Dallas Mavericks: Game 3 Reaction

Mavs need to work on two things:

1) Points in the paint. Hell, points that come from something closer than 12 feet from the hoop.
2) Defense. The talking heads on ESPN are going to go back to calling the Mavs "soft." They loved using that term for years; they briefly stopped using it for a week in June this year.

I am not freaked. While 0-3, they have 63 more games to get it all figured out.

Goin' Bowlin' 2011: Holiday Bowl

2011 Holiday Bowl, San Diego, CA

I had a great time in San Diego at the 2011 (Some corporate sponsor I thought made tires, but actually does something else with education) Holiday Bowl. I love that city. Hands down my favorite in California. I've lived in L.A. for just over four years and would move to San Diego in a heartbeat, given work situation or lotto win or whatever. I'd move there mostly because it doesn't feel like California. Sure, it's got its fair share of 40-plus-year old women dressing in shit from Forever 21, but that doesn't overshadow the beautiful terrain, awesome local spots, and small city feel in a big city setting.

In general, I would leave L.A. in an instant and only miss a handful of things. But, the thing is, I wouldn't just start a conversation with a complete stranger in that manner (despite what the case might be here as I type these words...).

Example: Texas and Cal are playing in the game and I'm at the Cal Alum tailgate. My mother in law is a huge Cal booster. My wife and brother-in-law both went there for undergrad. They're great people, I love them dearly, and, yes, they tease me about Mack Brown and the 2005 Rose Bowl. How Mack "screwed" Cal. I'll often find myself repeating, "well, why didn't Cal's coach care enough to petition for his players?" Seems like "snooze, you lose" to me. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Insert cliche here. But the thing is, being at a Cal tailgate in Burnt Orange is lot like a bunch of Cubs fans seeing a picture of Steve Bartman. They're nice enough people, but good lord they haven't moved on!

I was one of three people that I counted in Texas gear at their pre-game festivity. Everywhere I was greeted with talk of Mack Brown and how he either whined or cried for Texas to get into the Rose Bowl. How he single-handedly "cheated" Cal out of their first Rose Bowl trip in generations. They carried signs decrying his name. "Sack Mack," it read. Seriously? They are as bad as Cubs fans and complaints of no trips to World Series because of some dude in a turtleneck going for a foul ball. Listen, I didn't make the football schedule that year. Neither did you. And neither did Mack. I personally feel that Mack went to bat for his team. He made his case. The BCS went with Texas. Texas beat Michigan. End of story. Well, as far as I'm concerned.

But the thing that gets me are all of the California types that have to let me know how much they dislike Texas. Personally, I think it has a lot more to do with an inferiority complex that relates directly to how confident Texans are compared to Californians, but they'll have you believe it has everything to do with topographical comparison of the two states.

I'm not saying they're all like this, but there were a few asses in the bunch. I caught a couple "you're brave to wear that in here." Really? You do know that Aggies and/or Sooners will literally start brawls with Longhorns, often resulting in need of immediate medical attention. Remember this one? Those people are nuts. But Cal fans? I'd expect them to pick up a cardboard sign and protest me well before any actual physical harm was an option on the table. Hell, when I first moved to California, I had no idea that "Cal" and "Berkeley" were the same thing. Why would Berkeley ever have something as violent as football, let alone organized athletics? So, no, I wasn't very brave to wear Burnt Orange to a Cal tailgate. Bravery would require fear of something.

As I'm finishing up my last beer to head to the game (Texas' own Shiner beer, which was ordered by the Cal folks, mind you), this really drunk asshole decides to strike up a conversation. He's got his white wine spritzer in one hand and his equally drunk wife in the other. She's blitzed and not nearly as hot as she thinks she once was. He starts in with the whole, "you know, I like Austin, but the rest of the state is shit."

Wow, man. Roles reversed, I'd never come up to you and lay into California that way. I doubt the majority of Texans would. Not saying that they might not be thinking, "thank God I don't live in that ass-backwards septic tank," but they're not just going to start a conversation that way based on a damn t-shirt color.

