News flash: LeBron James is undoubtedly the most vilified athlete on the face of the Earth. Alright, that isn’t exactly breaking news, but it still holds 100% true, regardless. And now that he and his Miami Heat are back in the NBA Finals for a second consecutive year, his army of haters will be in full force.

But what makes the NBA’s greatest player the most despicable sports superstar out there? Well, many people who loathe him in this manner will point at “The Decision” of Summer 2010 as the moment they decided to scrutinize essentially every single move that he makes.

To those fans, here’s the message: Re-evaluate it and realize that you need to let it go.

When James left the Cleveland Cavaliers and his home state of Ohio, he did it in what was perceived as such an egotistical and selfish fashion that it was simply unforgivable. He did not inform even a single soul within the Cavs organization of his final decision to leave and take his “talents to South Beach,” where he would form a super alliance with fellow All Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat.

He did not owe the city of Cleveland and its fans that had suffered for so long before his arrival in 2003 anything more than the classy farewell they deserved. An hour-long special aired live on ESPN certainly didn’t qualify as classy to them or anyone else watching.

However, other than that, he didn’t owe them a new contract, a championship, or to finish what he started straight out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

He gave them everything he had in those seven years and exercised his free agent right to pursue a new opportunity elsewhere. How is it any different from a person who isn’t an entertainer, who decides to leave the job they’ve worked for years for an even better one?

Don’t kid yourself, you know it isn’t. Plus, when regular people announce leaving their jobs that usually doesn’t bring in a boatload of money in donations to the the local Boys and Girls Clubs.

So if you think about that twice, declaring your intentions to start a new job in front of your entire family at Thanksgiving dinner might seem a little more self-centered than what James did.

Of course there are people out there who don’t really care about any of that stuff. Instead, there are those who will claim, ‘I hate him because he went and joined two other great players. One is also a top five superstar player in this league (Wade), and the other has been one of the more underrated All Stars pretty much his entire career. Jordan wouldn’t have done that.’

Alright, all of that is true. Jordan wouldn’t have left the Bulls to assemble some crazy squad alongside guys with the caliber of a Wade and Bosh. But that was then and this is now. If you live in the past and fail noticed that the league has been heading in this direction since the “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined forces in 2007, you probably should pay a little more attention to players and teams other than your own and James.

James needed the help and the Cavs were incapable of surrounding him with enough of it because they play in Cleveland! The majority of people, especially young professional basketball players, don’t want to live in Cleveland during a long season! Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr and the rest of the crew to help him finish off the job; James just knew he had to make a drastic move in order to get his help, because Cleveland itself was repelling free agents like a great college in the middle of nowhere.

And for those who argue that he could’ve gone to a place like New York or New Jersey – where he could have been ‘the man’ and eventually gotten the aid he needed because that’s what Jordan would have done – you need to come to terms with the fact that there’s only one player remaining that still has that kind of old school mentality, and his name is Kobe Bryant.

Bryant’s admitted that he always wanted to be Jordan. That is why he has only one less ring than him. James just wants to be himself. That’s something that should be admired, not detested.

In the end, if this isn’t enough, the fact that it’s been two years should be. Unless you are that immature, you really don’t have an excuse to hold a grudge for this long.

LeBron James has moved on with his life, it would be best if the haters followed suit.

Image Courtesy of  Keith Allison

The article No Reason to Still Hate LeBron Over “The Decision” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Genius in sports does not come around every day, and when it does, it should not be hard to recognize and appreciate. When an athlete accomplishes things in a sport that have never been done before and does it in a way that has rarely ever been seen, it is important to not only stand up and applaud that greatness, but to make sure everyone else sees it and understands what is being accomplished.

Lionel Messi is probably the greatest athlete of today, yet outside of those who understand and love the sport he dominates, his genius is swept aside as just another athlete playing a meaningless sport. Of course, soccer, or football as it is call outside of the U.S., is one of the most popular sports in the world, yet you would not know it listening to analysts discuss the sport.

Soccer gets a bad rap for many reasons here in the U.S., but instead of welcoming the washed-up players from Europe who are past their prime, the greatest soccer player to have come along in decades while he is still ripe with potential should be celebrated.

