Give and Go.

  • Laker Fans Hang On?

    • 24 Jan 2013
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    The Pain.

    This one goes out to my fellow Laker fans.  Does it sting right now?  No?  How about NOW?  Not yet?  Well, NOW?  I don't know what it's like to pour salt into a wound, because I've personally never tried it, nor do I want to.  But I am only to assume this is what it feels like.  Oh, it hurts all right. 

    Most recently, D'Antoni has said, "We’ve got an All-Star team. Have you ever watched an All-Star Game? It’s God-awful because everybody gets the ball, they go one-on-one and then they play no defense. That’s our team.”

    Chew on that for a moment.  I sit here writhing in basketball pain and trying to dissect the situation.  I'm an emotional person though sometimes I deny my emotions and cover them up to appear A-OK.  Someone asks me, yo, what's happening with your Lakers?  And I'm close to speechless.  Are you as stumped as I am?  This is a downward spiraling mystery.

    It's come to the point where I'm not quite sure why I hang on in the 4th quarter with that skinny bit of hope that we're going to miraculously make a comeback, only to get disappointed in the end.  Wait, I remember now.  I'm a full-fledged fan.  This is my team. 

    Loyalty.

    When people get married, it's til death to you part.  I'm currently married to the Lakers.  As bad as it gets, I can't cut myself loose.  Bandwagoners may divorce their teams with no second thoughts.  But I'm in this for the long haul.  It is completely like a relationship.  I'm with you honey, no matter how bad it gets.  We'll fight through this.

    But, like the worst times in relationships, I get angry.  I get frustrated.  I want to throw things at the TV.  I walk out of the room to avoid more anger.  The worst game that did me in, was Lakers hosting OKC on a Friday night and coming up with a 15 point loss.  It wasn't the score that deflated me, as much as it was the lack of showmanship.  The frustrating missed shots.  And the young beast Kevin Durant drilling us from the other side, without hesitation.  We didn't just lose.  We got beat down with a beatdown stick.  And by no means do I encourage self-flagellation.  Let's not give up.  Where's our team spirit?  Where's our drive to win?  Are we simply too full from winning championship after championship that we've spoiled ourselves to the point where we don't hunger to win again? 

    Performance Review.

    Guys like MWP want to stay a Laker for the remainder of his career.  That's fine and dandy and all, LA is a beautiful place to retire, no lie.  Where else can you hit up the clubs by night and then show up to work the next day to put in your time and make your 6.7 million salary?  I admit, after the initial conversion from Ron Artest to Metta World Peace, it took some time for him to ramp up his shot.  Now, every three that Metta hits, the crowd elicits a natural World Peace!  To his credit, he has improved his game.

    This doesn't change the overall scheme of things.  As a whole, the team is questionably lacking what analysts insist over and over again, "chemistry".  Give them time, they say, they're a new team. 

    So time check.  We're halfway through the season now.  Where's this so-called chemistry? 

    Putter*Putter*Sput*sput* no gas.. no motivation... if the team chemistry starts at the top with the coach, I think someone is bound to get fired.  My friend refuses to call him D'Antoni, and just Antoni, because of his lack of D.  Yes, this is a joke that seemingly doesn't grow stale, though I'm sure Antoni is more than tired of hearing about it.  Well, then, prove us all wrong. 

    Mike Brown was a defensive coach and failed to get our D going.  So if coach after coach fails to bring out the best in us, where do all fingers point to?  Isn't there someone to blame?  I know what you're thinking.  If you're like 89% of the Laker fans out there, you're thinking, yes this is the coach's fault.  Hiring D'Antoni was the worst decision.  Not forking over all that we could do bring an exhausted Phil Jax out of retirement was a mistake.  There's that clever YouTube video, Sh*t that Laker fans say.  Admit it... all your Laker fan friends are all muttering the same thing.  And they're all angrier than the new Pelicans logo.  Insert *angry Pelican face* here.

    Pel

    We're supposed to believe that this team is going to get better, give them time let them gel..  so many problems, it baffles most, to see why a team with such talent can continue to spiral downhill.  Where is the faith, people?  Or better yet, where is the faith, self?  Where is your faith?

    Kobe is still fueling ahead with a fury, but as we all know teams that rely on ONE guy does more harm than good.  What?  Allen Iverson?  Whatever happened to Allen Iverson?  He WAS "practicing" soccer somewhere?  Wait, what?  Soccer?  I digress.  But if history teaches us anything, it's to not fall into the same traps that others have gone down.  While we are blessed with a team superstar, we also need a team facilitator.  Those Mamba-esque tough shots when they sink through the basket, gives you such a high, you forget that we're down.  You cheer YEAH MAMBA!  You forget that you're fighting back from being down because there's that silver lining in a doomfilled cloud. 

