SteenIsThaFuture Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 5. The Salary Structure of the NBA sucks: ISSUE: The NBA’s soft salary cap = overpaid scrubs, big-market favoritism; the NHL’s hard salary cap = proportionate contracts, competitive balance. These two athletes were in the news last Thursday, but for decidedly different reasons: The sports world was still abuzz about the previous night’s Alexander Ovechkin wonder goal; on the same day, the NBA trading deadline expired, meaning the usual desperate shuffling of salary-cap-killers like Larry Hughes, who was traded to the Knicks. The point in all this? Ovechkin—the NHL’s undisputed best player, who’s earned millions of dollars for both his franchise and the league—is in the first year of a contract that pays him $9 million per year. Hughes—a mediocre journeyman and funny-blog-inspirer—is guaranteed roughly $13.2 million for each of the next two years. Hughes is not an aberration, but an example of why the NBA is looking at a no-exception, no-luxury-tax hard cap, which will result in players like him losing money. Armageddon looms. me: The NBA is like the intermediate between the NHL and MLB salary-wise, theres a cap, but it doesn't keep the big markets from spending like drunken idiots. 4. NBA games cost a lot, especially in a recession: ISSUE: The NBA has whored itself out to corporate interests, making it less accessible to the common fan. Sports leagues’ attendance figures are like an actress’s weight—they’ll only give you a number that makes them look good. Unsurprisingly, both the NBA and NHL are reporting increases in attendance this season. But look beneath the fudged statistics and you’ll see a steady upswing in NHL attendance versus a decline in the NBA. In fact, the NHL is outdrawing the NBA in six out of 10 markets where NHL and NBA teams share an arena (source). Granted, the NHL can’t compete with the NBA in terms of TV revenue. But whereas the NHL has largely retained its blue-collar fan base in spite of growing ticket prices, the NBA’s luxury-box, corporate-flunky identity (been to a Knicks game lately?) has alienated some of its core fans. We can’t all be Jay-Z. NHL attendance vs NBA attendance: http://f3.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_nhl_e...mEyGXADFmKdDT6B Citites with both NHL and NBA teams: http://puckmoney.blogspot.com/2009/01/sens...-nhl-v-nba.html 3. NBA has worse relocation/expansion problems than the NHL: ISSUE: The NBA keeps getting bigger, even while existing franchises are looking to relocate. It’s an oft-heard, derisive criticism of the NHL: The league has too many teams, in places like Phoenix and Nashville where nobody cares about hockey. And yes, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been over-ambitious in his quest to popularize the game in the States. But in reality, the “too-many-teams” tag has become a more apt descriptor for the NBA. Since 2000, the NHL has added two teams and relocated none; meanwhile, the NBA has added a team (the woeful Charlotte Bobcats), while relocating two others (Seattle-to-Oklahoma City and Charlotte-to-New Orleans). This year, the Sacramento Kings are facing a relocation crisis, while the cost-cutting New Orleans Hornets may be moving…again. Maybe it’s time to stop sucking David Stern off and start asking the megalomaniac some tough questions. Like: Are you really serious about expanding into Europe? Seriously? Comissioner David Stern considering European expansion: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3315819 me: In either sport I believ if you implement a good grass roots program and the pro team wins for a few season (Dallas!!) then you can turn a market around, but its clear the NBA is in worse shape than the NHL. 2. NBA Games suck for the first 46 minutes of regular season games, why do big market teams always make it through?: ISSUE: NBA officiating is a farce; the regular season is an endless bore. The Godfather Commissioner Stern largely succeeded in making the Tim Donaghy scandal disappear, but skepticism lingers. Conspiracy or not, there’s no doubt that referees have a disproportionate effect on the outcome of NBA games; you might as well write down the NBA’s final four (Boston, Cleveland, San Antonio and L.A.) in pen right now. The comically imbalanced salary structure—that’s $42 million man Corey Maggette up there—inevitably leads to a sense of entitlement and lackadaisical play. The main NBA topic this year has been the countdown to the 2010 free agent bonanza. When teams like the Knicks are already openly jockeying for LeBron, Wade and Bosh, it further cheapens a regular season that’s about as compelling as the last two minutes of an NBA game. Which is to say, pointlessly drawn out and interminably long. Hockey, on the other hand? The hard cap has resulted in more of a meritocracy; the speed and aggressive nature of the game precludes players from “taking the night off”; star players don’t get the “LeTravel” bias; and, of course: instant karma. You really need to get familiar. me: Also I find it kind of a joke how that league has barely any parity, if you're a good team you will win most of your games and your playoff series, there very rarely any upset, when Golden State beat Dallas it was the first time EVER a 8 seed beat a 1 