Messi stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. It would be hard to look at the man and think that you are looking at the greatest athlete playing any sport today. He has a slight build with the face of a young boy, not yet a man, but do not be fooled. He has been described as an assassin on the field, and at 24 years old, the 7-year pro has surpassed legends.

Messi is now the all-time leading scorer for his club team, Barcelona, with 234 goals, and the first player to score 5 goals in a single game in that league. Accomplishments left to those at the twilight of their careers, not a young player yet to reach his prime. He has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or three times, an award given to the best player each season, and is likely to win his fourth this year.

Soccer played at the highest level by the best players is the most beautiful sport in the world to watch, and Messi reinforces that every time he gets on the field. Watching the boy genius play is like watching Barry Sanders make a great unexpected cut on the football field or even watching Michael Jordan suspended in the air on his way to the basket.

Those are not images seen every day in sports, but when they do happen, they should be appreciated because they may never be seen again. As sports fans here get sidetracked by Linsanity and Tebowmania, the real once-in-a-generation story does not get the attention it deserves. We do not play football in America, so it is only right we give it another name. Soccer in America is the reason why Messi does not get the love and recognition he truly deserves.

During the week when the record was set by Messi, ESPN, who covers all sports, barely dedicated a segment to the story. In fact, a quick video was put up along with the record-breaking goal, and that was that. That is all soccer is worth in the realm of American sports, even if the great Lionel Messi is the topic.

There have been many sports analysts during World Cup events and Olympic events who have said that America does not need to be good at soccer because of all the other sports which the U.S. dominates. There is an arrogance that goes along with the ideas that Americans have about soccer and why American soccer players are not as good as other nations.  Sadly, this will not change anytime soon.

The eye test is all it takes to realize that this is no ordinary man. Lionel Messi is superman and his kryptonite might very well be the international stage, the only place left where his greatness has yet to make its mark. However, maybe that will change in 2014.

Image Courtesy of   sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

The article Lionel Messi: Unappreciated Genius appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The “Linsanity” that has taken the Knicks, New York, and the NBA by storm sounds like something out of a movie. The underdog who no one gave a shot finally gets it and doesn’t disappoint. It is of course normal for people to be skeptical – how many times have we seen someone take everyone by surprise only to plummet back to Earth, never able to recapture the run they had. However, Jeremy Lin is not one of these stories; he is the real deal.

Lin has single handedly saved Mike D’Antoni’s job and the Knicks’ season in a five game span. Add to that, he’s doing it with a roster missing All-Stars Amare Stoudemire (family death) and Carmelo Anthony (injured groin), making things even more amazing.

He’s been doing this all week with a starting lineup that consisted of Landry Fields, Bill Walker, Jared Jeffries, and Tyson Chandler. He’s turned Steve Novak, who has been buried on the Knicks bench all season, into a legitimate bench scoring threat, finding him open for threes multiple times a game.

Lin was exactly what the Knicks needed and hoped Baron Davis could be when he returned. A true point guard. During this five game win streak, Lin has been breaking down defenses with his dribble and quickness, shown a very good ability to run the pick and roll, as well as proven that he can knock down jumpers if left open.

Take a look at his numbers over the Knicks’ longest win streak this season. Lin is averaging 26.8 points on 53% shooting, eight assists, 4.2 rebounds, two steals. Impressive numbers for anyone over a five game stretch, but what’s more impressive is who he has done it against.

Lin has squared off against Deron Williams, Devin Harris, John Wall, Derek Fisher, and Ricky Rubio. We are talking about a bonafide superstar, the prospect traded for that superstar, a number one pick, a good defensive veteran, and this years leading candidate for rookie of the year. While in the case of Wall and Williams, they don’t exactly have the interior that would scare anybody, the other three have extremely formidable front-courts which still couldn’t prevent Lin’s penetration.

Lin has scored more points in his first four starts than anyone else since the merger back in the 70s. That means more than Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and yes, even LeBron James.

