Failed Experiments

[BBTV]

If this thread has officially devolved to the point where we're just posting athletes who were busts, I submit to you Shawn Bradley. Can't count the number of times we heard "he will revolutionize the game - they will eventually have to change rules for him just like they did for Chamberlain."

Hell, I'd call those uniforms a "failed experiment."

Yeah. The waterfalls were pretty embarrassing (Barkley complained that it looked like his daughter got her hands on a box of crayons and drew a uniform) but at least fit in with the era. If it wasn't for the fact that they were such a drastic and sudden change from the Moses / Doc set, they may not have been panned that much.

Fun fact - they announced that they were going to remove the "PHILADELPHIA" from above the "SIXERS" for their move to Camden NJ which was supposed to be in '95 or '96 (first season to be played in a temporary facility that would have been built and then taken down when the real arena was ready.) Then Spectacor (Flyer owner Ed Snider's company) merged with Comcast, who needed programming for the first Comcast SportsNet, and then bought the Sixers and moved them into the Flyers new arena which is now the Wells Fargo Center. Lots of butthurt NJ politicians after that.

[Gothamite]

Michael Jordan playing pro baseball.

He just needed somewhere to stay in the spotlight while being secretly suspended by the NBA for gambling.

I've heard this before, but just wondering how true it really is.

What would the point of a secret suspension be? I always thought that part of the point of the suspension is to show other players what happens when you mess up, in addition to punishing the actual offender. I'm not sure what this would accomplish.

But he's Michael freaking Jordan! That would be a black mark on the NBA like no other. Can you imagine if it had been Wayne Gretzky? Babe Ruth?

Paul Hornung?

A "secret suspension" makes no sense. If the NBA wanted to do something to him without incurring bad PR, they would have just secretly fined him seven figures. But a "secret suspension"? You're giving them way too much credit for cleverness.

[Swiss]

Michael Jordan playing pro baseball.

He just needed somewhere to stay in the spotlight while being secretly suspended by the NBA for gambling.

I've heard this before, but just wondering how true it really is.

What would the point of a secret suspension be? I always thought that part of the point of the suspension is to show other players what happens when you mess up, in addition to punishing the actual offender. I'm not sure what this would accomplish.

But he's Michael freaking Jordan! That would be a black mark on the NBA like no other. Can you imagine if it had been Wayne Gretzky? Babe Ruth?

That's funny because some guys like Pete Rose and the eight 1919 Black Sox were suspended forever from baseball. And if Jordan was secretly suspended, that should be also permanently.

And Jordan was back to pro basketball after one year and half of absence... curious time of served suspension!

BTW, when Jordan retired himself for the first time, it was because his father was assassinated.

[Cujo]

N/m. Those horiffic uniforms were already mentioned.

[BBTV]

Michael Jordan playing pro baseball.

He just needed somewhere to stay in the spotlight while being secretly suspended by the NBA for gambling.

I've heard this before, but just wondering how true it really is.

What would the point of a secret suspension be? I always thought that part of the point of the suspension is to show other players what happens when you mess up, in addition to punishing the actual offender. I'm not sure what this would accomplish.

But he's Michael freaking Jordan! That would be a black mark on the NBA like no other. Can you imagine if it had been Wayne Gretzky? Babe Ruth?

That's funny because some guys like Pete Rose and the eight 1919 Black Sox were suspended forever from baseball. And if Jordan was secretly suspended, that should be also permanently.

And Jordan was back to pro basketball after one year and half of absence... curious time of served suspension!

BTW, when Jordan retired himself for the first time, it was because his father was assassinated.

First of all, does the NBA have the same lifetime ban in place for gambling on the sport as baseball did / does?

Second, was it ever accused (let alone proven) that he was betting on NBA games? All I've ever heard was thing like golf and casino games.

Anything that happened to... well, anyone has no bearing on the Jordan "case".

In conclusion, I hate Joe Blanton.