seed. 1. The NHL has Ovechkin, Enough Said. ISSUE: Alexander Ovechkin is the most exciting athlete in pro sports. me: Wait thats an issue? For all its faults, the NBA has never lacked for watchable talent. But if you’ve been steadfastly ignoring the NHL, you’ve been missing out on the most electrifying athlete in sports today. LeBron’s great, Kobe’s cool, but Alexander Ovechkin is must-see TV. Every game, the Washington Capitals left wing does something spectacular. Literally, every game. The common complaint about watching hockey on television—that it’s too hard follow the puck—has been all but negated in the HD era. If you can’t keep up now, it’s your problem, not the league’s. Yeah, the NHL is relegated to the Versus network (and NBC on weekends), but it’s still basic cable. Next Ovechkin national TV appearance is March 16 at Atlanta, on Versus. Ovie is well worth your time—and he makes $4 million less than Larry Hughes. http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/02/25/5-...r-than-the-nba/ Note I changed some of the words for comic relief Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babinator77 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 thanks. entertaining read. from a person who feels like this: "NBA Games suck for the first 46 minutes of regular season games" about the nba, i rather enjoyed it. personal highlight: 1. The NHL has Ovechkin, Enough Said. ISSUE: Alexander Ovechkin is the most exciting athlete in pro sports. me: Wait thats an issue? For all its faults, the NBA has never lacked for watchable talent. But if you've been steadfastly ignoring the NHL, you've been missing out on the most electrifying athlete in sports today. LeBron's great, Kobe's cool, but Alexander Ovechkin is must-see TV. Every game, the Washington Capitals left wing does something spectacular. Literally, every game. The common complaint about watching hockey on television—that it's too hard follow the puck—has been all but negated in the HD era. If you can't keep up now, it's your problem, not the league's. Yeah, the NHL is relegated to the Versus network (and NBC on weekends), but it's still basic cable. Next Ovechkin national TV appearance is March 16 at Atlanta, on Versus. Ovie is well worth your time—and he makes $4 million less than Larry Hughes. because (i think) it's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfanfla Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 If you want to be realistic about basketball and it ticket prices, just do this, charge everyone about 10 or 20 bucks and let them in for the last five minutes, rest of the game is meaningless anyway... (fans going crazy..yeah we are up 2-0???) does this really ever happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I think individual players matter more in the NBA. It seems like the top 5 NBA teams correlate very strongly with the teams that house the top 5 players. That correlation will and should be positive in every team sport, but in the NBA it seems way too strong, I like how it is in the NHL, where a superstar player goes a long way but you need a full team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl1010 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I think individual players matter more in the NBA. It seems like the top 5 NBA teams correlate very strongly with the teams that house the top 5 players. That correlation will and should be positive in every team sport, but in the NBA it seems way too strong, I like how it is in the NHL, where a superstar player goes a long way but you need a full team. I don't think it's too strong. Like when Lebron carried his team to the finals but they still couldn't win because of a San Antonio team that was more of a "team". Same thing with Kobe last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I don't think it's too strong. Like when Lebron carried his team to the finals but they still couldn't win because of a San Antonio team that was more of a "team". Same thing with Kobe last year. Look what Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did against Lebron James and Kobe last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl1010 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Look what Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did against Lebron James and Kobe last year. Didn't they dominate... ya, I think... that was my point. Like, one great player (Kobe or Lebron) can only get you so far until you reach a "team" like Boston where they don't have just one guy carrying them but it's more of a team effort, although lakers were good last year, just not like Boston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Didn't they dominate... ya, I think... that was my point. Like, one great player (Kobe or Lebron) can only get you so far until you reach a "team" like Boston where they don't have just one guy carrying them but it's more of a team effort, although lakers were good last year, just not like Boston. One team with a star player was beaten by another team with a star player, I don't see how that refutes my point that you need a star player to win the NBA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteenIsThaFuture Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 One team with a star player was beaten by another team with a star player, I don't see how that refutes my point that you need a star player to win the NBA. Or more accuarately, a team with many star players beat a team with 1, I too am waiting for a team with 5 15PPG players to win a title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Let's be a bit more scientific. 