While the Knicks won’t need Lin to keep carrying the scoring load once Stoudemire and Anthony return, what they will need is for him to control the offense and continue to find the open man in their spots. What his scoring ability will do is open the offensive end up even more as defenses will have to respect that ability.

It has only been five games and four starts into the “Lincredible” streak, but if you watch the way Lin plays you know that the kid is the real deal. Even against Rubio who gave Lin a hard time defensively all night, he was still able to run the pick and roll and find the open man.

At the end of the game, when it mattered most, Lin was able to find a wide open Novak for the game tying three, and then use his quickness to draw a foul and hit the go-ahead foul shot to seal the game.

A sign of a good player, especially the point guard, is the ability to elevate the play of not only himself, but his teammates as well and Lin has exceeded this on every level imaginable. Lin was said to have been watching video in the locker room at halftime during a game because he was upset with his inability to get as many alley-oops to Chandler. No one could have expected this and no one saw it coming but the Knicks have potentially stumbled onto something great.

They will continue to ride this out for as long as it lasts, which looks like could be quite a long time. One thing definitely is for sure though, things in New York have gotten “Linsane” and this team and fan base have gotten a much need injection of excitement.

It has been quite some time Knicks fans, but it now looks like you have a team that can make some noise in the playoffs, and an underdog rising star whom you can rally around. It’s official New York, you have a true point guard and a basketball team worth watching so enjoy it.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/18246749@N08/

The article Jeremy Lin is Good – Really Good appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Clutch is a word that gets thrown around in sports at every level and that word can make a player, or in some cases destroy that player.

That word is nothing new in sports and I’ve often wondered if that level or lack thereof for some players really explain their behavior in pressure situations or is it just a cop out for us fans who don’t exactly know the mind set of these athletes…then again, we always hear athletes describe themselves and other players in these terms as well.

I have never been the type to throw that word around because there are so many factors that contribute to the success rate of any athlete, but I’ve come to realize that there is a certain pattern that goes with being the definition of the word clutch itself instead of crumbling under the weight of the moment.

Before I get into my view on this word, it is important to explain why it took me to this point to fully appreciated its meaning and to notice when a player lacks the mental make up to be clutch. It happened during the NBA finals several weeks ago…no, this is not another article bashing Lebron James or any other athlete who is perceived to be weak mentally.  Instead it taught me that some players, aside from lacking a certain clutch gene do not possess the will to win…maybe they are one in the same but I don’t think so; especially in the case of Lebron James.

I describe Lebron who is still the most talented  and physically gifted player in the league as a front runner and one thing we know about front runners is that when it comes down to bitting down, fighting back and willing a victory, they disappear.

The great ones are both…they find a way to win by being clutch and willing their team to victory.

A player like Gilbert Arenas for example is clutch but in the form of a role player, not as a player you can build a team around… but being clutch is nothing more than taking the shot.  Yes Lebron has been clutch at times, we were witnesses to that during the Celtic series and the Bulls series… also back during his time in Cleveland facing the pistons where he scored 29 straight points; the man is talented, but as a great player you must be all things at all times.  We must see the clutch gene accompanied by the will to win.

No one hits every shot on the basketball court, Kobe doesn’t hit every shot and Jordan the definition of will and clutch never hit every shot, but he took those shots.

Basketball ball is a sport where you can hide behind teammates; you appear to be a great team player by making a great pass to an open shooter who hits the game winning shot, which we have seen Lebron do many times.

What is in the mental makeup of these players who seem to lose confidence in the same things which got them to the heights of their respected sports?

A player that has been compared to Lebron is Alex Rodriguez and the comparisons are pretty fair when you consider what the Yankee 3^rd basemen went through early in his Yankee career.  He was known as a regular season player who seemed to shrink on the big stage.  The difference with Arod and Lebron is the stage itself; in baseball, a player stands alone in front of thousands, there are no teammates in the batting cage with you.

What Arod went through is tougher only because baseball is tougher as a sport; there are no passes to be made to open teammates to pick you up…those flashing lights of stardom blind the weak ones and they never recover.  But he did.

Did his mind set change, becoming more comfortable in the big stage, maybe he did.  Or maybe he started out well and the confidence that goes with getting one hits snowballed forming a different man with less to prove.

