L. Hughes in the East Conf. Finals. Why no buzz here?

[Four Seventeen]

Larry is like Stacy King on the 91-93 Bulls Version 1.0

[billiken_roy]

stern can not only save the nba he can save basketball period with one simple adjustment. make the game a non-contact sport. make it a ballet instead of rugby. reward the spendid athlete disregard the muscled thug with no skills beyond being physical.

force the refs to call ALL FOULS. change the game. the fans will flock to it and the game will trickle down to the lower levels as well.

[VTIME]

Actually I saw a graphic during last night's that stated that the Golden State Warriors/Dallas Mavericks series had the highest rating since the 98 Finals with the Bulls and Jazz. The fans do care about Lebron James and Dwayne Wade and the other stars of the game. Dont associate your disconnect with everyone else. Your statement doesnt really address the lack of buzz about Larry Hughes even if you arent a big NBA fan, he is the best player to come out the University in the last 10 years at the minimum and he's in the conference finals. My problem with the dress code was not that it was racially motivated as you say, but that its hypocratical because the NBA uses the hip hop image, the clothes, the music to promote its game and players in the advertisement strategies and then acts like thats what is ruining its game and a wardrobe change is going to make the game better. A racial aspect that I've heard more of is that the foreign player, specifically European has replaced the white player and that has attributed to some of the disconnect. Jason Kapono once said that he might have been better off leaving UCLA after his sophomore year and going overseas and changing his name to Jason Kaponovich to get his draft stock higher. It was funny, but probably true. And its unfair to act like the offcourt offenses were/are ruining the game because the NFL is MUCH WORSE as far as criminal offenses and the game is as popular as ever.

[Clock_Tower]

Taj. Couldn't agree more. Especially with your first post. While I enjoyed Larry's year at SLU, frankly, don't believe Larry really got to know SLU just like most SLU fans didn't have the opportunity to get to know Larry.

For instance, recall Bonner, Highmark, Clagget, IV and others come in as Freshman and contribute to the team. Some guys, of course, had a bigger impact than others their first year. IV, for instance, practiced with the team but saw litte game action his first year. Then, we watched them grow and mature as both players and persons/students. Senior day, and ovations by us fans, brings back both our memories of the players and the players' memories of SLU/basketball program.

Because he spent only 1 year at SLU, IMO, I don't really believe he feels much of a bond with SLU. I understand that he plays during the season and cannot come back for many games; however, don't really remember Larry coming back and/or contributing with Spoon, Romar or Brad. Believe he came back once or twice to support his friend J. Tatum but not really for SLU. Where have his basketball clinics been? Where has his charitable foundation been? Where has, he himself been for the past 10 years in and around town?

Why should I care?

[VTIME]

In fact, because of the age limit, the top 10 player was forced to return to college basketball and now this is one of the most anticipated drafts in history. The NCAA served as a grand yearlong marketing strategy for those guys and now Oden, Durant, Javaris Crittendon, Brandan Wright, Mike Conley, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes have had a year under the national spotlight for fans all of the country to see who wouldnt have seen them if they came out of high school, and now the fans await their arrival to the NBA. Its helping the game tremendously from a fan standpoint as college basketball was definitely back and we had a great tournament, especially the Elite 8 and Final Four and now the fans know all players. Look at how stacked UNC was and they still couldnt make the Final Four, that's how great college basketball was and now the NBA is going to have a great fan base and some great drafts. Next year guys like Beasley, Koufos, Mayo, and Rose will be showcased and probably be one and done as well too, but the NBA will have the advantage of having them marketed all year in college basketball. The top 10 player has returned to college basketball and its great for college and the NBA.

[moytoy12]

"I don't want to hear grown men who make millions of dollars to not play defense whine about not making enough money..."

You better stop watching professional sports altogether.

"The hip-hop culture is out of control and is killing the youth of America..."

Wrong. Stupid. Short-sighted.

It's obvious you are trying to incite a race based "discussion," but perhaps you should learn a little tact. Better yet, go back to your silly slogans and "brilliant" P.R. ideas. Really, they're witty and hilarious. I can't believe the top P.R. firm in St. louis hasn't hired you.

[VTIME]

>stern can not only save the nba he can save basketball

>period with one simple adjustment. make the game a

>non-contact sport. make it a ballet instead of rugby.

>reward the spendid athlete disregard the muscled thug with

>no skills beyond being physical.

>

>force the refs to call ALL FOULS. change the game. the

>fans will flock to it and the game will trickle down to the

>lower levels as well.

