Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sports news, to banish the dismal taste of politics; Steinbrenner
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
This has been the most exciting week in sports. In the World Cup, frequent contender Netherlands returned to the finals for the first time in 30 years; powerful Germany was defeated by economic basket-case Spain ("... and please send our bailout checks to the following address..."), who went on to an ugly though deserved victory in the Final against the Dutch (a battle of manhandling and diving but the better team won); and the South Americans, so dominant in the first round of play, were relegated to a 4th-place finish (represented by Uruguay, a country comparable in population to Brooklyn). All this after France self-destructed, Italy dropped, and rope-walking US, who finally lost their footing against Ghana, won their group for the first time in 80 years, and proved they are a very solid top-20 team, if not the top-10 team they believed themselves to be.
The audiences favored the World Cup, but for talk-show content, the World Cup had lost its supremacy by the final week. Chin-wagging is the ne plus ultra in sports, of course, and for that nothing could beat LeBron's Moment, the great coming out party in which basketball miracle man LeBron James shed the yoke of his former contractual employer the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron can excite the fans to a frenzy (and win games, if not yet a championship); his presence on any team is worth hundreds of million of dollars to the venue of his choice, and he was interviewing plenipotentiaries from all teams with both the money and the salary cap space to purchase such a power player: the L.A. Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and those self-same Cavaliers, as well as our local powers, the Knicks and the New Jersey Nets, all announced to the press and profusely discussed on talk shows. It was like two years ago, when the major cities of the world were contending for the Olympic Games -- though the battle for LeBron was perhaps a better-justified competition, because whereas the Olympics is a one-time deal and usually a money loser, a top-drawing sports ace can be both a money-winner for the team and, more, a continuous boost to a municipal economy. The stakes were escalated because two other amigos, Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh, a front court power on the Toronto Raptors, were also ready to depart, as free agents, and it was known that all three had been the superstars who won the Olympic Games for the US in 2008, and might like to combine their fortunes in one team and rule the NBA for a few years.
James had proclaimed that he would make his decision on Thursday, July 8 and announced it in a hour-long show on ESPN. That went a bit far, to an exposure level of Presidential campaigns and well beyond the Olympic game site selection hoo-ha. Apparently James was doubtful, but Bosh made up his mind on the preceding Wednesday, decining to join Wade in Miami; it helped that Wade had previously declared to the Heat rulers that he would move, unless Bosh or James were signed. That gave LeBron Jones a last-minute impetus to join Wade and Bosch, the concept of an unbeatable trio, and, probably, Florida’s no-income tax status. Not a bad decision process, comparable to what might have happened in Afghanistan if Generals Stanley McCrystal, Eikenberry (ambassador) and James Jones (Security Advisor) could have worked on a common scheme, or in the Florida Gulf , if British Petroleum with its robots , the US Navy with its explosives and Washington with its wise counsel had come together early on a plan to break the flow of oil, or if Obama, Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad … ah, what’s the use. We can't possibly expect military and world leaders to act with the unity of purpose as sports stars can, driven by dreams of glory and pecuniary reward.
As for New York’s standing in this decicion process, The Madison Garden folks really wanted a power ball-handler, James , or Wade. The Knicks had planned a two-year recovery, and spent a hundred million dollars for an aging front court power, Amar’e Stoudemire, sort of a new Patrick Ewing, all they needed was the front man, LeBron, and the negotiations were close. But the Knicks look hopeful, I’m told, although the fans are ready to throw rotten eggs at James.
As to my interest in this mélange, I got excited because we know of Dwayne Wade. In Key Largo, FL, where we excape from the winter winds by staying in a family condo colony, surrounded by hibiscus, bougainvilleas and palm trees. A few hundred yards walking distange from us is a major time-share hotel, with ocean front, beach, humongous pool with three bars and a nice upscale restaurant that serves two-for-$25 dinners, appetizers free, a step above Applebees chain’s two-for-$20. This restaurant, Big Chill, is partly owned by Dwayne Wade (the main bar is named for him) , and it is a major destination for tourists, Miamians and Keysians from as far south as Marathon – with a few Key Westians as well. It is comfortable to sit and watch the sunset – except when Dwayne Wade is rumored to be on hand. Then the ex-hippee refugees fron 1968, Hemingway look-alikes, bald-headed bearded Harley-Davidson riders, charter boat crews and sunbirds from the Midwest join in, to float around, expensive drinks in hand, looking for our hero. And babes of all ages, blondes prevailing. I asked about Dwayne’s popularity, and an old shooter explained that the man is so good, you just want to touch him. Oh, well. I eventually got to see him, and he is an easy talker, polite and circumspect in language. .
Anyway, if you want to read more about the pleasures of Florida Keys - relatively safe from the BP oil disaster - google Wally Dobelis & Looking Ahead, or open http://dobelisfile.blogspot.com, and look for the top item, Table of Contents, which lists the Keys articles, with the archive date for each.
This column was written when the news broke that George M. Steinbrenner had died. This is a loss to all of us, he was the ultimate representative of the New York spirit, who took a losing baseball team team and in 37 years led it to seven championships. Our condolences to the family and to our New York Yankees.
