OK’ey dokey
Posted April 11th, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
Oklahoma City — One of the few reasons why I was looking forward to coming here for the last several weeks is a desire to see the Oklahoma City bombing memorial. It took 45 minutes to find it despite 
it being only about six blocks from the hotel because we (the now healthy Bob Finnan back on the beat and I) got lost several times, but it was worth it. On the day the bombing happened, April 19, 1995, I was on a junior class trip to Washington D.C. and we were not able to go into the Capital building because they’d closed it out of precaution. Being there Monday afternoon sort of reminded me of that day and how I’ve lived my life since then, which is why we build and go to memorials…to reflect. Of course, the 168 people who died that day didn’t get a chance to live those 11 years which is the point. In all, I didn’t think it was as visually powerful as other memorials I’ve been to over the years, but it was unique.
Other than that, OKC is nice but it is a nice minor league town. It certainly doesn’t feel like an NBA city, especially after I’d just spent five days in New York. But the fans there were the best I’ve experienced this season so maybe it will work.
As for the Cavs, this somewhat unreal run of success has everyone thinking big and bold. Unfortunately, all this probably came to late for LeBron to win the MVP but he deserves more credit than some are giving him. The Cavs are playing their best basketball of the season at the end, which is what everyone shoots for. How they perform in their Piston test will be interesting. I also think it bears watching what happens with Larry Hughes and Flip Murray. Larry wants to be back in the starting lineup soon, but I don’t think Mike Brown is going to make a change. The way Flip is playing, I’d have to agree.
I got several e-mails asking me how Hughes could’ve gotten a $2 million bonus for the Cavs winning their 47th game. It is complicated, he had what is called an "unlikely bonus" in his contract. It was "unlikely" because the Cavs didn’t do it last year, which is how the rule works. You have to have the extra cap space to do it when you sign the player but you can still use that cap space later. That’s why Donyell Marshall and Hughes signed first and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who doesn’t have bonuses, signed after them.
For a good time read my Q and A on Hoopshype, and check out this story breaking down the Cavs’ favorite play.
April 11th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
I guess that answers my question, that 47 games thing. I’ve been wondering how in the world Damon Jones earned a $16.2 million “unlikely bonus.” Now I know.
What was the name of that Mexican place that towed your car when you were in Sacramento? Do they have one in Oklahoma City? I know they have lots of Mexicans there, but what about the restaurant?
April 12th, 2006 at 1:41 am
Tucker, do you really think Windhorst is going to respond to your question? I don’t think he’s aware that this comments section exists. I don’t always agree w/ your opinions but you contribute to this blog 10 times more than B.W. does.
April 12th, 2006 at 3:42 am
No, Phi, I really do not believe Brian Windhorst is going to respond to my all-important query/blog contribution regarding a Mexican eatery.
Please consider my “Response to Phi” to be my “unlikely bonus” to you. You have definitely earned it. Happy Passover!
April 12th, 2006 at 7:29 am
First off, it was Del Taco. Secondly, I am aware of this comments section but do take it with a grain of salt. We get 20,000 page views a month and I assume not everyone cares about this stuff. However, I do think Tucker is an asset, last year he would just send me these rants on e-mails. I also think he’s missing out on a chance to grow a fanbase by doing a blog himself.
To kill a few long running issues because I don’t wade into the comments section much, the reason I will not critize Danny Ferry over his moves is because I favored every move he made last summer and I supported them in print. Were he to make a move I didn’t like at the time, I would be more apt to be critical. So far that hasn’t happened but I’m sure it will.
Secondly, I get into this argument with Kenny Roda all the time, having Z is a must. He is extremely valuable and hard-working and if you don’t think so then you don’t know basketball. I don’t believe Mike Brown appreciates him enough, but he will in the playoffs.
That is all.
April 12th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Touche’
April 12th, 2006 at 8:54 am
Well, I guess the case is closed on Illgauskus and we’ve received the final word on objectivity in the media. I’m not sure what to write about.
There sure were some great articles in today’s BJ sports section, weren’t there? And didn’t Eric Snow do a marvelous job against the Bobcats the other night?
