The Weekly Tendown June 19-25 2011

Dear Internet:

Nothing but links this week.  I'm on a tight schedule.  It's Tendown 82.

1. The One Piece You Need to Read This Week
This is absolutely my professional life; perhaps it's yours too.

It's called speedup - employers who ask for more and more and more work without an increase in pay; absent union protection, many find themselves in the position of being driven into the ground by their employers. If you feel as if you're being ridden increasingly hard at work and wonder how long you'll be capable of maintaining your output - if you find yourself saying "they can't possibly ask any more of me; I'm working twice as hard as five years ago" - and then, sure enough, increased duties are dropped on your lap.

Then  this is the piece to read.

SOUND FAMILIAR: Mind racing at 4 a.m.? Guiltily realizing you've been only half-listening to your child for the past hour? Checking work email at a stoplight, at the dinner table, in bed? Dreading once-pleasant diversions, like dinner with friends, as just one more thing on your to-do list?

Guess what: It's not you. These might seem like personal problems—and certainly, the pharmaceutical industry is happy to perpetuate that notion—but they're really economic problems. Just counting work that's on the books (never mind those 11 p.m. emails), Americans now put in an average of122 more hours per year than Brits, and 378 hours (nearly 10 weeks!) more than Germans. The differential isn't solely accounted for by longer hours, of course—worldwide, almost everyone except us has, at least on paper, a right to weekends off, paid vacation time(PDF), and paid maternity leave. (The only other countries that don't mandate paid time off for new moms are Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Samoa, and Swaziland. U-S...A?) 


2. 92,000



The median household income is 50 grand.  If it had kept pace with the rest of the economy, it would be $92,000 a year.

3. Opposite Science



Yes, it matters that of the 51 contestants for Miss USA, only two (including the winner) expressed that evolution should be taught in schools.  These are graduates (or at least students) of universities in the 21st century; look for Miss Alabama in the below clip, she's an Elementary Education major. Evolution's not something you can "disbelieve" any more than you can disbelieve gravity or that the earth revolves around the sun.  It's a theory like 2+2=4 is a theory; that religious conservatives have been able to push the idea that there's a debate about evolution to the point where only 2 of 51 university educated women believe it should be taught in school is insightful.

Watch the video.

4. Yes, You Should be Watching Keith
Olbermann returned this week; here's his Rolling Stone interview.

Also in Rolling Stone, Taibbi's piece on crazyass Michele Bachmann.

5. The Best Wrestler in the World
One of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived has done a PSA for PETA.

To balance that out, in case you think that an overly positive snapshot of professional wrestling, here are wrestling's ten most racist moments.

That's really just a way to get into the 4 star wrestling matches I saw this week; one actually was this week, it was last Sunday's Punk v. Mysterio at the WWE PPV.  The others are older; a ROH main event 4 way elimination from a couple months back that was 4 1/4; the Edwards/Daniels rematch from ROH was 4 1/2, I liked it a little bit less than their first match, the one without a real finish, although I also went 4 1/2 for that one.  And the two best tag matches I've seen in 2011, both 4 3/4: Generico/Ricochet v. Young Bucks from April in PWG and the American Wolves v. Haas/Benjamin from Wrestlemania weekend in ROH.

All of the 4 1/2 star and up matches can be found in my best matches of 2011 post, which I don't feel like digging up right now.

6. My Favorite New Phrase of the Week.
When I was an undergrad, I'd write down phrases, quotes, ideas that particularly struck me and stick them in a grey folder that I'd carry with me wherever I went.  They mixed high and low culture, but more representative than not would be something like Thoreau's "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation" or Adlai Stevenson's "it hurts too much to laugh and I'm too old to cry" - I've used some of those lines throughout my life; when you talk for a living, its helpful to have a bag of thoughts to dip into.

I'm 489 months old now, so now, when I write something down, it's usually from a reality show.

For example - a lyric in Real Housewives of Atlanta Kim's follow up to (Don't be) Tardy for the Party was "click them keys" - as in, if you want to know who I am, just search me online.  "Click them keys."

I like that - I haven't used it yet, but there's a standard teacher type response whenever you want students to research an answer as opposed to your just telling them, "well, that's something you need to find out for yourself."  I may consolidate that response to "click them keys."  I don't know if I can swing that amount of sassy.

This week, there was a cooking show, I've forgotten which one, but its a show that focuses on street carts; there was a segment with a Scotsman who made fish and chips from a cart.  He talked about how the Scottish version is different than what one might otherwise get in the US, the batter is lighter - and he isn't a big fan of tartar sauce; in his reasonably thick accent, he, with a weary Scottish dismissiveness said:

                                              tartar sauce is basically gherkins


That's gonna go right there with "Don't lie to me like I'm Montel Williams" in my rotation; I know you like tartar sauce, I know you want tartar sauce - but look, it's basically gherkins, and really not worth putting on my menu.  There's just less there than meets the eye; the actual content isn't worth all the fuss. If, in fact, I pass away during one of my back to back 15 hour days I have to put in at the shop next quarter, someone will presumably offer some platitude like "he's in a better place" - and I'd really appreciate it if the response to that could be "religion is basically gherkins."

That's another good name for a fantasy football team.  Basically Gherkins.

Or maybe I should rename this blog - the original conceit "I'm the decider, I tell the truth, blah, blah, blah" feels a little played out to me.

What if I renamed the blog:

                                                 (This Blog is) Basically Gherkins.


Where would we be on that?

7. I Write the Stories

I wrote this week.  Talked some hoops.  Told some jokes.  Here was my look at back NBA Drafts.  Here was my look at this week's NBA Draft.  Read if you are inclined.

8. One Nation Under Wal-Mart
My Governor has multiple times favorably compared the way Wal Mart is run to the way government is run; an example of which is here.

The right wing, corporate mouthpiece that is the US Supreme Court protected Wal Mart from a sex discrimination suit this week; here's a good op-ed, about Wal Mart's authoritarian culture.