Will the same happen for Lebron, no I don’t see it…not until he gets better as a player.

Sports Psychologist are becoming the new performance enhancers of the sports world and that becomes the next step for a player like Lebron, but as I just stated he needs to improve his game first before he improves himself mentally.  His game didn’t allow him to will his team to a victory in the process showcasing the “clutchness” which he is capable of.

Every team will need a sports psychologist at some point.  It was surprising to find out that the Mavericks had a sports psychologist on staff over the last couple years.  Is that the reason Dirk shed his soft not clutch label and has become the player we see today.  Will that be the fate of a player like Lebron on whom the pressure will increase until he wins a championship?

Tennis great Jimmy Connors once said that winning is 90% mental and we have seen examples of this in all sports from Skiing to boxing and most obvious sports like football and soccer.

Competitive Anxiety is what they call what I witnessed from the best athlete in basketball…let’s just hope he is not too proud to admit he needs help and decides to live in a gym this summer.

For the NBA’s sake and for the sake of this hopeful global icon.

The article The Psychology Of Greatness In Sports appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Despite LeBron James’s noted playoff collapses during his eight seasons in the NBA, this season seemed to be different. Most of the conversation in the past was about James’s collapses in crunch-time of playoff games.  The NBA Finals between the Heat and the Mavericks, which recently ended, was a step back in a lot of ways for James.  Thus far, James has been “UNLIKE MIKE” when it comes to his playoff résumé, especially this year.

Against the Mavericks, James put up points that would be considered spectacular for any average player. Still, James has displayed that he has the ability to play at a caliber way above most players in the League; therefore, we must hold him accountable for his performance against the Mavericks.

James, who has dominated his fair share of playoff games and countless regular season games, has the ability to take over the game single handedly. This is why there have been so many comparisons to him and Jordan throughout his eight-years in the league. People compare him to Jordan because they have seen bits and pieces of how dominant James can be.

The difference between James and Jordan is James is dominant sometimes and Jordan was dominant all the time, especially in crunch-time of the playoffs. It is said that great players produce in big moments, such as crunch-time of playoff games. This has not been James to date, but it was Jordan throughout his illustrious career.

Against the Mavericks, James’ highest point total was 24 points in game one; James didn’t match this point performance for the rest of the series. In fact, James points per game decreased from his high of 24 points to his low of 8 points for the series in game four.

Respectfully, in games two, three, five and six, James scored 20 points, 17 points, 17 points and 21 points. To say James under produced is truthful with the caliber of play he is capable of.  James is capable of scoring 30-40 plus points a night. In fact, James has done this many times throughout his career, even in the playoffs, but James has not done this when it has mattered most.

Unlike King James, HIS AIRNESS always took over playoff games. Jordan’s playoff stats are nearly impossible to argue against being that he is arguably the greatest of all time. For his career, Jordan had two playoff games in which he finished with a triple double. James has not had any triple doubles during the Playoffs

Jordan’s career average for field goal percentage during the playoffs is .487. In comparison, James career average for field goal percentage is .460. Jordan’s career average for 3-point percentage during the playoffs is .332. In comparison, for the playoffs, James has an average of 323 from behind the arc. Jordan’s career average for free throw percentage during the playoffs is .828, while James has a free throw percentage of .746 for his playoff career.

With his career average of 33.4 points per playoff games, Jordan is the all time leader. In comparison, James has a career average of 28 points per game during the playoffs.

Throughout his career, Jordan averaged at least 30 points in the playoffs for all but one year! The year that Jordan averaged less than 30 points was during his rookie season with the Bulls in 1984-85. Even then, Jordan scored a smidge under 30 points a game (29,3 PPG). Jordan’s highest career average for playoff points per game was a whopping 43.7 points in his sophomore season (1985-86)!

In the playoffs, Jordan scored 60-plus points only once, however his record (63 Points), stand as the NBA record for points during a playoff game. If the regular season is included, Jordan had a total of five 60-plus point games during his career! This puts him in rarefied company, joining only 3 other players who have had multiple 60 point games.

