rmackman Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 This is getting rediculous. The Heat hang a banner for every single thing they do (or in some cases didn't do)! I'm a Heat fan, and even I'm tired of it. I think this article by Ira Winderman from the Sun-Sentinel makes a great point:Too Many Heat banners cheapens the effectIra Winderman | NBA Columnist August 28, 2008 So today, another banner goes to the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena, this time commemorating Dwyane Wade's Beijing Olympic gold. No issue there.But only if Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway also get their Olympic nods for returning to the Heat in 2000 with Sydney gold.Still, for the amount of banners at the east side of the arena, one would think these are the Celtics, instead of a team with a mere 20-year history and a solitary NBA title.In other words, it's time to make such moments truly meaningful.How? By cutting down the clutter.Those seven banners saluting the Heat's division titles? Gone. When one of five teams wins a division, how banner-worthy is the accomplishment?The Michael Jordan and Dan Marino jerseys affixed to the southern wall of the arena? Gone. Chalk it up to a weak, fan-like moment from Pat Riley. Put them in a display on an arena concourse if Riley truly wants enduring homage to the legends of the NBA and South Florida sports.What should be left?1. The 2006 NBA championship banner.2. The 2006 Eastern Conference championship banner.3. A single Olympic banner commemorating all Heat players who return with gold medals.4. A "1,210" Hall of Fame banner commemorating Pat Riley's NBA regular-season coaching victories, with smaller logos of the Knicks and Lakers affixed, so as not to suggest the total came solely with the Heat.5. The banner hoisted last season for now-retired trainer Ron Culp working the first 20 years for the franchise.6. And, sooner rather than later, the No. 33 of Mourning and the No. 10 of Hardaway.ONLINE For more from Ira Winderman's Heat blog, visit SunSentinel.com/sports "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFoA Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I kinda figured something was up when I was looking up retired numbers for fun and found out that the Heat had retired #23 in honor of Michael Jordan's 'contributions' to the team...what the hell?They should really clean that up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowBoutThemFins Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I agree that the Heat have way too many banners hanging from the rafters - and I am a Heat homer as well. When I heard Wade was getting a banner for receiving a gold medal I also thought "Where's Mourning's and Hardaway's banners?" They didn't get one, and if Wade's getting one, why shouldn't they? Outside of Wade & Riley, when you think of the Miami Heat you think Mourning and to a lesser degree Tim Hardaway.What they need to do is get rid of all the division banners (or maybe keep a single banner displaying the years they've won division titles) and get rid of the Jordan and Marino banners. As far as a banner for Riley goes, it's obvious that he coached 2 other teams through the duration of his career, but you CANNOT add other teams logos to one teams banner - especially when you're talking Heat/Knicks. That's the only thing I disagree with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew22 Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 What they need to do is get rid of all the division banners (or maybe keep a single banner displaying the years they've won division titles) and get rid of the Jordan and Marino banners. As far as a banner for Riley goes, it's obvious that he coached 2 other teams through the duration of his career, but you CANNOT add other teams logos to one teams banner - especially when you're talking Heat/Knicks. That's the only thing I disagree with.You can't be serious. Eagles/Heels/Dawgs/Falcons/Hawks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowBoutThemFins Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 What they need to do is get rid of all the division banners (or maybe keep a single banner displaying the years they've won division titles) and get rid of the Jordan and Marino banners. As far as a banner for Riley goes, it's obvious that he coached 2 other teams through the duration of his career, but you CANNOT add other teams logos to one teams banner - especially when you're talking Heat/Knicks. That's the only thing I disagree with.You can't be serious.I am, unfortunately. I understand honoring the guy (even Jordan) for entering the HOF, which is why they did it, but hanging a banner for him is a little ridiculous. The fact that the Heat have 2 jersies hanging from the rafters that aren't even theirs annoys the hell out of me, but they felt the need to stick a Jordan and Marino jersey on the wall (because that technically is where they're placed) before ever thinking of retiring Mourning's or Hardaway's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burning River Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 That is really interesting regarding the other athletes. Why did they not retire Jackie Robinson's Number as well? I don't mind Division Banners, though. At first that may be all the team has for years. Using any various team as an example: I think what happens is that usually the cycle starts with winning the Division. So, you celebrate with a banner. A few year laters, you win the Conference. Another banner. Once the Championship is won, the Division banners seem less worthy. It's hard to then go back to take them down. Maybe one banner with the years listed would work better.I would be more bothered if they were simply "Play Off Appearance" banners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmackman Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 The Miami Heat need to retire the numbers for: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 They already did retire one for Jordan www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowBoutThemFins Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 The Miami Heat need to retire the numbers for:you're pushing it with seik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigga Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Just Zo. Hardaway's homophobic rant removes him from eligibility...the other two are just laughable. On January 16, 2013 at 3:49 PM, NJTank said: Btw this is old hat for Notre Dame. Knits Rockne made up George Tip's death bed speech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cujo Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Here's one if the Heat ever decide to honor Pat Riley... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowBoutThemFins Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Just Zo. Hardaway's homophobic rant removes him from eligibility...the other two are just laughable.why? his stupidity takes away from his 5 good years in miami? in that case, maybe the jets should unretire namath's number for boozing it up and making an ass out of himself on live tv. hardaway is the best pg the heat have seen. his shirt's going up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmackman Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 And in a turn of events, the Heat have issued a statement that they'll actually honor Mourning and Hardaway's gold medal at a future date. Hmmm.... "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starchild Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 The only Heat player that deserves to have his number up in the rafters is Mourning, for basically being the face of that franchise for more than a decade. Just being a good player does not grant you the honor of having your number retired - one needs to be either an exceptional player, or be incredibly important to the team in some other capacity. If (and I'll use the Knicks for comparison, of course) Bernard King (and exceptional player and face of the franchise prior to his injuries), John Starks and Charles Oakley don't have their numbers in the rafters at MSG, there is absolutely no reason to have Tim Hardaway, Glen Rice or Seikly up in Miami's rafters. Tim Hardaway was to the Heat as someone like Larry Johnson (or maybe, for a guard comparison, John Starks) was to the Knicks. Quality players for their respective teams, came up big in clutch situations, but ultimately are not of the same caliber of a Pat Ewing or an Alonzo Mourning.That said, no real beef with honoring the gold medals... although it really just is another excuse to throw up a banner. Division titles, fine. Conference titles, sure. Championships, absolutely. Retired numbers/coaches, absolutely. Gold medals from players that played for your team? Eh. Be happy with your team history as is, don't overdo it. It reeks of desperation. "The true New Yorker secretly believes that anyone living anywhere else has got to be, in some sense, kidding." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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