They're the Spurs. I should hate them, but...

As I sit in my recliner watching Armageddon late Saturday night (with the rest of the family sleeping- I should be, too, but I enjoy the quiet house to wind down after a busy day), I realize that I am not as jacked up for the Suns/Spurs game in the morning as I normally would be. After all, for years, the Spurs have been the enemy, the Anti-Suns, Kryptonite. Tonight, I don't feel the same. Why is that?

The first thing I wonder...is it because I have to watch the second half recorded on the DVR? (The game starts at 11, we have church at 12:30. I mean, I love the Suns and yes they have blessed me many times in my life, but they didn't grant me life, they didn't guide me to the wonderful family, and heck, they haven't even blessed me with a championship. God certainly has the upper hand. Now, if the Suns were to bless me with a championship, then maybe things would be different. KIDDING! No, my faith does come before my fandom.) No, it has nothing to do with the DVR. Many a time have I either recorded the game or watched (near religiously) my phone, hoping to get happy text updates while away from home. That has never affected my hate for the Spurs or the passion for games against San Antonio.

Next, I have to wonder, is the game any less meaningful this time around? This certainly isn't the case. Phoenix, while currently in the fifth spot for playoff seeding, only holds a three game lead over the eighth seed. The team is only a game and a half behind Utah for the fourth seed and home court in the first round. San Antonio is currently a playoff team, and the game is in San Antonio. The Suns are looking to improve their road play, being as they are still under .500 on the road. So, clearly, the game is still important.

So, then, why is it that I feel that the rivalry has waned a bit? I think that there are a couple of reasons. Now, you may disagree and passionately hate the Spurs, but I think for many of us, the hate is less than it was. The first reason is that the players we hated most are gone. Bruce Bowen will no longer be taking kick swipes at players' heels or putting feet under a jumping player to land on, nor will he be kneeing players in the special place. He won't be man-handling Steve Nash on defense so much that we think that Nash may feel a little dirty after the game. Gone also is Robert Horry with his big shots and cheap shots. Sure, we are still miffed at Michael Finley when he signed with the Spurs, leaving us feeling like the spurned teenage girl that got led on by the guy she liked, but we never really hated him. We were jealous that the other girl got (again) the guy she was chasing after. Also, true it is that Flopper  (Manu Ginobili) is still there, but he has mostly been just a shell of who he was, and we know it. As for Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, how can you really hate them? They are both nice guys and Parker is married to Eva Longoria (who wouldn't love to be him, really?). They don't trash talk, they don't cheap shot (but they do whine, but, then again, so does our own two-time MVP), but you hate to play against them (but not hate them) because they are so good against us.

Additionally, the Suns are a different team. No longer here is the chip that Raja Bell carried on his shoulder constantly. There will be no more cheap "Hack-a-Shaq", no Boris Diaw to come off the bench during an altercation, no Mike D'Antoni for Gregg Popovich to befuddle.

The biggest reason for me, though, why the hate is no longer hate is that the Spurs are no longer the nemesis. They haven't won it in a while. They have had a tough year. They are showing weaknesses. They simply are not the same Spurs I hated. They are no longer "the team to go through." They are not the obstacle in our way. Part of that is because the Suns are also not considered title contenders this year. There is not the expectation for either team to win it all this year. This takes things down a notch. There is not as much on the line, and having it all on the line is what really gets us riled up. Plus, we live in Arizona. It's really hard for us to stay mad at the world when we live in place that is just so nice to be in.

In the end, do I really want the Suns to beat the Spurs? Well, duh, I REALLY want the Suns to win every game. That never changes. However, on Sunday, while watching the first half at home and then either watching the second half recorded three hours later or just following the game tweets I get, the hate won't be there like it has been. Am I wrong and misguided? Tell me what you think.

Cards' Bus Going In Right Direction

I've always been a Cardinals fan. As a teenager, I listened to as much of the games as I could because there was no TV for us as a family on Sundays. Now that I think about it, had we watched TV, it's not like it would have mattered. I only could have watched half the games because of the blackout rule. But to be honest, it took until 1998 (the year I returned home from a religious mission to Argentina and, incidentally, the year the Cards made the playoffs and beat the Cowboys) until I felt emotionally invested in the team. I cheered, wanted them to win, but it was rarely with any faith. I always knew that it was, a) a crummy team, or b) a team that no matter what happened, would find a way to disappoint me. Every year was the same- the hope that a team with an overall lack of talent (overall because there were always some very good players) would somehow overachieve, stay healthy, and get lucky. Years of being competitive at home and awful on the road. Bad drafts or drafting players that would flourish AFTER leaving Arizona. Major injuries to key young players. Player signings motivated more for ticket sales than for performance on the field. Not paying players that deserved to be paid. In all, the team did not ever seem to have a vision or a plan of any sort.

