Ames Progressive

During the initial stages of my journey though the New York public school system I pined over the misappropriation of funds. Without a formal training in the understanding of professional athletics, most of my peers failed to take notice of the pleasure derived from following your local sports team on a daily basis. My internal conversations concerning Patrick Ewing and Brian Leetch never found life because teachers spoke of arithmetic and science projects instead of hook shots and hip checks.Years later, after showcasing an innate prowess at articulating the awe-inspiring merits of sports, my peers frequently began to ask me for my take on present situations related to sports. Yet their preconceived notions, mostly stemming from typical bitter sportswriters, led them to believe that I proudly wear the label of “traditionalist.” The designated hitter and regular-season shootouts in the NHL represent a cataclysmic step for sports as we know it? Au contraire, mon frere. I cannot think of one development in sports that I consider to be a mistake over the past 20 years. But my gripe that motivated this particular blog concerns style, rather than concrete rules.

To those traditionalists bemoaning the United States’ easy run through international competition thus far, I say, realize that these premier athletes fully understand their skills and can rely mostly on their superiority in the physical realm to dominate. The detractors think that basketball should be like the movie Hoosiers, with each possession featuring at least five passes. James Naismith invented the game, and since then the sport has progressed, but I don’t believe there is a consensus on a uniform way to play this game. No rule states that Ray Allen must pass up the opportunity to blow past Sasha Vujacic and defer to Kevin Garnett in the post. This concept that one-on-one play diminishes the quality of play reeks of jealousy.

By the age of 20, most people have formed their perspective and only experiences, rather than words, can tamper their outlook. Therefore, a voice repeatedly steps into my head to prevent an unproductive conversation with haters who vow to dismiss the NBA as amateurish. But now, with words emanating from a mountain of a man, I say fuck off to those stuck in a time warp where coaches like Dean Smith curb the athletic creativity of such demigods like that of Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

The reasons for the debacle in the 2004 Athens Olympics are obvious, and they offer a clear blueprint for improvement. I failed to contemplate how the United States lost during the World Championships, but the steps taken by Jerry Colangelo and Coach K. guarantee imminent success in this year’s games. I boldly say the U.S. will capture gold. Without question, Kobe, LeBron and Chris Paul are three of the top 10 basketball players in the world and, without even glancing at their teammates, can break past any defender from countries featuring intelligent but athletically inferior opponents.

Brazil locked up their monopolistic hold on soccer some fifty years ago because a guy named Pele performed actions with a soccer ball that had never been seen before. That tradition continued with Bebeto, Ramario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The origins of the NBA provided such wonders as Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson, eventually leading into Magic and Isaiah The legacy is continued by demonstrations of individual brilliance that say fuck off to the way the game is supposed to be played, and welcome to the way the game can be played: at its most entertaining.