Nurse the Hate: Hate the Hype

In the current issue of Sports Illustrated, there is an article about the latest college freshman phenoms of the moment in OJ Mayo and Kevin Love. Every year there is some new guy that has been heralded as the savior of basketball, and this year it’s these two. (Remember, for every LeBron James, there’s ten Sebastian Telfairs.) Can they play? I guess so. OJ Mayo had 32 points in his first game at USC. Of course, his team also lost to tiny Mercer College by 16 points. But then again, who cares? Basketball is all about individual stats and highlight reels now, and not winning championships.

The worst thing is the unchecked hyperbole these two kids run out there. Check out these quotes prior to the season even starting. Kevin Love: “I feel like I am the best passer in the country. You’ll see me laughing on the court sometimes this year. It’s funny to me. I’m almost playing a game with them.” Hey Fuck-O, why don’t you keep a lid on it until you have played one college basketball game? (By the way, after three games so far, The Greatest Passer in the Country has seven assists against the likes of Portland State, Youngstown State, and Cal State San Bernardino.)

How about OJ Mayo…He’s 18 years old, and living on his own for the first time. He’s now talking about going into real estate, and opening restaurants in his home town of Huntington WV after his playing days “kind of like what Magic’s doing.”. I love the fact that Sports Illustrated prints this crap. It’s as if the championships, and Hall of Fame basketball career will take care of themselves. That’s a lock. Now I have to listen to business strategy from some 18 year old that has never even had a job? That kid is so smart, he got busted driving around in March with a bunch of weed in the car. Shit, I gotta get together with him so he can explain how I can exploit opportunities in mid-cap stocks over the short term. In turn, maybe I can help him out by explaining how to do the laundry and use a microwave oven.

The real problem here is Sports Illustrated. They are not doing anyone any favors by feeding into the hype, and printing the ramblings of some greenhorn spoiled high school jock douche bag. How that reporter took either of those two quotes with a straight face is one thing. How he wrote it in the article without pointing out how ridiculous it is must be even worse.

In the end those two will get what they deserve…Playing in a half full arena in Toronto on a freezing February Tuesday night with Gary Glitter’s “Rock N Roll Part 2” blasting on the PA while the crowd urges them to hit a free throw during garbage time so they can get a free chalupa at Taco Bell. Live the dream kid, live the dream.

Random Notes: The Patriots have now covered every week except that game against Indy. That is unheard of in NFL wagering. I would continue to play them until that worm turns…That Detroit/Green Bay Thanksgiving game is a big game for the first time since what, 1967? Green Bay looks legit, so I’m going Pack unless the number is ugly. By the way, did you see how Detroit once again ignored the fact that they got their asses kicked (by the Giants this time) and talked up how good they are? Last time I checked, good teams won games…The new Sadies record “New Seasons” is really cool. I'm not sure, but I think those boys might have ben smoking some marijuana. You can almost smell the pot when you look at the cover. It’s their take on a late Byrds/Burrito Brothers psychedelic country record, and they do a great job. It’s a sound they have been experimenting with for the last 2 full lengths, but this time they went all the way. I’m interested in whatever they do, and this is no exception. If you have any interest in “Dr Byrd and Mr Hyde”, Beachwood Sparks, or “The Gilded Palace of Sin”, this record is for you…The new Wussy record “Left For Dead” received a glowing 4 star review in Rolling Stone. How about that? The first song “Trail of Sadness” is worth the entry price alone…No word back yet from The Pirates.