harveycmd

Another twist of fate here is that the term "xenophobia" is etymologically contradictory. Xenophon, the famous figure from Classical Greece, whose name means "stranger," wasn't a person who feared or otherwise avoided strange things. That doesn't mean he embraced it for its own sake either. As a student of Socrates, Xenophon was a "stranger" in the world of human social and political needs. Like his teacher, he had none. He was free in the sense that Socrates taught him to live beyond the constraints of time, place, culture, etc. That's what made him a "stranger." This is actually one of the dreams of the Enlightenment. Prior to the Enlightenment, attaining such a hyperborean point was considered to be a principle that could not be applied along egalitarian lines because of innate differences in individual intellect.

I will also say that it's extremely difficult to parcel the sports/politics connection in our current situation. I mentioned the conservative wave during the late 70s and 80s in the US that coincided with an increase the popularity of basketball. One could counter that may be true, but the "tenor" of politics now is not traditionally conservative. This is true. The problem is that there isn't an actual tradition of conservatism in the US. Our principles of individual and economic freedom come straight from the tradition of European Enlightenment liberalism, but those principles are now considered conservative since the nineteenth century socialist reaction to the economic and individual liberalism of the eighteenth century. That takes me back to my statement that it's hard to correlate this with sports. The more obvious connection with social movements and sports is actually with nineteenth century socialism and nationalism. That's actually when "team" sports began to ascend. That's also when and where you get popular appeals to what many think of as xenophobic policies, which we might now call identity based principles. This means the entire rise of team sports required what we would now call the rise of economic and social xenophobia, which is quite contrary to economic and individual political freedom. This is also why people can say its unamerican to deny a person who plays sports their "freedom," while at the same time others say such freedom is detrimental to the "sport."

It's true baseball's decline has been steeper. Baseball's decline began in the late 70s and early 80s, which was the same time the popularity of the NBA dramatically increased during the Bird and Magic era. There was a conservative wave in politics at the same time. In any event, the problem for the NBA isn't MLB; it's their overall market share in professional sports over the last fifteen years. As indicated by the previous rise in NBA popularity, it doesn't likely correlate with politics. Differently stated, it's not a coincidence that structural changes in the NBA accompanied an increase in fan apathy.

Two structural changes have really hurt NBA basketball: the three point shot and the elimination of the requirement to play man defense. It was the second change that made the first a real problem. As soon as you didn't have to play man, it drastically curtailed post play and the mid-range game. Since then, "efficiency" numbers say it's better to shoot threes and avoid big guys who can dominate one on one in the post but they're too slow to contest threes. The numbers the analytics idiots need to look at are attendance and viewership. What they call "efficiency" may be up, but fan interest is down. Turns out it's boring to watch a 2.5 hour three point fest about a hundred times a year.

NBA viewership and overall market share within major professional sports has been declining for years. That has more to do with the product on the court than coaches and players talking.

Let's hope Johntay does well. Might be his last chance. Part of the reason we're interested in sports is because it allows people to work and prove themselves.

Announcers didn't bother me too much, but listening to them talk about the Cubs from back in the day made me think I was listening to Bartman's cousins or something who relocated.

Gonna have some pulled pork bbq I've been smoking for about twelve hours.

We can take it as a compliment that a couple of SEC channels had a live to talk about Texas losing a game.

Kobe was the ultimate weapon in that deal because he could post any backcourt player in the world on the weak side. He could drive past any perimeter defender in the world. Shaq was stronger than any post player in the world. When you couldn't double them until they had the ball, it was over. Pass out of the double to the open shooter or play one on one against some chump. In Kobe's case, he would drive against the double and dunk on Duncan and Robinson.

Genius of Jerry West made that rule change happen. He acquired the best one on one post player (Shaq) and the best one on one perimeter player (Kobe) in history. Put them in the triangle offense which could isolate three guys at once.

Rule change killed post play and mid range game. Idiots now think you should only shoot threes and layups. That's why it's not worth watching anymore. Nothing but contested layups and 30 foot jumpers.

Someone asked what ruled changed. Until that time in NBA history, you had to play man v man defense. You could double the ball, but you couldn't play zone or cheat off the ball on defense. No double until the man actually had the ball. Still no zone then. Adopted Euro pansy rules after that. It has sucked bad ever since.

Buttholes literally changed the rules so the Lakers couldn't keep winning with Shaq and Kobe. Ruined the game for short term nonsense. Ratings down ever since. Don't matter how many Euro pansies you get going, won't match Celtics vs Lakers 1980s and Kobe/Shaq early 2000s.

Here's your Disney CY. Forty years ago. Lakers killing Celtics in 1985.

CJ as a twenty-something peckerwood, would think about Disney at his point.

Dramatis personae vox populi.

Goobers hug. Shough is 26 years old . Milroe couldn't complete a forward pass against Michigan. Dart literally cried and balled on the bench against Florida. Shedeur can't stop talking about how great he is. NFL scouts suck ASS.

Terrance Malick should have directed Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian in 1999.

Men. Thin Red Line.

We talking Butch in Pulp Fiction.

Said that before Kobe died.

For the Texas connection, Raja Bell said using analytics to rank Steph Curry over Kobe Bryant is the dumbest thing he ever heard. He played against both. It wasn't close.

Trading one of the best defensive players in the league for a fat white boy who loves to jack thirty footers isn't a recipe for success.

No defense. Stupid analytics nonsense with stats that don't win games. Twenty-five percent body fat. Nice job Pelinka. Jerry West is rolling in his grave.