Unbalanced

If there is one thing missing from the NBA these days, it’s a bitter rivalry. Not the manufactured type that is made from Kobe versus LeBron (and by proxy, Lakers versus Cavaliers) or even Carmelo versus LeBron (Nuggets/Cavaliers). What the NBA fans have clamored for are true, “we can’t stand those guys” rivalries born from seeing the same team more than two times a year and the Finals that may not materialize.

Granted, there are battles between teams that don’t get the national attention during the regular season that they should until the postseason comes around. In the West, San Antonio and Phoenix have provided some fireworks in recent years while Houston and Utah have had intense meet-ups. In the East, Washington and Cleveland traded barbs when the Wizards were a playoff participant while Boston and Chicago are likely to carry over their classic first-round series into the 2009-10 campaign.

However, the truth is that within the same geography is where sports’ greatest passions stir. Though the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings had a war of words earlier this decade, it was such a one-sided affair that it’s rarely brought up as one of the NBA’s most known rivalries. Not since the New York Knicks and Miami Heat traded fists and baskets have there been those kinds of regular season games that were hyped because of pure, unabated hatred within the division. Knicks-Heat (or Knicks against everybody in the 1990s) didn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing or be full of offensive superstars with great smiles to attract a crowd because mean mugging and hard fouls made the country ask “what else can these guys do to each other?”

The rule changes that essentially handcuffed defenses took a bit of the necessary surliness out of natural rivalries, but it does not mean that they can’t be reborn. If there’s one area that can be tweaked to bring back these kinds of games, it’s in team schedules themselves. To reemphasize division rivalries, I believe that the 82-game schedule can be modified in a similar vein of their major league peers.

They could take the slightly unbalanced schedule that baseball and the NHL use which features more games within the division, yet will retain the logistics of having visits from every team within the league. They could also rotate two interdivisional games between the other ten teams that would guarantee an equal amount of visits to every city over a five-year period in the way the NFL does in its schedule.

Sounds confusing? Let it be explained by using the Knicks’ schedule (trying to get to some games this season, so sue me for using the local team):

Current NBA Schedule: (H=home, A=away)

4 games apiece versus teams within the Atlantic Division (2H/2A) = 16 games

• Boston, New Jersey, Toronto and Philadelphia all split home and away dates evenly.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within the conference = 36

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Cleveland visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Milwaukee comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago, Detroit and Indiana have even splits of home and away games this season
• 3 games apiece against two teams in the Southeast Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Orlando visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Miami comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Southeast Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Charlotte, Washington and Atlanta have even splits of home and away games this season.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Got it? Good.

Suggested NBA Schedule:

5 games apiece versus teams within same division = 20 games

• Five games apiece against two teams (3H/2A) = 10
• Here, Boston and New Jersey would come to MSG three times and the Knicks would visit both markets twice.
• Five games apiece against two teams (2H/3A) = 10
• Here, Toronto and Philadelphia would come to MSG twice and the Knicks would visit both markets three times.

These teams will alternate the third home game every other year; the Celtics would visit New York a third time one year and host the Knicks a third time the following season.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within same conference = 30 games

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (2H/1A) = 6
• Here, Cleveland and Milwaukee would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (1H/2A) = 6
• Here, Detroit and Indiana would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 4 games apiece against one team in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago would have the even split of home and away games this season. This four-game series would rotate among the remaining teams in the division until all five teams in the division played this series within five years.

Repeat the Central Division plan for the Southeast Division:

• Orlando and Miami would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. The Knicks play Charlotte and Washington twice in those cities and host them once this season. They would have the four-game series with Atlanta. Similar to the Central Division, teams would alternate all three kinds of series over five seasons.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

• This would remain unchanged.

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Of course, there are logistical reasons for why games are scheduled in the current format that us fans and the media aren’t exactly privy to or don’t keep up with. For example, every season a few teams will go on lengthy road trips for annual events such as conference and national tournaments in college sports or local events like the famous San Antonio Stock and Rodeo Show that keeps the Spurs away from home for about two weeks in February. There is also the fact that ten cities house both NHL and NBA teams in the same arena, making scheduling an intricate dance during the offseason for both leagues. Finally, relocation and expansion have spread the pool of games a bit thin; the NBA has certainly done a great job in trying to retain the pre-Charlotte/New Orleans/Memphis/Oklahoma City schedule with respect to travel itineraries.