Remember - that's how the right wing thinks everything should work.  Are you working harder, without more pay, without union protection?  That's just the free market at work.  Capitalism.  Ain't it great?

Last year, these 32 corporations paid more money to their executives than they paid in taxes.  And what the right wing wants is less tax burden on these corporations.

Perhaps this is why a third of workers want to quit their jobs.  And why US life expectancy continues to fall relative to advanced nations.

When compared to the international frontier for life expectancy, US counties range from being 16 calendar years ahead to more than 50 behind for women. For men, the range is from 15 calendar years ahead to more than 50 calendar years behind. This means that some counties have a life expectancy today that nations with the best health outcomes had in 1957.

9. Why Hasn't Clarence Thomas Resigned Yet?
It's an Abe Fortas situation.

10. Why New York Matters
Civil rights advanced this weekend.  Andrew Sullivan explains why that matters.

That's all for this time.  I'll be back next time.  If there is a next time...

Your pal,

Jim

26 Thoughts About the 2011 NBA Draft

I watched the draft.  Now I talk about watching the draft.

1. Maybe “can finish with either hand” needs to be retired as a basketball talking point. I'm not saying its not impressive. 

2. Mark Jones is standing with the picks just off the stage. Jones asked Irving about how important his dad had been in getting him here, Irving’s response “I’m looking forward to the NBA.” When you read the “Irving and his dad haven’t spoken since draft day” article from Scott Raab down the road, don’t be surprised. Also don’t be surprised if Raab eventually roots for a career threatening injury for Irving.


3. Kanter’s fine third, I don’t know if there’s enough data to reasonably project. If I’m on the clock, I take Kemba Walker. Kanter apparently wants to wrestle after his career; he’d get a developmental deal just based on size alone, Were you doing a similarity score he’s not entirely unlike the recent Tough Enough winner who no sold the Stunner. (maybe we should call what he did "selling it short" - as he got up too quickly as opposed to reacting like Hawk after a pile driver.  I recognize with every word I'm talking to an increasingly nonexistent audience.  I don't care about this.) More obviously, when thinking about big Euros, it would be Vladimir Kozlov to whom Kanter is most similar – not sure I need another boxy Euro on the WWE roster.

4. Tristan Thompson’s fourth-the guy I publically wanted my Warriors to get at 11th.  Cleveland's going after me for my LeBron fandom. The battle is joined. Seems curious, right, that the Cavs wound up with the top -pick the year after losing LeBron depite not having the worst overall record?  THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.  NONE.  Highest Canadian ever drafted. Stu sings some O Canada and then the sound goes out.

5. My best available: Walker, Leonard, Biyambo, Burks. Jones asks the Lithuanian, "How is your game like Chris Bosh?" “I don’t know – I have not so strong body.” Your fifth overall pick, Toronto.  Stuck in Eastern Europe for another year with his not so strong body. 

6. Veseley’s like my next rent check - an overdraft. Jeff Van Gundy complimented him on his girlfriend; that's gonna be a popular sentiment today. JVG says Charlottes trying to get bad, which is absolutely right. You rarely hear an announcer say that a team should be trying to get worse.  But he's absolutely right; if you aren't contending for a title you should be contending for the number one draft pick.  It's the middle that buries you. They should take Walker. They took Biyambo, don’t know if its their need, but he’s value. Fran Fraschilla hit him with “can’t play any offense at all” and “allegedly 18 years old”. I slam draft telecasts for happy talk all the time, so this is refreshing. All of the foreign players have said “I don’t know” to at least one of Jones’s questions.

7. Please someone take Klay Thompson away from me.  Word is Jerry West has the big pants for Klay Thompson, who wouldn't be in my top ten remaining players.

8. That’s the second time today there’s been talk on TV about Brandon Knights AP coursework in high school; when a football player scores an 8 on the Wonderlic, all you hear is how ridiculous it is they give an intelligence test at the combine, but somehow Brandon Knight’s analysis of the Canterbury Tales when he was 17 means he’s going to be a better pro than Kemba Walker.

9. Walker’s a bad fit for GSW, but Leonard’s not, and I want him if he’s there at 11.

10. Stu didn’t understand the Sac/Charlotte trade, thinking the Kings would ‘really” be picking at 9; it’s less his fault (I mean it’s his fault, I understood it, and I spent the day giving an Ethics final; you want to see my AP scores? I’ll tell you all about first person perspective in The Yellow Wallpaper) than that the NBA draft rules aren’t pointed toward transparency. It’s a basketball draft, craft a rule that allows everyone to understand when Sacramento picks 7th they’re really Charlotte.  All NBA rules must be three pages or less!  Maybe Herman Cain for deputy NBA commissioner.

11. Here’s the headline for the 2011 Draft – Michael Jordan won it. Biyambo and Walker. Terrific job. The player he’s most similar to is DJ Augustin, who he goes to backup this year in Charlotte. Walker’s mother says this is like the day he was born. The circumcision will bring a new meaning to the kiss and cry area.

12. Kings took Jimmer, which was expected after the trade. Fine with me. GSW is next. Take Leonard and not Thompson. I’d be really pleased with Leonard. Pleased enough with Burks. Irritated with Klay Thompson. I am a 30+ year GSW fan and I am asking you nicely not to take Klay Thompson.

13. Don’t draft Klay Thompson. There’s enough data on Thompson to know he’s not athletic enough to be more than a 9th-10th man. Don’t want him. Don’t do it.

14. We suck.

15. He won’t be better than Leonard or Burks. If he winds up better than both Leonard and Burks, my apologies to Jerry West. Check back in five years. We've got two kids of former players now, leading to the musical question - who was better, Klay's dad or Steph's dad.

Dell Curry had 42.6 Win Shares, regular season+playoffs, in a little over 1100 games. 
Mychal Thompson had 64 Win Shares in a little over a thousand games.

Thompson was better.

