Posts Tagged ‘War Room Sports Podcast Network’

KD and Kawhi’s Revenge

Friday, June 28th, 2019

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

kevin-durant-kawhi-leonard

He came out blazing!

For the opening minutes of Game 5 of the NBA Finals, you would have never known that Kevin Durant (KD) was dealing with what could be a career-ending injury.

He looked every bit the basketball phenom we have come to know. That is a combination of Bob McAdoo, George Gervin, and Dirk Nowitzki…only a better defender than either (did you see him at 7-foot stay in front of 6-foot guard Fred VanVleet?). Among non-centers, I consider KD to be the most difficult matchup for a defender in NBA history.

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Then Achilles arose and that is where we are today. This week, Durant declined his $31.5 million option to remain with the Warriors, which makes him an unrestricted free agent. While it is still in doubt whether or not Durant will ever be what he once was, make no mistake that multiple NBA teams will be willing to roll the dice that he will and offer him a super max contract.

KLLast year at this time, when Kawhi Leonard refused to play due to his injury, his basic interest in the game of basketball was being questioned. As a result, the San Antonio Spurs, which many consider to be among the most stable franchises in all of sports, traded him. Today, after leading the Raptors to an NBA title, he has a legitimate claim to be the best player in the game. He is also now an unrestricted free agent and will get a super max deal.

Overall, both KD and Kawhi get the last laugh…good for them. However, why do so many feel that it is their place to decide if someone is or is not hurt, and when a player should or should not play?

There are so many factors to be considered when it is determined if a professional athlete, less than 100%, should or should not play. Yet, rarely is there a narrative from us fans/media that considers all of those factors.

The most common line of thinking is something like this from a recent talk radio caller; “KD knew the risks and chose to play anyway. Professional athletes are obsessively competitive and always want to play, otherwise they likely would not have made it to this level. It is what they do. Those reading any more into this are over-analyzing. After all, one can walk outside and be struck by lightning”.

This vacuum analysis is based on the false premise that the decision to play was ultimately KD’s. That simply was not true. The ultimate decision maker is the organization. The vacuum of which I speak assumes that nothing external to KD’s line of thought drove the decision. The ridiculous and insulting notion that the Warriors are better without him was not a factor. Toxic masculinity, which exists in varying degrees on all male sports teams, that says, “You tough it out and play through injury”, was not a factor. The fact that the Warriors were down 3-1 and KD was their only viable hope of getting back into the series was not a factor. Finally, his pending free-agency option was not a factor.

Anyone that believes any of this is delusional beyond imagination.

Without going into the thinly-veiled homophobic tone of “he is soft”, there is the condescending arrogance that we know their bodies better than they do. Even the “ok” from team doctors is suspect because…he/she is the TEAM’S doctor and thus has an inherent conflict of interest. Also, just because people would have played hurt “back in the day” does not mean they should today. Once upon a time people worked without wages. That does not make it a valid consideration for labor today. Finally, there is the notion that because they make a lot of money, they should play short of being on a deathbed. In fact the opposite makes more sense. If we speak in terms of the professional athlete’s body being his most valuable commodity, then why would he risk compounding an injury by playing hurt?

One thing about the journey of KD and Kawhi is that they were both once considered low profile personalities. They were the humble, anti-showboat type of athletes that fans wanted to root for…that is until they did not provide the labor that was expected. Today, both are cautionary tales that despite all the fame and money, many fans, media, and especially owners see professional athletes as chattel.

Speaking of “owners”, this mindset is why NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, to his credit, is paying attention to the designation of “owner”. In a country where Black men were once literally property, and in a league where they make up nearly 75% of the players, referring to their “bosses” as owners should be more than a dog whistle. Of course, formal Chattel Slavery that once existed in America is no more. But as long as so many feel it their place to tell a grown man when he is and isn’t hurt, should or should not play, it will be a reminder that the slave owner’s mentality is in the present, alive and well.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

The Crap Shoot Called the NFL Draft

Tuesday, May 1st, 2018

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

2011 NFL Draft

That annual rite of sports passage is mercifully over.

