So they pull the axe on Flip and it makes me....
by HughGR on Jan 24, 2012 4:15 PM EST
Email
Print...appreciate the efforts of GW even moreso than I did before.
Because I miss GW - and probably still would if the pinnacle of our BB success remained the 2001 FF (the year before the NC). Ok, I value MD BB before the Wiz/Bullets, but my dad took me to a ton of games out at the Cap Center including the 74, 78 & 79 Finals. I still hate Jack Sikma.
The point I am trying to make is Flip getting fired does not REGISTER. It is barely sports news. Who cares. I can no longer name the last few Wiz coaches before him. The Wiz are cursed and play in a conspiracy masquerading as a sports league. The most emotion from the crowd seen at a Wiz game is from the Kiss Cam. For those of us who remember Cole - the heat, the crowd the dripping intensity - and the days before pumped in crowd noise and "MAKE SOME NOISE" on the teletron, the Cap Center never came close even with the Bullets in the Finals or Playoffs. And lets face it, the phone booth has less soul than a brick (whereas the cable box has a ton of soul for the big games).
Thanks to GW for putting a team together that MATTERS. Because no team in the NBA really does. But every BB team has a chance to matter - GW did it with alarming consistency which made most of us take the success for granted.
Just Rambling with no coherent point I guess.
R-hgr
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I'm with you, I used to be a huge Bullets fan, mostly from the early 90's on.
I was a huge fan pre-Chris Webber when they had nobody, and they sucked…hard. But I didn’t care, I was still a fan and followed them religiously. They lost me around the time Gilbert Arenas got into trouble. Now, I could give 2 craps about the team or the NBA for that matter. I’d rather watch snow melt than watch a non-playoff NBA game now(any team). The NBA is a sham, and David Stern is a crooked sob, and the players are way too overpaid. I was actually hoping that the work-stoppage would cause the league to implode, whereas they’d have to fire Stern and rebuild from the ground up, to win back former fans like myself.
The league has definitely lost it’s luster, and it’s current “SuperStars” who they rely on to carry that POS product, couldn’t hold the jocks of Michael Jordan and his contemporaries. I would LOVE to get back into the NBA, but unless the Harrison twins come to Maryland, and the Wizards somehow win them both in a shady Patrick Ewing-esque, cold-balls draft lottery, I can’t see myself giving a damn about them again.
I was pulling for some reforms too
I really wish they’d change the rules to emulate the baseball system and only grant draft eligibility after a player’s junior year… although in baseball they will let players go straight from high school. Kids staying in school longer would be better for everyone all around: NBA teams would get more developed players from the get-go, the players would have more time to develop their games and get more education for the inevitable time after they can’t get paid for basketball anymore, and the fans would get a better NBA product (and a MUCH better NCAA product).
Might not be able to hold MJ's jock
But the talent in the NBA right now is miles and miles ahead of the talent that MJ played against for the majority of his career.
by RealtorTerp on Jan 25, 2012 12:15 AM EST up reply actions
Completely disagree.
Athletically speaking, you’re probably right. But the fundamentals of basketball were traded a long time ago for Sportcenter dunks and ill advised 3’s. And does anybody practice freethrows anymore…on any level? Isaiah’s Pistons were not flashy at all, but last years’ Mavericks don’t make it to Game 6 against them. And no team since Jordan’s could have beaten the Bulls, period.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 25, 2012 12:29 AM EST up reply actions
You must not watch enough NBA
Not that I expect everybody to be a basketball junkie like myself. But your comments are a little ignorant. Yes, there are some players that are not fundamentally sound, but more than not, most are. There are plenty of good freethrow shooters. If you want people to practice freethrow shooting, you should look at our own Terps.
There is nothing wrong about a team being flashy, as long as they can back it up. I’m not a huge fan of the Heat, and thought it would be a stretch for them to figure out how to play and win it all last year, but they got pretty damn close, and I believe they will win it this year….As far as Jordan’s Bulls, yes they are arguably the best team put together. 2 top 50 all-time players and a very good supporting cast…my argument is that most of the other teams they played against were not all that great.
