with the Rockets Power Dancers.
– Back in his dressing room, Clutch and crew review their pre-printed schedule of events and appearances. As he gets ready for a seat visit to a fan in section 125, he’s checking his can of Silly String to make sure it’s got plenty of ammo. The whole crew heads over to the seats and for a solid 55 seconds, Clutch douses the diehard Rockets fan in pink and blue Silly String.
Meanwhile Mini-Clutch is on the concourse taking photos. A nearby woman asks Clutch to hold her baby for a photo (surprisingly the tiny baby doesn’t even cry) and Clutch nonchalantly walks away with the baby.
When Clutch finally returns the baby, fans are lined up waiting for their own photos to immediately upload to Facebook.
– During this whole charade, Clutch’s bulky arms accidentally spill a fan’s popcorn. Because of the major lack of peripheral visibility from the costume head, Clutch has no idea. Back in the dressing room one of the coordinators tells Clutch (who at this point has morphed back into Robert) that she looked displeased.
“Please take two hats, two T-shirts and a new box of popcorn to her and give her a big fat I’m sorry,” Boudwin says genuinely.
– A few minutes later, another timeout is called and Clutch is once again snapping his red Rockets uniform over his furry arms, putting his head on, and heading back out on the court. My all-time favorite Clutch move is when he strips off his jersey directly in the line of view of San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker who is trying to sink two free throws.
Clutch is left wearing nothing but his ginormous shoes (size 22 BB for double bear) and then once again scurries behind the curtain (while Dominic literally picks up the pieces).
Just from the play-by-play listed above, you can see Clutch is a busy man. Um, bear.
If you’ve ever wondered why he doesn’t stay in one place too long, it’s because fans will bombard him and he’ll never make it to another section or back on the court for his scheduled skits. Plus, fans will miss out on the improv nonsense.
Mascots have rules too. Here are just a few:
– Signs behind the basket during opposing team free throws cannot be larger than 17” x 11”.
– Mascots may not walk directly adjacent to the court (courtside) during play
– Mascots may not target or ridicule a specific player from an opposing team
– The use of pyrotechnic is prohibited once the game has begun and can only be used pregame with prior written league permission
After following Clutch around for an entire game, I’m not sure who gets more of a run in — the Rockets starting five or the bear and his crew.
Introducing the Clutch Crew:
Robert Boudwin — Clutch, in his 17th season.
Dominic Davila — Full time assistant/sidekick/manager/agent/bodyguard/secretary/translator/right arm (as quoted by Clutch)
Michael Gonzales — Clutch Crew on game nights
Michael Trussel — Clutch Crew on game nights
Brandon (Tuff) Schoenberg — Mini-Clutch
This article was featured on Culture Map, Houston’s Daily Digital Magazine in the sport’s section.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Clutch_refes.525w_700h.jpg700525Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2012-01-25 12:23:102012-01-31 12:28:48A Day In The Life Of An NBA Mascot
On Feb. 24, 2011, Houston lost a piece of its soul. Not just in the local sports world, but in the community as well.
In a moment of reverse déjà vu, Shane Battier was traded back to the Memphis Grizzlies — the same team Houston acquired him in exchange for Stromile Swift and the draft rights to Rudy Gay back in 2006.
For the first time in five years, the Houston Rockets will hold a home opener without Battier Thursday night. Battier has moved again, leaving Memphis for Miami where he’ll chase a title as a sidekick to the championship favorite superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat are already 3-0 as the 0-1 Rockets take the Toyota Center court for the first time this season to face San Antonio with Houston just hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.
I’m not sure anyone could have imagined the impact the 6-foot-8 forward from Duke would have had on one of the biggest cities in the country, or conversely the impact that city would have had on him and his family.
Battier was a stronghold with the Rockets, starting all but seven games during his four and a half seasons. He played a key role in 2008 when the Rockets recorded the second-longest consecutive wins streak (22) in NBA history, spending the most time of any player on the court during that impressive streak (according to Michael Lewis’ often-referenced New York Times article, “The No-Stats All-Star”).
