Today's Poll -- Are The Blazers The NBA's Most Exciting Team?
by Ben Golliver on Mar 27, 2009 12:49 PM PDT
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PrintNo practice report today... sorry about that...
But we do have an urgent request from Blogfather Henry Abbott: Please follow this link and in the bottom right corner be sure to vote for the Blazers (at least 3,000 times). It's time for us to step up to the big leagues and exert some national influence here.
Oh, and here's that Rudy video that's floating around everywhere this morning in case there's still doubt in your mind about whether the Blazers deserve the "most exciting" title.
And please, by all means, vote in this poll too...
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com
186 comments
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Best Poll in the history of Polls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ummm, lets see now what did I vote again….
Blazer's Edge Ambassador to The Dream Shake Blog
LMA - Putting the POWER in POWER FORWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LMA Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I <3 LMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
36:12 Mins, 11-16 FGs, 7-8 FTs, +22, 3 Off, 12 Rebs, 2 Ast, 3 Blks, 29 Points!!! LMA vs Suns 3-26-09
+1
Ben is the new Hugo Chavez….er Raul Castro….
Blogging Suns Basketball
by Seth Pollack on Mar 27, 2009 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions
lol
rec for sassiness. (which spell check wants to change to gassiness. anything you want to tell us ben?)
by teenagemutantninjabayless on Mar 27, 2009 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions
my bad, I just got excited by the poll question I had answered a couple hours earlier
and was a little depressed by how much we were losing… thank you for posting this and hopefully we can turn it around!
by two buck chuck on Mar 27, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions
it’s all good was just giving you a hard time
by Ben Golliver on Mar 27, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions
rock the vote
to vote multiple times on the ESPN poll (firefox)
1. vote
2. Go to tools > options > privacy > show cookies
3. scroll to go.com in folder list, expand (or type go.com in search)
4. Find the cookie name starting with “POLL” (mine is POLL270)
5. Remove cookie, ok
6. refresh
7. repeat.
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
by stikit on Mar 27, 2009 1:08 PM PDT reply actions 13 recs
turn this green BE Army this is our time.
by Ben Golliver on Mar 27, 2009 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions
this is ESPN remember... and we are down a bunch... we need to rally the troops!
by two buck chuck on Mar 27, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Let's be honest though
25% ain’t bad. There are 30 teams in the league, so each team should get 3.3333333333333333333333333% of the vote for being the most exciting.
Us getting 25% is pretty great.
Although, this is an ESPN poll, so if they ran the same poll for all 30 teams I’d bet anything that the “Yes” tally adds up to WAY more than 100%.
no way
you cannot consider all 30 teams equally likely to get the vote..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
Should get = average
Sorry bad wording on my part, obviously no 30 team/person/anything poll should ever end up perfectly equal.
That said, if ESPN actually made a 30 team poll, I could gurantee that Portland wouldn’t get 25% of the vote barring some serious BE involvement. Just the way polls go!
true enough
it just seemed silly to imagine that anyone thinks Sacramento represents an exciting team to watch..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
K-Mart!
In a 30 team poll, I bet a good 10-15 teams would have 0-1% of the total vote. The Lakers/Cavs/Celtics would probably grab a bit over 50% of the vote themselves. Portland would probably come in like 8th or something with 5%.
if it wasn't for us bedgers
or we couldn’t vote often, you’d be right
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
for Internet Explorer
had to check this because I haven’t used IE in forever
1.vote
2. tools > internet options > general > settings > view files
3. sort by name
4. scroll to “cookie:(your username)@go”
5. delete
6. refresh
7. repeat
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
by stikit on Mar 27, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
faster (IE)
leave the “temporary internet files” window that pops up open, sort by “Last Modified” and refresh the folder after each vote. delete the go.com cookie (top of the list), refresh the page, and go nuts.
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
by stikit on Mar 27, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Are you totally sure it doesn't just remove your previous vote?
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I tried this many times
then noticed the total number of votes listed on the ESPN poll didn’t account for my efforts. So I gave up. Either their tally doesn’t update for every vote or the repeated cookie deleting tactic isn’t working to add more votes.
It's possible they have a limitation for the number of times per x minutes for a given IP
If I was setting up a poll, that’s what I’d do for just some minimal fraud protection. (Doesn’t fix for proxies, but no need to for this)
On the espn message boards they used to give an automatic 24 hr ban if you had more then ten posts within a minuts time. They change so much, who knows anymore.