Things have changed. Today's news of the contract extensions for Coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Rod Graves symbolizes the completion of a team's transformation from the league's "armpit" (as said by Simeon Rice) to an actual winning football franchise. Whisenhunt is the first coach to get a contract extension since the team moved to Arizona. He becomes one of the five highest paid coaches in the league. To me, it shows that the organization has a plan, a vision, of what it wants to do and is willing to stick to it.

To be fair, the change started with Dennis Green. He drafted some quality players and began the culture change, but he could not carry it out. Also in fairness to ownership, as they claimed that if the team had a new stadium that they would be able to be more competitive because of the added revenue streams (something that I believed about as much I believe that Santonio Holmes actually got both feet down...which I don't!), they have delivered on that claim. They have shown that they are no longer complete misers, that they will spend money when it is needed. Russ Grimm was paid so he would not leave. Strength coach John Lott got paid. Kurt Warner got paid. Adrian Wilson got extended. Larry Fitzgerald got paid. Now, Coach Whiz got paid.

The extension is evidence of just how much respect Whisenhunt has earned from the organization, and that it is on board with his plan for the team. He has shown himself to be a company man, as he refused to worry about his contract status when he had more than a year left, showing his players by example to stick to the football issues until the time comes to worry about money issues. He has shown leadership skills and has brought the spirit of competition and improvement. He has drafted players with a plan for now and for the future, thinking ahead to positions in which current players may leave, in addition to getting talent that can contribute in the first year. He has changed Matt Leinart into a blue collar football worker. He has handled Anquan Boldin's outbursts with class and dignity. He took Kurt Warner and helped him resurrect his career, and was intelligent enough to adapt to the skill set of his quarterback and personnel when his personal offensive philosophy was different. He is an Arizona rock star- not in personality or in ego (Buddy Ryan/Dennis Green), but in status.

Right now, the team is at a turning point. It has lost its elite quarterback. It is losing one to 3 key starters on defense. It may be dealing a starter on offense. Normally, I would be back to bracing myself for meagerness. I'm not saying that won't take a step back this year. It might. But knowing that The Whiz is in the driver's seat and that the organization has packed its bags and loaded them onto his bus, I trust that joining them for the ride is going to be enjoyable on the whole for many years. I can't wait to see where the next stop is going to be.

Suns Win! Wife Proven Wrong!

Well, thanks to American Idol night (in my house, this is one show- along with Dancing With the Stars  and So You Think You Can Dance- the kids want to watch with us), I got to watch the first 3 quarters of the Suns game and then get tweets about the fourth quarter and watch the nba.com play-by-play transcript.  Following Paul Coro's tweets, I was bummed as the Suns were, at the time, blowing the game. The first three quarters were very entertaining and encouraging, watching Phoenix play just a step ahead of one of the hottest teams in the league.

I went to nba.com when there were only a couple of minutes left. Believe it or not, watching a written transcript of the action of a close game is every bit as exciting and nerve-wracking. Down by 5, then 3, then 2. One minute left, down two, waiting to see the result of the Thunder's next possession. Could the Suns pull it off? A stop. Two free throws, tie game. At this point, the kids were huddled around the laptop and not watching the TV (but Lost was also recording, so no go on changing channels). A stop, and a second stop after the offensive rebound, 13 seconds left. Then...YES! The Richardson floating jump shot: Made (gracias nba.com description). 104-102 with 0.7 seconds left. A missed three-pointer and it is done! The pulled it off!!

This game was important for a few reasons. First of all, it was a quality road win against a potential playoff team. With the victory, Phoenix leapfrogged the Thunder in the standing and took the 5th seed position. Goran Dragic is proving he can play in this league- 16 points, 10 assists (but 6 turnovers) looked an awful lot like a line that Steve Nash gives. The team showed that it can win without Nash, even against a quality opponent. Amar'e Stoudemire put up another great performance (30 points, 9 rebounds) and Jason Richardson shone in an opportunity to show some leadership (20 points, 13 rebounds, the tying free throws, and the game-winner). I can live with this JRich, and even pay him $14 million. The team, after blowing a 15 point lead (yes, that story again), closed the game on a 16-4 run, and got defensive stops when it counted. As Nash said the other night, "That's what you get when you play the Suns".