Yet, it’s unlikely that there will be a change in the amount of teams in the league any time soon. Despite economic uncertainties and mismanagement of some franchises, this would be the perfect time to explore changing the schedule to give a bit more meaning – literal and emotional – to crowning division champions with the added value of a properly calibrated unbalanced schedule.

Work

For those of you who have lives, in all likelihood, you missed Kobe Doin’ Work last night. So in taking one for the team – or not having a life – here are some quick thoughts on the Spike Lee project for ESPN.

Before anything else, you should know that if you believe that this is about the person that is Kobe Bryant, you’re not going to find much of that in the film. This is about the profession that defines Kobe Bryant as he explains his thought process from the last pre-game words in locker room to the moment he joins his wife and kids for the ride home after the game. It’s a documentary meant for the true basketball aficionado, although it’s the perfect opportunity for those looking to learn about the game no matter what level of interest.

What makes this film work is that this is one in a native tongue, sort of speak.

Since this movie delves into a critical contest for Western Conference supremacy (it was a blowout win of the then-champion San Antonio Spurs), Bryant is game-mode. As he speaks through each play and sequence, he’s talking in the game’s lingo. If you believed that basketball was as simple as putting a ball through the hoop or flopping to get the referee’s attention, you’ll find that there’s far more.

For example, when Bruce Bowen is on offense, he considers himself a roving defender; akin to a safety in the NFL (he references Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu). Yet, when Michael Finley subs in for Bowen, Bryant talks about the matchup change and discusses a switch to playing cornerback – in the case of the hardwood, he’s now man-to-man against Finley as the former Dallas Mavericks star is a greater offensive threat than Bowen.

As he’s watching the footage from when he’s on the bench during timeouts and when resting, he admits that he had no clue he talked so much. He's talking to his teammates about the plays that could have been, should have been and would have been. He's giving pointers to Jordan Farmar about setting up his own shot, telling Pau Gasol to set up for a play to get the Triangle offense going and imploring Lamar Odom to go back on the low block (near the rim) and get his post game going. He's giving reminders to Derek Fisher, the lone teammate he has that went through the wars during the Lakers' threepeat earlier this decade. He flips between English and Italian with The Machine! as he tries to get him going.

You have a sense that with his constant banter with his teammates that he may not fit the exact mold of the selfish player that everyone from Jay Mariotti to Bill Simmons to your cubicle neighbor believes he is. Maybe with this particular cast of characters, he's shedded some of the impulsive "I need the ball for us to win" characteristics he had in the pot-Shaquille O'Neal era. Yet, he's letting you, the viewer, decide that.

There were two discrepancies that depending on how you like your basketball, you might notice.

For starters, the film score seems a bit unnecessary. Considering that this was an actual game with Bryan adding his commentary over it, you may have been content with hearing the natural sounds of the game. The film provided its own music throughout much of the 90 minutes because you hear sneakers squeaking, players and referees chatting with and over each other, edited trash talk between opponents and whistles. It’s the rare glimpse into the intimate dimensions of the game and you didn’t need much else to get you immersed.

The other issue was another unnecessary sound; Spike Lee, himself. He did not interject much and for the most part, he did ask Bryant some insightful questions. They were inquisitive and smart questions that – to borrow some coach speak – were teaching points about the game, such as when Lee asked why more teams don’t run the famed Triangle offense.

Yet, as mentioned before the start of the movie, Lee reminds us that Bryant provided his voiceover after his 61-point brilliance against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Lee takes off his director hat and immediately puts on his crazed Knicks fan hat. Suddenly, the conversation veers into the game he just finished instead of staying the course. The reason could be that in the filmed game, the Lakers were coasting away from the Spurs and in Lee’s mind, there may have not been much more to talk about. This might work for some, but for others, it might have disrupted the flow.

Despite all of the analysis on highlight shows, pre- and post-game shows, you don’t ever hear from the players about what their craft when they are actually practicing it in front of our very eyes. We have to rely on interviews and speculation from the media on what had and had not happened on the court in order to gain an understanding of what really goes on in a basketball game. The unprecedented access Lee and his team was granted to make Kobe Doin’ Work succeeded in bringing us closer to the physical and mental preparation these players need to perform every other night.