I try to help with everything," Fernandez said. "If the coach says go rebound, I go rebound. I work for the team.
""If I'm playing this game to get media and attention, I shouldn't be here," Aldridge said. "I'm here to play basketball, and do what I can do to help this team win."
that is the best poll I've ever seen in my life.
Bar none. – Elgin
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
so...
where do you live? :)
Never mind the cart full of TP hiding behind me.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
I assumed it was the team in LA
And not the Clippers.
Just a hunch. There are certain opinions that are less welcome on BE, and pronouncing your love of Los Angeles teams is one of them.
there's some unmitigated excitement right there
I love to see large white people bang around in the paint. – Elgin
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
Based on your belief that Mike Miller is the best looking dude in the league
I question your judgement on what is exciting or aesthetically pleasing.
Agreed
I hump rudy’s leg, but Batum is definitely the best looking.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
I'll say one thing, with that being the most exciting game this season involved the Portland Trail ...
Blazers and that certain team. For a second-round matchup, the NBA could do a lot worse than those two ballclubs going at it tooth and nail. Indeed, there’s nothing like rekindling a heated rivaly. Heck, it’d jolt my memory of the Seattle SuperSonics v. Utah Jazz battles of yore.
Anybody know if there's a video that shows Sergio's assist better?
I missed this play last night as my brother-in-law was over for a birthday dinner, and I had to go into the kitchen to sign his card. I heard him shouting from back in the living room, and by the time I returned, they had gone to a commercial. Fortunately, I like my wife’s brother a lot — he is worth the occasional sacrifice.
Anyhow, it’s hard to see how Sergio got Rudy the ball. One second he’s dribbling into the middle on the break, next second he’s sitting on the floor and Rudy is floating away from the basket while the ball is going in.
You should be able to see it
Sergio looked off to his right, then made a bounce pass down under the basket, where Rudy was moving AWAY from the hoop, then Rudy spun and put it up one-handed. Watch for the pass before the point when you think it happened.
Sticking up for Travis Outlaw since 2008.
its in the 5 points in 3 seconds fan post
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
Shaq, Oden and Sergio faces...look at
Karma
by Sabonis4Ever on Mar 27, 2009 1:31 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Anyone else think...
Oden looks a tad bit like Shawn Kemp in this picture? Let’s hope he is somewhat less prolific…off the court that is.
wow we are down 29-71
We are over 5,000 votes down.. this will take the full blazer force…
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
we’ve gone from like 23-25 to 29 tho, we are on the come up!
by Ben Golliver on Mar 27, 2009 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Honestly
We’re one of the smallest markets in the NBA and we have that kind of number? That’s incredible.
incredible is what happens when you spend the next 3 hours of your life voting 500 times.
and so do 300 other readers.
LETS GET IT
by Ben Golliver on Mar 27, 2009 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
blazersedge, where
you spend the next 3 hours of your life voting 500 times.
and so do 300 other readers.
happens
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
by stikit on Mar 27, 2009 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 9 recs
rec
that’s funny.
Give the man his "M"!!!
by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Mar 27, 2009 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
We know we're the most exciting
Most of the country doesn’t get the chance to witness our greatness cause their in bed.
Lets put all the 'Sam Bowie' talk to rest!!!
From Adande's chat today
True story: I turned to a writer next to me and said Suns shouldn’t think about playoffs if they’re giving up 95 points through three quarters. He said, “The quarter’s not over yet.” Right afterward, Rudy gets a bucket, there’s a steal, he hits a 3,-make that 100 points in three quarters. I stand corrected
Ignorant NBA fans
how can they still not think we are the most exciting. I can bet every single NBA game i watch. Rose garden is the loudest and the most filled. and we get to watch amazing plays like Rudy contortionist layups and dunks, Oden monster blocks, dunks. Roy’s smooth crossover. Aldridge swishing and posterizing. Outlaw making stupid but comical mistakes, Vanilla Gorilla technicals. IZ Zhe best
"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "
best one liner i ever heard.
Youngest team in the league
(shut up Warriors, age of playing rotation) and way, way over .500 ball.
Karma
by Sabonis4Ever on Mar 27, 2009 3:46 PM PDT up reply actions
memphis is younger
age weighted by minutes played. See here.
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
ok ...youngest team that doesn't suck.....