All of these are great. But, for me, the most important thing was that it was win number 35. Why is that important? Well, my wife is a pessimist, and that's okay. She is the type that when she is disappointed, it really gets her down. As a result, she prefers to keep expectations low, so not to be disappointed. As for me, I'm used to disappointment when it comes to our teams. I am realistic, but I prefer to be optimistic as a fan. I'd prefer to be hurt later than miserable the entire time. Before the season began, Cami (the eternally pessimistic fan) and I were talking about what we thought of the Suns going into the season. I told her- 50 wins and a 6 seed. Cami said 34 wins, "I guarantee it." She thought that either Stoudemire or Nash would go down with an injury, tanking the season. With 24 games to go, 50 wins are definitely within reach, and the Suns are now the 5 seed. More importantly, tonight's win is number 35. You know what that means, right? My wife has been proven wrong, and that is always something sweet. Thanks, Suns, for your victory and mine.

Basketball Game Lost, Saved From Ice Dancing- Only a Moral Victory

So, the TV downstairs is supposed to be 'my TV.' It is my high-def, connected to Dolby Digital surround sound TV. But if you have ever been married (and I have for almost eleven years) you know that 'my TV' really means 'my TV when it's convenient for you, dear' or 'my TV, but if I want to spend any time with you, I watch what you want.' Never mind that she has 'her TV' in our room. You guys know what I mean. Tonight was 'I'm too tired to go watch my TV, so I'll hijack yours and it's okay because we're watching something together.' Those were her actual words, just not from her mouth- but I know she thought them.

I had NBATV on to watch the Jazz/Hawks game (which based on the score must have been a good game to watch), but after dinner was over and I was washing dishes (yes, I wash the dishes in our house), I was told (without any words) "Goodbye, NBA. Hello, ski-jumping." Now, I have nothing against in particular against ski-jumping, except that it was on 'my TV' instead of Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer. So, ski-jumping it is. It was okay, but I have no idea how scoring works. Austria wins.

Next up, aerials. This is AMAZING to watch, but I have to wonder- who ever decided that it would be a good idea to fly in the air, spin, twirl, and flip, all while wearing skis? You don't land on your skis, and you plow into snow. Last I checked, snow isn't soft. But these people take the insanity several steps past insane- they decided that it was fun (rational for adrenaline junkies), then they decided that this should be a competitive sport and then someone said: "Hey, I want to do this in the Olympics, so I can risk death regularly just in training".

At least this is watchable. I was afraid of what was to come- ice dancing. Luckily for me, before the dancing (or rather, the skating for those who weren't good enough to be figure skaters) started, my wife said she was going to bed (she pulled a 12 hour day at work). Relief!! So I go back to NBATV, and, what do you know, post-game interviews. So, since all other shows stopped running new episodes, off to MSNBC for curling. What a way to end the night- watching John Shuster say, "Sorry, guys" more than you wish to see and China hand it to the US curling team. Not a good ending, but at least I was saved from ice dancing. Am I right?

Jackie Earle Haley = Steve Nash in 2020

I will admit- I had no idea who Jackie Earle Haley was or any of his work until I started watch Fox's The Human Target with my wife (which I greatly enjoy). If you haven't watched the show before, Jackie Earle Haley is Guerrero. But, have a look- I can see Steve Nash looking just like him in ten years, growing the facial hair and wearing the John Lennon specs. What do you think?

A Letter to Tiger

Dear Mr. Woods (aka supposedly The Most Important Athlete in the World),

I am (sort of) a fan of golf, but I can't even call myself a casual fan. I follow who wins the majors and some tournaments, but I don't watch it, and, with the exception of once in my life, the only golfing I do only involves rubber-headed putters, oddly colored balls, and windmills and castles. But I did listen to your prepared statement to the world. I'm like the rest of the world; I wanted to hear what the Great Tiger Woods had to say. What were you going to say? Was Elin going to be there? When ARE you going to golf again?

After watching and listening, my first impressions are that you said all that needed to be said. You took responsibility for the things you did. You explained that you and your wife are working on things, although she was not present, which in itself says many things. You were understandably indignant when addressing how the paparazzi and the press followed your wife and kid around, and the allegations that Elin attacked you, but you should have expected this. For a person of your popularity and importance to the world, when you disappear and leave nothing in the way of facts, people are left to fill in the blanks, which includes going down inappropriate paths. It's not right, but that is how things work.

