Hornets Hype

I hate that it took a humiliating 58-point loss to get this to finally, finally happen. It sucks. It does  not make everything right, and seeing these words on ESPN is not worth what we’ve gone through as Hornets fans in the last month.

But reading this from Marc Stein makes me feel oddly vindicated and satisfied in a way that I would not expect I could feel this morning:

“It’s not just that the Hornets folded so meekly and early at home, which is sufficiently unforgivable.

Or that they also lost games to the Nuggets by 29, 15 and 21 points.

It’s that the Hornets unashamedly quit so quickly in Game 4 after fans in New Orleans showed up this season with greater regularity than the team could have ever dreamed, shaming misinformed know-it-alls like me who kept telling you that local residents couldn’t possibly invest their time and money into something as trivial as rooting for the local basketball team after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The Hornets consistently played at near-capacity in a building that holds 17,188, selling out well over half of their games. It seems that we were all wrong about the post-Katrina viability of NBA basketball in the Crescent City.

Not nearly as wrong, though, as foisting the unspeakable score line of Nuggets 121, Hornets 63 on a ridiculously loyal fan base in their farewell ’til next season.”

I know we already knew this. But I didn’t realize how good it would feel to have a major media outlet finally write the truth about New Orleans and the Hornets. Accompanied by the words “we were all wrong.” And I thank Mr. Stein for saying it.

I’m feeling so warm and fuzzy I think I have to take him off the $#*t List.

As for how I feel about the Hornets, better to ask me again in a month. Because– and I am not saying I don’t love this team, and I am not saying I’m cancelling my season tickets or never blogging again or anything like that– I agree with Marc Stein. I hope they know that when they said “F this!” to the game on Monday, they did that to me. They did that to us.

I don’t have anything else to say about it, except that I hope they know.

Don’t get too comfortable, JR….. I’m coming for you.

I knew I saved this picture for a certain moment

In all seriousness, though, thanks for being with us this season! We’ll be around, taking the hype into the summer. And talking about the NBA playoffs like they’re going out of style (Serious Question: if the Hornets aren’t in the playoffs, then can the playoffs really be said to be in style? … I think not!). And making changes in our heads that will never happen in real life. And drafting future greatness. And making small moves, or maybe even big moves. But the important point is, we’ll be here.

Because, really, you’re gonna tell Chris Paul that, because of one bad week, he’s out of it for next year? Then I got two words for you:

STAND. BACK.

Today’s Basketball Jones is a must see. I actually just had tears rolling out of my eyes. Or maybe that was over the sad and untimely death of David West’s long jumper….. Watch at around the 10:45 mark. Actually, watch the whole thing, because there’s a fair amount of Hornets/Nuggets discussion too. But definitely do not miss this! Especially if you can’t deal with Gary Payton and Chris Webber’s unintelligible howling. (And you know, the crazy thing is none of those guys are even bad– with the exception maybe of GP– when they aren’t all together. It’s like, no man, Barkley is funny because Kenny and EJ are there to balance him out. You can’t all be Chuck!) They should have had Eric Snow in there draped in a suit three sizes too large, and it would have been perfect.

Ep. 426: Hot Bombs from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

Tell me what y’all think of the following excerpt:

I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it — Chris Paul is a punk. Paul personally instigated the chippy play Sunday night with his antics. Paul not only flopped continuously but had the nerve to get an attitude with both the referring crew and the Nuggets players. And how Carmelo Anthony was called for a foul when Tyson Chandler veered sharply and ran Melo over, I’ll never know; to say the officiating in the Denver New Orleans game was spotty is being kind.  In this series the scenario is this: if Paul is feted and treated like an untouchable, the Hornets will upset Denver. If the refs officiate the game as it happens and not as Paul or head coach Byron Scott say it’s happening, Denver wins.

Sigh.

Uh, did any of you notice the officiating in this one being particularly in the Hornets’ favor? I certainly didn’t. I think the Hornets got screwed because the more physical team was allowed to be physical with them and they weren’t physical enough back (NOTE: This is not the refs’ fault). Which, as we know, is familiar because it’s the pattern in our big stack of Jazz losses too. Yeah. I’m sure the physical play of a team known for physical play is solely the fault of the guy on the opposing team who’s under six feet tall. And also, in case he didn’t notice, the Hornets lost! Which kind of ruins his whole argument. Not to mention the fact that during games Byron Scott shows the approximate emotional range of a clam. I’m not sure what coach he’s watching.