16. And then Burks and Leonard go straight away. Grumble.

17. A dollar says Singleton’s better than Vesely.

18. My board after the Tobias Harris pick – Honeycutt, Faried, Hamilton, Williams, Motiejunas, Johnson, Brooks.

19. The Pacers are dealing Leonard for George Hill. I would not make that deal. The reaction of the announcers is pro-Pacers on the deal (outside of JVG; I hope GSW didn’t take the wrong member of that announce team) I believe them to be wrong.

20. Fraschilla and Stu are killing Motiejunas. Easier to do that to a guy who isn’t there. Bilas doesn’t have Honeycutt in his next ten best players available; this is a good challenge as I like Honeycutt more than Klay Thompson.

21. Nolan Smith? The Blazers took a backup college point guard with the 21st pick in the draft.

22.Stu asks dopey question about Karl’s cancer motivating the Nuggets; JVG corrects him. Come be Jackson’s defensive assistant, JVG.  You say smart things that confirm my worldview.  I feel about Jeff Van Gundy like stupid people feel about Glenn Beck.

23. Faried was an easy pick for Denver – the two dozen people still at the draft continue to boo Stern before every pick; I appreciate the fortitude.

24. Houston just boosted Johnny Flynn from the Wolves.  Kahn shouldn't take Morley's calls.

25. Sac got Honeycutt. Let’s see if he’s better than Jimmer. The Nets took Jordan Williams; Stu called it “karma” that they took Buck Williams 30 years ago. I’m not entirely sure what karma means, I’m guessing drafting two guys named Williams isn’t it.

26. We bought Jeremy Tyler. Then drafted Charles Jenkins. “the first New York City public school graduate…or he would have been…drafted in the first round since Sebastian Telfair. “

It’s the second round, see.  But Stu had a note about Jenkins that applied had he been taken in the first round and he decided to read it anyway.

I like Tyler and Jenkins well enough as second round guys. Had we taken Leonard instead of Thompson I’d feel terrific about the new regime.

NBA Draft Recaps: 1993-98 (Plus, Please, Please, Please Draft Tristan Thompson)

My plausibly live look at the 2010 NBA Draft was here.

My recap of the 1982-91 NBA Drafts was here.

My most recent look at the greatest players in NBA history was here.

I love old NBA drafts; when time permits, I like to watch a few during draft season and offer commentary.  Sometimes there are jokes, but I'm not as funny as was I before all the juice was squeezed from my brain by a draconian courseload.

Can someone please remind me that Draconian Courseload is a good fantasy football name?  And Fromage a Trois.  I will forget.

I've got 4 this year, '93, '95, '96, '98.  Let's get it poppin' with the 30th pick in the 1993 NBA selection draft. Yeah, your friend and mine...

1993 draft

The 1993 draft was in the Palace – they treated Webber, who was leaving Michigan early after that supposedly life altering time out call, like he were Alcindor graduating after three titles. I don't know what Webber's current relationship is with Detroit, but there he was, headed out the door after only two years in school as a national lightning rod who theoretically blew the title game, and the crowd went bankers for him.

That Webber trade is coming for my Golden St. Warriors.  I'm a Warriors fan.  I'll take whatever level of condolence you feel is appropriate.  

CWebb Win Shares, regular season+playoffs with GSW = 8

Penny with Orlando – 52.6

Hell of a trade, Nellie.

I loved both of them, full disclosure; but we had Timmy coming off his age 26 season running the point, Mullin, Spree, Marciulionis all on the perimeter.  Billy Owens was only 23, too early to call a bust – so looking at:

PF Webber

SF Owens

PG Hardaway

SG Mullin

…with the kid Sprewell off the bench, or more likely we go small and play Owens at the 4 and Webber at the 5; we’re just going to run it up and down the floor.  I was 22 in the summer before my second year of law school during the 1993 NBA Draft; in the dying days of what, to that point, was the most significant relationship of my life and I was investing all of my emotional hopes into sports.  The 49ers were in their late dynasty; the Giants had the best record in baseball at the All-Star Break led by a decidedly un-PED aided best player in baseball by a billion miles Barry Bonds, and I was convinced GSW was about to join the party and CWebb was going to be the piece that put us over the top.

But Sarunus got moved and then Hardaway got hurt, and Mullin’s off year the season previous turned out not to be a blip but the beginning of his decline (he lost half his value between ages 28 and 29).  Owens just never progressed at all;   Webber was strong, 8 Win Shares, same as Spree – it’s less the trade during the ’93 draft that kills us than the one the next year with the Bullets.  The Giants won a hundred three games but didn't make the playoffs; I didn't much like law school and would like being a lawyer less, the Niners won one last Super Bowl and have spent the past fifteen+ years paying for the previous decade of success.  And I got all kinds of dumped in '94, "I sort of met someone else, so...." dumped.  

I blame Nellie for all of that too.  

I’d like to do a search for “checkered past” and “nba draft” – as Bob Neal just hung that phrase on JR Rider (who, a few minutes later, called himself a “perfect man in society” right before predicting victory in the slam dunk contest).    

I did the search.  9900 results.  For example:

Jamar Smith, the former Illinois player, has gone through so much more. In 2007, he crashed a car into a tree while driving under the influence and eventually left the scene of the accident -- with his teammate unconscious in the vehicle. Smith was dismissed from the Illini months later for continuing to use alcohol.

Not for leaving an unconscious teammate in the car?  Jesus - next time you hear Bruce Weber on some crappy coaches show talk about team being the most important thing in Illinois ask how many teammates you have to leave for dead before they ask you to turn in your meal card.

Lee Benson

College: Brown Mackie College (Salina, Kan.) | Ht: 6-11
2001-02 Stats: 35 ppg | 13.6 rpgAndy Katz's take: Benson is an intriguing draft pick. He's older, has a checkered past that he's trying to recover from (spent eight years in prison before arriving at Brown Mackie),

8 years in the house!  Maybe we need to tighten up the phrase “checkered past.”


