Unpopular sports opinions

[WalkingDeadMike]

State your unpopular sports opinions here.

Anyway, I basically made this post in the 90s thread, but I'd like to hear what you think...

There's no denying that Michael Jordan was one of the best, if not THE best basketball player to ever take his talents to the NBA. But I'm also under the impression that Jordan unintentionally ruined the NBA. Before him, you could be a skinny white guy and make NBA teams as long as you shot the ball well and played well defensively. Now, all the NBA wants are athletes and it doesn't matter if you can shoot or play defense. It's not his fault, but it happened because of him. That's why I hope that Kevin Durant wins 6 championships during his career. Sure it'll be boring to have one team win all the time again, but maybe it'll change the culture back to the way it was. Because KD is a throwback, a modern day Larry Bird.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I think Bobby Orr was the best hockey player ever, not Wayne Gretzky.

 

[Calvin]

There aren't necessarily unpopular, but they've been unpopular when I've voiced them in the face of hardcore fans of each sport.

Baseball should be 60 games long.
Hockey, and especially soccer(football) should get rid of the offsides rule.
The rim for basketball should be raised a foot, maybe a foot and a half.

I got punched in the face by an englishman for the soccor/football comment. A week later I got punched in the face by one of my close italian friends for saying I thought Chef Boyardee was just as good, in a different way, as real italian food. I would later find out that I was wrong about that one.

 

[ComicChick]

i think athletes get paid too much

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

i think athletes get paid too much

I understand why people feel that way, but especially in contact sports like football, hockey, boxing and MMA these people are risking their lives and well-being every time they perform. Look at Muhammad Ali. I think they earn that money.

 

[SuperFerret]

Hockey, and especially soccer(football) should get rid of the offsides rule.

I still don't understand the offsides rule.

Also, I don't believe that Baseball is the U.S. national past time anymore. The cultural prominence of the SuperBowl has cemented football in that spot.

 

[Gotham Knight]

Jordan unintentionally ruined the NBA. Before him, you could be a skinny white guy and make NBA teams as long as you shot the ball well and played well defensively. Now, all the NBA wants are athletes and it doesn't matter if you can shoot or play defense. It's not his fault, but it happened because of him. That's why I hope that Kevin Durant wins 6 championships during his career. Sure it'll be boring to have one team win all the time again, but maybe it'll change the culture back to the way it was. Because KD is a throwback, a modern day Larry Bird.

Kobe Bryant is considered the best player in the NBA by a lot of people, and he doesn't have the athletic ability that he used to. In fact the most of his points come from jumpers, not from dunks.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Kobe Bryant is considered the best player in the NBA by a lot of people, and he doesn't have the athletic ability that he used to. In fact the most of his points come from jumpers, not from dunks.

That doesn't change the fact that when he was drafted in the first round straight out of HS, it was for his athletic ability and not shooting prowess. He wasn't anywhere near the shooter he is now when he first came into the league. But he was a hell of a dunker. That's why he won the dunk contest as a rookie.

Besides, my point my point is how many Larry Bird, Steve Kerr, John Stockton, Sean Elliot, or Bruce Bowen types do you see in the NBA today? A hell of a lot less than during/before the Jordan era.

 

[SuperFerret]

Wouldn't "shooting prowess" be part of "athletic ability"?

 

[Microchip]

I understand why people feel that way, but especially in contact sports like football, hockey, boxing and MMA these people are risking their lives and well-being every time they perform. Look at Muhammad Ali. I think they earn that money.

Also they pull in a lot of money for their organizations. Don't want to sound like a communist or anything but it just wouldn't be right to let someone else keep all that cash that they're out there earning. Hence the upcoming lockout, I guess.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Wouldn't "shooting prowess" be part of "athletic ability"?

I'm just talking about how fast/strong someone is, and high they can jump.

The same way Vince Young is considered a good athlete and not necessarily a good QB.

Oh, and check the edit I made to my previous post.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Also they pull in a lot of money for their organizations. Don't want to sound like a communist or anything but it just wouldn't be right to let someone else keep all that cash that they're out there earning. Hence the upcoming lockout, I guess.

True.

 

[Gotham Knight]

That doesn't change the fact that when he was drafted in the first round straight out of HS, it was for his athletic ability and not shooting prowess. He wasn't anywhere near the shooter he is now when he first came into the league. But he was a hell of a dunker. That's why he won the dunk contest as a rookie.

Besides, my point my point is how many Larry Bird, Steve Kerr, John Stockton, Sean Elliot, or Bruce Bowen types do you see in the NBA today? A hell of a lot less than during/before the Jordan era.

Just give Adam Morrison more time to develop. Soon enough he'll be as good as Larry Bird.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Just give Adam Morrison more time to develop. Soon enough he'll be as good as Larry Bird.

I never said anything like that. I get your sarcasm, but you realize two of the people I listed were black right?

 

[Gotham Knight]

I never said anything like that. I get your sarcasm, but you realize two of the people I listed were black right?

Nevermind.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

No, go ahead. Because Adam Morrison, one very over-hyped white guy was a bust, all players like that would be?

 

[Gotham Knight]

No, go ahead. Because Adam Morrison, one very over-hyped white guy was a bust, all players like that would be?

Adam Morrison was hyped up to be the next Larry Bird a few years ago before he was drafted. Clearly he's a little worse than Bird was, so I was being sarcastic. I wasn't calling you racist.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Adam Morrison was hyped up to be the next Larry Bird a few years ago before he was drafted. Clearly he's a little worse than Bird was, so I was being sarcastic. I wasn't calling you racist.

I caught that after your nevermind post. But I still say for every Adam Morrison, there's at least two Shane Battier's that could make it the NBA but don't get drafted.

 

[Gotham Knight]

I caught that after your nevermind post. But I still say for every Adam Morrison, there's at least two Shane Battier's that could make it the NBA but don't get drafted.

I don't have a problem with him previously being compared to Larry Bird as Morrison had a similar skill set, so it made sense to compare them. It had nothing to do with race, I was just joking that Morrison didn't live up to the hype.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

See I had a problem with them comparing him to Bird. I thought that was as bad as them dubbing Harold Minor 'baby Jordan'.

 

[Gotham Knight]

See I had a problem with them comparing him to Bird. I thought that was as bad as them dubbing Harold Minor 'baby Jordan'.

I'm not sure anyone still playing in College Basketball should be compared to Jordan. But as for the Bird/Morrison comparisons, I think they were legitimate for the most part as both players got their points by their shooting, and less on athletic ability and getting to the hoop(Bird especially).

 

[Harriet Tubman]

I caught that after your nevermind post. But I still say for every Adam Morrison, there's at least two Shane Battier's that could make it the NBA but don't get drafted.

Shane Battier was drafted....in the first round....with the 6th pick....

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Shane Battier was drafted....in the first round....with the 6th pick....

I get that. I'm saying there are players that have the same skill set that don't make to the NBA because "they aren't athletic enough".

 

[Gotham Knight]

I get that. I'm saying there are players that have the same skill set that don't make to the NBA because "they aren't athletic enough".

Are you trying to suggest that there's a deeper reason that they don't get drafted?

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Are you trying to suggest that there's a deeper reason that they don't get drafted?

What I'm suggesting is that GMs care more about athletic ability than basketball IQ, skill, and intangibles.