To argue against Jordan’s Bulls, I would have enjoyed seeing them play the Lakers of the early 2000s…Not saying Lakers would win, but it would be an interesting matchup.
You're right, I don't watch enough NBA anymore.
But is that my fault, or the NBA’s fault for not offering a product for me to care about anymore? I used to be a major NBA junkie, but that has fizzled out almost completely in the last 3-5 years. I’m assuming you’re still in your 20’s. I’m now in my mid-upper thirties, and everyone I know in my age group pretty much feels the same as me…the NBA is not worth watching now. Fact is, the NBA markets it’s league to the 12-35 demographic, and I guess it’s natural for me to walk away. Contrast that with the NFL, which I’m still a HUGE fan of, they seem to market to the 12-95 demographic, and they market their league based on the TEAM first and foremost. Yes, they publicize their stars too, but the TEAM is central to the leagues’ success. When Brady retires, there will still be a ton of Patirot fans out there. But look what happened to Cleveland when Lebron left…find anybody outside of the Ohio who’ll still claim to be a Cavs fan today. Good luck.
As for free throw shooting, I did mention that nobody practices freethrows at any level. I don’t exclude my Terps from that criticism. I bet junior high and high school kids spend more time practicing 3’s than FT’s…and it shows at every level.
As for the Heat, god I hope you’re wrong, I don’t want Lebron to ever win a ring(hater police, take me away!). I’ll be pulling for OKC, Kevin Durant is a freak of nature, and he’s local, and he doesn’t come off as an arrogant douche. I still like D Wade, but he’s already won a ring, so I won’t feel sorry for him. But I also realize that D. Stern will “make sure” Lebron wins a ring eventually, for the sake of his league.
Lastly, I was thinking the same thing about the Shaq & Kobe Lakers. They may be the only team that could have beat the Bulls. But I think the Bulls would have had enough fouls to give from their bigs to do the hack-a-shaq strategy, and Jordan had a way to take over when game was on the line. To see them play when both teams were in their primes…damn, now that would get me back into the NBA in a heartbeat!
by 1 proud terp on Jan 26, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Sigh...
and the players are way too overpaid.
Really?
Why, of all the things I hear about the NBA, is this usually the first complaint I hear? We’re talking about a league that has a salary cap and a maximum contract amount. Do you really think Kobe is only worth the max to the Lakers (or the NBA, for that matter)? For every guy that is probably not worth the contract he’s been offered there’s another guy who’s worth more. It’s just the way things work.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 26, 2012 12:40 AM EST up reply actions
It was actually my third complaint on my list.
But you’re right, Anrdray Blatche is worth every penny he makes, lmao. I really don’t care how much they make anymore, because I know not one dime is coming from my pocket anymore. The NBA is a poor product in its current state, they need to focus on selling each team, and not just the tempory hired guns. The Wizards should promote the Wizards, not just Streetball John Wall.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 26, 2012 1:08 AM EST up reply actions
Not for nothing...
but I didn’t say it was your first complaint.
Honestly half the hate in the NBA comes from the fact that it’s a league of stars that happen to be wealthy, young, and black. John Wall does many things wrong as an NBA point, but playing as if he was in the Rucker League is not one of them.