[OnWis97]

Split home/"regional" teams:

1. Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-75)

2. Carolina Cougars, ABA (1969-74)

3. Atlanta Hawks, 1984-85 season (12 home games in New Orleans)

4. Utah Jazz 1983-84 season (11 games in Las Vegas)

5. Floridians, ABA (1970-72) (Miami/Tampa/Jacksonville/West Palm)

6. Texas Chaparrals, ABA (1970-71) (Fort Worth/Lubbock)

7. Virginia Squires, ABA (1970-76) (Norfolk/Richmond/Roanoke/Hampton)

That's the first I've heard of the Atlanta Hawks or the Jazz doing that. Neither Atlanta/New Orleans or Salt Lake/Las Vegas are even that close! I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up before.

The Celtics used to play a couple of games a year in Hartford and the Packers in Milwaukee. I actually see what these teams are going for...trying to regionalize a fan base and play limited games in a market that could sell out a few a year (like NBA games in Vegas). However, this will never happen again because teams now need every PSL-seat and luxury box for every game. It's the same reason MLB will never even have a rain-make-up double header without a gap to force two different admissions, much less a scheduled twin-bill.

[OnWis97]

Michael Jordan playing pro baseball.

He just needed somewhere to stay in the spotlight while being secretly suspended by the NBA for gambling.

I've heard this before, but just wondering how true it really is.

What would the point of a secret suspension be? I always thought that part of the point of the suspension is to show other players what happens when you mess up, in addition to punishing the actual offender. I'm not sure what this would accomplish.

But he's Michael freaking Jordan! That would be a black mark on the NBA like no other. Can you imagine if it had been Wayne Gretzky? Babe Ruth?

That's funny because some guys like Pete Rose and the eight 1919 Black Sox were suspended forever from baseball. And if Jordan was secretly suspended, that should be also permanently.

And Jordan was back to pro basketball after one year and half of absence... curious time of served suspension!

BTW, when Jordan retired himself for the first time, it was because his father was assassinated.

First of all, does the NBA have the same lifetime ban in place for gambling on the sport as baseball did / does?

Second, was it ever accused (let alone proven) that he was betting on NBA games? All I've ever heard was thing like golf and casino games.

Anything that happened to... well, anyone has no bearing on the Jordan "case".

In conclusion, I hate Joe Blanton.

No. The eight men out threw a world series (at least most of them did) and Rose bet on MLB. These actions undermine the integrity of the game worse than steroids ever could. Jordan was ultra-competitive and loved to have money on golf, cards, etc., but I think he respected the game enough not to bet on it. Or at least he was smart enough to know that the only way he could truly ruin himself was to do so.

As for the "gambling suspension" theory of Jordan's first retirement, this is not the first time I've heard it, but it's always been in "smart-ass throw in" form, if you will. I've never seen evidence. As far as I know, the NBA does not say players cannot bet on other things. On the other hand, David Stern has been doing everything unilaterally for quite some time, so maybe that's what he did...warn him to stop having six-figure bets on golf then suspend him when it continued, meanwhile trying to keep Jordan's image clean.

[ESTONES6]

Jhonny Peralta

[TheOldRoman]

That's funny because some guys like Pete Rose and the eight 1919 Black Sox were suspended forever from baseball. And if Jordan was secretly suspended, that should be also permanently.

And Jordan was back to pro basketball after one year and half of absence... curious time of served suspension!

BTW, when Jordan retired himself for the first time, it was because his father was assassinated.

Just to nitpick, but he wasn't assassinated. He wasn't a politician or celelbrity, he was just a guy who had a famous son. He was killed. I believe the murderers didn't know who he was, either.

[DEAD!]

World Team Tennis

Isn't that still around?

So are the Coyotes

At least you can play tennis on a parking lot...