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
Youngest team ever to make the playoffs, right?
by MiledAnimal on Mar 27, 2009 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions
gotta figger thats the case....historically...I have no clue
someone grab a statistician
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
You left out Batum?
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
the blazers have an awesome team - - - not to expound on BowDown
but you left out Blake – - -14 assists one period…or…Blake for 3!!!..you left BAAATUUUUUUUMMM..posterizing Pau (not just once…) BAyless elevating…for the 2 hander….
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
speaking as not a blazer "fan" per se...there is a deep well of talent here
sit back and enjoy it….my feeling is that you ain’t seen nothing yet…
I picked 51 and a 5 seed as an outsider looking in – - looks more than likely…
I would not want to try to defend this team in a seven game series – -
We have had 20 pt games from:
Travis
Roy
Rudy
LMA
Blake
Bayless
We can beat Houston & SA in seven games series – - and probably strongly challenge any Western conference team…
On San Antonio radio, they are calling their season “..another run at the title…”… I would suggest adopting that mindset..
Go Blazers!
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
forgot about those....did they really hit 20 as well?
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
Greg had 24 against the bucks
and batum had 20 against the Nets
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
and channing and sergio
have had 17 (mia) and 16 (Nyk) point games…
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
makes for an impossible situation across seven games...
doesn’t it? esp w/greg and LMA …can consstently have 3 other scorers on the floor ….Portland can cause teams fits
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
and i hope they do
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
I love this team!
But I’m not the least bit worried about whether other people see us as exciting, or what a poll result is about the topic.
(I swear, I’m opposite-person here some days)
I think I agree.
Let’s be underestimated. Let everybody focus on San Antonio, LA, or Denver. I prefer to sneak into the playoffs with no one (outside of Blazerdom) thinking, worrying or noticing our little team until we put a serious beatdown on them in round one.
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Mar 27, 2009 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah
but the point is the flexing of blazer nation online. It showcases the fan support.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
We've got nothing to prove
Just ask SBN’s admins which NBA team has a huge base of fan support.
I guess I’m just not worried about rigging an ESPN poll with repeated votes. We know we love the Blazers; there’s no need to push our opinion at everyone else online. It’s not like this poll will suddenly make everyone give Portland a second look.
There’s something to be said for being confident in your team and your level of support, and not needing to prove it repeatedly. If we keep doing this, everyone online will start to see us as the small-market version of “Red Sox Nation”. I guess that’s good or bad, depending on your perspective.
I’d be much more interested in that poll WITHOUT our votes. That’ll give us an unscientific idea of what everyone else thought of us after last night’s game. Now that’s harder to determine.
(Again, I know I’m on the completely opposite side of most people here. I won’t harp on this, just thinking out loud here)
I totally get your point and was simply pointing out the other side.
I simply posted once and don’t plan to vote again because it’s work and i like to avoid that. Also, the blazers have glimpses of excitement, but reality is I’d probably pick another team. Exciting doesn’t usually win the championship though, just ask the suns and the kings from years past :)
Still, i voted because i could.
Not sure what the redsox nation is, but I can imagine.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
Cool, just making sure I was making sense. :)
If you can avoid Red Sox Nation, keep it that way btw.
Don’t let me get in the way of work avoidance though, carry on. :)
Can we please put to rest they idea that Bynum is a so much better player than Oden?
So many people claiming future Laker dominance are spreading that again, including Adande. Yet they are exactly the same when you look at their cumulative seasons and per game stats. Cumulative seasons.
Player From To G GS MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
Andrew Bynum 2006 2009 209 124 21.4 3.5 6.1 .566 0.0 0.0 .000 1.8 2.7 .668 1.9 4.3 6.2 1.1 0.2 1.5 1.2 2.6 8.7
Greg Oden 2009 2009 51 39 22.1 3.2 5.7 .567 0.0 0.0 2.3 3.6 .634 2.8 4.2 7.1 0.6 0.5 1.2 1.5 3.9 8.7
Same field goal percentage. Almost the same number of rebounds (Greg slightly ahead per game, slightly behind per 36 minutes). Similar free throw percentage (I expected Greg to be a little better, but so what). Similar in blocks. Same PER (17.8 to 17.7). And while both are the same age, it’s Greg’s first year in the league. When you compare that to Bynum’s first year it’s not even close. Only when you expect a rookie player to be better than a player in his fourth year (both after some injuries) Bynum is slightly ahead, but even that is not dramatic.
they say when Bynum comes back he'll be coming off the bench.
sound familiar?