And then I remembered this was the douchebag who, in like the first game of the season, accused the Hornets of getting post-Katrina pity reffing. No, I am not making this up. He’s the internet’s foremost Chris Paul hater. It hit me like a freight train of deja vu: “I’ve made fun of this guy before, haven’t I?”

And guys, this one hurts. Because my New Year’s Resolution this year was honestly, I promise, to try to use alternate words in place of “douchebag,” because I feel I am guilty of overuse. But what am I supposed to do? Dude is a douche.

So, whatever, Ball Don’t Lie. I don’t think you should be quoting people like this. He’s clearly got a bias against Chris Paul (said in November, and I quote, that people who think he’s great are “guilty of worshipping false idols” !!!!). Not to mention trivializing a national disaster that we happen to take pretty seriously around here. (Edited to Clarify: I am not saying CP isn’t a punk on the court– he is– but I think people should know these are the words of a serial CP-hater, so they can choose to take them with or without a grain of salt!)

Move along, there’s nothing to see here…. except an archaic genital hygiene product.

I present:

List of ESPN Writers Who Did Not Include Chris Paul in Their Top 5 (TOP. FIVE!!! Not three. FIVE.) MVP Ballot

1. J.A. Adande

2. Jon Barry

3. LZ Granderson

4. Chris Sheridan

5. Mark Stein

They polled 18 of their writers. Five out of 18 didn’t even think Chris Paul was in the Top 5. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s 28% of ESPN. Just for some wacky fun, here’s what the Top 10 PER looks like currently:

And yet THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE STAT even put him fourth. WTF!?!$^%@#*&@#$O!! (I’m sorry, I spontaneously died on my keyboard.) You know, I’m over it. I really am. But I guess the question I am really raising, and oddly enough, it’s the same question Kelly Dwyer over at Ball Don’t Lie raised this morning and it is a good one (regardless of what he thinks of the rest of our underachieving team), is why exactly are we going to these people any more as a source for our sports news and commentary?

“Well, what is it about, then? I’ve been obsessing over this game for years … what the hell am I missing? What am I not getting? What is everyone else seeing that I’m not seeing? How could anyone rank Chris Paul out of the top two or three players in this game anymore? Why aren’t these people laughed at when they trot out Kobe or Dwight Howard or … Chauncey Billups?!? … To say that this guy isn’t even in the top five? And these are the people with votes. And these are the people who shape the way you view the game”

There is a point where it just doesn’t make rational sense. And I have pretty much reached it.

So why am I still arguing about it? I don’t know. I’m just sad for Chris. I’m sad on behalf of all the non- die hards who may only watch general sports news outlets like ESPN and therefore don’t know what they’re missing. I’m sad for the city of New Orleans, because just like the rest of us, the adopted son who bears our name on his jersey continues to be an afterthought.

I even highlighted the relevant bits for you. They should be self-explanatory.

I know you don’t care what the mainstream media says about you, but maybe you should. I kind of do. But then, I’m 5′9″ in good shoes and can’t shoot. So it’s not on me.

(P.S. That paragraph doesn’t even make sense. If it’s a team game, name one “crapload” that makes it to June. Yeah, I thought so.)

I submit for your consideration the following conversation that took place during the first half of the Hornets/Rockets game:

Ticktock6: Hey, I wonder if T-Mac made the trip. Probably not. After all, this is New Orleans. He might get shot.

mW: Yeah, I know, man. All those shootings that go on at the W.

Ticktock6: It’s a dangerous place. That W is like the wild, wild West.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s been over a year since Tracy McGrady made those comments about being scared to go to the All Star Game in New Orleans (the best part about that article, by the way, is how Rafer Alston chimes in and agrees with him, saying, “I’m scared right now, only because of the situation down there now. Right now, it’s pretty unsafe,” like anyone ever asked Rafer Alston to go to an All Star Game. Yeah you right, Skip. It’s like motherf***in Baghdad down here, BE AFRAID!). The rest of the world has pretty much forgotten it. But McGrady’s still on our $#*tlist. When am I gonna let it go? Oh come on, you know the answer is, like, never.