Jordan accomplished the feat of 50-plus points a game seven times during his playoff career. If the regular season is included, Jordan had 34 games during his career in which he scored 50 plus point!

At 40-plus points a game, 30-plus points a game and 20-plus points a game, Jordan’s attainment of these feats dramatically increases.

Jordan scored 40-plus points a game 30 times during his playoffs career. If the regular season is included, Jordan did this a total of 172 times during career!

During the playoffs, Jordan scored 30-plus points a whopping 71 times! Include the regular season and Jordan scored 30-plus points during a game a whopping 460 times!

Interestingly, Jordan accomplished the marginally easier feat of scoring 20-plus points, fewer times than he accomplished the feat of scoring 30-plus points. Jordan scored 20-plus points, 64 times during the playoffs. Include the regular season and Jordan scored 20-plus points a total of 428 times during his entire career. This is still impressive, despite the dip in comparison to the feat of scoring 30-plus points a game.

There is no doubt that LeBron’s career and playoff résumé is impressive, especially in its own right. But it is not at the stage where it can be compared to the résumé of Jordan. The numbers don’t lie. Jordan’s résumé is far and away better than LeBron’s. Despite the unquestionable distinction between both players’ career accomplishments, another distinction that is important to take into account is the era in which they played..

Truth be told, the era Jordan played in was just a lot more physical. The 1990’s were a time when players would get pummeled if they drove to the basket or were in the paint area. Jordan competed against guys like Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason, who, for all intensive purposes, would try to knock opposing players to the hardwood floor. It is quite different in today’s era of basketball there are many whistles and foul calls. The best players are usually protected by these whistles and foul call, especially in the circumstance of driving to the basket or being in the paint area.

Ultimately, until LeBron James Wins Six Championships, he cannot be compared to Michael Jordan. Even then it’s still a questionable call. The conversation of whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is better is like comparing apples and oranges. One has six rings and the other has zero!  When KING JAMES has six rings it will be time to start the debate. But until then, LeBron James should be considered HIS HEIRNESS and HIS AIRNESS—Michael Jordan, should be considered KING JORDAN.

Note: stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and the website: www.michaeljordansworld.com

Domenic Gareri / Shutterstock.com

The article KING JAMES VS. HIS AIRNESS appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

This year’s NBA draft was an interesting one. Much of the talk going around was that it was a terrible draft in terms of talent. That being said, nobody will really be able to judge any of these players until they are playing in the league for a while, or not playing for that matter.

The draft was also overrun with foreign players compared to any draft of the past. For some reason, people initially give less credit to these players since they haven’t been exposed to the American fans very much. Realistically, we may look back on the 2011 draft as one full of sleepers, but we’ll have to wait for that.

As for now, it seems as if a few teams stood out with the moves they made on Thursday night. Excluding just giving teams credit for being terrible and having top picks, here’s who I thought did the best job on draft day, and they may not be who you think.