If you’re a hoops head or at least hungry for some knowledge about the intricacies of the game, Kobe Doin’ Work is a treat as you get to see things from the mind of arguably the best player on the planet.
Personally, after watching this and seeing Tyson recently, I hope that we have more sports films like this, where we get to hear from the athletes themselves about their trades, not just from our own assumptions and opinions.

Note: If you’re asking yourself why Kobe Doin’ Work aired on Saturday night as opposed to prior to today’s Game 7 between his Lakers and the Houston Rockets, there are a plethora of reasons that can be assumed (and likely right). The first airing was commercial-free on ESPN from start to finish, with ads placed in the repeat airings on ESPN2. Because Saturday is almost a wasteland for television viewing, there wasn’t much potential ad revenues lost for the commercial-free airing on the Worldwide Leader’s end of things. However, there was little programming last night that could have competed with the film; it was even helped with a rain-delayed Rockies-Pirates game on MLB Network.

Say What?!?!: Maybe it’s just me and having differing musical preferences, but am I the only person who’s tired of seeing the Amazing ads for the NBA Playoffs? On this end, it has nothing to do with the visuals so much as it’s the audio. If going the Kanye West route was desired, I can imagine there’s a better track to use.

Twiddling

So you're trying to figure out how to pass the time until baseball starts up again (in Tokyo, if you need a reminder, Red Sox and A's fans). In all honesty, that's kind of sad, but it's your perogative. Yet, there are plenty of other sports that give thrills, chills and if you attend live, unfortunate beer spills. It's very easy to just say watch more basketball or hockey or even read a book, but instead, here are five games and events in February to keep an eye on.

Of course, Scribe advises that you should just watch anything where there's a ball and a bunch of people running for it, with it or at it.

• Saturday, February 9th: San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics - Though the defending champs are not clicking on all cylinders at the moment, these two games will be considered NBA Finals previews. Neither team has played each other this season, but the always-intriguing matchup between Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett will take center stage. With Tony Parker out of the lineup for the Spurs, Rajon Rondo may avoid the same fate as Daniel Gibson suffered in last year's Finals. Parker sped past Gibson so much that the Cavaliers guard is still chasing the Frenchman's shadow. The rematch takes place on Monday, March 17 in San Antonio.
  


• [Above] Saturday, February 16th: Kelly Pavlik-Jermain Taylor II, Undisputed Middleweight Championship - Boxing had an outstanding 2007 and much of this can be attributed to this gem of a fight. Back in late September, an undefeated champion, Taylor, had scored a knockdown on Pavlik in the middle of the second round. With still over a minute left in the round, Taylor threw just enough to keep Pavlik at a distance. Big mistake. Pavlik fought himself back into the fight to the point that judges had scored the fight even leading into the seventh round. And then, Arkansas' son crumpled in the corner from a beautiful combo from Pavlik. The Youngstown, Ohio native shocked the boxing establishment with his win and set up this rematch at a catch weight of 166 pounds. Taylor's no bum, but even in his previous fights since defeating Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed championship, he hasn't looked like the anointed boxing star he was supposed to be. With the loss to Pavlik, there are more questions surrounding the former champ than with his two questionable wins over Hopkins. Order the fight, go to a sports bar or get real close with a friend (just not me).
  
  
• Wednesday, February 20th: Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers - You know that ESPN or ABC will scramble to air this game nationally, even if it means telling Lost to get lost for a week. Yes, the whole Shaq versus Kobe angle was played out long before the Disney broadcasters pushed it on us in recent Christmases. However, the Suns, whose up-tempo, seven-seconds-or-bust style has been compromised (to say the least) when they traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for the fourteen-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion. No one knows what to expect from O'Neal - or even if he will play - but expect the Lakers to have worked out some of the kinks as their newest acquisition settles in. Pau Gasol should have two more weeks under him with his new team by then (also helped by the All-Star break). The Lake Show will have its first post-break test against a team still widely considered to be Western Conference contenders.
  