Phoenix? Their fans can't even chant defense.
Tie goes to the runner bigger market.
Karma
by Sabonis4Ever on Mar 27, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions
That poll has too many qualifiers for me...
it’s too hard.
oh, ben, by the way… congrats on the TrueHoop cover today. Benjamin Golliver… has a nice ring to it.
Give the man his "M"!!!
by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Mar 27, 2009 2:46 PM PDT reply actions
If everyone does the vote on the ESPN poll about 20 times,
It’d make a massive difference..
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 2:47 PM PDT reply actions
31%!!!!!
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 2:48 PM PDT reply actions
that's about 5% in 2 hours
8 more hours and we’ve got it!!
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
no way
they are to much in and out,exciting was the suns,lakers unfortunately and the hornets.most of america can’t even name you 4 blazers.if the blazers hada electricfying guy like a c.paul or a lebron or d*wade then maybe.they have a very good player in roy and a bunch of nice guys.the blazers are the new spurs.clean cut guys who play team ball.that does’nt excite the masses.
Those guys just isolate and shoot a 15 footer or go to the line.
Watching young athletic team players who are willing to pass, in the Rose Garden, is so much better.
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions
oh sure
if you want to be realistic about it…
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
point is well taken though
flashy and exciting doesn’t always mean winning. This team is about winning. i’m down with that.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
can most of america name 4 players from ANY team?
Give the man his "M"!!!
by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Mar 27, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions
If youve got nothing else to do, just keep polling away.
Were probably the only fanbase in the NBA to be this active for our team. I love it!!
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 2:56 PM PDT reply actions
like i said
the other day,if the blazers had the exposure nationally,sites like these would’nt be as crowded.because the espn’s of the world would put us on a pedestal.
Ive been clearing the cookies for Firefox, but I'm still anly getting one vote.
I suspect IP tracking involved. I’ve switched from Google Chromes porn mode, to Firefox with no change in voting totals, even though I was required to vote again to see the results. I guess, don’t forget to use your proxies…
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
It's working for most of us..
And if you’re just looking at the number of total votes, it updates only once every five minutes or so.
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions
anyone elses poll stuck?
Mine says total votes: 13,945 all the time even after cookie delete, refresh for the last 5 minutes
It updates after a few minutes.
It’ll leap up about 40 or so soon.
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions
no nba basketball
is too predictable,wacthing a young mlb team like the reds or royals grow up for a whole mlb season is much more exciting.the nba is too much of a star driven league.that’s why america has tuned the nba out.it’s too much of a players league.while in baseball it’s 25 guys pulling their own weight.
mlb sucks
except for stealing bases and good pitching.. I’d rather do anything than watch America’s most boring sport..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
it's the thinking man's game
certainly not for everyone. – Elgin
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
so's chess, whats your point?
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
certainly not for everyone
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
How is baseball a thinking man's game?
Its a boring game is what it is. What do outfielders and infielders do that makes it a thinking man’s game? Oh the ball is hit to me, should I field it?? Or the ball isn’t being hit to me, what should I do??
Pitchers try and trick the batter. And batters read arm positions, that doesn’t make it a thinking man’s game.
Football is about a million times more a thinking man’s game. And basketball is about a hundred times more a thinking man’s game. I mean seriously, why do people say things like this? Its a stereotype, and its just not true. In football you are constantly changing calls, reading defenses, running complex routes for the quarterback, and the defense is adjusting to those calls as well. That’s atleast two people that are doing a ton more thinking on a football field than Holy carp i hope this isn’t a curve…
And basketball is setting screens. Running cuts, trying to work the defense and offense towards match-up problems, working to get 5 men to all work together. Reading a defender’s intentions through their footwork, the defender trying to figure out what the offense is doing and how to react.
I think its ridiculous that people put this highbrow junk on baseball. Its not a complex game. You can be dumb as a brick and as long as you know what your count is and what a curve looks like coming out of a hand, you can be great. I’m not saying pitchers don’t have to think but its not this mind vs. the mind battle that people seem to think it is, and its not on this ridiculous “thinking man’s” box that basketball can’t attain.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
by TheOdenator on Mar 27, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
whatever dude
no one is forcing you to love baseball. If you derive more enjoyment from basketball, good for you. – Elgin
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
No you were asserting Baseball is a "thinking man's game"
That’s the issue. if you had said you just enjoy baseball more I have no problem.
