Guys I Can't Stand

This week has been an especially good sports week for me. There have been a lot of news of the past couple of days about guys that I just cannot bear. Let's take a peek at this week's misgivings.

Joakim Noah:

A bad Memorial Day Weekend for Mr. Noah. I am certainly not going to condemn a grown man for having a beer, but come on Yannick!!! It is not a big deal he was drinking a beer on the street, it is a big deal in the eye of American law that he was in possession of a little Wacky Tobaccy. I just cannot stand these two. It was bad enough that all of America had to endure 2 years worth of NCAA tournaments staring at two over emotional guys with really bad hair. Hopefully Joakim will take his 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds to France to stay with his father permanently. I and the rest of the people outside of Chicago and Gainesville, Florida will be excited to see him go.

Vince Young:

An especially disliked figure in my world. Vince was quoted this week that he was ready to tell his football career goodbye. First questions I have is someone please tell me why high profile longhorn football players have such a hard time just playing football after they leave Austin? (Rickkkkkyyyyy) The cited article is especially offensive to insult our intelligence by saying it was so hard for Vince to have an undefeated National Championship season, or to be in Reggie (overrated) Bush's shadow, or to take criticism about a reported 6 on the Wonderlic Exam, or to only be drafted 3rd overall, or to be 1 of 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. The disclaimer here is that the above story does not talk about the family problems he might have been going through. That is and should be off limits.

The easy thing to say here is what is so hard? You are a professional football player that has won on every level. The real question to ask here why would you open yourself up to this type of criticism that will allow your team and your fans to have an ounce of doubt about you as a leader? Just think about the next time he floats a ball 6 yards of the head of an open receiver. Will you continue to think he just is not great at throwing the ball or will you think he just doesn't have the desire enough to try and correct it?

Roy Williams

Tonight's Sportscenter asked the question of "Who is the biggest distraction in Big D?" Good question. At press time, we had no answer to this Sportsnation questions, but here is my vote. It is not Pacman, that is just an interesting side story right now. it is not T.O.'s contract. He learned about behaving badly in a contract year. It is not even Romo and his on again off again love affair with Jess. It is Roy Williams. Roy Williams used to be a wildman stud flying through the air hitting people and making plays. He is now a player who is lost and "Wishes opponents wouldn't throw his way." Huh? How can you say that? Roy, prepare to be thrown at by every team on almost every play next season. Roy Williams gets paid a lot of money to play a position that is not always of high value for a football team. Let's face it, good safeties are nice but they can be a dime a dozen. Looking back, it is hard to say if Roy was really great or if the Cowboys were so bad for a few years that we all were a little tainted starring through our Cowboy tinted glasses. Either way today he is just not as good as he used to be. This is the player the Cowboys need to worry about right now. He is showing that he is not committed to Dallas anymore. His lack of skill and lack of commitment will cost the Cowboys in crucial situations this next year. The Pacman Jones trade may not have been the most popular move ever, but Jerry can begin to get some forgiveness by running Roy and his large contract out of town.

Quick Hits

This is why everyone hates tech, Eccentric Leach ready to lead Red Raiders to ultimate treasure. No, not because they might be a decent football team this year, but for Mike Leech and his stupid pirate fetish. Why is ESPN wasting time on this? It is a sad commentary when your school's big off-season story focuses more on how crazy your coach is as opposed to the actual team. Part of me wants to think this is kind of funny, it is a good bit. What everyone needs to remember is tech is a school full of bits (throwing tortillas, killing horses, being in Lubbock, actually attending tech, Bobby Knight) I guess no goal post is safe in Lubbock tonight.

JP in Houston was correct about Kobe during our conversation yesterday when he asked "Should it have really taken this long for him to win the MVP?" No, it should not have. I dislike him personally, but I can't deny him as a player.

Does this look like a guy who is not drunk? Benson denies being drunk. Because he was probably high. You be the judge.

Maybe he just had pepper spray in his eyes. Sorry C-Bong. Hope you and J-Toke have a great summer!!!

Scorched Earth?

Ok, last Mavs post and then we will put them to bed.

I actually had the rare afternoon away from work that allowed me to spend the afternoon absorbing the little general's farewell press conference.   I began the day by thinking how much of a stand up guy Avery was being.  Facing up to his firing, fielding questions with confidence, and being the man who had never been afraid to tackle adversity.

After my third time of listening through, it seems that all of Avery's confident words seemed much more arrogant than humble.  One would almost think that Avery might be giving himself a little more kudos than there were to really go around.  Let's look at a few examples:

In his first full season, the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals but blew a 2-0 lead and lost to Miami. They came back the next season and won 67 games, only to lose in the first round to the Nelson-coached Warriors.  "That team significantly, significantly overachieved," Johnson said. "We paid the price for it in the playoffs."  What an easy way to wash your hands of those two colossal meltdowns.  Why would he not mention the way he was bullied by Pat Riley and Don Nelson in those series?  Could you not adjust your game plan in these series to help you team overachieve for a few more games? I am not saying that the team overachieving is not true, it is just too easy of an out.

He said it was a “miracle” that this season’s team even reached the playoffs.  Thus making him the miracle worker?  Or was his coaching and decision making the obstacle that required this miracle?

Johnson also seemed to backpedal from the Jason Kidd trade. He referred to Devin Harris as a budding All-Star who he helped develop for four seasons and especially this season when Harris took over as the starting point guard.  "He's going to be an 18 (points) and eight (assists) guy," Johnson said This begs the question of how badly Johnson really wanted to make the deal.I'm on record [within the organization] about what my feelings were," Johnson said, without specifying what exactly he told Cuban or president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson.  Someone tell me how he felt this way when he was busy stripping Devin Harris of his play calling duties?  Many reports showed Avery on board with this trade:

And now, for the first time, the General has a quarterback.  We've got somebody who when you are in the red zone can help you get touchdowns," said coach Avery Johnson, going all football on us. "We feel this inches us a little closer."  I don't buy this at all.  Like most fans, Avery did not like the Kidd deal in the end, but all signs point to him being on board to "changing of the guard" in February.

This is by no means in any way to absolve the players of the failures of the last three years.  Players play, coaches coach.  The players have to deliver on the court.  I just don't think it this easy to explain it all away.