  
• Ongoing: The head coaching search of the Washington Redskins - Giants fans and 'fans' (those bandwagoners that suddenly believed in Eli Manning after the Super Bowl ended), be very, very afraid. Not that the personnel will suddenly forget how to play defense when the new season rolls around, but if first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is offered and accepts the head coaching position with rival Washington, it may not bode well. Owner Daniel Snyder loves the big splash of free agent signings and coaching hires, even if the success has not followed. Though he would join in on a trend of hiring the hot, young coordinator, hiring the architect of the league's most talked-about defense would put the Giants in a very peculiar spot of having to find another DC who can utilize the players in a similar manner. Spanoulo originally came from Philadelphia, but it is unlikely that New York would look in that direction again. The respect and admiration that he gained from that lockerroom is something that cannot be replicated with just anyone if he departs, and neither will the production if they end up defending their Super Bowl championship without him.
  
  
• All month: College basketball - while Scribe doesn't delve too much into college sports, March Madness is just around the corner. Duke's win over UNC tonight should serve as a reminder of how intense the games are getting right about now. What should also stay on the periphery: top-ranked Memphis host (7)Tennessee and the hopes are that loading the home schedule with big-name national opponents will garner the best possible bracket in the NCAA Men's Tournament. Also, (6)Georgetown and (19)Connecticut command Big East attention, fifth-ranked UCLA has (17)Stanford and (9)Washington State to worry about and Kansas will test their number 4 ranking with some tough outs [Baylor, at (12)Texas, a rematch with Kansas State and (18)Texas A&M]. Can't forget the ladies, either.

Say What?!?!: Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida will feature the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers and the AFC Champion New York Jets. No worries, Jets fans. As you have come to expect, the good fortunes are just a cruel joke. They'll find a way to let Alex Smith throw seven touchdowns in the second half for the red-and-gold's sixth championship.

Rage

Since I was a kid – okay, so it wasn’t terribly long ago – there was one person on television that I had strong, but unshared admiration for. It wasn’t so much that I understood the topics or knew where the story began, but I was drawn to the style that he spoke to the audience. Without openly flaunting his knowledge or tossing sound bites to move stories along, his newscasts presented the differing sides of conflicts while introducing unfamiliar issues to a mass audience.

At ten years old, I may have learned as much about the world from Peter Jennings as from any teacher or textbook at I.S. 131 in The Bronx.

Over the past week, I’ve been reading a book about him that was published last fall called Peter Jennings: A Reporter’s Life. More of an anthology of reflections about the late anchorman than a biography crafted during his career, the book chronicles his career from aspiring to follow his father’s footsteps as Canada’s most beloved newsman in the fifties and sixties to an icon in his own right. You could look to his experience in the Middle East or his news specials featuring children to see that Jennings’ mission was to present as many sides to a story as possible, even if it challenges our sensibilitues and experiences. Yet, in an interview sourced in the book shows, he showed great concerns about the direction of the media industry:

“Maybe it started with the Robert Bork nomination to the Supreme Court. Maybe it was the 1988 political campaign using the image of Willie Horton, or the Clarence Thomas hearings, Whitewater, the Clinton sex scandal, the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 election. Whatever it may have been, the public dialogue today is often rude and vulgar to the point where I begin to think it’s shameful. It is true that we have been through ugly cycles before. But today I think that it is made much worse by the constant need for the drama of conflict that many broadcasters seem to demand. Our national conversation is very often a shouting match – and too much of it is infected with venom.

“I am not naive and I do not imagine a world in which we all get along. And I do not think we need to single out the right or the left, the talk radio ranters or the angry columnists. To some extent we are all culpable – including the staid center,
which if only by its silence is not without responsibility… Our modern communications system and other technologies have increased the volume of public argument to an unholy racket. Our national conversation sometimes feels
impoverished as a result… Civility doesn’t just promote decency; it also leads
to a fairer exchange of ideas and a greater chance of finding workable solutions
to the kinds of problems we face.”

While it would be strange to think that the words from one of the most revered journalists of all time would apply to the sports arena, they struck a chord in relation to the national and local conversations that take place daily. After reading it over and over again, so many questions regarding the sports media industry came to mind. I wondered where the rage came from in sports media. I wondered when did someone’s performance on the field lead to diatribes about his personal life. I wondered when did reporting the goings-on with sports become an athletic-themed version of the Geraldo At Large or the Rush Limbaugh Show.

