Curb the insults: San Antonio is everything a franchise should be
A normally highly sensible and talented Denver newspaper columnist wrote recently: "The men in black are back, sucking all the life and beauty from the NBA Finals. Grudgingly, we must admire the Spurs, whose unsightly 85-76 victory in the best-of-seven series put them one victory closer to their fourth league title since 1999. But that doesn't mean we have to like it. Please, somebody. Stop them. How the Spurs play basketball makes ultimate fighting look like ballet by comparison."
So we in the media are a bunch of phonies, too.
The lack of interest in the Spurs is symbolic of where we are as a nation now. We are more fascinated with Paris Hilton's boobs, voting on American Idol and what blonde A-Rod is seen with. In other words, the glossy superficial gooey stuff.
If whatever we are watching isn't violent, sex-filled or constantly stimulating us like a bunch of 12-year-olds, we're bored.
Seriously, on CNN on Friday there was a helicopter following Hilton as she made her way to various court appearances. That is just sad.
Hilton and LeBron Jordan are Xbox and the Spurs are a fine game of chess.
Killing the NBA?
The Spurs are rescuing it.
I watch the Spurs and I see a fine piece of machinery. They are not a detriment to basketball, they are a necessity. They are like the cool, steady pulse of electricity: you do not appreciate it until it is gone.
Do not cover your eyes or turn away when they methodically work their half-court offense or engage their strangling defense. What the Spurs are doing should be committed to memory because in this me-first culture of sports the San Antonio and its selfless, purring style might be the last of its kind as dunks and shirt popping take over the NBA.
But you phonies won't see it because they bore you and you'd rather see gorilla dunks from LeBron Jordan.
"Even though people are picking us, people aren't rooting for us," San Antonio's Robert Horry told reporters prior to the beginning of the series. "We've got San Antonio, maybe Argentina and maybe Paris. But the rest of the world, they're rooting for Cleveland. Everyone wants to see Cleveland win and the new MJ come to life."
I love seeing LeBron Jordan transform into a superstar right before our eyes as much as anyone but there is room for both Dr. Dunk and the San Antonio Bores.
Gregg Popovich could win his fourth title. If Popovich does he should be mentioned in the same breath as Riley and Jackson but because his quotes are about as exciting as the San Antonio phonebook he is the most ignored great coach I have seen in 20 years of sports reporting.
Nobody outside of San Antonio cares about Popovich or his team. Nobody. Many hear the name Popovich and ask: is that Paris Hilton's jailer?
"We are kind of (the) vanilla of the NBA," said guard Manu Ginobili.
What the hell is so wrong with vanilla?
"It's irrelevant how people hold us up or don't hold us up," Popovich said, "talk about us or don't talk about us."
"Character is a big part of it," said Popovich, speaking of one key to San Antonio's success. "Character is a direct reflection of an ability to handle criticism, to be happy for teammate success. People have gotten over themselves and understand we're a group."
A group, a team. A true team.
Do you remember what that is?
You phony.