Making it into a thing, where smart people like/play baseball, and everyone else loves/plays dumb games like basketball and football is ridiculous and you are wrong.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
I hear that term alot though
and I would love to hear the explanation why. My money is on all the stats available.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
same here.
Its annoying that people take that statement for granted.
You’re probably right.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
All the thinking comes before the ball is pitched.
But listen. If you never appreciated baseball in your life, in my opinion you’re missing out. It tires me out to explain these things on a blog like this one, especially when it is completely off topic to this thread and to the entire blog.
My dad played AAA baseball (then quit to earn money for his family) and he played fast-pitch softball too. I learned the game from him. Maybe that’s what’s missing for you. Whatever. – Elgin
Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards
man I played baseball
through high school (not exactly impressive I know), but its not like I am new to the sport. Maybe your dad has found hidden intricacies and puzzles that don’t arise in cooperative sports, but to say that baseball is a thinking man’s game (as opposed to other sports) is (in my opinion) ridiculous.
Maybe you’ve never played/coached high level basketball, and that’s why you think that basketball isn’t a thinking man’s sport.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
how does it come before the pitch
seriously, I’d love an answer. i’m even attempted to google but work is almost over.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
Difficult to decide where to insert this comment
But here we are. Baseball has as much depth as you have desire and ability to realize it. I wouldn’t have thought so prior to following the Oakland A’s for a few years when I lived in the East Bay, and the A’s were contenders and then World Series victors.
The A’s broadcast radio broadcast team was tremendous: Bill King and Lon Simmons. I learned so much from them, and I gained a great amount of respect for the game as it is played by the masters.
A great hitter, for example, must not only have the physical gifts of eye-hand coordination, fast reflexes and strength; he must know what the game situation will dictate or make more likely in terms of pitching and defensive strategy; he must recall the predilections of all of the players in the field and try to determine what they are planning. Based on his knowledge and experience and minute clues hidden in the body language of nine opponents, if he is cleared to swing at a pitch, he must decide at the last moment where to try to hit the ball.
Generally, infielders require a great awareness of the subtleties of their sport. But good outfielders don’t just rely on their speed to get to a fly ball or grounder; they position themselves so as to be able to cover the widest possible area where a particular batter is likely to hit the ball given that a particular pitcher delivers the ball with the game at some particular score and inning, and with particular runners possibly on one or another of the bases.
As an aside which doesn’t add anything to this discussion except some interesting factoids, check out this brief bio of a pro catcher named Moe Berg: http://www.baseballreliquary.org/berg.htm
Berg was, by most standards a true genius. He could learn anything he set his mind to, mastering at least 7 languages, earning a law degree, becoming sufficiently conversant in modern physics that the US sent him to Germany to meet Heisenberg and ascertain the state of the Nazi atomic bomb program. His German accent was so good that he easily passed for a German grad student, succeeded in cornering the head of Hitler’s bomb project, and determined that the US would get there ahead of the Nazis. Returning home, he continued to play baseball and later on wrote an essay for the Atlantic Monthly called “Pitchers and Catchers”, devoted to the intellectual intricacies of the sport.
by CatMan2 on Mar 27, 2009 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Reading this comment
is exactly like watching baseball… BOORRINNNNGGG!!! The only time I watch MLB is when it’s like game 7 of a World Series.
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
by pumping_iron22 on Mar 27, 2009 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions
OMG... lol
I’d rather be expelled from school than take a baseball quiz, c’mon?
Although, I do want to give you credit for putting in an incredible work into your thread… I just hoped it would of been about the Blazers, NBA, or basketball in general! 8^)
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
by pumping_iron22 on Mar 27, 2009 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions
its weird
according to you brains are needed so much more than anything and yet steroids are such a problem.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
Hmmm. I thought it was a very interesting and
informative comment and I gave it a rec.
"Aneurysm".
When Outlaw wins a game on a last-second shot, it’s called an "annthefaneurysm". QualityPie
No rec from me...