I am referring to the National Football League draft, which is quite possibly the single most over-analyzed, unscientific spectacle in American society.
Without even going into the aspect that has an undeniable slave auction feel and optics, can you think of any other event in America that has produced more self-appointed experts with less reliable outcomes than the NFL draft?

It’s not that the Mel Kipers of the world don’t do their homework. Most of them do. It’s not that the information provided is useless. Some of it is valuable.

The reason why the draft is largely a crap shoot is because no matter how sound the information gathered about a player, it is impossible to predict, with any degree of certainty how a 21-22 year old man will react to the NFL cultural environment. It’s bigger than just the football itself. First round picks become instant millionaires. In college, none have an abundance of expendable cash. In college, he must study subject matter he may not care about for the sake of staying eligible. In college, he did not have a multitude of parasitic people around him, some of whom are his own family. He will have that in addition to opportunistic women in the NFL. Lottery winners twice their age do not have a good track record of handling such a situation and we actually believe that we can forecast how a 20-something who has not even reached full brain maturity will?

Human behavior and performance is actually relatively predictable based on past behavior and performance. The wildcard caveat to such forecasts is that one must be able to replicate the environment and circumstances under which that past behavior and performance occurred. The best college football programs cannot replicate the NFL culture for their players.

This is why so few teams have a long track record of quality drafting. As a matter of fact, only one team comes to mind that has mastered this process over multiple generations and it is not the New England Patriots. The Patriots’ success is almost exclusively a function of the Tom Brady/ Bill Belichick era and let’s be honest, they got lucky with Brady. How else can you describe it when they waited until the 6th round to pick him? Do you really believe they would have waited that long had they had any inkling he would be what he has been? The other side draft benefit to having this sustained greatness for nearly 20 years at OB is that they have not had to take a QB in the first round. First round QBs are the most expensive picks and therefore the Patriots have had more cap space to pursue other players.

Call it “homerism” if you’d like, but the team that has had the most sustained draft success since the 1970 merger has been my own PITTSBURGH STEELERS!

That year was the last time the Steelers had the overall number 1 pick, which the team used on Terry Bradshaw. He is now in the Hall of Fame! Since then:

  • The Steelers have been the only team that has won at least 5 games every year. The Cowboys have hit rock bottom (4-28 in 1988-89). The 49ers have hit rock bottom (4-28 in 1978-79) and recently. The Patriots hit rock bottom on multiple occasions (9-39 from 1990-92 and 2-14 in 1981) prior to their current run. The Steelers have never hit rock bottom;
    • Four of their first 5 picks in 1974 (Swann, Lambert, Stallworth and Webster) are all in the Hall of Fame. Safety Donnie Shell was a free agent from that same class, signed out of HBCU South Carolina State and went on to become a perennial Pro-Bowler and may have his Hall of Fame name called soon;
    • The entire 1979 Super Bowl Champions roster were made up completely of their own draft picks. That had not happened before or since; and
    • The Steelers have won the most post season games (36), games overall, and of course Super Bowls (6) since the merger in 1970.

The term we card-carrying members of Steeler Nation use to describe our draft acumen is “STEEL CERTAIN!” And still yet, even with our great history and success, in 1983 we took Gabe Rivera out of Texas Tech instead of homegrown Dan Marino. It took the organization about 10 years to become a consistent playoff team again and about 20 before Big Ben’s arrival put us back on the top. No team is above blowing it in the draft.

So the next time you find yourself watching the draft “analysts” pontificating about the grades of each team’s draft before any of the picks have put on the team pads and uniform, take it with a grain of salt. Enjoy it for the entertainment it may be and nothing else.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

 

Dusty Baker is a Hall of Fame Manager

Friday, September 29th, 2017

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker looks on from the dugout before a baseball game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker looks on from the dugout before a baseball game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

As the Washington Nationals prepare for the post season, it should be noted that this is old hat for manager Dusty Baker. In fact, it’s as good of a time as any to make the case that Dusty Baker should one day be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

That’s right, I said it, and the reasons people resist this idea are as interesting as the case that he is, so let’s start with those reasons.