Especially not after this morning’s news that Rockets forward Carl Landry was shot in the leg late last night following Rockets @ Hornets. Oh, T-Mac, it was so wise and prescient of you to be worried about getting shot in New Orleans. You are clearly a prophet for our age….. BUT WAIT! Landry was actually shot when he stopped at a fast food restaurant at around 4 AM, after the Rockets’ flight back from New Orleans landed in Houston sometime after midnight last night.

OK, no seriously, it’s not funny. Someone being shot is never funny. And I am glad Carl Landry is all right. But…

I’m not saying… I’m just saying.

HornetsHype: Being Huge Assholes in the Name of New Orleans Patriotism Since 2008

I’m going to flat out say this: I haven’t read the Charley Rosen “Deron Williams is better than CP” column.

I know, right? Amazing self-restraint… or is it just that I find it difficult to summon up the will to care about a piece of writing I know isn’t backed up by statistical fact, written by a guy — who works for Fox– who has had a penchant in the past for watching one Hornets game a year (usually a blowout loss) and making sweeping generalizations based on that one game? I think Rosen spent most of last season on my $#*tList. Because I have a deep and abiding hatred for him? No, because he just sucks. “Williams goes left better than Paul”? Is this basketball, or fucking Zoolander?

I dunno. You go read it if you want. Or instead you could check out this post by Rob Fitz of Celtics 17 to see how Chris stacks up to Magic and Stockton. Or you could just look at this:

2006
Paul:
16 points
8 assists
5 rebounds
2 steals
2.3 TO

Williams:
10 points
5 assists
2 rebounds
1 steal
1.8 TO

2007
Paul:
17 points
9 assists
4 rebounds
3 steals
2.5 TO

Williams:
16 points
9 assists
3 rebounds
1 steal
3.0 TO

2008
Paul:
21 points
12 assists
4 rebounds
3 steals
2.5 TO

Williams:
19 points
11 assists
3 rebounds
1 steal
3.4 TO

2009
Paul:
21 points
11 assists
5 rebounds
3 steals
2.9 TO

Williams:
19 points
11 assists
3 rebounds
1 steal
3.4 TO

FG% on 2-point jump shots this season:
Paul 47.4 percent, Williams 47.2 percent.

FG% on 3-pointers this season:
Paul 34.1 percent, Williams 31.9 percent.

FG% on inside shots this season:
Paul 63.1 percent, Williams 56.5 percent.

And 1’s this season:
Paul 31, Williams 19

(Thanks, Hornets Report and Hornets 24/7.)

When will it end? When? When? (UPDATE: Apparently never. Whatever. Ryne Nelson can’t really hide the fact that he’s laughably biased against Chris Paul at this point. In fact, I don’t even know why I linked to that. It killed brain cells. It literally had nothing to add except, “Haha! I found someone who thinks I’m not wrong.” UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Hollinger knows.)

So yesterday I was kind of annoyed to hear from several sources that a Hornets employee,who joined the team when they were in Oklahoma City, had made some slightly rant-y Facebook comments regarding New Orleans fans. My negative response to this was on three levels:

1. When I heard about it, I was already previously annoyed by watching Gil and Bob’s cheerful “party line” all evening on CST. I just felt like the comments the organization was making were insulting to fans’ intelligence.

2. I think the Hornets organization probably does not realize sometimes how incredibly sensitive people here still are about the OKC thing. They’ve still got to be REALLY careful, last season notwithstanding.

3. Characterizing New Orleans fans as people who impulsively “give up on”  teams is just inaccurate, when you stop to think for more than three seconds about how they’ve loved a losing football franchise for 42 years.

We are firm defenders of New Orleans at this site. I acknowledge having put this person on a certain List of mine, because I was annoyed. But. I wasn’t expecting this thing to get out of hand, which I think it has. It’s kind of blown up in a way that got really nasty, really fast.

I don’t feel like people’s social lives need to be scrutinized or questioned, even if I don’t agree with the things they say. No one deserves that. So I am deleting all references to this line of conversation from this site. Thanks. Peace out.

It doesn’t really grab offensive rebounds as well as Tyson did, but–

I give up. Fuck you, fuck you, and fuck you.

And the Saints just released Deuce McAllister today too. So while I’m at it, fuck you, Saints. Why wait, when you can combine forces with the Hornets to upset hundreds of thousands of people over the course of two hours?