This has been the most exciting week in sports. In the World Cup, frequent contender Netherlands returned to the finals for the first time in 30 years; powerful Germany was defeated by economic basket-case Spain ("... and please send our bailout checks to the following address..."), who went on to an ugly though deserved victory in the Final against the Dutch (a battle of manhandling and diving but the better team won); and the South Americans, so dominant in the first round of play, were relegated to a 4th-place finish (represented by Uruguay, a country comparable in population to Brooklyn). All this after France self-destructed, Italy dropped, and rope-walking US, who finally lost their footing against Ghana, won their group for the first time in 80 years, and proved they are a very solid top-20 team, if not the top-10 team they believed themselves to be.
The audiences favored the World Cup, but for talk-show content, the World Cup had lost its supremacy by the final week. Chin-wagging is the ne plus ultra in sports, of course, and for that nothing could beat LeBron's Moment, the great coming out party in which basketball miracle man LeBron James shed the yoke of his former contractual employer the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron can excite the fans to a frenzy (and win games, if not yet a championship); his presence on any team is worth hundreds of million of dollars to the venue of his choice, and he was interviewing plenipotentiaries from all teams with both the money and the salary cap space to purchase such a power player: the L.A. Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and those self-same Cavaliers, as well as our local powers, the Knicks and the New Jersey Nets, all announced to the press and profusely discussed on talk shows. It was like two years ago, when the major cities of the world were contending for the Olympic Games -- though the battle for LeBron was perhaps a better-justified competition, because whereas the Olympics is a one-time deal and usually a money loser, a top-drawing sports ace can be both a money-winner for the team and, more, a continuous boost to a municipal economy. The stakes were escalated because two other amigos, Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat and Chris Bosh, a front court power on the Toronto Raptors, were also ready to depart, as free agents, and it was known that all three had been the superstars who won the Olympic Games for the US in 2008, and might like to combine their fortunes in one team and rule the NBA for a few years.
James had proclaimed that he would make his decision on Thursday, July 8 and announced it in a hour-long show on ESPN. That went a bit far, to an exposure level of Presidential campaigns and well beyond the Olympic game site selection hoo-ha. Apparently James was doubtful, but Bosh made up his mind on the preceding Wednesday, decining to join Wade in Miami; it helped that Wade had previously declared to the Heat rulers that he would move, unless Bosh or James were signed. That gave LeBron Jones a last-minute impetus to join Wade and Bosch, the concept of an unbeatable trio, and, probably, Florida’s no-income tax status. Not a bad decision process, comparable to what might have happened in Afghanistan if Generals Stanley McCrystal, Eikenberry (ambassador) and James Jones (Security Advisor) could have worked on a common scheme, or in the Florida Gulf , if British Petroleum with its robots , the US Navy with its explosives and Washington with its wise counsel had come together early on a plan to break the flow of oil, or if Obama, Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad … ah, what’s the use. We can't possibly expect military and world leaders to act with the unity of purpose as sports stars can, driven by dreams of glory and pecuniary reward.
As for New York’s standing in this decicion process, The Madison Garden folks really wanted a power ball-handler, James , or Wade. The Knicks had planned a two-year recovery, and spent a hundred million dollars for an aging front court power, Amar’e Stoudemire, sort of a new Patrick Ewing, all they needed was the front man, LeBron, and the negotiations were close. But the Knicks look hopeful, I’m told, although the fans are ready to throw rotten eggs at James.
As to my interest in this mélange, I got excited because we know of Dwayne Wade. In Key Largo, FL, where we excape from the winter winds by staying in a family condo colony, surrounded by hibiscus, bougainvilleas and palm trees. A few hundred yards walking distange from us is a major time-share hotel, with ocean front, beach, humongous pool with three bars and a nice upscale restaurant that serves two-for-$25 dinners, appetizers free, a step above Applebees chain’s two-for-$20. This restaurant, Big Chill, is partly owned by Dwayne Wade (the main bar is named for him) , and it is a major destination for tourists, Miamians and Keysians from as far south as Marathon – with a few Key Westians as well. It is comfortable to sit and watch the sunset – except when Dwayne Wade is rumored to be on hand. Then the ex-hippee refugees fron 1968, Hemingway look-alikes, bald-headed bearded Harley-Davidson riders, charter boat crews and sunbirds from the Midwest join in, to float around, expensive drinks in hand, looking for our hero. And babes of all ages, blondes prevailing. I asked about Dwayne’s popularity, and an old shooter explained that the man is so good, you just want to touch him. Oh, well. I eventually got to see him, and he is an easy talker, polite and circumspect in language. .
Anyway, if you want to read more about the pleasures of Florida Keys - relatively safe from the BP oil disaster - google Wally Dobelis & Looking Ahead, or open http://dobelisfile.blogspot.com, and look for the top item, Table of Contents, which lists the Keys articles, with the archive date for each.
This column was written when the news broke that George M. Steinbrenner had died. This is a loss to all of us, he was the ultimate representative of the New York spirit, who took a losing baseball team team and in 37 years led it to seven championships. Our condolences to the family and to our New York Yankees.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 11:20 AM 