April 12th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I’m been baffled that there are so many negative comments about this year’s team. I suppose I could understand that there was some distrust given the team’s collapse last year, and I get it that they basically treaded water while Hughes was out, but I don’t get why some people are looking for fall guys on a team which could finish 20 games over .500, have a .600+ winning percentage, and finishing the season strongly. What’s not to like about that?
I enjoy Brian’s columns, and I’ve never sensed he was a homer. He was taken to task by McInnis last year, for instance, and he’s written many game stories which weren’t flattering to the Cavs.
I do feel that many people are using the “homer” tag as a way of forcing their misguided opinions into print, and I applaud Brian for resisting that. Many of you have been bad-mouthing the Cavs all year, and rather than saying you were wrong about this incarnation of the Cavaliers, it seems you’d rather manufacture flaws. He would frankly and correctly be ridiculed right now for being highly critical of the Cavs.
April 12th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Hey Brian, you said that you were on a junior class trip in 1995 when the bombings happened. Did you mean junior in college? If so, that means you are only 32 or so?
Fascintating!
April 12th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
My former e-mail rants? BW, you once e-mailed me just to say that something I wrote was so funny, you fell off your chair. O.K., maybe it was a rant. But a funny rant.
With respect to Eric Snow, yes, he did an absolutely fabulous job against the Bobcats, Larry.
With respect to Ilgauskas, and this actually is a serious point: Devoted longtime readers of the Beacon Journal and the Plain Dealer sports sections will very clearly notice that every white beat writer and every white columnist who was originally born and raised in the Northeast Ohio area automatically LOVES (a) hard-working (b) white guys that (c) stay on the same Cleveland sports franchise for many years and (d) go about their business in a professional manner. Danny Ferry as a player, Danny Ferry as a GM, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jim Thome, Bernie Kosar. Hard-working professional white guys that stuck with Cleveland. Just to name five of many examples. Lifetime free media passes from the natives. This hard rule of bias thumb only applies to the white sportswriters that attended high school in the Northeast Ohio area. I’m not talking about Eastern transplants like Livingston, or other writers that bounce from town to town. I’m talking about guys like the blog host, Terry Pluto, etc. The white natives that love their hometown and love the hard-working white sports figures signed to long contracts with the Cleveland home teams they cover. Keen readers can sense more bias than Len Bias.
April 12th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Blurzz, actually you way overshot the age. Upper 20s. Rumor has it there is finally enough growth to shave on a daily basis. Old enough to root for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, young enough to not root for Luke Witte.
April 12th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Alan, you’re treading on some very dangerous ground, so you should be careful before you imply that Ilgauskas is the beneficiary of a white affirmative action program. (I say this as a supporter of affirmative action for minorities, BTW.)
First of all, Ferry was hated as a player in Cleveland. Hated! By fans, by reporters, by everyone. Little old ladies didn’t like the guy.
Okay, he was hard-working, but I don’t know of a person (fan or reporter) that showered Ferry with affection. Most, if not all, hated the way that trade led to the demise of a very good basketball team. I’d judge he is one of the three or four most despised Cleveland players Cavs history.
Second, the assertion you just made is what is most despicable about some of your posts: It casually and carelessly accuses. In the case of accusations about race, you should be much more careful.
Play a game with me here. Who is this? He is a current Cavs player who is hard-working, who achieved some success in another town, and who doesn’t gripe about playing time? Oh, and Brian Windhorst has supported me during my stay in Cleveland, even while fans and blog posters (such as one Alan Tucker) have railed against me.
Who is this? Eric Snow. Since you hate the guy, maybe you’re a racist. Sorry, just stating the facts, which are plainly evident to me (sort of like your assertions of bias, which are plainly evident to you).
As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, you have roundly criticized Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones, and Larry Hughes (in addition to Snow) all year. And now that I think of it, you downplay LeBron James’ MVP candidacy in favor of Steve Nash (who is white). Not Bryant or Iverson or Wade or Brand. I bet you like Nowitzki a lot, too. And, now that I think of it, you hate Newble, and you strongly advocated for Luke Jackson over Damon Jones. It’s plainly evident to me that (subconsciously or otherwise) you favor white athletes over blacks, at least on the Cavs.