"Hey, mom - I'd like you to meet the new fella in my life; his name's Joel - sure, he's got a bit of a checkered past..."


  

Craig Sager’s blowing Bobby Hurley nice and sweet like.  When you hear someone like Jalen Rose talk about hating the Dukies back in the day.  Interviews like this are why.  

Bobby Hurley just plays so hard every minute on the floor.

Bobby Hurley just wins, everywhere he goes.  Junior high.  High school.  College.  Everywhere he goes. He’s so dreamy.  Like a basketball playing Joey McIntyre. Only guy on the Dream Team who could guard him in those scrimmage games was Jordan.  In fact, if Jordan ever retires early under mysterious circumstances to go play minor league baseball - it's almost certainly not some type of gambling related vanishing - it's fear.  Banana yellow stripe running down his back.  'Cause he don't want none of Bobby Hurley


 

Kendall Gill’s a restricted free agent in Charlotte, to Doug Collins that means “he’s got them in a very difficult spot.”  Good class consciousness there, Doug.  Way not to forget from whence you came.


"NBA Draft" + "whence" = 33,000 hits.    

Hubie describes Greg Graham: “he can score big points in big bunches in big games.”

Career WS – 1.3, in just a little over 200 games, none of them big enough, presumably.


“Gheorghe does not speak English” from the podium after Muresan was selected. 

And he never learned.  

1995 draft

I hate Joe Smith.  My apologies to those who care for him.

Sager asks him what it means to be picked first overall.

“It’s a great accomplishment for myself.”

Know what else would be a great accomplishment?  More than 13 WS with GSW. 

Question: Who was the best number one overall pick ever for the team that picked him?  

Make your selection.  Go.  I'll wait.

Okay, here are your options:

Baylor  129.6 WS in 980 games, all with the Lakers. 

Oscar – 148 WS with Cincinnati in about 700 games. 

“They say emotionally he may not be ready, but what sophomore in college is ready? – Pitino about Rasheed Wallace.  15 years later he might have said something like "They say emotionally he may not be ready, but what 35 year old father of four is ready?'

Kareem – 123.4 WS with Bucks in a little over 500 games.

Jesus God – Kareem with the Bucks; he’s far enough behind that you’d take Oscar, but Kareem with only the Bucks had almost as much value as Baylor his whole career.  Kareem with just the Bucks would be one of the Top 50 players of all time.  That’s how good Kareem was.  Kareem with just the Lakers played about 1200 games and had 185.6 WS;  that would put him in the top 20 of all time.  Kareem with just the Lakers has about the same value as Olajuwon; he did it in 300 more games, so you’d take Hakeem – but that’s still more WS than Kobe, although a tick fewer than Magic and West, if you’re thinking about the greatest Lakers ever.  Kareem – good enough for 2 spots in the 50 greatest players of all time.

Reeves went next, I racial profiled him hard before this draft, like he pulled out a sajjāda at a LaGuardia terminal.  My animus proved correct given the 13 Win Shares Reeves accrued during his career.  Stu Jackson called him “BC” – taking his nickname “Big Country” – and turning it into another nickname.  That’s the kind of executive decision that gave Stu his next career.

Lanier’s at about a hundred WS for the Pistons.

Magic’s your new leader, for those of you playing at home, 188.4, all with the Lakers, in about 1100 games.

Olajuwon’s got 185.4, almost 1400 games; David Robinson at 196.19 in about 1120 games passes Magic; of the articles of faith I’d like you to accept if you aren’t familiar with basketball metrics – David Robinson was better than you think, about the same value as Bill Russell. 

And you think he’s going to win our little competition – but then comes Duncan.  198.8 WS and counting in 1230 games – so, today, right now, in the summer of 2011, the answer would still be Robinson, the tiny Duncan value advantage outweighed by the number of games extra it took him to get it, but that won’t be forever.  Duncan wins for total value, when considering games played, you’d say Robinson was the best number one pick for his team. 

“Fortunately for me I’m watching TV one night, Benny Dees is in the playoffs and Frankie King is throwing up a storm."

You know how occasionally someone says “okay, living or dead, what’s your ideal 4 person dinner party?” or some much hypothetical.

From now on, mine includes Hubie Brown. 

1996 draft

Starts at end of 1995 draft, ‘cause its impossible for NBA TV to cut these drafts in a way that fits a TV schedule, with Hubie saying about Don Reid “a lot of teams liked his package” – and we’re off.

’95 was the Joe Smith draft; I made a talk radio phone call about it, I think to Pete Franklin; my argument was it didn’t matter who my GSW picked, it would be a mistake.

Smith was a Warrior for 200 games, earning 13 Win Shares. 

Hey, NBA TV has added some new graphics; I was just told that Iverson won the Rookie of the Year; that’s the first time, to my knowledge, there’s been new content in any of these old drafts.  I’m entirely in favor.  Unless they start telling pop up video like jokes, as that’s my beat.

’96 was still the era of big suits; Craig Sager and Iverson are both in oversized grey suits in the kiss and cry area.  Ernie Johnson, Jr. is your host, he reminded us of Don Reid being the last pick in ’95, as meaning that Hoyas have gone back-to-back. Hubie missed the opportunity to discuss his package.

Marcus Camby went second – I met him when doing the game show in 2000; I met Jack Sikma in a men’s room at O’Hare airport in 1985.  Who was the best basketball player Jim Jividen ever met?  Let’s go to the Win Shares videotape:

Camby’s played 960 games, regular season+playoffs and has 83.4 Win Shares.

Sikma played 1200 games, and had 120.4 Win Shares, that’s the 52^nd highest combined total ever.  Sikma was better than Camby and remains the best ballplayer I ever met in a men's room.  Dude took a curiously wide stance.   I assume its being seven feet tall, no other stance one could take.  

