The Off Day: Super Bowl Edition

Here’s a day between games for the ‘Cats and it happens to be Super Bowl Sunday.  Stinging from yet another loss to the Mavericks, the team licks its wounds and probably some fingertips clean of wing sauce.  Personally, I hope the guys have a good practice today.  Really get their head into what they’re doing, take a break, enjoy the NFL game tonight and show up tomorrow ruthless.

Personally, I’ve been sick most of the week and I won’t be hitting the town.  Mama is cooking some wings, some pot roast, I don’t know what all else but it smells damn good.  The pre-game coverage began yesterday around 4am and they’re still going strong with some really in-depth interviews on Fox’s “Red Carpet.”  I don’t know if I can stand the excitement.

I was reading up on what really happened last night between the Mavs and the Bobcats, most are pointing to Tyson Chandler as the key.  I guess that’s kind of the easy assessment to make, if you look at the fact he was traded to Dallas from Charlotte after one year and it was his first return “home.”  He said some cold things, I can understand his sense of puffiness in regard to his former team.  He was selected to the USA Men’s National team, and started and contributed.  His former team struggled for much of the season.  His current team is much improved and is currently second in a very difficult Western Conference.  He’s contributed and his teammates further inflate his puffed up stature in his never-to-be-ignored contract year.

Here are a few of his quotes:  Mavericks center Tyson Chandler said he felt very little emotion Saturday night as he made a return to Charlotte to play a Bobcats team that traded him to Dallas this off-season.  (From Earl K. Sneed)  In an article titled, in part “Charlotte Never Saw the Real Tyson Chandler, Tyson said “”And it’s probably a good thing they didn’t see the real me,” Chandler said. “They probably wouldn’t have gotten rid of me. So maybe it was a good thing.” (from Eddie Sefko) When asked if he missed Charlotte, Jason Terry interrupted with this gem:  “If you got $100 million next summer, he misses it,” Terry said loudly. “If you don’t have $100 million, he doesn’t miss it as much.” Laughter erupted all over the locker room, including from Chandler.  (More from Eddie Sefko)

A $100 million?  Seriously?  For one good year?  One year where he plays most of his games and one year where he lives up to his size and athleticism?  I’m not bitter on him leaving, I’m bitter about it being so obvious that it’s a one year (contract year) fluke.  We traded away Emeka Okafor to take on Tyson Chandler, based on the lack of energy and and basketball keenness out of Okafor, as seen by Larry Brown and Michael Jordan and facilitated by Rod Higgins.  It was a straight up trade.  The move to basically cut Chandler in the following off-season?  Simple.  The guy wasn’t going to perform, he hadn’t in his time (limited to 51 games) in Charlotte.  He only had 12 games where he scored in double figures and only 5 of those were double-doubles Points and Rebounds!  He’s a clown, total enigma, joke, falsitude.

The remainder of today’s Bobcats related news is the story from AP’s Mike Cranston on Stephen Jackson and his technicals.  It’s everywhere, si.com, yahoo.com, usatoday.com, the Canadian Press.  It must be nice to get that gig.  I wonder if he gets paid based on places it’s posted?  Cranston’s headline is “Bobcats’ Jackson won’t change despite technicals.” It is an issue, but not a huge one, in my mind anyway.  Jackson is a fire-fueled player.  He sees things as right and wrong, black and white. But like most NBA players, only in matters related to him.

MJ brought it up, called him out at the end of that shoot-around prior to the Miami game.  It leaves guys playing 4 on 5 when his head is over with the men in grey.  It sucks when you don’t get a foul call.  It really does.  And if you look at it like Jack does, with a defensive (read: chip on the shoulder) tilt to everything he does, it’s debilitating.  More than Jackson’s head, which is what everyone seems to want to point to, I think you need to take a look at the root of the problem, that is:  the way the game is officiated.  It’s incredibly difficult to get every play right.  It’s impossible actually.  You’re watching the world’s greatest athletes (don’t doubt me), moving at a horrendous pace, 5 on 5 in under 24 second increments then you have to go the other way 94 feet and do it all over again.

There has to be a better way than what’s going on now.  It’s been years since anyone has thought NBA officiating has been legit.  By legit, I am not saying that there are officials that intentionally influence the outcome of games, it’s more the superstar effect.  It’s well known that big time players get the calls.  More than that, the big name teams get the calls.  Those teams that have been on national TV get the calls, the ones that are in the playoffs perennially.  The “it” guys get the calls as well.  You’ll see Blake Griffin and Rose get calls immediately.  John Wall hasn’t made waves, so-to-speak, yet but he’s sure to get calls.

The Bobcats, haven’t and won’t get calls for a while.  Until a deep run, they won’t be viewed as equals with the Mavericks, Heat, Celtics of the world.  Guys like Stephen Jackson, who have been on those good teams, and been the focal point for games throughout the league, he knows the referees names.  He has gotten away with a lot in his day and he’s been watched.  He will continue to be watched, the more attention given to his attitude.  He was singled out, reportedly, in the video sent to teams about what will be called under the new more impactful enforcement of the rules.  He’s 2 short of the league leaders, so he’s not the most called out culprit.  The two guys ahead of him are Dwight Howard and Amare Stodumire, but…wait.  They are SUPER STARS.  Both All-Star Starters.  So yeah, it’s not all on the refs but it’s definitely partially the way things are called.

Jack won’t change, I don’t really want him to.

ENJOY THE SUPER BOWL FOLKS!