Watching sports is arguably the most popular way for people to spend their free time and disposable income in this country, and it is just as much a part of the American fabric as the flag itself.
When it comes to the Big Three of American sports (football, basketball, baseball), the height of their respective popularity is usually driven by an evil empire.
You know...when a team or player rises to a certain level of success that it irks the casual fan, who in turn, will tune in to (hopefully) watch that evil empire lose.
We saw it with the Dallas Cowboys throughout the early 90's, and to a certain extent, this season when they were steamrolling opponents en route to the best record in the NFC.
We saw it in baseball with the Yankees, and in the collegiate ranks we've seen it with the Duke basketball program and Alabama football program.
The NFL's evil empire, the New England Patriots, are in Houston right now preparing to capture their fifth Lombardi trophy. And most people outside of Boston are predictably rooting for the underdog Atlanta Falcons who are seeking their first championship.
The NBA had that in LeBron James and the Miami Heat when he, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teamed up to form the Big Three in 2011.
But the vitriol toward James and the Heat disappeared when he elected to return to the lowly Cavaliers two years ago.
I thought that Durant to the already stacked Warriors would draw equal ire from the casual fan, but to date that hasn't happened. As a result, we have what amounts to a "meaningless" regular and post season as fans await Warriors-Cavs III this June.
And just as we were about to hit the snooze button on the rest of the regular season, the usually politically correct and brand-conscious James does an about face...and becomes his own evil empire once again.
Already at war with his front office, and clearly frustrated with the Cavalier's woes in 2017 (7-8 record in January) James pulled out a flame thrower and aimed it at Hall of Fame player and basketball analyst Charles Barkley last night.
His personal attack on Barkley was ether-like, but his closing remark last night spoke volumes...saying...
"I'm tired of biting my tongue....there is a new sheriff in town".
Translation..."To hell with being liked...I was hated in Miami".
And I think that is great for the NBA.
Case in point, on the morning following the NFL's annual Super Bowl media day coverage, LeBron and his remarks led every major sports show today...regardless of market. And that's not hyperbole, I actually bounced around to different markets throughout the day and everyone was talking about LeBron...mostly in a negative light.
Oh, and just in time for the NBA to take center stage following Sunday's Super Bowl.
Angry evil LeBron forces the casual fan to take sides, and by doing that, they are more likely to stay engaged during the dog days of the NBA regular season.
I know I'll be watching Cleveland's next nationally televised game, if for nothing more than to watch the train fall off the rails.
It's just how it works with polarizing players and teams.
If we know anything about the media, we know they become unified when one of their own comes under attack by a player...and that was the sentiment on sports talk radio across the country today.
The media will be watching and dissecting LeBron's every move now, and will no doubt look to bait him into more controversy.
My message to King James? Take the bait...make the regular season interesting again.
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Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Dallas Cowboys: Why Dak can join Emmitt Smith in the record books.
By now we've all heard the phrase that records are meant to be broken, and in the case of the 2016 Dallas Cowboys it is certainly no cliché.
Dallas is the first team in NFL history to increase their win total by nine games in just one season. The Cowboys' 4-12 campaign in 2015 feels like decades ago now, thanks in large part to the breakout rookie season of quarterback Dak Prescott.
As a resident of Dallas I can attest that the buzz in the city surrounding this team is unlike anything I've seen in my eight years here, with lifelong fans from eight to eighty believing that the glory days of the early 90's are finally within their grasp again.
A 13-3 record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs can certainly do that to a fan base.
Even in the midst of a stellar regular season there are still detractors, or haters as they are affectionately called in these parts, that refuse to believe that a rookie quarterback can lead a team to the Super Bowl.
After all, it has never been done, right?
While the naysayers are correct, Cowboy Nation should be encouraged by the fact that their team has heard this before...and scoffed at the notion.
In fact, it is starting to feel like 1992 all over again in Big D.
The 92 Cowboys entered the season as a team on the rise, but not expected to do much damage in January. The team was led by a young trio on offense...quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irving.
After years of playoff futility, the buzz surrounding this team grew with each win. As they entered the playoffs the "detractors" pointed to the fact that no NFL rushing champion had ever won a Super Bowl.
Smith finished the 92 season as the league's leading rusher with 1,713 yards.
And as we all know, the Cowboys steamrolled the Buffalo Bills in Pasadena to capture the first Lombardi Trophy in 15 years.
Prescott, who is set to start in his first playoff game Sunday, should keep that reference close to heart because he has a golden opportunity to join Smith in the record books.
Their teams are eerily similar.
Both teams were anchored by the best offensive line and running back in football. Both teams had a play making receiver on the outside donning the number 88.
Both teams had a reliable tight end and opportunistic defense, and both teams could beat you on the ground and through the air if need be.
Both teams endured excruciating playoff losses on the road prior to their Super Bowl runs. The 92 Cowboys were blown out in Detroit in the divisional round of the 1991 playoffs, and the phrase "Dez caught it" still haunts Cowboys fans after their controversial loss in Lambeau Field in the divisional round two years ago.
Most importantly, both teams have a closeness and confidence about them. A swagger if you will, that this is the year to get over the hump.
Dak Prescott has the temperament and talent around him to do what Smith did in 1992, to write his own history instead of falling victim to it.
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