2011-12 NBA Season

[Jigga]

Typical Knicks loss tonight. We all knew Linsanity would last forever but if you want to contend you have to beat the 6-24 Hornets at home. You just simply have to no excuses. Setting themselves up to lose 3 out of 4 now with the red hot Mavericks and Hawks coming to town as well.

6 of their next 8 are against playoff teams from last season. This should be a good Lin-thmus test. No matter what happens, when Melo comes back, at least you'll have your scapegoat for the losing.

[Lights Out]

That's funny....most NBA players think that the arena in Utah is the loudest, most intimidating place to play at for a road team.

Utah is definitely up there too.

[Saintsfan]

The Rose Garden is the loudest stadium in the NBA. It's even built with an acoustical cloud that absorbs crowd noise from the upper deck and brings it down to the court. And they pretty much always sell out, too - last I checked, they were in the midst of an 166-game sellout streak, and that figure is from a month ago. So yes, it's the toughest arena in the league for a road team.

But that doesn't make the 'Blazers favourite for every home game. If the Clippers can't go to places like Portland and win, they shouldn't think of themselves as title contenders.

[Saintsfan]

That's funny....most NBA players think that the arena in Utah is the loudest, most intimidating place to play at for a road team.

Utah is definitely up there too.

And in fairness both Portland and Utah have a pretty big differential between home and road records.

[The_Admiral]

Utah is a funny one. It's like Jazz games are the only outlet those guys have to be boors. Specious timekeeping probably helps, too.

Chicago is only an intimidating stop on the circuit because Derrick Rose plays there. The games themselves are boilerplate bells-and-whistles applause-light affairs where the basketball is strictly incidental. Bulls games stopped being about the games after Michael; the organization has yet to re-adjust for the fact that the team is really good and their games really matter.

[MDC]

Utah is a funny one. It's like Jazz games are the only outlet those guys have to be boors. Specious timekeeping probably helps, too.

Chicago is only an intimidating stop on the circuit because Derrick Rose plays there. The games themselves are boilerplate bells-and-whistles applause-light affairs where the basketball is strictly incidental. Bulls games stopped being about the games after Michael; the organization has yet to re-adjust for the fact that the team is really good and their games really matter.

Well said. They bought into the gimmicky arena entertainment because they had to back when Jalen Rose was dropping 30 a game with the worst team in NBA history, it was the only way to get people in the building. Now, it's the same crap. Why can't the United Center be one of those classic stadiums? Make like the Staples Center or MSG and dim the seating lights, focus on the basketball. Not the sound effects and Dunkin Donuts races.

[WSU151]

That's funny....most NBA players think that the arena in Utah is the loudest, most intimidating place to play at for a road team.

Utah and Sacramento have similar arenas - boxes/octagons (not ovals) with vertical seating arrangements and low ceilings. When both teams are good, both arenas are noted for crowd noise.

I sat in the last row of a Jazz game in January, and I swear I could almost touch the ceiling (ok...not really, but it seemed like it). Definitely a different venue than Pepsi Center, which is more cavernous.

[The_Admiral]

At least there aren't any more ad campaigns about coming to watch Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson beat your ass, right?

To say nothing of the fact that it's hard to do all that Fun For The Whole Family (that makes six figures in order to go to the United Center on anything approaching a regular basis) crap and then take it all away, I don't think Chicago is thoroughly passionate enough about the Bulls to cultivate the sort of professional intensity that the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks games have. The Bulls were so bad and/or graceless in the '70s that people seemed to care more about DePaul (and if that's not a tale for another day...), then Jordan came, all was wonderful, he left, and they had to do silly crap to amuse the people who got stuck on the season ticket waiting list through '98. So unlike all the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments that goes on when the Bears and the baseball teams are bad (sup, alliteration), it's still kind of easy to keep your fandom foot off the gas when the Bulls aren't contending. So to that end, they do need the nonsense to justify a Bulls game as a Big Night Out at all times.

[WSU151]

At least there aren't any more ad campaigns about coming to watch Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson beat your ass, right?