Blatche is out of shape. Moreso than he ought to be. But the owners locked their players out until December. Players were barred from their coaching staff, team-affiliated trainers, and facilities. No wonder the product has been spotty this year. But honestly as a Terp fan you had better hate the hell out of Stogs and Pe for the way they play, because both make the same kinds of mistakes that you denigrate NBA players for.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 26, 2012 1:34 AM EST up reply actions
The NFL is a league with mostly wealthy, young and black stars
and I’ll still watch every game I can. Don’t interject race, when it isn’t warranted. My problem with the NBA is once a player gets paid the big contract, they stop giving a sh!t because they got theirs(see Blatche example). The NFL doesn’t have guaranteed contracts(outside of the signing bonuses), so they must continue to earn their well-deserved fat paychecks, with their play. Look at it this way, the NBA is like a league of Albert Haynesworth’s, who got paid a huge amount, and once he did, he stopped giving it his all to the fans who allowed him to make that $$ in the first place. That’s my beef with the NBA. I heard Lavar Arrington say recently after he was in the Wiz locker room, that the team had a serious sense of arrogance about themselves, and looking at their record the last 5 years, he couldn’t understand why.
On John Wall, you’re just flat out wrong. Playing as if he was in the Rucker is exactly what’s wrong with him. He is the PG, and his primary job is to get the team involved, not slashing and chucking to make Sportscenter. Most analysts I’ve heard agree this is why he appears to have regressed from last year. Ruckers streetball gives you a false sense of who you are, and you start to believe you can run the full court and attack the rim everytime…because nobody plays defense. Streetball is like a sugar rush…tastes good for a moment, but eventually it will rot your teeth(fundamentals) out.
Stogs and Pe’ do frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, but this is why I prefer college ball to the pros. You can actually see growth in their games from one season to the next, and the coach is still a teacher first/foremost. In the NBA the coach is mostly a figurehead manager, I haven’t seen an ounce of progression from Blatche, McGee, Young, Wall, etc. They are who they are.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 26, 2012 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
The NFL model is unconscionable...
asking players to play through injury and life-altering damages and not guaranteeing their money? That’s terrible.
If you actually were paying attention to the league, you’d understand that Wall, while lacking the comfort in the half court set you’d prefer a PG to have, the young man is averaging 8.1 assists a game playing for a team that has a horrendous shooting percentage. That isn’t streetball, that is basketball.
Race is a part of this. Why do so many white patrons side with the billionaire owners in either league over the players? Why do the criticisms speak about “attitude”, “hustle”, “respect”, or “style”. It’s all there man.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 26, 2012 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
The NFL model works, because players get compensated on performance
not future potential. It’s not perfect, and I agree players should have some sort of insurance to cover injuries and life-altering damages. Maybe 50/50 split from owners and NFLPA. But nobody forces players to play football, it’s their choice to take the risk for the money and glory. But you have to fault the NBA owners for agreeing to and signing the guaranteed contracts in the first place. I don’t blame the players, I blame the owners for screwing up a once great league.
I will give Wall a pass(8.1 assists is good), because he is not the only problem on that dysfunctional team. But you can’t argue that his numbers have regressed from last year overall. I have a much bigger problem with Blatche and McGee and GM Grunfeld. I have hope that they will draft a stud with their lottery pick, that can help Wall become the player he should be.
Race becomes a part of these arguments when YOU interject them. Why do so many black patrons always side against the billionaire white owners? Is that racism? Are you outraged about that as well? Hmmm. I’m an equal opportunity critic. I disliked Abe Pollin more than any player he ever had(except maybe Laettner) because he ran his franchise like a cheap-ass, and preferred to market tickets based on the oppositions’ star players, rather than getting his own. He didn’t want to compete, and I finally accepted it, and fell off the bandwagon.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 26, 2012 11:11 PM EST up reply actions
Players sign a contract...
Pays them for neither their past nor their future. Players that don’t meet the standard are discarded and those that perform adequately have their on field value compared to their cap number. It isn’t an accurate representation of either model.
Susan O’Malley was the executive who focused on marketing other teams and their stars, but te reality was that the on court product was lacking and DC is an event town. It made business sense, even if it was embarrassing. Abe had been out of the loop for so long at the time of his passing that I think it unfair to assign him any real blame before MJ took over.
