CJ Spiller's Bad Move

Watching tonight's Georgia Tech - Clemson game, I just can't help but feel bad for CJ Spiller. Do you think he's regretting his college decision as much as I think he is? Shoot, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for a mistake like that.

Think about it, at any of the big powerhouses he would be a shoe-in Heisman candidate. Even at a smaller school, he'd at least be a household name and the real showcase every time they lined up against a major opponent.

Instead, he choose Clemson, where he's been stuck in muddling mediocrity for his career. Never good enough to really enter the BCS and Heisman picture, never bad enough to turn the games in to his private showcase. In fact, they don't even play enough quality opponents in the ACC to get the national attention he would in other conferences. His best year was his freshman year, with everything since being just a disappointment. And he has yet to top the ever-powerful 1,000 yard mark.

No matter how you look at it, from a football standpoint - he made a bad move.

Bulls Magic Number....

Saw this tweet today from the Chicago Bulls twitter acct (@chicagobulls) this morning:

Bulls win over the Knicks brings the playoff magic # to 2. Highlights...

Do we really need to do a magic number to count down the games until we lock down the 8th seed? Maybe in the Western Conference where all the playoff teams will actually be better than .500 on the season. But really, in the bad-as-all-hell East we have to celebrate locking down the 8th seed?

Not to put on my Debbie Downer pants today, but it's really just a countdown to getting smoked in the playoffs.

I guess it means more revenue for the team, which on the whole should be a good thing for the team. so maybe that's a reason to celebrate... but it also increases the chance that Del Negro will be back next year, which is very, very bad.

More Parking Meter Rebellion in Chicago

It looks like the frustrations are starting to boil over regarding Chicago's new parking meter rates. According to CBS 2 Chicago, people are starting to boycott formerly busy spots and some have even taken to smashing the meters:

You think eight is enough? How about 12? That's how many quarters buy an hour of parking time in some places now. And its why some people have had enough.

Near Broadway and Addison, meter after meter are broken.

"I called the company and I said I don't want a ticket," one woman said.

You have to check out the site just to see the pictures of the smashed meters.

I think this is just the beginning, and it would not surprise me to see some organized outrage and maybe even riots sometime soon.

When to Fire a Coach

Please note: When I began gathering my thoughts this afternoon on this topic, I initially wanted to cover everything in one big post. As it evolved, it has become clear that this topic needs multiple parts, if only to serve those with similar attention spans to mine. So below please find part 1, with the sequel inevitably to follow...

With the Bulls on national television tonight, what better time to discuss the impending firing of Vinny Del Negro? If you have not yet come to the conclusion that the team will have to let him go, then sorry, you're not going to get any help from me here.

As it has become apparent to anyone who actually follows the game, if the Bulls are serious about actually competing in the NBA some day,VDN is gone. It's just a matter of when. For this reason, I'm not going to bother going into all the specifics as to why he is not the right coach for this team. What I'd much rather focus on is the timing of his release, whatever it may be, and when really is the appropriate time to jettison a failing coach.

Mid-Season

If you're ready to give up on a coach, and perhaps even on a team - I'll go into that more later - then mid-season might be the best option. There is no point to letting a coach flail about in the wind when everyone knows that he's a goner. This is also a good way to head off any potential hostility that can arise out of a failing team's locker room, especially when dealing with a coach that does not have a lot of professional experience. Heated exchanges between players and management can sometimes creep in and eventually spill over through media members and poison the fan base.

There is also the chance that your team has all the potential to be contenders, but they just need the proper coach to catalyze the process. However, this scenario is dependent on having the right coach available and ready to step in and take over a squad. The new coach also would most likely have to be someone with enough experience to immediately garner the respect of the players. Without this, players may quickly tune out the new coach, or may never even tune him in from the start.

The mid-season fire can lead to different issues, however. It can be a signal to fans - either intended or not - that the season is over. It can cause discord in the locker room when a player-favorite is let go. A mid-season firing also inevitably leads to media or fan speculation on the direction of the team: "Was he fired too soon? Did management actually give him a chance? Who out there could have done better with this situation?" None of it may be remotely true, or even worth thinking about, but it will be talked about nonetheless, another casualty of the 24-hour sportsnewscycle.

In the end, while potentially productive, a mid-season firing can cause a lot of problems for an organization. Is it the best choice in some cases? Probably, but those are decisions that take a lot of time and effort to properly arrive at and execute.

