Sleeping Through the Finals
Friend of UTB Matt Stroup has joined the chorus of esteemed pundits and otherwise opinionated people -- including Bill Simmons, who deserves a tip of the hat for continuing to make his schtick entertaining despite knowing exactly how big it has made him -- who think this NBA Finals is a big sleepy bore. If I didn't trust Matt -- and also Bill -- I'd think he was just repeating predictions made before the games actually started, and either not watching them or paying more attention to the promos for upcoming miniseries.
But they're not. Am I bilinded by Pistons fandom to bad basketball? Both teams play hard defense, yes, and the Pistons, at least, try to slow it down, but both teams move the ball and both teams play the sort of aggressive pressure defense that's makes it so that something is always happening. And don't forget that Ben Wallace can make even an uncontested defensive rebound off a free throw exciting when he vaults up and swallows the ball.
For me, the game only gets boring when the referees call so many fouls that the action grinds to an absolute halt. I'm not bothered by something that seems to eat at Matt -- the lack of big stars. Stars are stars because of what they have done, not because of what they're going to do, and there are a handful of players on both teams -- Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Billups, Wallace, Wallace, Prince -- who can take over a game in any of several different ways, which is enough for me.
And Matt, don't diss the Gilmore Girls. Sure they talk fast, sure the themes are less-than-macho, but take it from me, if a female in your life starts watching it around you, you too can get hooked.
posted by Jeff Gray @ 2:02 PM
1 Comments:
Yeah, I'm a little tired of people dismissing the series. I really do think it's entertaining to watch. There are a lot of talented players on both teams, and they both run incredibly patient offenses, which I don't mind. It's not like they stand around for 20 seconds and heave a three. They've got screens, back screens, Rip and Manu running everywhere, post play, and just about every trick Brown and Pop can think of.
As for the Gilmore Girls, I tend to waver. Sometimes it's amusing and clever, sometimes I just find it annoying and pretentious. Everyone speaks unrealisitically fast. The dialogue is just too snappy, and I get tired of it, just like in a Kevin Smith movie.
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