Vecsey just told us who picks 3-5 were going to be; I don’t know who we blame for the inability of those covering drafts to keep their goddamn mouths shut, but we can’t watch an NFL draft anymore without watching the guy about to be picked on the phone beforehand.  I don’t want to know – why is it the NFL can tell ESPN to yank Playmakers but can’t tell them not to spoil who the Bills are about to take?  If Maria Menounos popped up on the Oscar telecast to say, "I've been talking to my sources inside Price-Waterhouse, here's who's about to win Best Live Action Short", my guess is Tom Shales would find that worthy of critique.  It's a draft - don't tell me who gets picked until they get picked.  

Craig Sager Does Wildly Inappropriate Things:
Craig Sager almost took Stephon Marbury’s hat off; Marbury’s sobbing, just bawling about being the brother who finally busted through to the Association, and Sager reaches over, “can I take this off?” – and almost grabs the cap off Marbury’s head.  We’re a little more personal space sensitive in 2011, I think – if Stuart Scott is yanking hats off this week I’d be surprised. 

Vecsey got the fifth pick wrong, he had Antoine Walker going to Minnesota, they took Ray Allen.  With 145 Win Shares, Allen was the best player in the ’96 draft.  Scott Hastings is breaking the Allen/Marbury deal – Vecsey corrects him about Allen’s destination, “I suspect it’s to Portland for Rod Strickland.” 

Who will be right???

Has Lorenzen Wright passed away?  Am I thinking about that correctly?  Yes.  In 1996 Ray Allen/Antoine Walker/Lorenzen Wright could not have more closely been at the same place at the same time; literally just five minutes apart.  Ray Allen has the 27^th most combined Win Shares in NBA history; Antoine Walker is bankrupt; Lorenzen Wright is dead.  

Rick Pitino just said the Nets should pick Kerry Kittles instead of Kobe Bryant because John Calipari needs to win next year.  That’s the kind of foresight that might lead a man to bang his equipment manager’s future wife on the floor of a Louisville restaurant. 

How quickly was Kobe better than Kerry Kittles?

Rookie Year Win Shares: Kittles 6.9, Kobe 1.9

Year 2 WS:                      Kittles 10,   Kobe 6.5

And that was it.  Kittles got hurt in year 3 and Kobe went by him; come year four, Kobe was Kobe.

Right after the Allen for Marbury deal was made official (sorry, Pete), GSW  drafts Todd Fuller and not Kobe Bryant.

That’s my team!

Hubie:  You’d have to say the Warriors were very high.

He may have added “on Fuller” right after that, but my construction is more accurate.

As loud a sports radio campaign as I ever went on, they may have been the last sports radio calls I ever made, was against the idea that GSW should take Todd Fuller, who became the consensus “hey, we sure do need some bigs” choice as draft day neared.  It could be that the success of my loud "Bryant Reeves can't play" rants emboldened my Pat Buchanan like assault on the next big white, major conference stiff. I wish I could say I wanted us to take Bryant instead...

Oh, wait, I did.  Somewhere, perhaps there is a digital archive of about a dozen phone calls to various KNBR hosts in the spring of 1996 with an angry young lawyer fervently arguing that we should look beyond the seeming needs of today and swing for the fences.  I’m not always right. I thought David Robinson would bust and he did not.  But I was right about this.

Kobe called the NBA a “step up” from high school.

One hopes.

Peja, name given as “Predrag” goes after Kobe – Predrag has an LGBT connotation in 2011 that went unappreciated in 1996.  Sager asks if he likes Sacramento – Peja, from some war torn Baltic republic, is one of the few tonight who could honestly say yes.

Kid Canada thanks his junior high, and since he looks like a rising 9^th grader, that makes sense.

Knicks fans chanting “We want Wallace” – as their unerring basketball savvy leads them to want John Wallace.  The Knicks have 3 of the next 4 picks; the broadcast is certain they can’t fail with whomever they pick.  It is an incredibly exciting time, apparently, to be a Knickerbocker.

18.  Wallace

19. “McCarty and Wallace could be projected late lottery picks.  I think the Knicks are doing great.” – Pitino

20. The Cavs take Ilguaskas.  EJ, Jr. says the Cavs now lead the league in syllables.  Heh.  Silly foreigners. 

John Wallace WS as a Knick = 1.6, career total = 6.3

McCarty WS as a Knick = 0, career total =15.1

21. Donate Jones = WS as a Knick=0, career total -.3

Ilgauskas – 63.3 as a Cav, 66.3 overall.  Syllables.  Funny, funny stuff.  

1998

Vecsey once again gives us the first 5 picks before pick one.  Thanks Pete.  Way to break a story about the telecast you’re on.  Neil Patrick Harris should open episode 4 of the next season of How I Met Your Mother by telling us who Ted is going to wind up marrying.  

Michael Olowokandi owns the national hop step and jump records in Great Britain, thanks Hubie.

Let's hear from Clipper GM Elgin Baylor about his first overall pick “Olowokanda – problem with the name.”

When you mispronounce the name of your first overall pick, that probably doesn’t speak well for either of you.

His career WS was 2.3 in over 500 games played.  -.1 with the Clips.  Is he the worst player in NBA history?  Is there a worse combination of few WS and more games played?  Is the Kanda man the absolute worst basketball player in the history of the NBA?

Here’s where GSW made the Jamison for Carter trade, I liked them both coming out of school, like most people, at least judging from the broadcast team, I preferred Carter.

Jamison = 83.4WS, 25.3 in GSW

Carter = 108.9WS, 50.1 in Toronto

They won the trade.  Jamison was a good GSW and had a really good career; VC probably won’t make it, but he should go to the HOF.  100+ WS and 3 seasons over 10WS. 

Tractor Traylor goes next.  Career WS 13.6. RIP

Craig Sager Does Wildly Inappropriate Things:
Sager asked Traylor’s grandmother where they went shopping for their clothes.  And asked Traylor why he wasn’t in better shape in college.  And hoped Traylor could stay off grandma's peach cobbler.    