I thought of it as an analogy…
It’s like the life cell of baseball… the comment is so detailed that you study it like a human cell developing and multiplying… Doesn’t really interest me a bit though. I took ‘life science’ class already… a LONG time ago…
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
by pumping_iron22 on Mar 27, 2009 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions
A give you a rec for your comment! 8^)
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
by pumping_iron22 on Mar 27, 2009 7:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Nobody is saying that YOU should enjoy it.
Only that there is some modicum of challenge involved once you scratch the surface.
Wow, you're batting 0 for 2.
Developmental biology is one of THE very most interesting things in the world. Also very complex and difficult to understand.
The thing is
using the same line of reasoning: While I have seen a genius eating, that doesn’t mean the action itself required a genius’ IQ.
So to rephrase, just because a genius can do it, doesn’t mean that it takes a genius to do it.
Because steroid use is rampant in sports such as weightlifting, running, biking, and football by lineman (sports of strength). And not rampant in sports such as soccer, basketball, and football by quarterbacks (sports of skill), despite the fact that both classes of sports can be helped by being stronger, it would seem that steroids are most often used in sports where the benefit of being stronger outweighs the benefit of being more skilled.
And since steroids have been rampant in baseball, it would appear to be a sport of strength rather than skill. And skill being a ‘learned capacity for a predetermined task’, while strength is the ‘ability to exert force’ baseball does not appear to be a “smart” sport, much less a ‘thinking man’s game’.
If it were the case, steroids would not have been used, especially to the degree to which it was used, even when the players had been warned that there would be steroid testing that year. These players were clearly worried about losing their jobs, because of not being strong enough, if their sport were so reliant on smarts, this would not be the case, and they could have could using steroids easily.
While baseball may have ‘smart’ aspects, strength is the deciding factor in the sport, making the idea that baseball is a thinking man’s game patently false.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
they could have stopped using steroids easily.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
to CatMan2 and 22baylor
I loved baseball as a kid.. well no.. I loved my Dodgers (the ones that upset your A’s) growing up. We had season tickets when I lived in LA as a toddler..
I respect what you guys are saying. Although I find MLB boring, I don’t presume that these guys don’t think, don’t have amazing talent, and don’t need to scout and study and practice like crazy in order to make all of those seemingly instinctual plays looks so good and easy.
My only problem is the idea that any of these things about baseball do not apply to any sport. In any given moment a player on the court is being asked to think defensively and offensively simultaneously.. and not only needing to know everything about the opponents but needing to understand their teammates at a very high level.
So it seems that these ‘intellectual intricacies’ in baseball (which I’m not saying doesn’t exist) are
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
must be
I don’t know why the ease of creating simplistic statistics makes baseball a thinking mans game. If baseball wasn’t so simplistic it wouldn’t lend itself so readily to so many stats
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
i think baseball has pretty stats
so the game itself isn’t really what you get excited about, but the stats?
that’s all i can really figure. That and toss in some childhood memory that hooks you as an adult.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
lol, good point
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
i'd be afraid of brain rot if I thought about baseball
There are too few interactions within the team in baseball. Except for double-plays and.. sacrifice flies.. and.. not running into someone else when you’re going for a pop fly.. is there anything team about this sport?
5-on-5 basketball between great teams is such a dynamic force to behold.. there is nothing predictable about it.. matchups, switches.. none of these things are in baseball..
what is there to think about it baseball? unless I’m watching an amazing pitcher all I can think about is why am I watching baseball
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
by idoltime on Mar 27, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Baseball is definitely not as "team" of a sport as Basketball or Soccer or Hockey.
The 77 Yankees were actively fighting in the dugout and succeeded anyway. The SF Giants team in the early 2000’s were a few outs away from winning the title, and they reportedly hated each other behind the scenes.
Baseball is much better for stats on the other hand. Much less “intangibles” in baseball, and much more rigid statistical analysis.
my guess is because the stats are easy
basketball has a whole bunch of stats being developed of late. It takes MUCH more work to develop and actually create useful information out of and frankly it still needs a lot more work.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
it's funny.. as I am a stat analysis guy in my life
You nailed it Timmay! I could never figure out why baseball stats stopped exciting me years ago.. besides for the fact that I don’t like the game anymore…
Rigid statistical analysis requires rigid requirements and baseball fits these a LOT better than basketball ever would. One of the key things I’ve struggled with when I’ve studied apbrmetrics and some of the new fun stats for basketball is how they are accounting for violating independence assumptions. If I didn’t let students get away with that, why would I let basketball stat guys?