Up next: Post-season

Bears-Packers Open Sunday Night Football

The NFL announced the opening weekend games for the 2009 season, and none other than our lovable, under-performing Chicago Bears have drawn the opening Sunday Night prime time game against division rival Green Bay.

I can hear all the doofuses calling into their sports radio havens now...

"As long as they beat the Pack, I don't care how the rest of the season goes!"

But it’s tough to get excited about what looks like another waste of a season, so maybe we should just boil it all down to one early game. At least then the season would be over quicker.

Chicago Parking Wars

The Consumerist posted a quick note this afternoon talking about a potential rebellion in Chicago against the new parking meter rates. While there’s a long way to go before we see any actual boycott-type actions, there is no doubt that some real resentment is rising in the streets.

And it’s absolutely warranted, especially when you factor in the additional rate hikes that were built into the contract. $3 an hour parking coming to a Lakeview street near you.

But the reality is that there’s nowhere else to park. There are only so many garages, all of which are much more expensive anyway. What’s left?

Not much, unfortunately.

Rethinking playoff experience

Is it really worth it to play for the playoffs? We all understand the ultimate goal is to win the Championship, but the reality in today's NBA is that only a handful of teams actually have a legitimate shot. So what are the rest of the teams playing for? Sure, there's always a chance, anything can happen, blah blah blah... but in a seven-game series, the better team always rises to the top.

So why should fans of those borderline playoff teams insist that making the playoffs is important, even though there's almost no chance of winning the whole thing?

Sure, there are positives, some quite obvious, to making the playoffs. But there are a number of negatives – or at least reasons to think twice about the postseason, especially with this particular Bulls team. The number one, or at least most-quoted, argument in favor of fighting to get seems to be “playoff experience.”

But what exactly is this experience? It’s talked about like some sort of magical rite of passage that the veteran players had to go through at some point. This star on their resumes automatically equates to higher price tag and is often a sought-after mark of distinction. But are a few extra games and a handful of practices really worth the accompanying merit? Should they automatically be considered a positive?

Can this magical "playoff experience" actually be a bad experience for a team? Looking at this particular Bulls team, there are a number of issues that stand out at first glance, and may not help this young team out in the long run.

First and foremost, the coaching situation is a mess. Actually, calling it a mess is an understatement. It’s completely FUBAR. Vinny Del Negro has proven time and again that he is not yet capable of running a team. Its not worth the time or space to list all the problems, but just do a quick bit of research if you don’t believe me. The general consensus is that he could be gone even before his first full year as coach is completed. With that assumption, is it worth it for a team full of young and developing players to spend additional time under his already-failed tutelage?

Will his system – assuming he actually has one – be run after he’s gone? Almost certainly not. Will the players learn anything new from him in a handful of extra practices? Given his track record, no. Would a brief and ultimately fluky playoff run save his job? Perhaps, which again, given his track record, is probably not a good thing.

If the point of playoff experience, especially for young players, is to help them further develop their games, I don’t see how a lame duck Del Negro can help that cause.

There’s also the issue of the physical toll the game takes on players, especially on those that play at a higher speed – i.e. Derrick Rose. Could a playoff series right now be ultimately the best thing for him? Maybe, but maybe not. Any fitness guru will say that proper rest periods are as important as the workout itself. Now these are professional athletes, so the same rules don’t apply as they would Joe the plumber, right? But is the potential benefit really worth the risk?

And then there’s the mental issue, which although I am in no way qualified will happily delve into.

At any level, losing leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths, and that can either be a good thing or a bad thing. If you come back working harder than ever to hopefully never taste it again, that’s a good thing. But if you experience a bit too much losing for your taste, you run the risk of getting used to it. Rather than upsetting someone, it starts to mean less, and eventually, dare I say feel normal. A locker room in which losing is commonplace is not one I’d like to utilize for developing my star player – or anyone else for that matter. What good is all the potential in the world if they don’t care if they win or lose?

So, someone please give me something good that will come out of getting blasted by the Celtics – or Cavs or Magic – in the first round of the playoffs?

All in all, the Bulls may in fact just be the exception, but they are quite an intriguing one to say the least.

Draft day!

Feel the excitement. I'm so pumped I'm even planning on posting updates all night long! If interested, check it out on my tumblelog.

Here are a few predictions for tonight, regardless of my overall lack of knowledge and penchant for being wrong...