Portland Trail Blazers

For me, it all starts with Portland. Far and away the best job on draft day adding players that will immediately have an impact on a team who was already poised to make a deep run in the Western Conference. If not for injuries, Portland may have already found their way to the top of the conference, but now they have some serious firepower. Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez were shopped in a three way trade with the Nuggets and Mavericks. Though both of those players contributed well to the team for years, Portland will be okay without them. Raymond Felton is a great point guard in this league, one that is incredibly underrated. He is a tough defender, great outside shooter, and just flat out knows how to run a team. He brings youth to the point guard position and actually can be a solid two-guard if necessary as he proved last season with Denver. Portland also added Duke guard Nolan Smith and Ohio State guard Jon Diebler in the draft. Smith was one of my favorites in the entire field, and for the life of me I can’t understand why he fell so far. He won a championship at Duke, was a great team leader, and can score the basketball almost as well as any guard that was taken this year. Diebler is deadly from the outside. A Kyle Korver clone, he won’t give you much on the defensive end, but if he gets hot from three, opposing defenses will be in trouble. Not much growth needed here, he’ll be an immediate impact player off the bench. Portland filled in spots that they really needed, got younger, and though they didn’t add any size really, they put pieces around their budding star forward LaMarcus Aldridge to propel them to one of the best rosters around the league. Now they need to do it on the court.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks were disappointing last season to say the least. In 2010 they were able to not only make the playoffs, but make noise there. “Fear the deer” was a motto that was lost last year, but could come back soon after the moves they made. The Bucks made probably the biggest splash of the day by landing Stephen Jackson via trade with the Charlotte Bobcats. Corey Maggette was sacrificed, and though he is a very talented offensive player, he has become somewhat of a trade pawn the past few years. The Bucks were dead last in scoring last year and were absolutely desperate for a shooter to stretch the floor as well as another slasher who could get to the rim and allow Brandon Jennings to be open for more outside jump shots. They got both in Jackson, as well as a great defender. He will prove to have a huge impact on this team, and barring any setbacks, the trio of Jennings, Jackson and Bogut should easily grab a playoff spot. Milwaukee also added Tobias Harris from Tennessee, and Jon Leuer from Wisconsin. Harris is very versatile and should be able to fill in anything they lost in Corey Maggette. As for Leuer, he falls into a similar category as Nolan Smith for me. Not as far as play style goes, but for the intangibles. He found himself in deep runs into the NCAA Tournament with Wisconsin in his years there, and just strikes me as a player who will find his role and contribute in a pro system. I don’t expect either of these guys to be all-stars, but good role players to put around an already solid lineup. Fear the deer next season.

Charlotte Bobcats

So here’s my curveball. Let’s think about this rationally for a second. The Bobcats weren’t going anywhere at all with the team they had. Michael Jordan knew this, and made some of the best decisions in his much criticized front-office career. They traded Gerald Wallace last season, leaving the team destined for a terrible ending to the season. I would have to assume that Jordan had been looking to shop Stephen Jackson for a while now, and only on draft day was he able to find a suitor. Did they get value back for him? Immediate it doesn’t seem so, but let’s look deeper. If a team is trying to completely rebuild for the future, what do they want to do? In the NBA you have two tasks. Get some solid young talent at the hard to find positions, and clear cap space to give yourself some leverage for free agency. They were able to do both in one trade. Corey Maggette is still a solid player in the league, and will at least give fans something to watch for the next two years as their young players develop. Also, he will remain as a trade pawn for them, and an expiring contract in the future which will allow them to have some money to work with coming into a year where the exact cap rules are uncertain. They picked up the number seven pick which they used on Bismack Biyombo from the Congo. He most definitely is all raw athleticism. Standing at 6’9 with an absurd 7’7 wingspan, he will have no problem blocking shots and grabbing rebounds in the league. The Detroit Pistons never minded very much that Ben Wallace couldn’t score the ball when he was winning defensive player of the year awards, and the Bobcats shouldn’t worry either. Maybe it’s a bit early for that comparison, but if he works out, he could be a very nice role player to develop. Now we get to the most underappreciated player in the 2011 draft: Kemba Walker. I can’t say enough about this kid. Talent, heart, quickness, leadership, the list goes on forever. The best player on the best team in the country, and one of the best scorers in the nation to boot somehow slipped to ninth in a so-called weak draft. I will never understand how that happened, but Michael Jordan and the Bobcats will be thanking the top eight teams in the future. He can play on both ends, and will have plenty of time to develop in Charlotte without any unfair immediate expectations. Charlotte was also able to sell their 39th pick, Jeremy Tyler, for cash considerations. Everyone likes cash right? Charlotte is bad for now, but made significant progress on draft night, and now has a definite plan for how they want to go. It’s only a matter of time.

Neither I nor anybody can say who will be good or bad right now in the draft, but speculation is what makes it all fun. These three teams may not be the best in the league, but improved the most in just one night. As I said, time will tell…so long as there is a season next year.

Marty Ellis / Shutterstock.com

The article Best NBA Draft Day Acquisitions appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Throughout the NBA playoffs, most recently the finals, the spotlight has been put on the referees and the way that they have treated star players on the court.

Though fans are currently focused on basketball, namely players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (who can seemingly get to the free throw line any time they choose to flail their arms or legs), the truth is that this phenomenon seems to be consistent across all sports.