Craig Sager Does Wildly Inappropriate Things:
Larry Hughes little brother had a heart transplant which is why Hughes played college ball in St Louis; he died in 2006.

“Did you ever worry you wouldn’t make it through the operation?”  Sager said to a 12 year old boy on live television about a surgery he had when he was like 9 years old.  And he followed up with something like "and then you wouldn't have ever seen your brother again."  Like he was going for a Roy Firestone moment.  Then he yanked the hat clean off his head.

Dirk and Pierce go back to back at 9-10.

Pierce WS =137.2  thats 34^th , I've got him as the 12th man of my all time 2^nd NBA team

Dirk WS=183.4 thats 17^th, Dirk starts on my all time NBA Team at SF

Majerus about Doleac, picked 12^th by Orlando “there’s a lot better players in the draft, I don’t think there’s a better kid.”

When your college coach is saying as you are drafted “there’s a lot better players in the draft” – and thinks he's paying you a compliment, that’s a stay away.

Doleac's career= 600 games 12.9 WS

“You make a deal with the devil” – Doc Rivers, John Thompson, Majerus, Hubie all think HS early entry is terrible idea.  Bad for the kids.  The kids!

To that point, 4 high schoolers had been drafted in the modern NBA under the current rules:

Garnett, he's going to the HOF

Jermaine O’Neal, WS=64.5 in 970 games; he's had Ilgauskas's career.  

Kobe, he's going to the  HOF

TMac 100.2 WS, in 920 games; he won't make it, but he's a borderline HOF on the merits.

Rashard Lewis, who hadn't yet gone when they had this conversation, but went later in the evening=  94.1 WS in 960 games.

Now, Korleone Young sat around forever that night and he busts, not unlike Michael Doleac, who was, I'm told, a helluva good guy, so its error to say "every high school kid who enters the NBA Draft goes to the Hall of Fame," but its accurate to say "at the time these experts had their discussion, every high schooler who had been picked in the NBA Draft went on to have a fabulous, if not historic NBA career."

As for the 2011 draft - I've totally fallen in man love with Tristan Thompson, if he's there at 11 and GSW passes, we riot.

I don't want Klay Thompson; I'd rather have Alec Burks if we draft a perimeter guy; I really don't want a Morris twin.  I'll settle for a better version of Udoh, the guy we took, against my advice, instead of Greg Monroe last year, in Biyombo.  But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if Tristan Thompson is on the board, take him.  Thankyou.

Okay - here's Dampier in his big red coat from '96.  Enjoy the draft.  Go Warriors.  Keep the faith.

The Weekly Tendown June 12-18 2011

Dear Internet:

Here's Tendown 81.

1. Lil' Oprah

Over the shoulder of Oprah's executive producer, from this week's episode of one of the best shows on television in 2011, the behind the scenes reality show of Oprah's final season, is what I've decided to call Lil' Oprah.

"Hey, Hugh Jackman, you left your toothbrush at my house!  Hey, J-Hud, you lose your ability to tell time with those 75 pounds?  Hey - that's Tyra Banks, fool!"

One of the shows being shot during this week's Oprah Behind the Scenes was a "legendary lady rock star" episode (Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett).  In an introduction, Oprah was to say that these are the "greatest" women rockers ever, or some such description.  It was a line that she did not like, specifically because Tina Turner was not there, and she did not want to say that there was a group of the greatest women rockers that didn't include Tina Turner.  Oprah went into the control room during the taping and said something approximating, "look, you get to go back to the suburbs, or wherever it is you all live, but I'll be at a cocktail party with a shrimp in my hand having to explain why I left Tina Turner off the list."

It could have been a joke, but its kidding on the square.  Oprah's saying "I got rich people problems that you all do not have."

Which was tremendous, particularly in the context of what has been a lurking story all season long that really reached a head in this episode - the only person not sorry to see the Oprah show end is Oprah.  There was a great commercial the week of her final episodes showing clips of the canonical "last episodes" in TV history (Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers, Carson) and you could not help, when watching her final shows, of considering the emotion even in those old clips and contrasting how bloodless the final Oprah episodes were.  The final episode of Boy Meets World would choke you up more than the last episode of Oprah's show.  What will happen to Topanga?  Will she be okay?  Will she get her own show on the Style network?



Hell, the last episode of the Dish was more emotional than the last episode of Oprah.

The reason for that is clear in watching Oprah Behind the Scenes - Oprah is absolutely done with that show; she is counting down the minutes like a high school senior.  Her final episode, in which she spoke to camera for the hour, was a valedictory address.  She's dumped her boyfriend, told off her calculus teacher, and is headed to Dartmouth to double major in Rhetoric and Renaissance Studies.

                        You can stay here in the suburbs.  I've got to seize my day.


I thought about this episode of Oprah when later that same night, LeBron James said this:

All the people that were rooting for me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before. ... I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live. ...

"They can get a few days or a few months ... on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they have to get back to the real world at some point."  

Hope you enjoy feeling good about my 8 point Game 4.  Have a good day in the suburbs.

I liked all of that - Oprah told the truth; LeBron told the truth - hell, let's go 3 for 3:



And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Which might be the most true thing Obama's said.

If Oprah proclaims three white women as the greatest female rock stars ever, she will have to answer why that is.  The real answer "I've heard one Joan Jett song in my life; I'm just reading a script and running out the clock until I can go take a bath in thousand dollar bills" isn't one well understood by her staff, whose entire lives, by necessity, are the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The United States government, in the same decade that saw it preside over the greatest upward transfer of wealth from working and middle class people to millionaires and billionaires in the history of western civilization, spent upwards of 70 million dollars to convict Barry Bonds of using prescription drugs without a prescription (I'm sorry, that's not charitable; he was convicted of giving a poorly constructed answer to a question regarding his use of prescription drugs without a prescription).  The Congressional steroid hearings were widely supported by the general public, and my guess is were you to ask something like "what is more immoral - our two decade long middle eastern wars that drove up the federal deficit that we decided to care about once the Republicans were out of office and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians or professional athletes who use drugs to aid their performance" the result would be to hit the athletes.  I'm guessing if you were to ask, "what gets you angrier, this proposal":

"Or...professional basketball players who leave their hometowns to take their talents to South Beach" the answer would similarly condemn LeBron.