But my interest in quantitative methodology (and research in general) has always been about studying groups and teams – it’s the reason why I advanced my field of study into the field of systems science, because the traditional scientific framework and traditional statistics do not apply to phenomenon as interdependent and dynamic as basketball (or most complex social interactions).
in Baseball.. the aggregation of individuals creates a team.. but in basketball, soccer, hockey… there is a complex system there that can often reveal itself to be greater (or lesser) than the sum of the parts. This violation of the traditional assumptions (from those intangibles) makes basketball stats tricky pool, but it does suggest a wide-open area for people working in dynamic analytic techniques to have fun..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
For this reason
I’d think stats in basketball would be a heck of a lot of fun because there’s a lot of ground to break and discoveries to be made. I’d think baseball stats for a real statistician would be plain boring when you could just dive into the unknown.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
have you read outlier's yet?
I just got it a couple of days ago, and I think its going to be awesome.
I have a degree in Envr. Science and work as a water quality operations analyst and find how people use systems science absolutely fascinating. While I only work up ridiculously boring data and do very simply stats, the ideas that people are putting together regarding thresholds is just awesome.
From the back of Travis Outlaw's Franz card: Travis leads the team in monstrous thunder dunks, wins awards for post game interviews, and often gets extra points for degree of difficulty.
From the back of Greg Oden's Franz card: Nickname: Jaws. Has an insatiable desire to tear rims apart while cruising the open court, and was once interested in using head-gear for his profession.
you've peaked my curiousity
Actually I’m not sure what “outlier’s” refers to.. when I read this I started looking through the various institutes (New England Complex Systems Institution, Santa Fe Institute, Portland State’s Systems Science Department) I’ve gotten to work with in my systems science studies and couldn’t figure it out. I would love to hear more.
Environmental science has always been on the edge of the systems science. That’s a great field to be a part of although I can relate to actual usually doing more boring work than I want. Most of my work these days has been related to the assessment tests used for licensure and certification for various IT and health professions.
But my graduate work really pushed me towards game theory, dynamic systems modeling, agent-based simulations, reconstructability analysis, and general measurement theory.. I had this dream of working with the Viks a couple of years ago to try and collect enough to data to develop a game theoretic model of basketball. But money became an issue and I had to get more serious.. but I still think a lot about it..
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
Interesting stuff. I actually did the usual undergrad stats classes, and almost went into statistical analysis or mathematics, but went a different direction instead. So I agree with you here overall, though I still can enjoy baseball. Or at least I did, until the Mariners turned into the MLB version of the Knicks.
in basketball, soccer, hockey… there is a complex system there that can often reveal itself to be greater (or lesser) than the sum of the parts.
I’ve long believed that in baseball, locker room influence skews numbers much less than in sports where you’re relying on your teammates in real-time in the game together. Locker-room influence can be huge in basketball. If you looked at the Clippers in individual parts, they actually should be playoff contenders.
Then you see them play on the court together.
I can’t imagine where basketball statistical analysis will be in 10 years. Light-years past now, especially if a moneyball team like Portland wins a title or two. But there will probably always be more limitations in basketball analysis over baseball, which will likely have a whole new generation of stats in 10 years.
yea, I liked baseball alot as a kid
Once I stopped paying attention, I couldn’t get back into it. I didn’t have to know anyone playing in the NBA to start getting back into it but without a home team with players I knew… I couldn’t manufacture any excitement.
I got to teach the graduate stat lab for behavior sciences for a couple of years as an advanced grad student. I got to learn stats the best way possible.. teaching it to psychology and other social science majors that didn’t really want to take three quarters of advanced stats but had to. and had to do really well. When you know stats like this, it’s like working at a restaurant with.. let’s call them lax working conditions in the kitchen and then leaving that job. Chances are.. you won’t be a patron of this restaurant if you’ve seen too much on the inside that makes you question it.
I use stats. People in my office go to me with stat problems or if they need to confirm this stuff. But I don’t buy the usefulness of most traditional stats for understanding anything really complex. I dream that I could be a part of the evolution of advanced basketball analysis, but my early work frustrated me. A lot of the data the public gets access to does not give enough of the story, and it almost takes the budget of a franchise to be able to collect enough data on your own.
I’d intern with the Blazers quantitative analyst just for the opportunity to have access to the amazing data they collect.. heck… I’d pay for that internship.. Blazers Quant Camp!!