1991 Chicago Bulls 1992 Chicago Bulls 1993 Chicago Bulls 1994 Houston Rockets 1995 Houston Rockets 1996 Chicago Bulls 1997 Chicago Bulls 1998 Chicago Bulls 1999 San Antonio Spurs 2000 Los Angeles Lakers 2001 Los Angeles Lakers 2002 Los Angeles Lakers 2003 San Antonio Spurs 2004 Detroit Pistons 2005 San Antonio Spurs 2006 Miami Heat 2007 San Antonio Spurs 2008 Boston Celtics Michael Jordan, Hakeem Oulajouwon, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Isaiah Thomas, Kevin Garnett + Ray Allen, Tim Duncan. I don't know enough about NBA, but the Spurs may in fact be the counterargument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteenIsThaFuture Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Whats Duncan Parker and Ginobli then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins 1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins 1992–93 Montreal Canadiens 1993–94 New York Ranger 1994–95 New Jersey Devils 1995–96 Colorado Avalanche 1996–97 Detroit Red Wings 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings 1998–99 Dallas Stars 1999–2000 New Jersey Devils 2000–01 Colorado Avalanche 2001–02 Detroit Red Wings 2002–03 New Jersey Devils 2003–04 Tampa Bay Lightning 2004–05 Not awarded because of the cancellation of the 2004–05 season. 2005–06 Carolina Hurricanes 2006–07 Anaheim Ducks 2007–08 Detroit Red Wings Over 17 seasons (lockout year = minus 1) I see 10 different teams that have won at least once, not one dynasty on the level of the Bulls or Lakers above that. Star players still matter - however, since there are more teams, that means more star players, which means we might be talking top 15 player rather than top 5 player. When you remove Lemieux from the Penguins they still had Jagr, Francis, Coffee; which is greater than Scottie Pippen. Patrick Roy won 3 stanley cups in this span, and always behind strong teams. Whats Duncan Parker and Ginobli then? I'm not really sure, not enough of a hardcore fan :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl1010 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 lol, I guess you guys are right BTW, you might want to add Paul Pierce to that Garnett and Allen duo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsology Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 I find NHL > NBA because of the basics of the two different games...It seems there's more of a surprise when someone DOESN"T score in basketball, than when someone actually does. In hockey it's the other way around, which is why goals are celebrated more vociferously. Does anyone really care that a team had 5 baskets in one period? 10 baskets? 20 baskets? It seems the harder thing to do in basketball is to actually make a block (or a save in hockey terms). See, if that is what is hardest in a game, then how can one really savour any point that is scored? Sure, NBA players can make elaborate styles in scoring, but they could make MANY different stylistic baskets. In hockey, you will see ONE stylistic goal scored (for the elite players in the NHL) in something like 3 games played. Those stylistic goals are fewer and farther between, thus we tend to savor them more. That is why I like hockey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_10 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 NHL is better than NBA, MLB, AND NFL. NBA the league where the baskets or score means the least. the first 3 quarters are usless, just play 2 minutes and see who wins. MLB yawn... i always yawn when i think baseball. even the playoffs are not that exciting. like one phillies fan told me once, it's not exciting, just an excuse to have a drink outdoors. ummm i can name about 20 other places i would rather be having a drink. spit, grab, walk away from the base, ball 1, spit grab, walk away from base, take signs from coach for nothing, spit grab, ball 2...... NFL the most exciting out of the other leagues... but even that. just watch the game and enjoy it, why must they analyze, over analyze, then analyze some more, then some more. i don't agree with plays where the actions stops every play. you can order a beer, pay, chit chat, answer the phone... and maybe you missed nothing. and who called it football, they use their hands most of the time NHL quick, fast, hits, scoring, saves, non stop action, yapping, fights, staged or not, that's all i gotta say. it's every sport in one. and the only sport where a cut or a slight injury and the guy keeps playing. wow are NBA players every sissies. BUT THAT'S ALL MY OPINION.... everyone is entitled to theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QbGamer Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 NBA SUCKS We all know it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-1 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Who wrote this article? It's the worst piece of crap ive read in a while.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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