Battier logged 11,910 playing minutes and scored a total of 3,052 points during his tenure with the Rockets. His heart and soul on the court, his defensive hustle and never give up attitude are just a handful of reasons Rockets fans everywhere fell in love with the guy.
And that’s just on the court.
More Than a Baller
Photo Courtesy of NYTimes.com
Sporting News didn’t name Battier the seventh smartest athlete in sports for nothing. Battier has made a career out of being smart both on and off the court and finding a way to connect with his team and fans on more than just a professional and athletic level.
“You hope to make a connection with the community that you are a part of. I was proud of my five years in Houston, it was an amazing ride. So many great relationships were started and I am proud that I had an impact in my years in Houston,” Battier wrote in an email interview.
Off the court, the guy loves Houston just as much as Houston loves (and misses) him. Battier and his wife Heidi were sad to leave Houston and sell their Southampton house, which they refer to as their “favorite.” The couple also misses all the amazing meals they’ve shared over the years at two Montrose hot spots — Da Marco and Dolce Vita.
Aside from his court smarts, one of the reasons Houston fans adored Battier was his laid-back nature — not afraid to sign autographs out and about, and certainly not afraid to sing a tune or two at Christian’s Tailgate on karaoke night.
“I will karaoke anytime, anywhere. My Way by Sinatra is just my bag,” he wrote. “One of the worst parts of being traded to Memphis mid year last year was cancelling our Clutch City Karaoke event in Houston to benefit The Battier Take Charge Foundation.
“I’d like to think that I am not that different from any other family man. I go to work (conditioning, shooting drills, lifting weights) and come home to hang out with my family, clean up after dinner, put the kids to bed and crack a Bud Light. Pretty standard really.”
(Coincidentally or not, Bud Light just so happens to be the best selling beer in Texas. Presumably another reason Shane misses H-Town?)
Even though it’s been half a season since Battier left, lifelong Rockets fan, Justin Capetillo, still misses seeing him on the court. “I miss his hustle and heart,” Capetillo said. “He was the ideal ‘team’ player, and any team is lucky to have his leadership. I don’t really like the Heat, but hope Battier finally gets his ring.”
Native Houstonian Dan Kuehn feels the same way. “I miss his gritty play and his witty interviews,” Kuehn said. “He plays the game with heart, brains, and passion. No one can argue that.”
And it’s not just the fans that miss him. The lovable, huggable Clutch mascot shared his sentiments on No. 31 saying, “Shane was one of my favorite players from my 17 years with the Rockets. He’s a standup guy — both on and off the court. He exemplified professional basketball at its finest. I miss him dearly.”
Speaking of his new team, when I asked Shane how he felt about his old teammates (who he’ll play April 22 in Miami), his response was simple, “I will be excited to play my guys on the Rockets. It will be strange but they will want to beat me as much as I want to beat them. For pride.
“If they brought me some fajitas from Lupe Tortilla or El Tiempo I’d be a happy man.”
Duly noted Shane, duly noted.
This article was featured on Culture Map, Houston’s Daily Digital Magazine in the sport’s section.
With 48 seconds left on the pregame clock before the Mavs’ season opener, the Miami Heat scurried off the court into the dark quarters of the visiting locker room. On the court, however, the Mavs and their fans celebrated something they’ve waited 31 long-suffering years for – the raising of a NBA Championship banner to proudly hang at American Airlines Center.
What better way for Mavs fans to celebrate Christmas than with the finest gift the NBA offers – the championship banner, which even came wrapped in black cloth like a regular ol’ Christmas present. The historical ceremony was chock full of last season’s highlights including dunks from Dirk, multiple fadeaways against none other than Miami’s big three, more dunks from Dirk, Jason Kidd getting fouled in the paint and more violent dunks from Dirk over LeBron’s head-banded head. With every memorable basket the crowd grew louder and louder with uncontrollable passion.
After the game, the media questioned Coach Spoelstra on his team’s absence on the court during the ceremonious banner raising. The media has been buzzing with rumors on how the big three, especially former finals MVP Dwyane Wade would feel during the ceremony having been on the other side; the literal other side when the Heat beat the Mavs back in the 2006 finals. “We did it out of respect. Other teams do that when we retire jerseys – it’s their moment. That’s a good storyline, but we did it out of respect, no other reason,” Spoelstra said in response to the media’s bait.