What many people have found to be the most important part of what you said is how you apologized to the fans and those who look up to you and your asking that we someday can come to believe in you. This is what got me. Everything about the way you have done things up until now tell me that you never really believed in that idea. You have had many opportunities to step up and take a stand on social issues, but didn't because you just wanted to play golf. I imagine that you knew that people looked to you as a hero because of what you have accomplished, but you never believed that it was your place.

Now, as a husband and father, I find your actions to be reprehensible, as do many. I do not blame the sponsors that dropped you. I personally believe it is bad practice in society to knowingly support those who cannot stay true to their own family. And yet, since all you are is an athlete, it is no business of mine to know what you do in your family. If you are unfaithful, it does nothing to me and my family. You owed no one other than your family and personal friends an apology. But because you are the Great Tiger Woods, The President of Golf, The Most Watched Athlete on Earth, and The Chosen One To End The War With Machines (oh, you're not that last one? Sorry), you had to so that you could move forward with your career.

This is the problem. Why are so many people looking to you to be a role model? All you have shown us, even before the public knowledge of your indiscretions, is that you win as a golfer. You have not exhibited camaraderie with your fellow golfers. You have not shown grace or classiness on the golf course. You have not shown sensitivity to social issues. You have only won, although you have done that a lot. I never would have taught my children to look up to your or believe in you. There are far too many other people that demonstrate far greater attributes than you. I don't blame you- this is not your fault, but rather an indictment on our society. We want to look to our celebrities as our examples. All you did was try to be the best golfer in the world.

Now I hope for your family's sake that you are sincere in your words and that you can find forgiveness and reconciliation. I believe that one should be able to find these things for almost all things if there is true change in acts and desires. Perhaps your apology was appropriate for a select few- for those who look to you as a model for golf. These people need to see you play, succeed, and change to show the respect that the sport deserves. As for the rest of us, just get yourself right and go play golf. That is what we need from you, more than any prepared words of apology, explanations, or anything else.

Sincerely,

All of us

What Lies Ahead for Amar'e

So it seems that, barring MAJOR changes at the eleventh hour, Amar'e Stoudemire will be a Phoenix Sun for the remainder of the season. Cleveland decided that it did not want to part with JJ Hickson and traded for Antawn Jamison instead. Miami seemingly has not offered anything that the Suns want, so we get to see the team give it a go this year. For this season, it is definitely a positive. The Suns could, if they keep up the quality play, find themselves in the playoffs with home-court advantage for at least the first series. They have shown that they can, on any given night, play and beat anyone in the NBA. But, then what? Stoudemire still can opt out of the last year of his contract, worth more than $17 million and walk away. Will Phoenix end up losing one of the most talented players in the league for nothing? Is the Suns front office that stupid?

While I have questioned the sanity and intelligence of some of the moves that the Suns have made over the past few seasons, I wouldn't think that they would let their co-best player walk away for nothing (By the way, if you ever want to feel like pulling out your hair or throwing yourself in front of an SUV on the freeway, read pages 180-182 in Bill Simmon's The Book of Basketball, where it describes some of the moves made and their ramifications). The Suns are still in good shape. They are not powerless. Here is what is likely to happen:

Stoudemire decides not to opt out of his deal

If he does this, he plays the last year of his deal and earns more than $17 million. For the Suns, he still is a valuable asset. He will be an expiring contract and still will be a top tier player. This also gives the team some more time to negotiate an extension. Reportedly, the team and Amar'e are not differing in money, but in years. This may get worked out. If not, he would likely be moved before the trading deadline next season.

Stoudemire opts out, Suns sign-and-trade

This is the more likely scenario. If he opts out, the team that can give him the most years and money is Phoenix. this is ideally what he wants. The Suns would work a deal with another team, getting players/picks that they hopefully want, and Stoudemire gets the money and security he desires.

In the end, Phoenix will work the situation to either sign him to an extension or get compensated for him. This is the type of managing that we as fans expect- actual planning. Now, what the team REALLY needs to figure out to do is to shed Jason Richardson's or Leandro Barbosa's contract to get a pick in the first round of this year's draft and to find salary relief...but mostly so we can get a draft pick. I hope that my trust in management in THIS particular issue is not misguided.

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