There's an element of class consciousness in all of that - Oprah, LeBron, Obama, there's an element of "there are people with small lives" to their thoughts - and we, who have the small lives (Tony Kornheiser calls us "the littles") feel that instinctively, feel a sense that we are being put down based on financial status - and we respond to perceived rhetorical slights.

Where we don't respond are to actual slights.  Like the last 30 years of right wing economics.  Or the last 10 years of Bush tax cuts.  Or to the current economic proposals on the floor by the Republican candidates for President.  Cut taxes for millionaires.  Raise taxes for working class.  Perhaps that's because we don't understand what's happened to us; we buy into the right wing class warfare line that our real enemies are those of social classes lower than us and our own personal failings.  Perhaps that's because the evil of right wing economics, the evil of handing over our country to large corporate shareholders is just so immense that we turn to something that makes more sense - we cling to our hatred of LeBron James in difficult times.

Who hates LeBron the most are Ohioans - as reflected this week in this executive pronouncement:

   


That's the Governor of Ohio saying - you know what real Ohioans do?  They stay with their employer no matter what.  Loyalty!  That's what James lacked.  He was drafted by the Cavaliers; therefore it is, according to the state of Ohio - officially disloyal to ever leave.  It's John Kasich, rabidly "free market" right wing governor of Ohio saying that LeBron James shouldn't have freely chosen to move from one employer to another.  That choice was an immoral choice.  Now, had the team, presumably, chosen to trade him to Miami - that would be fine.  The appropriate place to put power is in the hands of corporations.  Not people. 

Here's what else is going on in Ohio.

Under that same Governor's recently passed budget, half of the funding for local governments would get cut.

That's probably going to result in some job loss, right?  About 51,000 Ohioans would lose their jobs.

School districts and local governments will, of course, do everything possible to avoid laying people off. But they’ve already made the easy cuts and pared their budgets dramatically. So when the Governor proposes to cut school funding by $3 billion and local government funding by 50%, firing workers or raising local taxes are the only realistic choices they have left. By stubbornly insisting that an $8 billion deficit must be closed through cuts and one-time money alone, Gov. Kasich is intentionally pursuing a policy that will cost tens of thousands of Ohioans their jobs.

Now - can they move to Miami?  Or would that also make them disloyal?

Education's cut 11% under that budget; state universities in Ohio get cut 13%.  Do these cuts model the "loyalty, integrity, and teamwork" model that the Governor so admires in the Dallas Mavericks?  How about cutting the state's consumer protection agency in half? Is that a decision to benefit the "proud city of Cleveland?"  Meanwhile, the estate tax goes away in Ohio in 2013, which would have been great for James had he kept an Akron mansion - but won't do a thing for over 90% of Ohioans who don't have enough wealth to pay taxes on their estates upon their deaths anyway.

Further, there's a tax cut in 2011 for all Ohioans - if you make less than 40 grand a year, you'll save anywhere between 0 dollars and 27 dollars in 2011.  If you make between 40 and 80 thousand dollars, you'll save 80 bucks.  And if you make over 200 grand a year, you'll save a thousand dollars.

Hey, you people in the suburbs can really use that 80 bucks.  That's a couple of good trips to the Chili's.  Get some of those Southwestern Eggrolls.  Maybe a BigMouth Burger or two.  Am I right?

The Governor's budget got passed last week.  The Governor responded to critics who asked why it disproportionately seemed to target the middle and working classes while benefiting the wealthy.  He was very specific.

"What we've been doing is driving successful people out of Ohio, which has put Ohio in a ditch," Kasich said. "I don't know why we would want to punish success in Ohio."   


Read it again.

Apparently, all LeBron would have had to have done is say "To avoid the punitive Ohio estate tax, which unfairly targets the most successful of us, I'm taking my talents to South Beach.  Now, if instead, you were to fire some schoolteachers and let me keep more of my money, I'd reconsider" then that would have earned him his own commendation from the Governor's office.

Don't ever leave Ohio, says the right wing Governor.

Unless it's to avoid paying taxes on your estate.  Then - we understand.

I'd cling to my LeBron hate too, Ohio.  Otherwise, you have to face the reality of life in America in 2011.

2. One In Four
Here's a reality of life in America in 2011.  One in Four state representatives don't have college degrees.

Which explains a lot.

3. On Our Knees



The Governor of Texas is hosting a day of Christian prayer and fasting, designed to guide the United States through its "unprecedented struggles."

"There is hope for America," the site explains. "It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees."


The goal of the rally according to a spokesman is conversion.

A lot of people want to criticize what we’re doing, as if we’re somehow being exclusive of other faiths. But anyone who comes to this solemn assembly regardless of their faith tradition or background, will feel the love, grace, and warmth of Jesus Christ in that assembly hall, in that arena. And that’s what we want to convey, that there’s acceptance and that there’s love and that there’s hope if people will seek out the living Christ.


I live in West Palm Beach, where a prolonged drought has left the city with less than 2 weeks of drinking water left.  Presumably, I should spend less time working my now 3 jobs it takes to pay my monthly bills and more time praying to the living Christ.

Oh yeah, the Texas governor already suggested that.

Apparently, there are many in Texas who dislike their Governor, perhaps because, you know, that his public policy solutions come out of the Middle Ages.  His response.

                                 a prophet is generally not loved in their hometown


Now, if I asked, who said "a prophet is generally not loved in their hometown", LeBron James or the Governor of Texas, which would you have picked?

And shouldn't we get at least as angry at a Governor who says that as we'd get at a basketball player?