But it wasn’t LeBron who got the biggest boos of the day; no, those were reserved for none other than Commissioner David Stern. Every single fan clad in Mavs blue directed their audible criticisms at The Commish – all while the poor guy was congratulating the hometown champs and their city on last year’s prodigious victory. Knowing his recent standings with fans, he kept his approbatory speech short and sweet – less than 53 seconds of talk time from the man many hold solely responsible for the shortened season (now a 66 game season versus the customary 82). Stern quickly handed the microphone over to Jason Terry and the sold-out crowd once again erupted with triumph.
But not for long. As soon as the banner reached the top of the JumboTron, fans ran out of things to celebrate. The only time the Mavs actually led the Heat was when Chris Bosh muffed up yet another tipoff. Shortly after, the celebrations for the hometown team quieted down only to pique once more for the standing ovation they gave Lamar Odom as he entered the game in the first quarter. Rightly so, because just seconds after, he drained his first shot in a Mavs uniform, sinking a three-pointer from behind the arch. Fans went wild. Probably more so for Khlomar, but wild, nonetheless.
Heading into the game, the Mavs were the only active team undefeated on Christmas day (2-0), but the Heat came to play with a lot to prove. As one member of the media commented outside their locker room, “they [Heat] played angry.” And not just because their last game was a loss on their own home court, which cost them their very own championship banner in “South Beach,” but the last time the Heat beat the Mavericks in the regular season was March 26, 2004. That’s a whole lot of love lost for the two teams.
These two teams have had a lot of back in forth in the way of stats. Eight of the last 10 defending champs have followed their championship season with a season-opening victory the next year. The last team to lose a season-opener after winning it all? You guessed it – the Miami Heat. On June 12, 2011 when the Mavs secured their first NBA title in franchise history, they beat the Heat on the road 105 – 95. Yesterday afternoon, Miami virtually reversed those numbers winning 105-94.
As a highly publicized finals rematch, there wasn’t much for the Mavs to celebrate or look at, unless you counted the pretty new banner. While it’s only the first game of the season, fans are hoping they are left with much more than a ticket stub and replica championship banner to hang in their homes and offices. With the abbreviated season already in motion, the Mavs don’t have the luxury of sitting around and applauding themselves on last year’s success – it’s time to play ball like the champions they are.
While the Mavs certainly had something to celebrate before the game, it became clear after the game they have more work than celebration ahead of them. Lets hope they bring the A-game that Dallas fans have become accustomed to sooner rather than later. Game two saw a similar result against the Denver Nuggets. Their third attempt to get it straightened out is tonight in Oklahoma City – It doesn’t get any easier.
This article was featured on Scoreboard Daily, a comprehensive sport’s publication in Dallas/Fort Worth.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2011NBA_HeatMavericksFinalsPrediction_btb_main.jpg297643Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2011-12-29 22:47:422011-12-29 22:51:47No Time To Celebrate Last Year’s Successes
Being from Virginia, a hometown loyalty to any team in sports is lost on me. As a state, we have no collective team (the Redskins surely don’t count, because they are the Washington Redskins, and more confusingly, their stadium is in Landover, Maryland). While that is in no way to say Virginians can’t be loyal fans, that whole “I live and die by Cleveland sport’s” mentality in which Raab bears is not something I can genuinely relate to. My loyalties to teams are as follows (and in order), the Philadelphia Eagles, the Texas Rangers (thanks to the 1993 Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura fight which proved to my father that sometimes fighting is a legitimate necessity), and yes, loyally amidst all the bandwagoners, I am a Miami Heat fan.
Before you continue reading, here is full disclosure in its purest form: I think Scott Raab is one hell of a writer. He’s one of the reasons I want my own byline in Esquire, hopefully very soon. I also love my Miami Heat (with or without King James), but as he leads my team to hopefully another run at the Championship (this time winning), I too, support him. After reading this in-depth view of Raab’s transparent hate for LeBron, it makes me want to personally alert a team of armed guards for LBJ’s protection, but as a sport’s fanatic myself, and one who relies heavily on the First Amendment, I can somewhat relate and surely appreciate.