The fact is that many officials will give the benefit of the doubt to the best veteran players. Whether this is a conscious action is another story.

When it comes to the NBA, some people are beginning to think that the league is altogether “fixed” in order to give an edge to some of the superstars. So many times when Dwyane Wade makes a strong move toward the basket, it seems that the referees have made the decision to call the foul before the actual outcome of the play. It seems that the powers at be are doing whatever they can to make these players get their rings.

Another key example of this can be seen week after week in the NFL. Premier quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady can barely be touched at all without a roughing the passer flag coming out. However, do we see those same flags come out when young players like Colt McCoy take a big hit? I don’t think so.

In baseball, a popular hitter like Derek Jeter might get an edge on a close pitch if he is facing a rookie pitcher. Why? Maybe it just so happens to work out that way, but all probability points to the fact that players like Jeter not only know many of the umpires personally, but have a solid reputation across the league.

Of course fans want to see their stars do well and obtain gargantuan statistics, it’s just good for the leagues. That being said, are they being babied so much so that they are beginning to pick-up on it themselves?

For example, in crunch time of a basketball game, what is to stop LeBron from driving right into the chest of the opposing team’s big man, knowing that all game he has gotten his way with the referees? If he can wave his arms around after he throws the ball up and get to the free throw line regardless of contact, why wouldn’t he do that if it will help his team win? This is the mentality that has been so unfortunately spread among some of the league’s elite.

In other generations, there was too much pride for any of this to go on. Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon did everything they could to make the ball go through the hoop every time they attacked the rim. Simply knowing that they could probably get to the free throw line wasn’t good enough when they believed they could score every time they shot the ball. If they missed and got the call, so be it, but that surely wasn’t the goal. Some players have lost that edge these days.

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was fired from the league and faced criminal charges for fixing professional basketball games, has become somewhat of a whistle-blower as of late, claiming that the NBA is indeed fixed for superstar players to get their way. After some of the recent NBA Finals games he has posted YouTube videos with commentary regarding the unjust calls that are given to LeBron James, but not other players. Although he may not the the most honest person, he is an inside source, and that should send a meaningful message.

The “flopping” problem has gotten so bad that some fans and analysts have called for fines of players for intentionally trying to deceive referees to gain an edge (an idea that I most definitely can get on board with).

Is it the referees fault for being biased towards certain players? Is it the players fault for knowing they can work the referees to gain advantage? Is it the leagues fault for letting this all go too far?

I honestly believe it is a balance of all of these things. Some athletes need to get the mentality back that they can do anything, and not settle for being able to work the refs for a win. Nobody wants to see a pair of unwarranted free throws decide the NBA Finals. Nobody wants a bad roughing the passer penalty to give a free first down and change the course of an NFL playoff game.

I can only hope as a fan of the games, that the leagues and their respective officials will get together and right the wrongs that are plaguing our favorite sports. This is a problem that can and should be fixed very soon.

Domenic Gareri / Shutterstock.com

The article Do Referees Baby the League’s Biggest Stars? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Scottie Pippen made some eye raising comments this week about the man who played Batman to his Robin on the road to six championships; yes not very smart, especially siding with a controversial figure like Lebron James over the greatest ball player of all time.

Putting these comments aside though, I began to think about young players in the NBA and what is expected from them as soon as they take their first shots in the league.

Immediately thinking of Jordan…well mainly because he dominated the sports world this week ironically without saying one word, I thought about his career, how he developed and became known as the greatest player ever.

One thing that is noticeable and has been the case for the NBA throughout its history is that youth does not win.  Being poise plays such a large role in playoff success that it makes sense that winning teams are usually older and more experienced.

But let’s get back to Jordan, everyone’s favorite player.

Jordan came in to this league averaging 28 points a game 5 assists and over 5 boards; impressive huh, but was swept in the playoffs and managed very leader in terms of team success.  After missing his second year to injury, he then came back even better but he again was swept out of the playoffs while averaging over 40 points; even more impressive.

Jordan didn’t win a championship until 91…yes nothing comes easy not even to the great number 23.