[NJTank]

The CCSLC Restroom

[Cujo]

[Buster]

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

The sorry ass Cubs thinking they can keep polishing the turd that is wrigley field with meagerly improved bathrooms/locker rooms instead of just building the new stadium they've needed for god knows how long.

Apox on you.Wrigley Field rules, do we need another modern stadium with deafening music and a ungodly huge jumbo tron. Its nice one ballpark still looks like baseball and sounds like baseball in the 40s.

21st century meet Tank, Tank meet 21st century. you'll come to enjoy it.

[MDC]

By the way, Michael Jordan's baseball career wasn't actually that horrible. A batting average above the Mendoza line with 51 RBIs isnt very embarrassing for a AA player, especially one that plays basketball.

[FrankCostanza]

By the way, Michael Jordan's baseball career wasn't actually that horrible. A batting average above the Mendoza line with 51 RBIs isnt very embarrassing for a AA player, especially one that plays basketball.

With 17 doubles and 30 stolen bases, not bad for a player with a .280 OBP.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=jordan001mic

[YessSir32]

Jhonny Peralta

Lucky you, we have to deal with him now.

[Eye]

Jhonny Peralta

How did Jhonny Peralta fail in Cleveland? If the team could actually get the job done, he'd be loved in that city forever. Dumbass Cleveland fan.

[Shmee]

Split home/"regional" teams:

1. Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-75)

2. Carolina Cougars, ABA (1969-74)

3. Atlanta Hawks, 1984-85 season (12 home games in New Orleans)

4. Utah Jazz 1983-84 season (11 games in Las Vegas)

5. Floridians, ABA (1970-72) (Miami/Tampa/Jacksonville/West Palm)

6. Texas Chaparrals, ABA (1970-71) (Fort Worth/Lubbock)

7. Virginia Squires, ABA (1970-76) (Norfolk/Richmond/Roanoke/Hampton)

That's the first I've heard of the Atlanta Hawks or the Jazz doing that. Neither Atlanta/New Orleans or Salt Lake/Las Vegas are even that close! I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up before.

The Celtics used to play a couple of games a year in Hartford and the Packers in Milwaukee. I actually see what these teams are going for...trying to regionalize a fan base and play limited games in a market that could sell out a few a year (like NBA games in Vegas). However, this will never happen again because teams now need every PSL-seat and luxury box for every game. It's the same reason MLB will never even have a rain-make-up double header without a gap to force two different admissions, much less a scheduled twin-bill.

Not to be that guy, but it's just kind of funny that this got debunked two days later with the Mets scheduling the make-up for their rainout as part of a pay-one-price double-header.

[cmm]

Split home/"regional" teams:

1. Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-75)

2. Carolina Cougars, ABA (1969-74)

3. Atlanta Hawks, 1984-85 season (12 home games in New Orleans)

4. Utah Jazz 1983-84 season (11 games in Las Vegas)

5. Floridians, ABA (1970-72) (Miami/Tampa/Jacksonville/West Palm)

6. Texas Chaparrals, ABA (1970-71) (Fort Worth/Lubbock)

7. Virginia Squires, ABA (1970-76) (Norfolk/Richmond/Roanoke/Hampton)

That's the first I've heard of the Atlanta Hawks or the Jazz doing that. Neither Atlanta/New Orleans or Salt Lake/Las Vegas are even that close! I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up before.

The Celtics used to play a couple of games a year in Hartford and the Packers in Milwaukee. I actually see what these teams are going for...trying to regionalize a fan base and play limited games in a market that could sell out a few a year (like NBA games in Vegas). However, this will never happen again because teams now need every PSL-seat and luxury box for every game. It's the same reason MLB will never even have a rain-make-up double header without a gap to force two different admissions, much less a scheduled twin-bill.

Not to be that guy, but it's just kind of funny that this got debunked two days later with the Mets scheduling the make-up for their rainout as part of a pay-one-price double-header.

And the Mets and Braves will be playing a traditional doubleheader on Saturday as well.