The last two paragraphs are, of course, made to prove a point. I don’t truly think you are a racist, but don’t you see how easily you could be portrayed as one FROM YOUR POSTS. In the same way, how easy it is for you to paint Brian and other reporters with such a broad stroke. Be more careful.
April 12th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Huh? As I repeatedly stated, the writing *natives* love the hard-working blue collar white guys that exude professionalism and play with Cleveland for a lengthy period. You’re simply wrong. Terry Pluto, for example, *loved* Ferry and his work ethic. Heck, he STILL raves in print about Ferry and about Ferry’s work ethic during his days as a player.
How many times do I have to say I’m not talking about fans? I’m not talking about TV, radio or writers going from market to market. I’m not talking about the beat reporter of the week. The Beacon Journal, for one, went through several beat guys as they came through town on their way to bigger and better things. I’m talking about hometown sportswriters that love their hometown enough to stay home and still live in and around their hometown and write for their hometown newspapers. Guys that as kids grew up idolizing Lou Groza or Rocky Colavito. Or Mark Price. It could be Brian Windhorst. It could be Terry Pluto. Hell, it could be Hal Lebovitz. The natives. Whether it’s 1970 or it’s 2006, for any person to say it isn’t true now, or to say it wasn’t true then, is to say you don’t read the local papers.
April 13th, 2006 at 4:59 am
I can’t believe you could so incredibly miss the point. I’ll spell it out for you:
Your post made a point of labeling those writers as favoring a certain type of player, and “white” was an integral criterion in that profile. So don’t try and back down now and say that you weren’t implying racism on the part of the writers. You were.
In the first part, your claim is just silly. I’ve been reading the Beac web for a few years now, and I was a devoted PD reader for around 30 years before that. I know about what I’m talking. Do you?
You’re showing ignorance in your comments. If you truly were the long-time reader as you purport, you would have mentioned how players such as Ozzie Newsome, Andre Thornton, Joe Carter, Phil Hubbard, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, Carlos Baerga, Coco Crisp, Frank Minnifield, Hanford Dixon, Reggie Rucker, Paul Warfield, Greg Pruitt, and so forth were lionized by writers. For you to imply that there was a devotion to Danny Ferry that was not extended to Ozzie Newsome, for example, is just flat wrong.
And herein lies the problem with that loathesome post of yours: You used your perception in a highly selective and highly inflammatory way. Shame on you.
In about two minutes of thinking, I just named 13 players of color who have been well treated by the Cleveland media (and deservedly so). Given more time, I could create a much more extensive list.
Because it didn’t make your point, you made no effort to do so. Which is fine when you’re mentioning randomly a person whom you dislike. But it isn’t okay when you’re making a blanket racial statement. Then it’s irresponsible, which pretty much sums up your post.
Lastly (and I can’t believe this didn’t make more of an impression on you), you didn’t get it when I “tuckerized” my post? Don’t you see that by using the same goofy kind of selective characterizations that you casually use, I can quite easily build a case for you being the same type of person which you incorrectly brand the Cleveland media? In the same way that you can manipulate the information in your post (thereby discrediting credible people) I can selectively use your posts to prove (to the person who doesn’t review the whole of your work) that Alan Tucker is a racist.
Is that fair to you? Then why would you do it to others?
April 13th, 2006 at 9:47 am
Oh, please.
Listen, Kevin, let’s cut the ignorant political correctness crap, O.K.? Native Northeast Ohio sportswriters love guys they can relate to. White, blue collar, hard-working guys that treat them and their handheld microphones, as well as Northeast Ohio, with respect over a long period of time.
Yes, “white” happens to be part of it. Yes, partially because they’re white. And partially because you’ll find very few black guys that move in super slow-motion and jump like a gassy penguin. Guys that every native Cleveland/Akron area white guy sportswriter, guys who grew up in the mean streets of Rocky River and Parma and the parking lot of the Goodyear tire factory, can certainly relate to.
Sports is a microcosm of society. Go chat with Boston Celtics management for the past 50 years, and ask them why they make a concerted effort to put white guys on the roster. Ask sportswriter Bob Ryan. Hell, ask Wayne Embry. It’s not malicious, but it’s just the way it is.
April 13th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Racial bias in sports coverage is an interesting and important topic and I would hope all sportswriters are self-aware enough to think about it often. It’s also worth discussing on a blog.
