Count me among the folks who over the years have occasionally ridiculed people for watching the NBA instead of doing far more entertaining things like, say, watching paint dry.
During some periods it's been low-hanging fruit for such derision, particularly compared to the days of Magic, Bird, Jordan, Isiah and others. But during other times, the ridicule has been lazy and unfounded.
This would be one of those times. Because every time I happen to flip to an NBA game, I find myself wondering why I don't watch more of it.
The most striking thing is the ridiculous athleticism on display; if there's a collection of more spectacularly gifted athletes on this planet, please point me in that direction. The 1980s and 90s were great and all, but acrobatics that were mind-blowing then seem mundane compared to some of the stuff you see now. So many big dudes who are incredibly skilled and quick off the dribble before jaw-dropping finishes at the rim.
And it's not fair to write these guys off as not playing a lick of defense, either. Maybe that's the case during the regular season, but there's been some stifling defense regularly on display during the playoffs.
And it's usually great theater, too.
Of course, there's always women's softball if the NBA playoffs don't float your boat.
A few other thoughts and links on a rainy Tuesday morning in Clemson:
-- Congrats to Richie Shaffer, who'll soon be a rich young man after being taken 25th by Tampa Bay.
"He's a kid we've watched since high school," said R.J. Harrison, the Rays scouting director. "We've liked him since high school. He went on to Clemson and really matured into the player we thought he would be. He's one of the guys in this draft we thought really stood out."
Things were so crazy around the Shaffer house – with some 45-50 family members and friends – when his name was called by MLB commissioner Bud Selig, Shaffer didn't even hear it.
"It was pretty incredible," said Shaffer, a Flemington, N.J., native. "To be honest, I really didn't hear it. I kind of spaced out. Everybody started screaming. I didn't know what was going on until I saw my name on the TV."
Impressed with just about everything I've seen from Shaffer. He didn't have a good weekend in Columbia, but it was abundantly clear that he was grinding as hard as he could in his last collegiate at-bat. It was also obvious that the was genuinely hurt that the Tigers couldn't get it done in two tries against the Gamecocks.
And the most profound moment: Seconds after Saturday's knee-buckling defeat, Shaffer was screaming at his teammates to exit the dugout and shake hands with the Gamecocks at home plate.
Class guy all the way. Best of luck to him.
-- Still can't quite wrap my mind around Florida State being picked No. 1 by, well, anyone. Much less Phil Steele, who does a pretty good job of this stuff. In my mind, still too many questions about E.J. Manuel, the offensive line, and Jimbo Fisher's ability to run the show on offense while also being a head coach.
Matt Hinton of CBSSports.com talks about yet another summer of Seminole love.
-- Returning to the baseball topic, here's something that Jack Legget might still be brooding over as he tries to extricate himself from Post-Season Depression:
Remember the two great plays made Saturday at third by Joey Pankake and Michael Roth? Both plays were really close, and in both cases the runner just happened to be Clemson's slowest runner: Spencer Kieboom. Nothing against Kieboom, who's a good guy and made a great defensive play to send the game into extra innings. But if any other guy is running the bases, those great efforts by Pankake and Roth don't result in two crucial outs. Kieboom also grounded into a double play early in the game with a man on third and one out.
-- And hard-throwing right-hander Lucas Sims says he was "ecstatic" to be taken by the Braves in the first round.
LW
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