Race is always an issue, as the social conflicts of our nations history have often been tied into sports. That you think it to be so trivial an issue is an example of the privilege you carry in this world.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 27, 2012 12:53 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think the modern black athlete
carries a lot more priviledge in this world than I ever will. And that’s not a bad thing. What is bad is people like you who continue to perpetrate a myth that an entire race is a victim of another, while its clear that many reach a high level in this society despite this racism. It’s 2012 man, not 1963 or 1861, its time to start acting like it. Believe it or not, things have changed. Black people no longer need the crutch of racial victimhood to make it in this society, and those that continue to do so will never maximize their own potential.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 27, 2012 8:45 AM EST up reply actions
So in one breath...
you dismiss racism and then suggest that many are able to overcome this non-existent racism.
There’s a reason why largely white fan bases bitch and moan about largely black players being “thugs” and “criminals” yet completely ignore the debauchery of the largely white teams in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 27, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
Agree to disagree. This is getting a little far off topic.
We’ll butt heads again on this down the road my friend. Have a good weekend, man.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 27, 2012 5:59 PM EST up reply actions
Rarely miss a wiz game
and I am so happy about this, now we need to fire grunfeld cause he keeps drafting projects instead players who are ready to go. And as Gil said “Even get enough projects, eventually you will be living in the hood”
Time to get Calipari
That way it guarantees the Twins come to Maryland.
Knicks (or Nets - again!)
got Cal. He’s got NY Coach written all over him. Wants to upstage LA Show Time years.
Nets – just becuz Prokhorov has huge bookoo bux…
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 24, 2012 6:41 PM EST up reply actions
Hahaha
I know we talked about this recently, but you don’t think Cal would want to coach Wall again? And possibly Anthony Davis?
Obviously doesn’t have the allure of the Knicks, but the guy manages talent very well and might be able to work with the idiots on that team.
by RealtorTerp on Jan 24, 2012 11:41 PM EST up reply actions
Cal can't offer Escalades
when the players are already driving Lambos.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 24, 2012 11:46 PM EST up reply actions
Actually Cal
could be good to help these guys mature as pros. They just need to keep learning how to conduct themselves in the off season, and then in-season. It seems like they’re trying, but it’s one of those things where they’re not trying hard enough to where they need to get – and do not even realize it yet.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 25, 2012 10:28 AM EST up reply actions
The regular season NBA is just awful anymore..... I kind of like when they get into the playoffs (but w/ the Wizards that doesn't appear like it'll happen for a while)
Going to the NBA games during the regular season is kind of annoying because there is no atmosphere whatsoever.
…That’s funny cause it’s true about the kiss cam being the most exciting thing at the game.
College games at Maryland even when we are having a down year there is still a pretty good atmosphere for the ACC games at least. When the wiz have a down year (or several) the atmosphere sucks all the time…
"You know my style of play - I know it will be asked - my style of play is winning... " -Mark Turgeon, Maryland Basketball head coach
I absolutely disagree. I went to a sixers game last week against the nuggets and it was the best basketball experience I’ve ever had. I’m currently a junior at UMD and I was at the ground floor during the Maryland duke riot game. just because the wizards haven’t been relevant doesn’t mean that NBA basketball isn’t exciting.
by sluggedmetal on Jan 24, 2012 11:57 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Went to Wiz vs OKC last week
Game was exciting, and even though the game wasn’t sold out, the atmosphere was pretty good and overall a very fun game to attend.
by RealtorTerp on Jan 25, 2012 12:13 AM EST up reply actions
You just said that a Sixers/Nuggets game was better than
MD/Duke for conference title? What the fuck?!?!
by 1 proud terp on Jan 25, 2012 12:34 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Flip is probably happy
He should sleep good tonight knowing he does not have to try to teach or motivate a bunch of overpaid knuckleheads any longer. Thank God for college hoops….
Gary Williams would not say he'd turn down the job if offered for next season
On espn980 today
Very unlikely but would be awesomeeeee. And a great way to get locals more interested.