There’s nothing wrong with pointing out the possibility that bias is evident in our sports pages, as Alan does.
There is an important distinction between the words bias and racism, however; bias is something we all have to fight in ourselves, while racism conjures images of white robes and Aryan lunatics. Alan doesn’t seem to infer the latter at all.
That said, I think a much more common problem in sports coverage arises from the issue of access. Athletes who are eager to talk to reporters are more apt to be lionized or overrated, while those who won’t are often depicted unfairly.
Eddie Murray is a good example. In Baltimore and L.A., Murray often refused to talk to reporters and thus was consistently portrayed in print as a surly clubhouse cancer. Of course, when he retired many players, including media darling Cal Ripken Jr., lauded Murray for his leadership and professionalism.
When reporters defend and overrate certain athletes beyond all reason, I often suspect it has something to do with the player’s willingness to buddy up to the writer. It happens all the time.
April 13th, 2006 at 10:06 am
I personally am of the belief that it is not racist to identify with / like people who are similar to you. What is racist is to hate people who are different than you. Subtle difference, but it’s there.
And Z has a real great underdog story whatever his color — broken foot, battled back, didn’t give up, etc.
April 13th, 2006 at 11:11 am
For the record, Alan, I’m not PC. And you still don’t get it. You write:
“Native Northeast Ohio sportswriters love guys they can relate to. White, blue collar, hard-working guys that treat them and their handheld microphones, as well as Northeast Ohio, with respect over a long period of time.”
It’s all assertion and no meat.
I listed a long list of non-white players who have been treated exceptionally well by some of the same sportswriters you are accusing of “bias.” For them to be biased toward those white, blue-collar types as you claim, you would have to show that similar treatment toward similar players who were people of color was not similarly forthcoming. That simply hasn’t happened. Andre Thornton, for example, was maybe the most identifiable star of the Indians from about 1975 until about 1983. I can’t remember a negative column about the guy, and I remember many, many, many that were favorable in the extreme.
Phil Hubbard was the lunch bucket linchpin of some very bad Cavalers teams, and he was very favorably treated by the press while here.
Your argument — unsubstantiated — is that people like people like them, but when I submit a list of people racially unlike these writers and who have also gotten wonderful treatment (because they were likewise good, hard-working people), you ignore it.
You made a stupid statement, and when I throw up a plethora of examples which stand that statement on its head, you ignore them.
April 13th, 2006 at 11:58 am
Kevin…I will assume the name is Irish. Either Roman Catholic or Protestant.
So, I will give you a hypothetical: Two people. One white guy born and raised in Rocky River, one black guy born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Both nice guys. Both hard working. Problem is, there’s only one more seat available at the table. Which one is your mom and dad gonna choose to invite over for dinner, Kevin?
And funny you should bring up Andre Thornton. My father lived in Moreland Hills, close to Thornton. Ask Andre about the subtle difference in treatment by people. Including a well-publicized incident involving racial profiling by the police.
Sportswriters, including this blog host, are people, too. It involves color, it involves access, as Larry pointedly noted. Both factors play an underlying role in sportswriting bias. It’s just the way it is.
April 13th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Actually, I probably should have said the white guy was born and raised in Boston, not in Rocky River. But either way, the point is exactly the same. Mom and Dad will be sharing their dinner conversation with the one named Timothy Quinn.
April 14th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Okay, Alan, I’ll answer your question: My father would have invited the person he liked best to his table. If he was Filipino or Asian, or African, or Latin, so be it. I don’t live in a diverse area, but we had many divergent people at our table growing up. For my part, I’d hope it would be the same, and I have friends who are not white. So, who would you invite?
Which is not to say that the world is that way. This debate centered not on whether racism exists in the world, but rather, whether Brian Windhorst or Terry Pluto or [fill in the writer's name] was exhibiting bias by advocating the merits of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. You very casually said, essentially, the only reason Windhorst et. al. would say good things about Zydrunas was because of a bias toward white, hard-working players (since those same writers came from that background).
There are many statistical arguments that harshly counter that logic. Read my post from Brian’s previous blog entry to find some of them.