Because if LeBron said that - it would be six months before Skip Bayless stopped talking about it.


4. Why Does God Hate Us?
If its the Christian God to whom we need to turn to...what....lower the Ohio estate tax....or make it rain; it stands to figure that He's been awfully mad at us this year.

There's been a heat wave that's broken nearly 3,000 all time records and killed 8 people already this year.

And clearly the living Christ hates Joplin, Missouri:



More than 500 people dead this year because of tornadoes.  Deadliest year in the US in over half a century.

Fortunately, Glenn Beck is around to tell us who God is mad at.  It's Obama.

And - liberals like me, and perhaps, you too.

5. The One Article to Read This Week:
The 10 Scariest States to be an Atheist.

6. Hey, Has David Vitter Quit Yet?


Anthony Weiner didn't survive the week.

In an unrelated story, family values conservative David Vitter remains a US Senator.

Here's Greenwald, correctly contextualizing the Weiner story.

7. Remember When Willie Horton Was an Offensive Campaign Ad?
Here's what the right wing is doing to a California Congresswoman.

8. Did the Bush White House Try to Smear Juan Cole
The story is here.

9. Why I Won't Watch Sarah Michelle Gellar's New Show


I like Sarah Michelle Gellar; I won't watch her show that starts this fall, I think on the CW.

It's because she's playing two different characters.  And that's a dealbreaker for me.

My Lady Type Friend (who now, at her request, will be referred to as my Ladygal) and I have been together more than 3 years, but it wasn't until this week that we realized we had a mutual dislike for films or television shows where actors play multiple roles.  It takes us instantly out of the world, reminding us that this is an actor displaying versatility.  This disinterests me.  Outside of Adaptation, I don't think there's an occasion where I didn't find myself thinking about the performance (even if it was a good one, like Kevin Kline in Dave) as it's happening, which really limits engagement in that performance.  Hard to be immersed if you are standing outside of the pool.

As I was having this conversation with my Ladygal, I stood outside of it, as I wondered (1) how many other people dislike it when actors play multiple parts and (2) how many other things we believed this strongly that we had never discussed, even after 3 years and (3) what it says that I was having these thoughts about the conversation as I was having the conversation - and if it was similar to thinking about an acting performance while watching the performance - and if that meant I was not as engaged, not as present for this conversation as I should be - and to what degree I should express these thoughts to my Ladygal as they were happening, and if the expression of those thoughts would be more harmful (as now I'm hijacking the conversation, making it about what's going on in my head as opposed to the content of the conversation, something of which I've occasionally been accurately accused of doing) than keeping them inside and essentially having a conversation with myself while I was having it with her (4) and to what extent I'm always doing that, to what extent every single interaction I have with everyone is really subordinate to my internal monologue I'm having about that interaction as its occurring - and, increasingly, over the past five years as I've been regularly blogging and mining my real life for material (5) said monologue includes thoughts about how that interaction and my accompanying monologue might be reformatted into this space; and if thinking about that reformatting as the original conversation is taking place changes the substance of that original conversation - in the same way that Oprah, in her own control room, will speak differently to her producers because of the presence of the documentary cameras, not even intentionally, necessarily - but the act of observing something can change it, and to some degree my observation of myself, much like my observation of two Sarah Michelle Gellars, alters the experience even as its happening and (6) at what point I'll no longer be able to hold six simultaneous thoughts before I'm completely incapable of relating in any way to other people and (7) that, obviously, that happened 30 years ago, this is what it means to live entirely inside my own head which is why I've spent most of my life estranged from other people (8) except for now, that I have a Ladygal who also dislikes when actors play multiple roles, and she doesn't seem to mind that I have 8 thoughts in my head as we have a conversation and (9) perhaps that also means that she also does, that she's carrying on her own 9 dimensional discussion with herself and does that mean that I am insufficiently interesting to capture her attention, if perhaps my fragmented performance in our relationship is not unlike an actor playing too many roles, that it causes her to grow disinterested and want to turn the channel to instead perhaps watch the new Zooey Deschanel show instead (10) and that's the best reference that I'll end this piece with when I turn it into a blog Sunday.

And that's why I won't watch Sarah Michelle Gellar's new show.

10. Monday - Keith.

Don't forget, Keith's back Monday.

That's all for this time.  A rousing Tendown 81.  I'll be back next time, if there is a next time...

Your pal,

Jim

All Time Chicago Bears 53 Man Roster

Part of a series.  Previous post is here. Updated through the 2019 season.  All time Bears 53 man roster.

QB Sid Luckman

      QB Jay Cutler
      QB Jim McMahon

RB Walter Payton

RB Bronko Nagurski
      RB Red Grange
      RB Matt Forte
      RB Gale Sayers

WR Harlon Hill

WR Johnny Morris

      WR Devin Hester

      WR Alshon Jeffery
      WR Bill Hewitt

TE Mike Ditka

      TE Emery Moorehead

C Jay Hilgenberg

G Mark Bortz

G Stan Jones

T Keith Van Horne

T George Connor
   OL George Musso

   OL Joe Stydahar

   OL Ollie Kreutz  
   OL Bulldog Turner

DE Doug Atkins

DT Steve McMichael

DE Richard Dent

    DL Dan Hampton

    DL Fred Williams
    DL Mike Hartenstine

    DL Jim Osborne
    DL Alex Brown
    DL Julius Peppers

OLB Lance Briggs
ILB Dick Butkus

ILB Mike Singletary

OLB Joe Fortunato

   LB Brian Urlacher

   LB Bill George

   LB Doug Buffone
   LB Otis Wilson
   LB Larry Morris

CB Charles Tillman 

S Richie Petitbon

S Gary Fencik

CB Bennie McRae

    DB Rosey Taylor

    DB Dave Duerson

    DB Mike Brown

    DB Mark Carrier
    DB Doug Plank

PK Robbie Gould

P Bobby Joe Green