    And Kobe TWEETS now.  As if my life wasn't already gripped by Twitter's grasp, now we're talking.

    Tweet
    So if Mamba has motivational words to appease the fans, this should be even extra incentive for him to play his heart out.  Quite honestly, I feel like he's doing what he can.  For an "old guy" he called himself, he is showing up to play like he's still got fire under his feet.  But maybe we just need a few more savvy passes. Not that we can't get that out of Nash.  But lesson learned from the ever-so-generous LBJ, sometimes passing can do wonders.

    Oh then it pains me to see people's reaction to Pau.  We should've traded him a long time ago, says one person.  He's Ga-Soft, says another.  Breathe in for a moment.  Exhale.  Pau.  Slump?  What is this slump?  You know who I used to hate that had a similar slump but in a completely different sport?  Andruw Jones when he was on the Dodgers.  Oh the travesty.  I just don't want Pau to be on the same wavelength in the sports realm as that guy.  We're better than that Pau, remember?  Euro players have to tap into what they're best at.  Sure, he's not the beefiest, brawniest forward.  So tap into your other strengths.  For that 10 to 15-foot release, no excuse, it should go in everytime.  I don't care if your rebounds are soft, just rebound.  Hone those Euro-skills we all wish to have.

    Paugasol

    Letting go of Bynum was a relief. I just didn't see him fit as a Laker.  Him with his young, I can have whatever I want including a fleet of cars and two blonde girls at his side attitude, yet only exhibiting brief stints of shining on the actual court.  I don't care if you wear disco pants and floss like you're royalty off the court, but you better make up for it when you've got your uniform on.  The once-in-a-blue-moon double doubles wasn't convincing enough for me.

    Bynum

    Still, unlike everyone and their moms who started posting Dwight Howard photos on their profile pages, I couldn't fully jump on the Dwight Howard wagon either.  As much as I like his sunny disposition, it just seemed he wasn't 100% physically fit.  And now, he's plagued with unfortunate injuries where we sit on the brink of suspense wondering if he's broken.  Oh no, he's broken!  And more questions people start posing about D12 - will he stay or will he go at the end of the season?  How does knowing that affect our season at the moment?  Doesn't all this he-said-she-said, rumor-mill just make everything more murky? 

    D12

    Well isn't that just the harpoon that killed the whale?  What?  No seriously.  We're so quick to embrace someone and as soon as they can't achieve our over-expectations, we're like, go ahead and leave.  That's the price that comes with being an athlete.  Loved by all when you succeed.  Prepare to take the blame when you fail.  The kind heart in me says, aww, that really sucks.  But the sports fan in me says, suck it up then!  Get it together.

    The lack of big men situation is undoubtedly our biggest curse.  Were we doomed from the getgo?  Was the Lakers TWC broadcast mess in the beginning of the season a precursor of the fail that was to come?    

    Twfai

    It's No Mystery

    No, we didn't get Chris Paul, OK?  We didn't even get Cliff Paul.  But let's get over the past.  I'm actually happy for the Clippers because you think our season is bad, Clippers have been in a nightmare of pain for many years.  Props to their true fans for sticking it out with them in previous years. 

    Cpau

    No, we don't have Phil Jackson, OK?  But remember, when he left, it wasn't all peaches and cream either.  Even an 11-time championship winning coach might not be the miracle solution to this team.

    Pjax

    No, Dwight isn't 100%. and yes, Nash is 38 years old.  Injuries happen.  Age is inevitable.

    No, we are not playing Defense.  Why?  How does one forget to play defense?

    No, we don't have extra money laying around to recruit additional talent because we pay Kobe 30 some million dollars and Pau 19 million dollars. 

    So we have to work with what we have.  Although, it's still a business and in the interest of improving situations, trades are always possible.

    If you're a true sports junkie, you believe in the intangibles.  The heart.  The team spirit.  The drive.  The hunger.  This all falls into play.  You want to know that your team's energy is at its all time high.  That the quick cuts from a surprising Earl Clark are a spark of life in what appears to be a wilting game. That Mamba will strike and the rest of the team will be empowered from it. That Nash wants to finish his career with a ring on his finger.  That Dwight is Superman underneath it all. 

