This is why ESPN.com will never have a chance at removal from the Shitlist. They have a scary ability to swing from bandwagon to bandwagon in a matter of days. Pure media schizophrenia, that is.
To wit,
The Weekend Dime. In which Marc Stein ranked “the top five story lines of the NBA season.” What were they?
1) Blockbuster trades (OK, fine, that one won’t kill me)
2) Dominance of the Western Conference (’cause this has never happened before)
3) Boston Celtics (I’m OK with this one)
4) Rockets streak (which, while impressive, has been a story line of the last one month, and the last time I checked, one month was not the season… FAIL)
5) Kobe Vs. LeBron. (NO. NO. NO. Absurd.)
For several reasons, the greatest of which is that Kobe vs. LeBron is basically a self-perpetuating delusion foisted upon us by the very media members who then go and write articles about how big a story the story they made up is. Anyone notice how about two weeks ago, it was a race between four guys– Kobe, LeBron, KG, and Chris Paul? And then… what? It was like all the big media guys got together and decided it was Kobe and LeBron. Did anything change to drop the other two out, like, oh I don’t know, actual statistics or perhaps these real things called games that are going on all the time? No. It was like the media gave its blessing and we were all supposed to fall in line, frothing at the mouth over the “battle.” The problem is, it feels like a manufactured battle. That’s because it is.
Then, in the sidebar, we get a picture of Chris Paul and this lovely bit of snark.
How big has this NBA season been? So large that Chris Paul, his can-do Hornets and the NBA All-Star Game still can’t get New Orleans into Stein’s top five stories of the season.
I don’t know, it seems like SINCE HE WROTE THE TOP 5, he could have put whatever he wanted in there. Don’t go acting like it’s the Hornets’ fault for not making your dubious top five. You could have made it less dubious had you chosen to.
Well. The problem with everyone getting together and deciding the Hornets are out?
Somebody forgot to tell Chris Paul.
No, really. That game last night? Incredible. CP3′s stats over the last several games? Incredible. And so this week we get this spurt of articles that are like, “Wait. Wait. Wait. Chris Paul is also making a case.” Like he hasn’t been all along. Like anything he’s done has changed. Today on ESPN, for example, Chris Broussard makes a case for Chris Paul.
Whatev, ESPN and co. We don’t need your blessing for our MVP candidate.
You want to say he’s back in? Fine. But remember, you were the ones to take him out.
We were the ones who knew it was him all along.
Yeah, ESPN, great as it is in some respects, is Hornets-hatin’. They’ll be like, Pistons went 2-2 this week, and are down to #2 in the power rankings. Then they’ll be like Hornets only went 3-1 and drop 4 spots. WTF?
Man, good post. Everytime I read the Kobe vs. Lebron thing I feel like throwing up. The worst part is how half the argument for Kobe is “he’s never won before.” Seriously, what the hell? And the next time somebody says CP can’t take over a game like LeBron, we can point them to Exhibit A: Chicago. (Also Exhibit B: New York, Exhibit C: Golden State, Exhibit D: Dallas, etc etc.)
On an unrelated note… I’m semi-angry that Boston beat Houston. We would’ve been all over the news if we snapped the streak. Guess we’ll have to settle for quietly retaking the Southwest lead
You forgot New Jersey earlier this year, and Memphis (twice), and Phoenix, and Utah, and what the game in LA when he dropped 21 assists on Kobe and his Lakers.
Personally I’m not angry at anyone beating Houston. That vitory puts the Celtics at 6-0 Vs. the Southwest Division. We are the only team standing in their way of going undefeated against our division. I’d personally love to add that notch in our belt, even thought I have a great amount of respect for Boston.
I wanted the Celtics to break the streak… leaving the Hornets to destroy their SOULS.
I may… not be a very nice person.