Don't know if you're talking about Denver or SLC. Sad thing is...you could be talking about both given recent histories.

[Lights Out]

Why can't the United Center be one of those classic stadiums? Make like the Staples Center or MSG and dim the seating lights, focus on the basketball.

Staples Center is weird, because it's a "classic" stadium when the Lakers play, but during Clipper games, it becomes a boilerplate atmosphere full of game-night entertainment, with THREE dance squads and a freaking drumline (known as the ClipPercussion).

At least there aren't any more ad campaigns about coming to watch Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson beat your ass, right?

Nothing will ever top this promotion. They couldn't even spell Detroit right.

Ironically, one of those reversible jerseys is Brook Lopez on the outside and Dwight Howard on the inside.

[Kramerica Industries]

Speaking of which, I saw the Nets/Bulls game briefly and figured Chicago would eventually figure things out today.

Damn, nice clunker.

[Lights Out]

Ryan Gomes is the worst player in the NBA. And Vinny Del Negro is the worst coach in the NBA, for continuing to have Gomes throw inbound passes, well, ever. Gomes almost lost the Philly game on a bad inbounds pass, and he lost this game on one.

[WJMorris3]

Yeah, stay classy, ESPN...

[Fox]

Yeah, stay classy, ESPN...

I would like to know who honestly thought it would be a good idea to make that the headline.

[Jigga]

ESPN statement on offensive Lin comments

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.

Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

• The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.

• The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.

• The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

The ESPNEWS anchor that was suspended is Max Bretos.

[FiddySicks]

ESPN statement on offensive Lin comments

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.

Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

? The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.

? The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.

? The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

The ESPNEWS anchor that was suspended is Max Bretos.

Good to see that ESPN is throwing their employees out on their asses for something that, I suspect, was an honest mistake rather than manning up and taking their load of the responsibility.

[OnWis97]

ESPN statement on offensive Lin comments

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.

Saturday we apologized for two references. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

? The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.

? The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.

? The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

The ESPNEWS anchor that was suspended is Max Bretos.

Good to see that ESPN is throwing their employees out on their asses for something that, I suspect, was an honest mistake rather than manning up and taking their load of the responsibility.

On one hand, this is a common phrase that nobody would bat an eyelash at if said about, say, LeBron. On the other, I know if I was part of the staff and saw that headline, I'd have caught it immediately and said "um, no, don't use that."

I guess it's possible that it was written that way intentionally, but if so, it was done by someone just begging to be fired. I'd guess it was a coincidence/honest mistake. Someone was fired for it...I'd rather have seen a suspension.

[The_Admiral]

I think we're all mindful enough of the word "chink" that we wouldn't think to use it in a caption of an Asian person. I dunno, maybe Sarah Silverman was their copy editor.

[pmoehrin]

Honestly I hardly noticed it until I actually thought about it. I think it was an honest mistake although when your a headline editor your paid to notice that. Intentional or not it doesn't matter its going to be treated as the same.

That being said though I do think it was a little bit of an overeaction to fire the guy. If he had a history of doing things like this I could understand, but as a first offense no. I've seen people get away with alot more crap then that and keep their jobs. That's more ignorant to me then it is racist. ESPN's got alot of problems (I wouldn't work there if I was a woman) but I don't think racism is one of them.

I'm more angry that they are trying to milk the LeBron "I wouldn't mind going back to Cleveland" comment for everything its worth and try to make it into something its not then the Lin stuff.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I think we're all mindful enough of the word "chink" that we wouldn't think to use it in a caption of an Asian person. I dunno, maybe Sarah Silverman was their copy editor.

No kidding. And more than that, I can't see how "Chink in the Armor" would be appropriate in any context but to mock an Asian player. "Armor" in and of itself suggests defense, and no one is going to confuse the Knicks for a defensive lockdown team any time soon. Furthermore, a "chink" in an armor further suggests that a component of the Knicks defense isn't working well. Again, that would be bogus because Lin isn't on that team for his defense.

The only way that headline works with regards to the Knicks is as a knock on Lin's ethnicity, which is why ESPN should absolutely be embarrassed.