    I want to believe.  Because when we do bad, I b*tch and I cry.  When we do well, I boast.  My heart is in-sync with you, Lakers, and if it means anything, I will still hang on to that thread of hope in every 4th quarter no matter what the score is. I don't know WHAT more we can do as a team to start winning, I'll leave that up to the top dogs.  But hopefully every bit of fan voodoo will help. We must ride out the bad days and hope for the good ones.  It may not be today.  It may not be tomorrow.  Heck, the way things are going, it may not even be this season.  But I assure you like everything else in life, the glory days will return.

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  • Crushin' on Kyrie Irving

    • 14 Nov 2012
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    I have a major crush right now..

    ... on Kyrie Irving.  I love his quickness, and gracefulness in switching hands for the up and under...  I also think any player can be great by excelling their own game, but a player who can also assist his teammate to become a great player, is by far the most valuable player to any team.  I really hope Kyrie Irving goes far, because true basketball lies in his hands.

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  • Boycotting the Lakers for 2012-2013.

    • 8 Nov 2012
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    UPDATE * * * * * * * * * * 

    So less than 1 week after I posted this, DirecTV came through and worked out a deal with TWC to broadcast the new TWC station.  I'm still bitter that it came to this.. only because everything is based on money, money, money.  I guess, it is what it is.  I tried to turn the other cheek but I couldn't..  this is still my heart&soul team so for what it's worth I do support them.  But I was hurt and that pain won't be forgotten and I am glad I have an avenue to share how I felt.

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    The Laker statement released today is nothing more than a disappointment.  After my father's loyalty for over 40 years to this franchise, and my own loyalty, we regret to inform you Lakers, we will be boycotting you for the NBA 2012-13 season.  As a DirecTV subscriber, what choice do we have?  To SWITCH our network provider? 

    Directvlakerstwc
    Your apology is merely a slap in the face.  And your "reminder" that there are other providers we can go to, is even more salt to the wound.

    I will not have a multi-billion dollar sports organization dictate what cable provider we use.  This is the next worst thing next to watching your favorite team move to another city.  We've stuck by you through the good, the bad, the glorious, and the ugly, and my pride in my city's team has never faltered until recently.  I was there for you when we went through Del Harris, Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis, etc!  No matter the lowest droughts (pre-Kobe and post-Magic), I've been there through thick and thin!  I understand the 'business' behind the sport, but it still does not justify the genuine hurt I feel as a fan.  Frustration, is an understatement. 

    How can I truly support a team, if I cannot see them with my own eyes?  If I cannot root them on from home, how do I stay dedicated to them as my home team? For those of you who are unaware of the situation, some background info to catch you up to speed.  If you already know what is going on, then feel free to skip ahead.

    Facts I've collected from various articles regarding the Laker-TWC deal, which has frustrated us fans aplenty >>

    The Lakers have a league-high $99.2-million payroll, which will cost them an additional $28.9 million in luxury taxes. Starting next season, that burden becomes greater. NBA teams must pay a $1.50-to-$1 ratio for the first $4.99 million they are over the luxury-tax threshold, a $1.75-to-$1 ratio for being $5 million to $9.99 million above the threshold, a $2.50 ratio for $10 million to $14.99 million over, and a $3.25 ratio for $15 million to $19.99 million beyond the threshold. The Lakers will also have to shell out more money in revenue-sharing.
    If not for the Lakers' cable deal with Time Warner, the deals with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash might not have happened. (via LA Times)

    Currently only Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks offer both Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes. With the $3.95 per subscriber cost for cable and satellite providers, the best case scenario is an agreement to be done hours within the second game of the season on Oct. 31 against the Blazers. (via LAist)  (Update:  Now Verizon FiOs, AT&T, Charter, and several others also have worked a deal with TWC to offer their station.  DirecTV and Dish have not reached an agreement)

    Lakers fans who do not subscribe to Time Warner Cable systems have made known their displeasure over their inability to see the games, since the team’s new *20-year, $3 billion* contract with the company has essentially removed the NBA team from view for large swaths of Southern California. (via Press Enterprise)

    For those who DO get TWC, there will be far more extensive pregame and postgame shows – especially compared to when the road games were on KCAL/9 – plus nightly Lakers news and features. There will be 24-hour programming with no infomercials. Some Galaxy soccer, Sparks women's basketball, CIF high school action and Mountain West football and basketball ... yet mostly a lot of Lakers, such as an entire reality series covering the recent Laker Girls tryouts or the specific moment of Nash being welcomed by Jeanie Buss in her office. (via OC Register)

    <<<<<<

    In summary, the Lakers get $$$ from TWC over the next 20 years, to help pay for the acquisition of high profile players and a hefty luxury tax.  And all the other cable providers have to pay TWC $$$ to be able to provide it in their channel lineup. 