Clip can be heard at esn980.com
I don't think even our own Chucky D or firegary would wish that misery on Gary.
But I must say, it would get me back to see games at Verizon. What does Leonsis have to lose? He hires Gary, who’s reputation is already solidified, who would not have to take any sh!t from these underachieving babies. He could coach fearlessly. IDK, I think I could really see Gary doing it. He’s insanely competitive, and I think having coached in the NBA would give him a one-up on his buddies Coach K and Izzo for bragging rights.
MAKE IT HAPPEN BIG TED!!!!
by 1 proud terp on Jan 24, 2012 8:58 PM EST up reply actions
No way
No way Gary could handle any of the current players on that team except for Wall. Imagine the problems he had with Gilchrist multiplied by 1000000.
by RealtorTerp on Jan 24, 2012 11:42 PM EST up reply actions
I know you're right...
but it would be fun as hell to watch him rip them a new asshole for a couple years.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 24, 2012 11:48 PM EST up reply actions
Welllll...
he did deal with “fat” JWill, didn’t he? Yeah, I doubt Gary wants to have that travel schedule. He wouldn’t have to recruit at all but he’d be stuck trying to explain to Jordan Crawford that you probably ought to make more than one pass before shooting an off-balance runner.
by TerroristFistJab on Jan 26, 2012 12:43 AM EST up reply actions
It was a live atmosphere when the Wizards was making the playoffs...
with Gil, Butler, and Jamison. Even though no one thought we were contenders they were still fun to watch. I’m happy the NBA got that CBA worked out. The college game is played so horribly its sad. The basketball IQ these kids has to be in the negatives. Look at Maryland….Peshon turning the ball over, CYO-like boxing out in the paint, and everything about Nick Faust game. Its not fun to watch most of the time. I probably only this year enjoy watching Missouri and UNLV.
Since we are talking about the NBA when will Oregon find a coach that will implement the same offense Eric Spolestra is using he in Miami. He got it from Oregon football team. Closest thing to that offense in college basketball was that Derrick Rose Memphis team and probably John Wall UK team…
The difference is
college bball players care about losing. NBA players get paid regardless.
by 1 proud terp on Jan 24, 2012 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
Umm...obviously the college kids basketball IQ will be less than the pros....
That doesn’t mean it is any less fun to watch..
…and what’s with the beef against Faust…he’s leading the team in steals and plays decent defense…that obviously shows he knows how to get into the passing lanes and when to anticipate and gamble….yea he makes some dumb decisions, but he also shows good awareness sometimes like driving more in the past few games rather than settling for 3’s like he did earlier in the year…..he’s also a freshman.
I also think when Stoglin goes on his scoring tears or the team moves the ball well…….this Maryland team can be pretty fun to watch…JMO
"You know my style of play - I know it will be asked - my style of play is winning... " -Mark Turgeon, Maryland Basketball head coach
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 24, 2012 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
Problem wasn't Saunders
This team could have won with Saunders. When he signed on, he had a veteran team that needed to be pushed. Arenas looked good after his injury, but then the whole gun thing came along.
And then we were rebuilding. Saunders was a trooper the entire way, unfortunately, with an asshole like Blatche, and two immature brats like Young and McGee, the talented hardworkers like Wall, Booker, Crawford (yes even Crawford) and co. couldn’t get much done. It was going to happen, Saunders was going to be let go. The real question is, do Blatche, McGee, and Young learn from this? If not, they should be shown the door.
The only thing is, they should have been shown the door before Saunders.
NBA
College is the better game. I will take a Terps loss at Comcast over a Wizards win in Verizon. NBA players have attitude.
by torope on Jan 24, 2012 10:09 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Terps blog
First off this is a Terps blog and who gives two shits about the NBA. Go call Stephen A. Smith from ESPN, because you and him are the only two that give a shit about the NBA.
by El Goodd Terps13 on Jan 25, 2012 1:08 PM EST reply actions
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