Not only has Dusty Baker never managed a World Series winner, but he has presided over some of the most infamous pennant race and post season collapses in recent baseball history.

He has been the Marty Schotenheimer of major league baseball managers.

The list is as follows:

  • 1993 Giants had an 8 game lead over the Braves in August. Though the team would win a franchise record 103 games, they would lose the Western Division on the last day of the season (losing to those damn Dodgers). That team would not make it to the post season. Many consider that season’s outcome to be the primary basis for the development of the wild card in baseball, giving the best second place team a place in the post season;
  • 2002 Giants have a 3 games to 2 lead over the Angels in game 6 of the World Series and are 5 outs from winning their first world series since 1954. Then it all fell apart and the Angels go on to win in 7 games;
  • 2003 Chicago Cubs and the infamous Bartman game and series. The Marlins win that game 6 and eventually game 7 in Chicago, and beat the Yankees in the World Series.
  • 2012 Reds win the first two games in San Francisco of a best of 5 series, only to lose 3 straight to my Giants in Cincinnati. The Giants go on to win their second World Series of 3 in a 5 year span.

As sports fans, we tend to remember individual failure more than cumulative success.  Ask any fan what they remember most about Billy Buckner and they are likely to cite the 1986 World Series error rather than the 2700+ career hits and 1980 NL batting title.  The same is true of Ernest Byner in football.

It is fair to cite Baker as the only common denominator in all of the above noted collapses.  My primary response is that only an exceptional manager would continually be in these situations.

The case for Baker is as follows:

  • His 1800+ wins are more than Earl Weaver, Tommy Lasorda, or Dick Williams, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame;
  • He is one of only 4 managers to take 4 different teams to the post season, along with Williams, Billy Martin, and Davey Johnson. Martin and Johnson each have their own Hall of Fame cases;
  • He has ten 90 win seasons. All managers with this number or more are in the Hall of fame;
  • He managed Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent over multiple 162 game seasons, which is every bit as difficult as coaching Shaq and Kobe.

So exactly what factors most impact a manager’s success? I say 4, which are communication skills, baseball tactics, instincts, and situation. The manager actually only has control of the first three.  By all accounts, Baker is a great communicator. The problem is that this skill is the least observable to fans and even the sports writers who vote for the Hall of Fame.  So Baker’s greatest skill is the least measurable. His baseball tactics and instincts would have to be above average to win nearly 2000 games. Sure, anyone can find a decision on bullpen or bench management here or there, to dispute over the course of 23 years and 162 game seasons. But surely not enough to question his deserving of Hall of Fame status. The last factor would be the situation, and the manager has little to no control over that factor.  Situation includes the owner, timing, talent, etc. Let’s be clear about this, Joe Torre managed 3 different teams before he took the reins of the Yankees.  In the years before he got there, notoriously meddling owner George Steinbrenner was suspended from the day to day operations of the team.  His history was to win now, future be damned.  What this resulted in was young talent being traded away for veterans.  Due to his suspension, this did not happen in the mid-90s, and thus, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Petite, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter remained in their system and awaited Torre’s tutelage.  The rest is history.  From 1996-2000, the Yankees would win the World Series four times.

Joe Torre did not suddenly learn how to manage in New York with the Yankees.  But the fact is, if you take away his Yankees tenure, his career managerial record is sub-500.  Situation matters.

Dick Williams found working under A’s owner Charlie O Finely so difficult, he resigned from a 2-time defending champion team after the 1973 season, in a similar way that Jimmy Johnson left the Cowboys. Situation matters.

Regardless of the situation, Dusty Baker has won and he has won a lot. This should earn him a bust in Cooperstown someday.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

Bob Dandridge Visits The War Room!

Thursday, June 8th, 2017

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Milwaukee Bucks’ legend, Bob Dandridge will be in The War Room this Thursday, June 8th, to discuss a myriad of NBA topics, past and present!

Tune in Thursday, June 8th at 6pm EST to hear our conversation with the NBA Champion/SHOULD-BE Hall of Famer!  To tune in, go to www.WarRoomSports.com and click the “Listen Live” button…or dial 323-410-0012 to listen live by phone.  If you can’t catch us live, listen to the replay at ANY time after the live show on the War Room Sports Podcast Network, at www.WRSPN.com.

