Comments on: Mark Cuban to Skip Bayless: “That is the most ridiculous thing any sports writer has ever said.”

By: Dan H.

Dan H. — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 15:02:00 +0000

I don’t watch basketball either but it was a treat to watch Cuban dismantle that guy while his two wo-workers sat there and watch him get his ass handed to him in a sack. Bayless sounds like an arrogant fool who everyone is afraid to challenge yet when someone with some brains does, he looks like the idiot blowhard that he is.

By: Quisp

Quisp — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:30:00 +0000

I don’t think anyone seriously thought the Brown-trade-rumor-plays-like-hair-on-fire narrative was real. It’s just funny. I think what’s going on there is that we identify with Brown and would love to be able to have THAT reaction to a poor performance review. “Oh, YEAH, well WATCH THIS!” (wins cup)

That’s wish-fulfillment and it’s a great bullshit narrative with a happy ending.

In reality, though, you’re right…a lot of things changed. The TEAM got better. And Brown wasn’t going to be mediocre all season. There are peaks and valleys and Brown and the rest of the team benefitted from everyone hitting his stride at the same time.

Let’s do this every year!

(I know, I know)

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:47:00 +0000

I don’t follow basketball much and I don’t live in North America so don’t see these presenters at all, but this was a treat to watch. The bit at about 3 minutes in is gold.

Cuban: “Not matter what we did, [LeBron] was gonna stand there and do nothing?”

Bayliss: “That’s all I saw…”

Cuban: “That’s exactly right!” *smugface*

I know why sports journalists love to come up with a narrative behind what happens on the playing field and this just shows it. Everyone loves stories, especially when they’re about whether or not someone rose to a challenge or whathaveyou. But it’s mostly because it’s easier than getting and breaking down the boring nuts and bolts on why things happened the way they did. Now seeing as how journalists rarely have the access to the inner workings of locker rooms or the time to properly dissect sports plays (unless it’s NFL I guess with its continual stoppages), they may as well go with what sells and make it about how much the athletes want it or don’t.

Explains why I come back to blogs like this who are more than happy to take the time to try and break stuff down rather than just fill up segments between ad breaks.

Sidenote: Now that I think about it, the whole narrative of how Brown
went on a huge tear after the trade deadline because he was a rumored
trade hasn’t ever sat right with me. I haven’t looked up the stats, but
was it more to do with Carter coming over and settling down the lines?
Can’t recall how much Brown got moved around.