1. Bulls take Derrick Rose with the first overall pick. There's no way Pax can screw this up, right?
2. The Heat take Beasley second. All the "secret workouts" were nothing more than a smokescreen and designed bluster to force another team's hand.
3. There will be some crazy ass trades regarding picks 3-10. There's just something in the air.

Everyone enjoy tonight, and please keep the rioting to a minimum.

Derrick Rose will look good in a Bulls jersey

Lets just hope that Paxson doesn't screw this up.

I know everyone out in inter-web land is dying to know my thoughts on the NBA Finals, so here ya go:

• I just can't stand that the Celtics won. No other city of fans is more annoying IMO than Boston - I guess it doesn't help that I know a whole bunch of them and have been privy to their "fandom" for years. That said, Kobe is still a whiny bitch, and the Lakers have to be the ugliest team of the decade. I just couldn't' come up with a valid reason to root for either team, other than the fact that if the Lakers won, I wouldn't have to put up with the overblown Celtic fellatio.
• It's been said over and over again since the clinching game, but it bears repeating. Kobe once and for all put to rest the whole "as good as Jordan" thing. He's not, never was, never will be.
• Kevin Garnett is a good player, but I don't think he's an all-world superstar. He's got talent, athleticism and drive like no other, but he just hasn't been able to put it all together to be the superstar he should have been. I'm not saying he's bad, in fact I still think he's a top-50 player ever. But with the combination of skills and desire he has? He should have been nothing less than top-5. And he's not.
• I'm glad it didn't go 7 games; I don't think I could have handled another game of "waiting for Kobe to break out." So disappointed in his 6 games.
• The ABC/ESPN announcing crew was fantastic. I think this is the first time I've ever complimented a crew before.
• Rondo's got skills. This kid is turning into one hell of a pro PG, someone I'd gladly take on my team.
• Odom not driving to the rim every time he had the ball had to be the most frustrating thing in the world to watch as a Laker fan. The one quarter he attacked the rim, the Lakers played their best ball. BUT HE ONLY DID IT FOR ONE FREAKING QUARTER!
• Finally, congrats to the C's. I doubted you, and you proved me wrong in fine fashion. I tip my cap.

Now that that's over with.... it's almost draft day. I really enjoy that the Bulls are picking 1 this year, not only for the player, but for the fact that I can watch the first pick and then zone out for a while.

Also, must say that it's sad to see Will Leitch leave Deadspin. I wouldn't be writing this right now if it wasn't for Deadspin and Leitch. Cheers to you, sir. The series of connected tubes will miss you.

About a coach

So everywhere I go, everything I do, it all seems to be coming back to Mike D'Antoni. I guess it doesn't help that I'm currently 150 pages deep into :07 Seconds or Less (which I highly recommend), but the fact remains: I am still extremely disappointed that the Bulls did not get D'Antoni as their head coach.

Newsday (via TrueHoop) reminds us today about what basketball players all over the planet think about D'Antoni...

Another combo guard came to the MSG Training Center for a predraft workout with
the Knicks and spoke with wide-eyed anticipation about playing in the Mike
D'Antoni system. 'If you get the opportunity to play for D'Antoni,' O.J.
Mayo said, 'you get a great chance to put up shots and really get up and down.'

Again, just imagine Derrick Rose running D'Antoni's system. Steve Nash 2.0. Rather than the laughingstock this franchise has become, imagine the most exciting team in the league, running the floor with reckless abandon and WINNING.

Nothing against Vinny Del Negro, but I don't think he's got what it takes. Not yet, anyway. Maybe 5 years down the road, after he's gotten used to the challenges and jackass players. Hell, VDN may be a phenomenal coach some day. But right now, for a team that was EXPECTED TO CONTEND FOR THE TITLE, he's wrong. And really, it's not fair to the fans or the city. This was a team that was a mere one step away in '06-07, and now its a training ground for an inexperienced coach?

Look, the bottom line is that we don't know what we're going to get from VDN, and I doubt that Paxson even knows. This is the real problem. Maybe if it was the first, or second, or even third problem Paxson has had, maybe then we could forgive. But sadly this is just another dot on the downward spiral that is Paxson's timeline as GM.

So answer me this: Is it wrong for a Bulls fan to switch alliances to the Knicks? At what point can we say "You're not trying, so forget it?" At what point will the Chicago fan feel so abandoned that they have nothing left to do but move on?