Much of the venom that Jennings described comes from economics. There is no doubt that the growing divide between multimillion dollar professional athletes and fans has played a significant role. The idea that someone can make more money in a day as an elite athlete than a teacher does in a year keeps the distance fairly lengthy. Yet, when the folks that travel the globe to cover what’s essentially someone’s typical day at work, something more is added to the fray.

Whether we care to admit it or not, most – if not, all – of us wanted to be athletes, playing at the highest level possible. We wanted the adulation, the last name and our favorite numbers on the back of some jersey and the contract offers to go along with the joys of winning and the pains of losing. Some of us may have played at some point, but we’re holding cameras and voice recorders to those who are playing now as a way of life. We learn about the lives of these players and some of us develop relationships with them based on personal interaction and an understood professional agreement between media and subject. As we learn about these players, we begin to find those quarks, those words, those looks that remind us that they are emotional beings as well as physical marvels. It disappoints many in the business, especially those of us who have never played beyond junior high school.

It disappoints because the men and women who look to be above the flaws of flesh and blood are still just flesh and blood. The disappointment turns into judgments on his or her character. The judgments can become a nasty discourse where Terrell Owens, despite his gross shortcomings, can be mocked for anything genuine that he does, such as his emotional postgame comments about Tony Romo. The judgments against the surly persona of Barry Bonds become a near-decade of vitriol coming from coast-to-coast. The judgments become manifestos of the usual “he’s not worth that much money” line of at least half of the players in the NBA.

The judgments make stars out of some columnists like Jason Whitlock, Skip Bayless and Mike Lupica.

Unlike many of the political jousts that Jennings and many past and present journalists have narrated, these subjects aren’t directly responsible for money towards stem-cell research or alleviating homelessness in America’s cities. As much as we love and consume sports, at times, we protest too much. Sure, the media is responsible for much of the tenor towards the players and the business of sport. Yet, it is also responsible for not doing enough to remind fans that there has to be a separation between the job and the person. For as much as athletes do contribute to society in terms of entertainment and community outreach, their job functions do not reflect the human condition as much as those you’ll see on the evening news.

Before playing Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals, Rasheed Wallace, the forward/center for the Detroit Pistons who is known for an irascible demeanor on the court, was asked about the pressure of this winner-take-all game against the San Antonio Spurs. Maybe the media at the stadium clamored for him to say something that would invite a fine from the league or bulletin board material for the Spurs. Yet, in the spirit of the day, he said;

“Pressure? This isn't pressure and this is not pain. Afghanistan, Iraq and that other place, Croatia and Bosnia - now, that is pressure. This ain't nothing but a little hoops.”

It was hard to debate the next day on the local sports shows.

Unappreciated

They have the most successful player of the last ten years. They have the quickest point guard in the NBA (accompanied by the most famous fiancee in the world) . They have the new King of Flop who also happens to be an offensive threat whether starting or coming off the bench. They have the league's premier shutdown defender under 6'9" whose name isn't synonymous with a brawl with fans. They have a coach who despite his new found fashion (loving the no-tie look plenty), still carries a proven playbook with three championships from interchangeable parts and one stalwart on the low block.

They are the San Antonio Spurs.

They are also the most unappreciated team in the state of Texas.

It was said that for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Utah Jazz, the Spurs couldn't sell out their own building. This could have prompted the continued bemoans of the NBA from media heads and casual fans, but instead, it didn't even conjure up a whisper. You would think that the team that has won three NBA titles since 1999 would never have to worry about filling a few seats, but no! Suddenly, some Spurs fans remembered their good fortunes and headed for those empty sports in Game 2.

Wow, thanks for showing up!

The Houston Rockets coughed up a first-round Game 7 against the Jazz, leading to Jeff Van Gundy's dismissal. The Astros are treading water, despite the addition of Carlos Lee and Mark Loretta (underrated - ask San Diego and Boston). The Texans are happy that Matt Schaub hasn't been sacked yet. The Mavericks... you know what happened there. The Texas Rangers aren't lighting up the AL West, the Dallas Stars didn't pull a Brett Hull to at least advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Dallas Cowboys are showing some leg in those practice shorts. Kevin Durant is likely headed to the Pacific Northwest and those Longhorns are attending summer classes... stop laughing.