I dislike most of this damn state. The ridiculous taxes. The high cost of living. The shitty state of the public education system that no one is willing to deal with. The fucking traffic; it takes an hour to go 5 miles or across the city, no one can ever really know. The pollution. The dirty beaches. The fact that you have to drive everywhere, but nowhere offers sufficient parking. Lack of mass transit. The fair weather fans who either refuse to show up on time or can't because the traffic is so ridiculous and the mass transit is so shitty. Every place offers valet parking, whether it's a strip mall or a restaurant no one has ever heard of. And the people are so beaten down by all of this, no one ever says "hello" or doesn't know how to respond when a non-native dares to ask, "how are you doing?"

But I wouldn't just drop all this on someone. Not even this asshole with his white wine at a tailgate.

ASSHOLE: Yeah, I like Austin.
ME: Yeah, it's a fun town.
ASSHOLE: The rest of the state is just shit.
ME: Sorry we couldn't make a better impression for you.

Translation:

ASSHOLE: I like Austin because it's a college town with lots of bars and hip places with poor lighting where I can hide the fact that I'm twice as old as the average patron.
ME: Yeah, places like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio will probably just remind you how much you live in a fictional world and try adamantly not to acknowledge the fact that you're not a kid anymore.
ASSHOLE: Those places are sad because they don't begin their late local news with the latest on the Kardashians. Dallas has one of those now, so maybe I'd consider thinking about going there sometime.
ME: You do know that when you set foot outside of California, it isn't normal for a 40-year old man to wear skinny jeans, right? Texas is better off without you.

Then he said something about working with Matthew McConaughey, being in "the business," and making some sort of movie that I referred to as an "indie," which upset him, probably because I meant "indie" more as "I've never heard of that movie and why would I?" My politeness does have its limits; I had been drinking. Then I replied to something he said with "Alright alright alright" in my half-assed best Wooderson. Again, drinking.

Eventually, he grew tired of our conversation when I wasn't willing to join him in either bashing Texas or taking a brave stand to defend its honor. Again, no need for bravery. Especially when your male counterpart is sipping white wine. At a tailgate.

Seriously, ask anyone what they like about California and the first thing out of their mouth has something to do with the weather. Yes, it's pretty much 60-something degrees year-round. It's nice, but equally unnatural. Every day tends to feel the same when it never rains and never drops below 30. January feels like April feels like August. It can really mess with your head. I'll sometimes have to stop and look at a calendar to recall what month it actually is. But their answer can't be anything other than "the weather," because you know, and more importantly they know, anything else would be utter bullshit. The state is in monstrous debt, has one of the highest unemployment rates, and the housing market is one of the most-over priced to get into. But you feel comfortable during all of it!

Regardless, Texas won the game, I had a great time, and Cal is still stuck with the same coach who refused to go to bat for his players in 2004.

Dallas Mavericks: Pre-Game 3 Reaction

My Pre-Game 3 reaction (if such a thing is possible) for the Mavs: yes, they're 0-2. It's easy to freak out when coming off a championship run. And one which was so thoroughly entertaining, with well-drawn hero and villain figures. Take your pick.

But the Lakers. They're 0-2, too. The Lakers. 0-2 to start a season. And their little brother that shares the same building as them started hot with a win on the road. And lil' brother has buzz. Lots of it. The Laker fan base had a slow and steady groan during preseason last week. Now it's coming to a boil.

I love it.

Dallas Mavericks: Game 2 Reaction

It's only two games into the new, and short, season, but there's a plan to get Dwight Howard, right? 'Cause I'd trade Odom and a couple bench players (i.e. Roddy B) for Howard to stick around DFW for 4-5 years.

Ugh. It's going to be a long couple weeks to see these guys play their preseason on national TV.

Dallas Mavericks: Game 1 Reaction

My initial reaction to Game 1: the Mavs played like a team made up of new members that have had all of two weeks to play together. The Heat played like a team with returning starters with something to prove in a shortened NBA season.

Losing three starters and one key bench player is going to take a while to get over. Butler, Chandler, Stevenson, and Barea. They were not only key, but they fit. It's going to take a couple weeks to fit Odom, Vince Carter, and Delonte West into the mix. If at all. Perhaps they're temporary. Or trade bait.

If Odom sticks around, I hope we see the Odom I've heard about. The Odom that holds the locked room together, motivates the team, and shows up ready to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, fueled on a stomach full of Willy Wonka treats. Not the Odom that got tossed after four minutes of play on the court.