In the meantime, join the War Room Sports Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WarRoomSports to talk sports 24/7 and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WarRoomSports (@WarRoomSports)!

Finally, if you own an Android phone or tablet…an I-Phone, I-Pad, or I-Pod, please go to your Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download the FREE War Room Sports mobile app, or get it from the links below!  It’s the VERY BEST way to stay up on all of our media content!

Android: http://bit.ly/WRS4Android
Apple: http://bit.ly/WRS4IOS

Quick Slants – 8/12/16

Friday, August 12th, 2016

by Fred Perdue

FP

 

 

 

 

QS

As our SEC week concludes here are a few links to carry you into the weekend.
Check Out a Full Preview Of The Best Conference In The Nation…. THE SEC
If football doesn’t work out, LSU RB Leonard Fournette might be alright in the ring
Georgia is losing a key playmaker
The Florida-Tennessee Rivalry just gets better
Bowl Predictions Are Coming In. Who Will Be Right

 

Fred Perdue for War Room Sports

Follow and Interact with Fred on social media @FPerdueSports

Quick Slants – 8/4/16

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

by Fred Perdue

FP

 

 

 

 

QS

 

College Football season is approaching quickly. Throughout the year the coverage of college football will span on and off field issues, social media, and much more. Stay tuned to the latest in the Quick Slant.

Michigan Reveals Jumpman Apparel

Tennessee Wants to spearhead sexual assault

Oregon and Texas Tech agree on future meetings

LSU and Rice Agree to future meetings

The AP Released Their All Time Top 25 Poll

Woman takes stand and urges NCAA to do the same for players convicted of Sexual Assault.

Baylor isn’t out of the woods yet after firing former head coach Art Briles.

 

Fred Perdue for War Room Sports

Follow and Interact with Fred on social media @FPerdueSports

 

Peter King Drops By The War Room!

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

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SI.com MMQB’s Peter King will be in The War Room this Thursday, November 20th, to discuss several pressing issues in the NFL!

Tune in Thursday, November 20th at 6pm EST to hear our conversation with the accomplished journalist!  To tune in, go to www.WarRoomSports.com and click the “Listen Live” button…or dial 323-410-0012 to listen live by phone.  If you can’t catch us live, listen to the replay at ANY time after the live show on the War Room Sports Podcast Network, at www.WRSPN.com.

In the meantime, visit Peter King’s MMQB website to read he and his team’s latest articles at www.mmqb.si.com

…and follow Peter King on Twitter at: @SI_PeterKing

And while you’re at it, join the War Room Sports Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WarRoomSports to talk sports 24/7 and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WarRoomSports (@WarRoomSports)!

Finally, if you own an Android phone or tablet…an I-Phone, I-Pad, or I-Pod, please go to your Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download the FREE War Room Sports mobile app!  It’s the VERY BEST way to stay up on all of our media content!

Tracey Lee to Co-Host The War Room!

Monday, October 27th, 2014
It's "Party Time" in The War Room this week!

It’s “Party Time” in The War Room this week!

Hip-Hop Recording Artist Tracey Lee will be back in The War Room this Thursday, October 30th, this time as a special guest co-host.  We’ll discuss his hiatus from the rap game, his long-awaited, newly-released album “ESQ. The Revelation”, and of course his thoughts on the latest in the world of sports!

Tune in Thursday, October 30th at 6pm EST to hear “T-Lee” chop it up at the round-table with the “War Room Generals”!  To tune in, go to www.WarRoomSports.com and click the “Listen Live” button…or dial 323-410-0012 to listen live by phone.  If you can’t catch us live, listen to the replay at ANY time after the live show on the War Room Sports Podcast Network, at www.WRSPN.com.

In the meantime, visit T-Lee’s website to get info on how to get his latest album at http://traceyleemusic.com/

…and join the Tracey Lee Facebook Fan Page at:

https://www.facebook.com/TraceyLeeFanPage

And while you’re at it, join the War Room Sports Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WarRoomSports to talk sports 24/7 and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WarRoomSports (@WarRoomSports)!