The best show in town can't get love from its own fans. They have become the NBA's version of the Atlanta Braves, another franchise that can't fill Turner Field unless the Boston Red Sox or either New York franchise comes to town. Of course, what may come to mind is that at least the Spurs have won three titles while the Braves only have one to speak of. Yet, how many teams in each sport can say that they have a chance to even contend year in and year out? Not many. How many teams have been able to utilize every avenue of player acquisition without sacrificing their contention status or their future plans as these two teams? Same answer. So why the apathy towards winning franchises?

It is easy to say that in the case for Los Bravos, they have fourteen consecutive division crowns and five National League pennants since 1991, but only one World Series championship to show for their playoff appearances. It's funny when you think about it because there are perennial losing teams such as the Chicago Cubs that never have an issue with selling out Wrigley Field. So, why haven't the Braves been a big draw? It's because Atlanta is an apathetic pro sports town that shows more love for the SEC and ACC. The colleges feature predominantly homegrown talents and the roots between the universities and the Southern states are deeper than anything pro sports can offer, even though the Braves are the oldest team in North America. If this success happened in Milwaukee or in the birthplace of the team in Boston, the loyalty would run just as deep as that of the Georgia Bulldogs. Yet, in Atlanta, there seems to be a fatigue from only bringing one title to the city as the 1995 World Series brought the lone major pro championship. Each year since, they have run into better teams (the '99 Yankees), teams with greater momentum (SF Giants in 2002) or with respect to the late Eric Gregg, poor calls at the plate ('97 Marlins). Yet, each year, they've been in the playoffs, something that was not guaranteed before the addition of the Wild Card in '95. It's been said that fans are tired of being good enough to be there, but never good enough to win. Which is why the apathy towards the Spurs is so baffling.

San Antonio might as well have been a town for Wild West re-enactments to most of America. It's hard to believe that it is the seventh-largest city in the United States, but other than its military history and the River Walk, San Antonio is known solely for its Spurs. One would think that the franchise would be better served playing in another city such as Kansas City, which is starved for an indoor pro team or Las Vegas, which is the object of many Americans' desires. Yet, thanks to luck and a shift in power from the Eastern to the Western Conference, the Spurs have been as close to a dynasty that the NBA has since Michael Jordan ruled the world. Even with the Los Angeles Lakers' threepeat in the early 2000s, people knew that eventually, the team would be pulled asunder because of the strong personalities Jerry Buss and Jerry West put together. The Spurs got lucky in drafting Tim Duncan back in 1996 and proceeded to unload much of the pressure from David Robinson. When they won their first title in 1999, they won with Sean Elliot, Mario Elie, Steve Kerr, Avery Johnson and Malik Rose. In 2002, they still managed to take a title with Robinson, Kerr and Rose along with Kevin Willis and Steve Smith, but they added youth in Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson to make the stretch run. Two seasons later, they had a different mix of young and old, but Parker and Ginobili were mature enough to take pressure away from Duncan and Bruce Bowen gave opponents fits on defense. Finding Parker and Ginobili in the '02 Draft may have not been heralded at first, but they have kept San Antonio in contention into the era of increased offense and limited defense. Gregg Popovich hasn't changed his playbook much, but with general manager RC Buford, he has been able to change parts, if necessary. While the style of play and the players themselves aren't endearing to most NBA fans and writers, they just win. That is an expected criticism from outsiders, but from fans in the San Antonio region? It's hard to believe that this is so, but if the Game 1 turnout implies that the fan base isn't enthralled with the team, then there is something wrong.

You can afford to be bored with winning all of the time if you have a longstanding history of doing so. Frequent winning isn't just luck, but immense skill coupled with circumstance. In other words, when the rules are changed or the owner's wallets aren't open, winning at the highest level can be nearly impossible. Yet, it is strange to know that a team can wear our their welcome by doing what they are supposed to do; get Ws, build for championships today and beyond, provide excitement for their loyalists. Atlanta and San Antonio should be grateful to have teams that can bore them by playing at an elite level year after year as there are many cities that would gladly trade all of their collegiate and professional teams for one year to call themselves the home of champions right now. They have to be careful with this apathy towards achievement.

They could be the home of the Pirates, Cubs, Mariners, Royals, Hawks, Blackhawks, Sacramento or Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Cardinals, Lions, etc.

Or worse yet, they could be Yankee fans feeling the oh-so-dreadful six-season title drought.