All that said, even if the Mavs go 0-66 in the 2011-12 season, I still have the memory of watching one of the greatest post-season runs in recent history. No matter the sport. No matter the team affiliation. The run that the Mavs put together from April to June was something special. Exciting. And this image reminds me of that:

2010-11 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks

Unbridled Opinion: Win-now League

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7330900/tyson-chandler-dallas-mavericks-nears-deal-new-york-knicks-sources-say

Conventional Wisdom tells us that the NBA is a "win-now" league. That would dictate that when a team is on a hot streak, they should ride it until the wheels fall off. Especially when you're the oldest roster in the Association, like the Dallas Mavericks. If we're to believe the sports hype, what are the reigning NBA Champs doing exactly?

Owner Mark Cuban reportedly sees an opportunity to be under the luxury tax for the first time since purchasing the team. This means not offering big pay days to Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, and Caron Butler, so they can instead sign with the competition. Fine, I get that. But the reports suggest that the Mavs are avoiding huge contracts this year in the hopes of signing one of the big free agent names in the next off-season. That class includes Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Deron Williams. Um, those guys have already said their lists include specific markets, none of which appear to include the DFW Metroplex.

The Association just wrapped a 160+ day stalemate which in large-part dealt with teams specifically attempting to avoid the free agent maelstrom that occurred when Chris Bosh and LeBron James left their former teams with nothing when they departed for Miami. New Orleans and Orlando aren't going to accept the same situation with their stars who have their eyes locked on the largest markets either Coast has to offer. Which means they'll both get sign-and-trade deals THIS year. Not next, when the Mavs are talking about spending money again.

The Mavs have the oldest legs in the NBA, they have the talent and the ability to repeat in a shortened season. What I'm left to gather, because I trust the front office in Dallas, is that they have something else up their sleeves.  We, the leering public, don't have all the pieces of the picture. In no way does Mark Cuban strike me as the type of guy that is happy with a one-and-done Championship run, so there has to be more to the story.

But what is it?

Goin' Bowlin' 2011: Schools who Travel

I love what little remains of the purity of college football, compared to the industrial machine that is the NFL. I love the tradition, the excitement, the rivalry, and, above all else, my Alma mater, Texas.

But the thing that turns me off the most, in our BCS-driven world, is the preferential treatment given to schools that travel. Yes, I can hear you shout me down as I say this, having just provided full disclosure in the last paragraph that I attended one of the largest universities in the U.S. It sucks. They can, and often do, receive preferential treatment.

Case in point, this year's Sugar Bowl. Michigan vs. Virginia Tech? Huh? The BCS took two...TWO...ACC schools? It's bad enough we're saddled with one of them by default every year in the Orange Bowl. That's the one I usually tune out with very little effort. But seriously, Michigan squeaks out a 10-2 season in which they didn't beat a superior Michigan State team, yet they get a BCS invite because their fan base is starved by several consecutive years of football irrelevance. My opinion says Michigan State, who barely lost to a very good Wisconsin team in the Big 10 Championship Game, should be the one headed to play in the Big Easy instead of their rivals from Ann Arbor. On the opposite side of the field to MSU should be Boise State with an at-large bid, but they were snubbed by the VA Tech Hokies. Snubbed how? Boise State's lone loss was by one point against a solid TCU team; Virginia Tech didn't win its own Conference. Another point? Boise State's best win came on the road against the self-proclaimed mighty SEC's Georgia, who ended up #16 in the final BCS standings and made an appearance in their Conference's championship game; Virginia Tech bested Georgia Tech, who finished with a ranking anyone affiliated with the BCS would snicker at. The Sugar Bowl should be Michigan State vs. Boise State this year. Heck, even Kansas State could make an argument for an appearance in New Orleans, having finished at #8, ahead of VA Tech's #11 and Michigan's #13. Baloney.

So instead, these three deserving schools get shipped off to a confluence of mediocrity bowls. Michigan State in the Outback Bowl; K-State to the Cotton, which hasn't been what the name implies to older generations in about a generation; and Boise gets the biggest slap in the face, tumbling into the sadness of the Las Vegas Bowl to face a barely .500 Arizona State.

While the Sugar Bowl will make quite a sum of money on the teams who will travel well to the game, perhaps they won't attract nearly the number of TV eyes they might have if they appealed to the college football fan at-large. I won't be watching this one.