I agree with that somewhat, but I think a big change would be to get rid of all those charges. Guys go the basket all the time, under control, make nice moves or passes only to have them waved off for charges. When passing off, this should never be called especially when throwing the ball ahead for a fastbreak or kicking the ball out for a three. The offensive player is not gaining any advantage and often times being bridged. Other times, the player obviously tries to side step the defender and avoid the charge and just because the defender is outside the semi-circle and falls like he was hit by a truck they call a charge. Dr. James Naismith did not invent the game with the intention of having 7'0 260 guys take charges on 6'0 160 guys gliding in for layups. A lot of players dont challenge shots anymore, they just fall down all game hoping to get charges. Its not how the game should be played and it wipes off some of the most spectacular forays to the basket.

[brianstl]

Than the NFL's. A NFL team roster is far larger than a NBA roster (the NFL is over 4 times as big). The NBA shouldn't even be close to NFL in total number of problems, but they are.

[VTIME]

They arent. Then they tried to act like the NBA was too hood for All-Star weekend this year when the state allows prostitution and public drunkenness and is often referred to as Sin City. And if you want to get technical the NFL is not over 4 times as big because you can only carry 53 guys on your roster in the NFL and 15 in the NBA and 15 x 4= 60. And even if you were correct my statement that the off the field issues in the NFL dont mean Armageddon, so they should not be treated like that in the NBA. Of the 4 teams, remaining, there is maybe 1 (Rasheed Wallace) less than model citizen, so rating should be skyhigh right? The hip hop image has not ruined the NBA. Its just not true. This will be the most watched NBA draft in years and the fans will be back, most never left. There has been so much anticipation of tonights lottery. All the message boards like Realgm.com are lit up. This is only place I go, online offline where everyone doesnt love the NBA.

[brianstl]

5 to for the practice squad in the NFL. You also failed to add that 15 is the maximum amount a NBA team can have on its roster they can have as little as 12. Most teams do not carry 15.

[bauman]

To answer the question in your subject--------------------------------because it's the NBA, and many of us could care less about pro basketball.

[Pistol]

Come on. Quit being a reactionary.

The league is racially driven? Not as much as your post is racially driven. The teams in the NBA don't care who you are; they take the best talent available. The league, its players, and the Blazers themselves have had issues, but don't jump out and characterize them all as criminals. Things like the dress code are unfortunate but probably necessary reactions to outcries like yours; the league knows that middle and upper-middle class citizens will continue to drive sports as a business, and that these citizens might see the athletes as overpaid, unappreciative thugs. If you really had a problem with it, you would quit feeding the monster that is the sports industry. But Metz, I know what a huge sports nut you are.

Secondly, how can you possibly complain about a lack of defense in the NBA? If anything, too much defense is hurting the fan support of the league. The league in the 70's and 80's had scores that look totally inflated by today's standards. It was high-flying, fast-paced, and there was no defense to be seen. Teams like the Pistons and Spurs today, two of the most winning teams of the past decades, get it done with sloooooooww offense and shut-down defense. While I would absolutely love to see the higher-scoring teams like the Suns and Mavs win it all a few times to bring back a faster game, these teams have consistently flopped when the playoffs come around. The main problem I see with the NBA (it has nothing to do with culture) is that it is solely a one-on-one league. This kills the things that fans love to see- fast break scoring and solid shooting (percentages are killed when everyone wants to shoot off the dribble). That's why I want to see teams like the Suns succeed more and change the way coaches strategize in order to play more uptempo.

You and Oprah can complain all you want about hip-hop culture being out of control and ruining America. But your stereotyping of the league, and its players and culture in general are what fuels the problems more than anything.

[VTIME]

No you carry 15 on the team, but can only have 14 active per day. 53+5+ is still 58 and not more than 4 times the 15 you have in the NBA.

[VTIME]

So Tommie shouldn't expect your support when he makes the jump either Bauman? You wont be watching?

[brianstl]

They can have up to 15 players under contract and have to have a minimum of 12. Most time teams do not have 15 players on the roster and 13 tends to be the number most teams carry to allow roster and cap flexibilaty. During the regular season only 12 players can be active and that is minimum any team needs to have on the roster.

[VTIME]

You're crazy. The only time you carry less than 15 guys is on the playoff roster. Please go to NBA.com and show me more than one regular season roster that carried less than 15 guys and I'll shut up. You cant because I already checked. Every October, most NBA teams are on the show "Real Training Camp and it shows them cut the rosters down to 15, not below 15.

[brianstl]

http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/question_060801.html

[brianstl]

http://www.nba.com/news/inactive_rules_0506.html

[brianstl]

That I don't consider D-league guys who are listed on a roster because they are property of a team as part of an NBA roster. I would not consider a minor league hockey player or baseball player a NHL or MLB player.

[Four Seventeen]

Pistol, the culture of the NBA has everything to do with it.