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
I always thought the thinking man things was cause you could read a book while watching
and as long as you look up when you hear noise….you really won’t miss anything
"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez
by LetsBlaze on Mar 27, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
this made me laugh
seems true, and so i rec’d.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
huh? lol, was baseball an option in the poll?
I thought it was a basketball poll, about which team is most exciting. For my money, I like the 76ers, the Hawks, and the Blazers, those are the most fun for me. Baseball… lol
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
America has tuned out the NBA because it's too star driven?
Um, the league gets its best ratings when there are easily identifiable stars in the league.
Confusion breeds success. If they don't know each other, opponents can't have strategy. GENIUS.
by Ozzie Montana on Mar 27, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Man!...
this thread got ridiculous! For a moment, I thought I was in a baseball forum and my BE page got hacked or something…
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
by pumping_iron22 on Mar 27, 2009 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Hopefully there will be a lot more of us later tonight,
And get this up to the 40 percent area..
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 3:09 PM PDT reply actions
trailing by about 2700 votes
time to get your american idol on.
"The Right Way Crusades appear to be over. In their place, though, a new bone of contention has arrived, one which may well define the sport for the next decade or so. I speak, of course, of the bloody, and often chaotic, March of the Positional Revolution." - FD
i hear that's a tv show
based on the girl i know who watches it… i’m a thinking i won’t and will instead run in whatever direction my american idol is off.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
hmmm
i will restrain from making the obvious joke.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
14,451 32%
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
14,502
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
14,527
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
14576
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
15499 votes 34 %
Hear comes Rodriguez, no look to FerNANDEZ - WHAT A PLAY!!?!! HOW did they Pull That Off - FERNANDEZ THE STEAL - GOOD IF IT GOES -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!! - Kevin Harlan
well
make it 69-31 if you could.
then i can giggle again.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
You know,
this poll should of said 110%… because that’s how Blazers play ‘on the occasion’ games this season, to make them ‘oh’ so exciting!!!
"Here's Blake To Roy... This Is For The Win... YESSSS!!!!!!" - Marv Albert
Yeah!
Had to step out for a couple hours and we jumped 5 points!
34% makes a good impression, but we can blow this thing wide open.. back to voting voting voting!!
5 pts, 3 Secs
I watched sports center all morning waiting for them to correct their ‘top 10’ from Thursday night to include Rudy’s feat, but apparently they’re sticking with ‘nifty dunk’ as better than this…
Blazers fan in beantown.
36%!
I wonder how long we have to finish tipping this scale.. it may take another half a day
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
Ill put in ten more..
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 11:41 PM PDT reply actions
whoa wait a minute..
the poll count was at 16,400, and i put in about 15 more, and when it updated it only showed 16,401..
This year is NOT a building season!!
by collectiveshane on Mar 27, 2009 11:47 PM PDT reply actions
Here's the scoop...
Locally and ‘logically’? yes
To everyone not a Blazer fan? No.
The national media talk more about the shortcomings of the teams that the Blazers beat that the good thing that Portland does to pull out said win.
Annoying? Yes. Reality. Yeah.
Bottom line… Portland being successful doesn’t equate to $$$ for major media types such as ESPN, nor the NBA.
Roy Tribute
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Whats this $$$ you speak of??
Clyde the Glide, the greatest player ever
Cliff Robinson got mad at my brother who was trying to sell him a cellphone when my brother called him Uncle Cliffy. Apparently, he doesn't like that name very much.
by BeaumontTXBlazerFan on Mar 28, 2009 12:44 AM PDT up reply actions
Hell yeah they are. It's even better when Greg is out there and staying out of foul trouble. It's so
much fun watching them get better by each game. They are already so good and so much fun to watch. You know in a few years they will be winning championships and doing it easy.
IMO, we have the most exciting collection of players in the NBA;
but we normally don’t play an exciting basketball style. It’s too slow.
Again IMO, with our young, fast and athletic group we should run, run, run. If we did this, we wouldn’t have to cheat on a poll to get the rest of the nation/world to perceive us as an exciting team (if it’s even important to be perceived that way).
Brandon Roy just destroyed everything in his path. There's your rational analysis -- Dave
Also: COMCAST SUCKS!
running without turnovers takes more than being young and fast
but I agree
"Slum dunk? You just go to the rim, and crush.. crush the ball in the rim."
- Nic Batum
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