Ineligible Man Downfield

So I was channel surfing on the TV today and found two basketball games to watch.  The first was a route at halftime by the Dallas Mavericks over the Golden State Warriors on ESPN while the other game featured the Chicago Bulls at the Los Angeles Clippers on Fox Sports that just started. Those games were quite “appealing,” and as a result I continued to channel surf.  I came upon CNN and found that the House of Representatives had just passed the Bailout Package supported by our new president.  A light bulb hit my head and a question came to mind.

Usually in the world of capitalization and global economics, when a product does not sell well, either the product is given the shaft or improved upon.  However in the world of sports, we have teams such as the Clippers or Warriors who continue to survive even though their history is lackluster (to put it in “nice” terms).  It makes me wonder what the NBA has done to help these teams improve their image.  The NBA has in the past moved a team to a more accommodating site (e.g. Grizzlies).  Do these teams need to move or do they need more money?

Here is the heart of my question.  If these teams were given a bailout by a higher authority such as by directive of David Stern, would these teams improve?  Well I suppose it depends.  If a company has good management, then the bailout would be a boost but if you have bad managment, you will have the complementary reverse effect.  As for the Clippers and Warriors, maybe upper management and ownership needs to change before any real progress can be seen.  Tell me what you think?  Is a bailout needed, please?

As I was watching the San Antonio Spurs win a close one against the Los Angeles Lakers, I saw very fine clutch shooting by both teams:  Kobe hitting that three with twelve seconds left and Roger Mason hitting that two with Derek Fisher fouling him earning an extra point at the free throw line.  Too bad the Lakers lost.    This got me thinking, who would you rather have the ball to make that winning shot at the end of the game?  I’m sure you guys have debated this for yourself as well.

Roger Mason Jr?  Well not exactly, however he’s been making some clutch shots lately (at least three games and counting now).  I guess you could say that he’s filling in nicely for the now retired Big Shot Robert Horry.  Some are even calling Big Shot Mason.  I wouldn’t get ahead of myself that quickly.  He’s only been in the starting lineup this past few months over Bruce Bowen (the man who can shoot threes but not free throws).  Only time will tell if he lives up to the “big shot” billing.

Lebron James?  Maybe.  While I was watching NBA highlights on ESPN today, I saw Lebron miss a possible game winning shot at the end of regulation.  In overtime, the Cavaliers lost to the inconsistent Bulls.  He’s hit some good shots before, but as we all know there have been times where he’s been a bit “scared” and allowed another teammate to take the shot.  Kind of odd don’t you think since he’s an “all-star.” So no, Lebron is not clutch just yet, but he could be one day. Continue reading