When I was in second grade, and I remember this vividly, every kid on my middle-class and mostly white neighborhood in Franklin, Tennessee had to have the first pair of Jordans that came out. My best friend on my block had his room poster painted in Michael Jordan posters like the "Wings" poster from Nike.

In essence, parents gave the O.K. for their kids to idolize the Jordans, Birds, even the Magic Johnson's of the world. They were safe for suburbia. Now we have the Rumble in the Palace circa 2004, the TrailBlazers (the Bengals of the NBA), Ron-Ron Artest, Ra-Sheed Wallace, Rip (good name for your hero) Hamilton (second in the league in Technicals), the Kobe Scandal, guys like Karmello Antny going nuts on a guy at Madison Square. Sure the NBA of the 80s had Laimbeer and even a young Dennis Rodman, but they had the calming influences of Zeke, Dumars, Jordan, Pippen, Jack Haley, Luc Longley, etc.

I don't want to watch the NBA even for a guy like Adam Morrisson or Kirk Heinrich Maneuver. Even the foreign guys are dirty. Half the teams make the playoffs and they botched that up this year putting San Anton and Phoenix in the semis. I also don't want to watch a bunch of people walk around in headphones the size of phone booths walking to the pre-game shootaround in Sean John and Karl Kanai gear. That's trash and clothes that gang-bangers and not idols to the youth of America wear.

[moytoy12]

Do you refuse to watch the NFL because of the Bengals? I doubt it.

Zeke was no sportsman.

Before 'Melo there was Rudy T.

Suburbia can blame itself for the ills it now suffers.

Better get back to your O'Reilly watching and Falwell worshipping so you'll have more to write tomorrow.

[Four Seventeen]

I don't side with the religious right. I think you're stereotype of me is pretty off and degrading and unappreciated.

Please ban this user.

[Pistol]

You're right on, Moytoy.

Metz, the stuff going on now has been happening all along, there's just more stringent rules in the league and much more media scrutiny. Half the guys you name have records as clean as yours, but are continually characterized as street thugs because they are large black men with tattoos, and that's threatening to the small-minded folks of white suburbia. It only takes one hard foul for a guy who looks like Iverson, Carmelo, or Garnett to be seen as a dirty thug by most of ESPN's audience, and that's a real shame.

[Four Seventeen]

That's only because SportsCenter is more soap opera than sports. They showed the Karmello fight at MSG only 3,000 times, as opposed to the 1.4 million replays of the Ron-Ron Brawl in Detroit. You can lay some blame on the media too, Pistol.

[Taj79]

I can't speak for baumann but I can speak for me. I don't care. I have a really huge problem, so to speak, in that I still believe (probably wrongfully so) that as others have noted the name on the front of the college jersey means more than the name on the back. Of which the polar opposite is true in the professional ranks. So when I see the blue and white of Saint Louis University out there, I am out there. Its a connection that goes back to the diploma hanging over my shoulder here in the basement.

When I was a kid I remember seeing a roster of the Philadelphia Phillies. I remember asking my dad why most of them came from California, ignoring hometown addresses with names of central American countries I did not know existed at the time. I mean, these were OUR Phillies, yet short of one guy (who was actually from my home town and idolized even though he was a junk reliever) they were all "foreigners." I recall my dad explaining much what I said above about the name on the front of the jersey. As a child of youth, I bought it. Now I don't. But that generation believed in the teams as well and bonded and adopted the players as one of their own. Even my father has lost that illusion. Artie Donovan is a legend in Baltimore and its more for what he did living in Baltimore in the off season when the Colts were down coupled with his exploits on the field. That kind of stuff rarely exists today.

"Bassy" Telfair doesn't want to play in Portland because he can't market his line of clothing from that "remote" location. The Blazers draft someone like him because it gives them "street cred." OJ Mayo will sign for one year at Southern Cal. For the legacy? Nope, but for future plans he might have in the film business. For $22 million over eight months, Roger Clemens better not allow so much as a loud foul ball while he's pitching and better have a no-hitter a month in my book.

Professional sports is just another option for my disposable entertainment dollar. I choose NOT to spend it there. It is a discretionary dollar. The product is also getting so bad that multi-dimensional venues (built with taxpayer dollars by the way) are going up. Why? To distract the patron from the fact that the product sucks, its stars are marginal, and the effort given is at best questionable for the fee charged.

One more thing, somewhere in all this someone says "Larry Hughes is th egreatest ballplayer to come out of SLU int he last ten years or so."

Absolutely, positively true. But so what? Hughes is probably SLU's greatest talent ever in professional sports but we are not known for producing anything of that ilk. Second greatest would have to be Bonner and that's based on longevity rather than production. After that? Yikes! Which pretty much sums up SLU basketball for the ages.