Finally, if you own an Android phone or tablet…an I-Phone, I-Pad, or I-Pod, please go to your Google Play Store or Apple App Store and download the FREE War Room Sports mobile app!  It’s the VERY BEST way to stay up on all of our media content!

The Gaffer & Hooligan Blog: A Nervous and Anxious time with Uruguayans

Sunday, June 15th, 2014

by Kamal Hylton

Kamal Hylton Blog

 

 

 

 

Gaffer & Hooligan logo
Since I’ve been following soccer, I’ve only watched four World Cup tournaments before Brazil 2014.

In that time, I’ve never watched a national team game at a real supporters hangout… until today.

However rather than watch one of the major nations that has a mixture of die-hards and casuals, I was fortunate to be invited by fans of a nation that as I’ve witnessed has pure passion and national pride for its team.

(Image courtesy of TorontoHispano.com)

(Image courtesy of TorontoHispano.com)

For my first genuine experience, that nation was Uruguay and the venue was Club Uruguay in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada (just outside Toronto).

La Celeste taking on the Ticos of Costa Rica to open up its tournament.

The South American nation has a relatively small population of about 3 million people, but with what they lack in numbers they make up for in emotion and devotion.

Being an outsider, I came into this match thinking the fans would exude confidence against a side like Costa Rica.

This was way off base.

Whether it has to do with past history or being one of the last teams to qualify for the big dance in both 2010 (advancing 2-1 on aggregate against Costa Rica) and 2014 (advancing 5-0 on aggregate against Jordan), there was a feeling of nervous energy and anxiety.

Ultimately losing the game 3-1, the feeling at Club Uruguay changed to despair.
Uruguay vs. Costa Rica (Photo courtesy of The Guardian.com)

Uruguay vs. Costa Rica
(Photo courtesy of The Guardian.com)

Part of this is knowing that the matches only get tougher, with England and Italy to come in the next two group games.

Even though the result wasn’t favourable, I did come away with an appreciation for the soccer supporters of Uruguay.

I’m particularly impressed with the soccer intelligence of the people, not only cheering when Edinson Cavani scored the team’s lone goal on a penalty but doing so at other less obvious moments as well. The place erupting when the team won throw-ins and corners, made smart tackles that gained possession and on clearances out of the penalty area.

Being a nervous fellow by nature, I’m not sure if my heart can handle watching another Uruguay game with Uruguayans, but if I do I’ll now be prepared and ready to hopefully experience the joy that I’m all too sure would be pouring out of the supporters with a win.

Be sure to keep up with my World Cup experience on the War Room Sports Blog and catch the Gaffer & Hooligan World Cup mini-shows on the War Room Sports Podcast Network.

Kamal Hylton of The Gaffer & Hooligan Soccer Podcast, for War Room Sports

“We Could Be King” Coach Ed Dunn to Visit The War Room!

Wednesday, May 21st, 2014

We Could Be King

 

Martin Luther King Jr. High School (Philadelphia, PA) football coach Ed Dunn will be in The War Room this Thursday, May 22nd, to discuss the importance of youth and scholastic sports in America!  Coach Dunn was recently featured in the ESPN/Dick’s Sporting Goods documentary “We Could Be King”, which received rave reviews at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival.

Tune in Thursday, May 22nd at 6pm ET to hear our conversation with Coach Dunn!  To tune in, go to www.WarRoomSports.com and click the “Listen Live” button…or dial 323-410-0012 to listen LIVE by phone.

In the meantime, check your local listings and “On-Demand” for additional showings of “We Could Be King” and check out this New York Times article about the documentary HERE.

While you’re at it, you should also join the War Room Sports Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WarRoomSports and follow us on Twitter @WarRoomSports!

Finally, if you own an Android phone or tablet…an I-Phone, I-Pad, or I-Pod, please go to your Google Play and/or App Store and download the FREE War Room Sports mobile app (just search “War Room Sports”)!  It’s the VERY BEST way to stay up on all of our media content from one central location!