Cleveland fans have had a rough go, easily summed up here: “It is forever fourth down and 98 yards to go here, the Broncos’ ball, with the Browns four minutes from their first Super Bowl; forever the ninth inning of Game 7, the Tribe leading by a run, three outs away from their first World Series win since 1948; forever the last second of Game 5 against the Bulls in 1989, with the Cavaliers up one and Michael Jordan with the ball.” Raab set out to write a book about the LeBron legacy, but like a drunk Snooki, things quickly changed. Raab had high hopes that LeBron would change all the negative and heartbroken hysteria highlighted above, but the second his “loyalty” hit ESPN, Raab and many other fans set out for revenge on King James. Or more accurately, the 3,600 seconds he plastered said loyalty over a supposed unbiased network.
There are many parts of this book I can’t relate to – the constant and lifelong heartache the Cleveland sport’s community feels, the infinite Jewish references, and the constant visual images of Raab asking for (or more commonly being offered) handjobs by his doting wife Lisa. No one has ever offered me a handjob (or asked for one) after watching LeBron post his fifteenth straight triple-double.
I like to think of myself as a loyal person, but it’s hard to put myself in LeBron’s Nikes. Sure, it would have been a storybook fairytale in any arena had he stayed with the Cavs and finally brought a ring to a city that so desperately needed and wanted it. But I ask myself, if I had a boyfriend of seven years who I loved dearly, but the chance to be with my girl crush Jessica Biel presented itself, would I remain loyal to said boyfriend? Ideally he’d be all for it and allow me to have both him and J. Biel, but things don’t quite work like that in the NBA. LeBron didn’t have the choice to stay loyal and get a ring. Or did he?
“Those Cleveland fans knew for the first time what utter fools they had been to believe that LeBron James ever gave a damn about anything but LeBron James.” One of Raab’s rants tackling an interview LeBron gave after his egotistical highlight, The Decision: “Maybe the ones burning my jersey were never LeBron fans anyway.” Raab brings up a supremely cogent point, which many young athletes as well as fans don’t get. It’s the whole rooting for laundry concept. You aren’t a fan of that particular player or even that jersey – “the names on the back of the jersey will change as the years go by.” Cleveland fans loved LeBron and rooted for him because he was on their team, not the other way around. LeBron was the first one-namer the town of Cleveland has ever recognized, but with no rings, perhaps it was all in vain.
But one question I still have: can you blame him?
Raab is spot-on when he calls LeBron, “A brand name with no more substance than a marketing plan to move shoes and soft drinks,” but sadly and truly, isn’t that what sports have become? Long gone are the days where loyal and respectable players like Craig Biggio, Walter Payton, Larry Bird, Cal Ripken Jr., David Robinson and Ryan Giggs abound. We are starting to see more and more King James’ across the leagues that have the ability to hold acronyms like ESPN and NBA by the balls since day one.
Raab reminds us as fans, your voice may be gone from screaming profanities and cheers in stadiums, arenas or your rocking chair at home, but your heart? Your heart should never be gone. Spoken like a true Cleveland native.
As it doesn’t look like Clevelanders will be getting any championships this Christmas, may I suggest this book as a damn fine consolation prize? Due to LeBron’s multiple playoff breakdowns, you can easily wrap the gift and label it “Merry Quitness” for sport’s fans everywhere. Yes, even Heat fans. Because if there’s one thing you can’t debate about King James, it’s his 4th quarter playoff disappearances.
Please continue to hang on to your Browns ticket stub from 1964 and I’ll hold on to this book you sent me with post-it flags and scribbled up margins, serving as reminders to us both for the hope and dreams we are each holding out for. You, that you and your city will once again see another Championship of some kind, and me, that being a sport’s writer letting it all hang out, may some day get me a book deal and notoriety that only true greats indeed accomplish.
Thanks again for the book. I do expect an autograph if we ever meet.
This article was featured on Culture Map, Houston’s Daily Digital Magazine in the sport’s section.
