Perception and Reality

Perception – Dirk Nowitzki has shed the label of “soft” that he has had after finally winning a title.

Reality – Not to piss on the fire that is the Nowitzki love fest (I’ve been putting logs on that fire since Game 2 of the Lakers series), but I’ll still classify Dirk as a finesse player. Sure, he’s more willing to drive to the basket when needed than he was earlier in his career, but this isn’t a guy that lives in the paint.

            ESPN.com posted this column that compared Dirk to other power forwards in NBA history. While it’s interesting to look at that list, is it fair to compare Charles Barkley and Nowitzki? Their games are totally different. Barkley was capable of putting up 30-15 every night in his glory days while totally controlling the paint. Nowitzki makes his living nailing unblockable mid-range jumpers. Dirk should be looked at as 7-foot German version of Larry Bird (minus the overall playmaking ability Bird had), and a player who had enough talent to be centerpiece of a championship team.   

Perception – “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” is the best new show for 2-5 year-olds on television (based on television ratings).

Reality – Here’s the basic plot outline for every episode of this cartoon.

1. Captain Hook steals something from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.
2. Jake and the Neverland Pirates take it back.
3. Captain Hook ends up either stuck in a tree, stuck on an island, or floating in the water.

Other than the pirates saying “YO HO!” all the time (which makes me giggle, because occasionally I have the maturity of a 13-year old), this show brings nothing to the table. If you’re looking for a good kids show, watch “Yo Gabba Gabba” or “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”.

Perception – Lebron James is too scared in the clutch to take advantage of his otherworldly abilities.

Reality – You could read a thousand opinions on this, but I’ll offer up my take (because commenting on things that have been discussed a billion times is what bloggers do. Or so I’ve been told). Lebron James and Dwyane Wade essentially do the same things on the basketball court. Unfortunately, they can’t do most of those things at the same time. Wade is the more assertive of the two, which therefore results in Lebron deferring to him the majority of the time. There are three things that can improve Miami’s chances for winning a championship in 2012.

1. Make Lebron the official starting point guard. It makes more sense to have James channel his inner-Magic Johnson with Wade on the wing as opposed to both out wide and taking turns on isos. Throw in sending Wade to “Ray Allen School” (which specializes in the art of running around screens without the basketball), and you would have all the makings of a dynamite offense.
2. Lebron should lock himself in a gym for the entire month of July and have Hakeem Olajuwon teach him how to play in the post. With his combination of size, quickness, and passing, James would be deadly operating out of the paint.
3. Either Wade or Lebron should be traded for Dwight Howard (EDITORS NOTE: I realize this will never happen, but it’s fun to throw out there. That’s another thing hack bloggers do. Throw out situations that will never occur but discuss them like they could). Whichever one is left would have the benefit of dominating the basketball. Chris Bosh would then become the secondary scoring option, and Dwight Howard would defend the paint and make up for Bosh’s lack of…how should I put this…onions. 

Perception – Sympathy is lost for a murdered mother when it is rumored that she was involved in dealing drugs.

Reality – Loyal readers of this blog might recall this piece I wrote a couple of months ago about a murder that occurred in North Conway. When the story first broke (from the disappearance to the announcement that the body was found), there was nothing but sympathy for the mother and her daughter. However, as facts have slowly come out, and the locals are now under the impression that she ended up in her situation due to drugs, pity was lost. I’ve even heard some people around town say “the daughter is better off now that she will be out of that situation”.

            Not to sound like a bleeding heart, but ignorant statements of that nature drive me insane. It’s reckless to assert that any child is better off with their mother dead. I don’t care how shady or questionable a person is, but that child will never have a stronger bond with anyone than she would’ve had with her mom. We shouldn’t let the involvement of drugs cloud the fact that a young girl will be motherless for the rest of her life.

Perception – Glenn Beck is bonkers.

Reality – In this case, perception really is reality.

Perception – Kyle Busch deserved getting the snot beat out of him by car owner Richard Childress.

Reality – I’ll keep this one short because I know most of you don’t give a crap about NASCAR…NO!!! I get that Childress was sick of Busch roughing up his drivers, and wanted to prove a point. However, Kyle Busch bumping up against the side of a truck after a race to show his displeasure with how he was raced didn’t warrant that behavior. As a matter of fact, unless you’re in a boxing ring, the octagon, or in a life or death situation, I really feel like there’s no need to ever punch someone in the face (somewhere in another dimension, John Lennon is smiling after reading that sentence). Childress is a multi-millionaire who is one of the most successful owners in NASCAR history. Lobby NASCAR, Bitch to the media about Kyle Busch, paint “Shrub is an Ass” on the hood of one of your cars, but don’t punch the dude in the face.

(EDITORS NOTE: Sorry, went longer than advertised on that one…)

Perception – Of all the Boston sports teams, the Bruins are the most stable for the next decade.

Reality – Let’s look at this in terms of pros and cons for the Bruins.

PROS

1. Tyler Seguin finally showed what he could potentially deliver when he was unleashed in the Conference Finals against Tampa Bay. Seguin has all the tools to develop into a franchise forward that can carry the offense.
2. Boston will have the 9^th pick in the 2011 draft thanks to the Phil Kessel trade (keep in mind that they got Seguin with the 2^nd pick last year thanks to this trade also).
3. Other than Mark Recchi (who is retiring), Tomas Kaberle (a trade-deadline rental who will not be back), and Michael Ryder (a free-agent who is replaceable, but could resign for less than the $4 million he was paid last season), the entire team is under contract for next season.

CONS

1. Tim Thomas is 37-years old. He certainly can give a couple more solid seasons, but isn’t the long-term answer in goal. Tukka Rask was serviceable in 2009-10, but it’s unclear if he is more than a spot-starter. If Boston doesn’t address the goalie position in the draft the next year or two, goaltending will be an issue.
2. The NHL is the most fluid of all the four major professional sports. There have been six different champions in the six seasons since the NHL lockout. Boston should be a playoff team for the foreseeable future, but it would be foolish to think they can be a dynasty.

With all that said, here is my list of who I expect to be the most successful sports teams in Boston for the next five years.

1. Boston Red Sox (Adrian Gonzalez is a beast)
2. Boston Bruins (If Seguin reaches his potential, they can vault over the Sox)
3. New England Patriots (New England’s relentless hording of draft picks gives them tons of flexibility going forward)
4. Boston Celtics (Aging core, unclear if Rondo will ever develop into a true franchise point guard. They vault up the list if they make a huge splash in the summer of 2012)