So called King James came in the league with some impressive numbers himself, but he too felt the sting of the playoff experience having been a part of arguably the worst finals in history.  He had a horrible series and looked incredibly unprepared for the moment.

Youth in the NBA does not result in titles…fun to watch but expect a long wait, in fact it’s like becoming the presidential nominee for the Republican Party, and you must wait your turn and hope that you’re next in line.

Yes Basketball is like politics…kind of.

Anyway this year was a perfect example of youth versus experience and talent, as always the latter came out on top.

The Bulls are exciting mainly because of their young MVP point guard but as we all know by now, the moment was too big for them and the talent did not always show.  They are young and incomplete as a team, the fact that they have the MVP on their roster is going to bring them back to the playoffs again next year, hopefully they will leave with a different result.  Once again though, they must also feel that heartache and pain from tough playoff loses in order to be prepared and step up in the big moments that matter.

On the west side of things we have teams like OKC Thunder, the youngest team in the league on average… their best player is 22 years old and has led the NBA in scoring the last two years but his fate was no different this year from that of our MVP.

They too lost and had trouble executing plays in crunch time mainly due to their young point guard Westbrook who will undoubtedly improve next year.  The same goes for Memphis who is older but their core players do not possess much experience in playoff crunch time.

In some ways old is good in the playoffs as we have seen with the Celtics, Pistons, Lakers and Spurs in the past and youth to put it simply; Bad.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35602564@N00/

The article In The NBA,Youth Doesn’t Win Championships appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Fourteen-year-old Nick Gilbert embodied it best Tuesday night after learning that the Cleveland Cavaliers had won the NBA lottery. He raised his hand and his face beamed with excitement. The tides may be beginning to turn for Clevelanders who have had notoriously bad luck with their sports teams. The ping pong balls fell their way twice, even better than in 2003, giving the Cavs the number four pick as well, and continuing a positive change in the Cleveland landscape since the departure of that lottery pick, LeBron James. While most of the country is experiencing Seattle-like weather, the sun is shining in Cleveland these days.

LeBron James left a black eye on the face of Cleveland sports fans, spurning his hometown for the glamour of south beach, but as always their hate has bred passion. The Bulls have proven they can stand toe to toe with the Heat, and the fans in Cleveland can bandwagon on to the team that decimated them many years ago. Michael Jordan and “The Shot” that has been played over and over again was 22 years ago. The loss in the Eastern Conference Finals once again to the Bulls was 19 years ago. Cavs fans will forget all about that for the time being if the Bulls can eliminate public enemy number one. With two picks that high in the draft, the Cavs should be back in the playoffs next year, where they could likely try to dethrone James themselves, a quick turnaround for a franchise that lost their king just a year ago.

Then there is baseball. A quarter way through the baseball season the Cleveland Indians are leading the American League Central and have the best record in baseball. This may come as a big surprise to most baseball fans, and although it’s early in the season the Indians could have the staying power to make a run at the playoffs.

If history says anything about how this team will perform, a glance at the minor leagues can give uneasy Clevelanders something to grab hold of. They have a lot of talent coming up, and their winning ways should continue on as they develop more talent at the minor league level. Two years ago the Indians AA team the Akron Aeros won the championship, and last year their AAA team the Columbus Clippers won the championship. Now that is no prediction for the big club to win it all this year, but the franchise is developing winners, and a winning attitude, something that has been absent from Cleveland, and perhaps an ingredient that will finally put them over the top.

The crystal ball and development of youth has not been the sheer reasons why the Indians have been so successful this year. Manny Acta’s team is doing it in every phase of the game. Their offense ranks in the top three in runs, batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Their pitching staff ranks in the top seven in ERA, quality starts, WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), and batting average against. Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson are both 5-1 and boast ERA’s under three. With a five game lead over the Tigers, and the Twins and White Sox underachieving, the division is there for the taking keeping Clevelanders engaged and excited throughout the summer.

All seems well in Cleveland these days, and if the NFL gets its act together, maybe it will be a good year for even the Browns.

Robert J. Daveant / Shutterstock.com

The article What’s Not to Like About Cleveland? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.