Statistics aside, I think that it is wildly inappropriate for someone to idly imply bias without a lot more evidence than you have offered. And, here’s the thing: The reason you really offered this as an explanation is because, frankly, you can’t comprehend how anyone could have such a very different opinion than you regarding Ilgauskas. So it must be the “biased” writer, of course. It couldn’t be that you’re just wrong.
It’s okay to have a different opinion, and bless you for stating different opinions. But when you offer an explanation which racially impugns the integrity of these writers, you better bring a lot more evidence than you did. And you better have a good answer prepared when someone (me) provides a long list of names that pretty thoroughly refutes you claim of preference toward one race of player. Still no response on that, I notice, in — what? — my third answer to you.
I would add to this that — using the same casual way of linking opinions to prejudice — I could and did show you to be biased the same way from your continual berating of certain African-American Cavaliers. How easy it is for you to make the flip comments in this regard because you aren’t accountable for them.
April 14th, 2006 at 11:08 am
I forgot to respond to your Andre Thornton point. I’m certain Thornton experienced prejudice while here. But did your parents ask him how he felt he was treated by the media?
I defy you to find a media example of “Thunder-bashing.” In fact, nearly every story I can recall recounted that he was a man of deep faith who overcame great personal tragedy. He was revered as a person and a player.
April 14th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
So why isn’t LeBron James the 2006 MVP? Two reasons. First, he hasn’t committed himself on the defensive end yet. It’s not even an effort thing, I think he’s just been poorly coached. Bird and Magic couldn’t guard anyone either, but they were always great help defenders, and Bird actually controlled games on that end like a free safety (just watch Game 6 of the 1986 Finals, you’ll see what I mean). Defensively, LeBron is a complete non-factor.
More importantly, the next guy has just been a little bit better …
1. Kobe Bryant
You don’t know how much this kills me. Actually, you probably do. But Mamba passes all three MVP questions …
Question No. 1: When remembering this season 10 years from now, which player will pop into your head first?
Answer: Kobe. The dude scored 62 in three quarters against Dallas, then 81 against Toronto a few weeks later. He’s about to become the fifth player in NBA history to average 35 points a game (along with Wilt, MJ, Elgin and Rick Barry). He made up with Shaq. He made up with Phil. He made up with Nike. He appeared on the cover of Slam Magazine with a Mamba snake wrapped around him. He did everything but make the obligatory cameo on “Will and Grace.” No player took more abuse from writers, broadcasters and radio hosts this season, but Kobe seemed to feed off that negative energy. It was almost Bondsian. And just when it kept seeming like he might wear down, he’d toss up another 50 just to keep you on your toes. Kobe was relentless. That’s the best way to describe him this season.
Question No. 2: In the proverbial giant pickup game with every NBA player waiting to play, who would be the first player picked this season?
Answer: Kobe. He’s the best all-around player in the league, the best scorer, the best competitor, and the one guy who terrifies everyone else. Plus, if you DIDN’T pick him, he would make it his mission to haunt you on the other team.
Question No. 3: If you replaced every MVP candidate with a decent player at their position for the entire season, what would be the effect on their teams’ records?
Answer: If you replaced Kobe with a decent 2-guard (someone like Jamal Crawford) for the entire 2005-06 Lakers season, they would have won between 15 and 20 games. I can say that in complete confidence. Terrible team. When Smush Parker and Kwame Brown are your third- and fourth-best players, you shouldn’t even be allowed to watch the playoffs on TV. Throw Kobe in the mix and they’re headed for 45 wins. So he’s been worth 25 victories for them. Minimum.
In a weird way, Kobe ended up getting what he always wanted: The Lakers completely revolve around him. He gets to shoot 25-30 times per game. He gets to take every big shot at crunch-time. He gets all the credit. Nobody else on the team dares to challenge him. And even better, because he lucked out with the only possible coach who could make this cockamamie situation work, his supporting cast kills itself to make him look good.
Basically, he’s Elvis and everyone else is Joe Esposito. And it’s working! That’s the crazy thing.
Now they’re a sleeper in the West — seriously, do you think Phoenix wants any part of them in Round 1? — and have the only player in the league who can win a playoff series by himself. He’s the Black Mamba, he’s Kobe Bryant, he’s the 2006 MVP, and since we finally have that settled, I will now light myself on fire
Bill Simmons
ESPN page2