    Perhaps someone can enlighten me on what is going on between DirecTV, TWC, and the Lakers right now?  I wanted to be able to point the finger at someone but sadly the only one I can point at right now is the Laker organization.  For not thinking in advance that this would upset their biggest fan market in Los Angeles.  I refuse to give in and sell out by jumping ship to a different cable provider.  I'm waiting for something to be worked out... until then, farewell Lakers, it was a life-long passion - and don't get me wrong, I'm sure I will hear about you through my social media networks, and catch brief highlights on ESPN..  but you are no longer a part of this devoted household.  I will no longer yell at the top of my lungs when the ball is in your hands.  I will no longer jump up and down when we secure a win.  I will no longer discuss Laker talk at the dinner table with my family.  I will no longer purchase any forum blue and gold parepharnalia.  I will have to fold up all my Laker tees and retire them in my drawer.  I will no longer boast about you through the internet.  Today is a sad day. 

    Even if I submit my information on IWANTMYLAKERS.com 1 billion times, will it matter?  Will it make a difference?  Perhaps it is KARMA that you are not winning any games right now.  Logical people will say nonsense, that's a crapload of voodoocraft, but I'm telling you as a fan, there are things we believe in.  Anytime I'd miss a game, I had a bad feeling we'd be cursed to lose, so that's why I would fight so hard to catch every game possible.  So now what Lakers?  What do you intend to do about it?  Just send out a "sucks to be you" letter?  I want to be part of an organization that genuinely cares about the fans - and if you can only "know how frustrated we are" yet choose to idly stand by and not do anything about it, that to me indicates you've turned your back on me. 

    Before anyone comments, just switch to something else, this is the PRINCIPLE.  Do what you have to do for your fans, because without us, what do you have? So NO, you do NOT have my continued support.  Until you fix this, you have lost me, and surely, plenty others.

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  • Dream Team

    • 1 Jun 2012
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    Documentary to air June 13, 2012.

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  • Metta Man!

    • 31 May 2012
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  • Doin' It In the Park

    • 1 May 2012
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    That's how I like it.

     

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  • Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert

    • 29 Feb 2012
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    What do you get when you have NBA athletes singing, spittin' on the mic, and referencing my favorite movie of all time?  

    These guys:

    Entertainment at its finest.  

    More at Yahoo..

    [via Leo]

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  • Resurrecting the Sonics

    • 28 Feb 2012
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    Fresh off of SLAM this morning, I got a good giggle as Shawn Kemp tells us how he REALLY feels about Blake Griffin.

    For those of you who don't remember the Rainman and Glove days (our school always had a split rivalry between us Laker fans vs Sonic fans), here's a little throwback tribute ot Shawn Kemp's best dunks via the NBA.

     

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  • Blake Griffin Show 2012

    • 23 Feb 2012
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    I'm salivating. Blake Griffin throwing it down!

     

    Dunk of the Year (1/30/2012):

    Dunk Part Deux (2/22/2012):

    I personally think the first dunk on Perkins earlier this year was amazing,  partly because the play was impressive and also because that's the one I witnessed in person.  The sequel was just OK.

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  • Nike+

    • 22 Feb 2012
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    I love that Nike is getting more and more progressive in monitoring people's stats.  While I myself will probably have no need personally for this product.. I'm slow, have no up's, which means I'm not dunking on the court hahahaha..but it's still forward thinking for serious athletes who are working on their game all the time. The only way one can improve is if there are measurabilities to gauge your progress.  Your best competition is yourself.  Looking forward to what they come up with next.

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  • About

    My heart skips a beat to:
    That really good song that you can put on repeat without getting tired of it, the perfect swish from nothing but net, bright colors that scream attention which I don't like to bask in, cars that remind me of cartoons, the right sneakers for every occasion, the honest "I've-missed-you" look my dog gives me when I come home, a quick run in the dark imagining someone is chasing me, anything kawaiiiiii, frozen desserts of many fulfilling kinds, heroes or arch-nemeses, life ambitions and carpe diem actions, exercising brain power, exploring So Cal, and eating food that is yummy-yummy, in my tummy. Did I mention I'm a web-junkie? Long live internet!

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