Catching Up On The Weekend...
Shaq/Yao
Shaq/Yao on Friday night turned out to be worth the wait, didn't it? Stevie Franchise stole the show, though, pouring in 44 for a career high (and also feeding Yao for the game-clincher). We should remember, though, that Shaq is still not 100%, and Yao is tired from not having a break in two years. In other words, this is just the beginning of the passing of the torch. Shaq should have plenty more to say for the two or three years he'll continue to play.
As for Yao, the football games gave plenty of opportunity to catch his new Apple commercial. Yao has charisma, even without speaking. How much impact can one person have in blending one culture into another? Ask Seattle after Ichiro's arrival. Now, with Yao, multiply that by about 10 or more. Yao's going to be a bigger star in his sport than Ichiro is in his, both figuratively and literally. Plus, Yao is much more vocal than Ichiro about issues relating to basketball, politics, society. I have a strange feeling that Yao's impact and accomplishments will extend far beyond the basketball court.
My friend Clint, who lives in Houston, tells me local bars were packed to watch the game on TV, and the crowd was into it like it was the playoffs. In Clint's words: "That game made the FRONT PAGE of the Houston Chronicle on Friday, before it was even played. Huge picture of Yao taking up the entire top half. Definitely a big deal now."
Good for Houston. Bad for the Wolves, but good for Houston...
Yaargh, matey!
Well...that was supposed to be a pirate sound. It's the Piracy Super Bowl, with the Raiders and Buccaneers. The Eagles/Bucs game was pretty compelling, I thought. Ronde Barber was a madman. Watching those teams play reminded this Vikings observer of what a pass rush is supposed to look like. Combine that with good cornerbacks, and it's no wonder that the Eagles struggled.
I'm not sure who I like in the Super Bowl yet. I'm not a huge fan of either team, but I don't harbor any serious dislike for either of them, either. It should be a good game, though.
Here's what I don't get: All you hear now is people saying it was worth it for the Bucs to give up two first-rounders, two second-rounders and $8 million in cash to get Gruden. But what about the Raiders? They got all that booty (I can say that in this context), and STILL got to the Super Bowl. Why isn't anybody calling that the move of the century? It's like the Herschell Walker trade, but without having to give up (or get) Herschell Walker. I don't understand why the Raiders' ascension to the Super Bowl isn't just as strong an indictment of the Bucs' move. THEY didn't need Gruden to get there, and they got a TON in return for him.
Speaking of the Super Bowl...
So, I explained to Linus the (relative) importance of the games we watched yesterday by saying that the winner gets to go to the Super Bowl. And in a voice of wonder and amazement, he says "Super Bowl?" Ah yes, the Super Bowl. I explained that the Super Bowl is the championship of football, and the World Series is for baseball, and the Stanley Cup, and so on. And you know what I figured out? As big as basketball is in the sporting world, they really could improve their profile by having something a little more exciting than the "NBA Championship". I mean, how lame is that? Can't David Stern come up with anything better than that? They can hire the Rolling Stones to do their promo spots, but they can't hire someone to top that?
12:17:36 PM 
|
|
