User:Fuhalods3943
From Bgx
Two summers ago, LeBron James took a lot of well-deserved flack for the manner in which he left his former team and everybody had an opinion. When the smoke finally clears, the 27-year-old business mastermind will have the last laugh (rings included) but right now, all the basketball legends are too proud to admit it.
Let the deep analysis begin!
Just like any other the sport, the NBA too is a business! I won't even respond to illustrations, the failed ring chaser. As for Michael Jordan, he's just mad because the ripe LeBron James that we've all seen for the last few years is better than he was individually. "The Decision" was yet another selfish and childish televised stunt by James et. al, but former St. Louis Cardinals' free agent Albert Pujols couldn't have generated that much worldwide buzz from a self-limiting sport like baseball even if he would have summoned the young "soul" of Muhammad Ali! I'll repeat it. James is better than Jordan individually at this stage in his career. That's not an opinion, that's a fact! Now, young James has positioned himself with a vintage Bulls-like team/dynasty in hopes to surpass Jordan's feat of 6 rings and consequentially, M.J. has become player hater #1 along with all of his worshipers and the ever-jock-riding media. As one article noted, Jordan mentioned that his supportive words in regards to athletes remaining on one team in their prime years are in hindsight, but isn't that always the easiest time to make definitive statements especially when things go well? Too bad he can't make the same bold "I would never change the way I did it" statements in regards to his surly Hall of Fame induction speech.
Now I understand that most basketball fans (namely those whose favorite team lost out in the 2010 free agency extravaganza ) want to have a more balanced league like what we assume to be an equal opportunity team building league like the NFL. However, basketball is a different game/league/business entirely! First off, 11-on-11 (with a deep bench and three teams in one) leaves a lot more leeway for fringe players to start in games, but 5-on-5 leaves very little relative margin for error. In basketball, it is wise to get a beefy starting roster A.S.A.P. because each player means a lot more than each guy means in football with the exception of HOF QB's which are truly scarce. Besides, when are free agent opportunities ever gonna get better than what we saw in the NBA summer of 2010? The recent Chris Paul to L.A. deal was done via trades as was last year's "Melo Drama" which landed Carmelo Anthony in New York. The free agent show that we saw in 2010 will probably never happen again. I hope you enjoyed it. I sure did.
However, in regards to our beloved sport of football, let's look at what the dynasties of the 90's did. Players like Charles Haley and Deion Sanders went from one team to the other to try to get (more) rings. Haley and Sanders were in good situations on both of their teams, the 49ers and the Cowboys, but they switched whenever it became convenient. In the early 2000's, the Patriots always picked up savvy free agents STARS who always proved to be key contributors e.g. Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, etc. Heck let's even take the time to mention their biggest surprise to us all, WR Wes Welker who emerged to become the next Ricky Proehl but a whole lot better. Do I need to start talking about travel merchant free agent Bret Favre now?
What's the point that I'm trying to make to all of the haters? It is proven that the rich in talent (and often in top market city) usually get richer regardless of the (major) sport/business. The days of harvesting young talent WITHOUT bringing in marquee free agents are over unless you're F.C. Barcelona and they even buy big name guys every now and then. In the NFL, they can cut you, dishonor the contract, and go out and buy another guy to strengthen their team. Tracy McGrady, Greg Oden, Yao Ming, and Shaquille O'neal would've never lasted in a league with those rules. The NFL is cut throat and not having to fulfill players contracts allows teams to build and destroy on a whim. The top NFL teams always exhaust this policy so that they can clear space for free agents who are more than willing to join them on a ring hunt. Quite honestly, if we look at it rationally, it's not as "fair and even" across the 30+ NFL team league as people make it out to be. Unfortunately, that's how big business is and always will be.
