Quick Hits

1. Super Bowl Shock
Let me just say first off: I’ve gotten to the point where I’m very rarely surprised by happenings in the world of sports. The number of upsets, chokes, and completely impossible feats that have taken place over the last few years have truly led me to believe that absolutely ANYTHING can and will happen when two teams take the court/field. The last college football season taught me that much, at least.

That said, when Plaxico Burress caught that touchdown with 35 seconds left to put the Giants on top for good, I was speechless. I literally could not think of a word to say for a good thirty seconds. I don’t think anyone REALLY thought the Giants would or could win. Even hardcore Giants fans had to know the chances of this happening were as good as hitting a royal flush…in a five million dollar tournament…playing against Doyle Brunson. Even with New York at the 14 yard line and a first down, needing a touchdown, I didn’t believe it would happen. The Patriots have been a “bend, don’t break” team all year, surely in this, the biggest of all games, they would step up one last time. Instead the Pats had a serious of miscues, from failing to sack Eli Manning when he was literally in the arms of about 4 different defenders, to dropping two interceptions on the final drive, to straight up getting TORCHED on the goal line.

It was really a very good game, though I’m a fan of a high scoring affair over a defensive battle. And really, after quite a few crappy Super Bowls in the last decade or so, all you can ask for is a good game. I’m still shocked and I’m a little disappointed about no longer being able to make fun of Eli Manning for his severe case of “dumbface” and ineptitude. But a good game nonetheless and the Giants certainly deserve the Ring.

One parting question: Is this a great upset or an historic choke? There is a huge difference and I think it’s a serious argument, one of which I’m not entirely decided on as to which side I fall on.

2. Bob Knight Retires
Maybe as unexpected as the Giants win in the Super Bowl, legendary coach Bob Knight retired/resigned as men’s basketball coach at Texas Tech Monday, leaving his son Pat Knight in charge of the program. Coach Knight and I have a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, I think he is very often a jackass of the highest order. He demands respect from everyone else around him yet opts not to return the favor. His outbursts of anger have ranged from ridiculous to shameful. But on the other hand, his results speak for themselves. Knight won three NCAA championships. His “coaching tree” includes several impressive names, including perhaps the greatest coach in the NCAA (and certainly my favorite), Mike Krzyzewski. He graduates his players at an amazing rate. And almost every one of his players will defend him to the death.

Coach Knight is a walking contradiction. A screaming, angry old man who also happens to work brilliantly with small kids. A man who once threw a chair across a basketball floor who also donates huge chunks of change to build libraries.

In the end, I’ve come to overlook his deficiencies and appreciate Coach Knight for his contributions to the world of basketball. In an age of premadonas who never hear the word no from anyone including their coaches, Knight holds his players to a different standard. His discipline may come off as extreme at times but make no mistake, Coach Knight makes men out of boys and has often changed the lives of his players for the better.

Would I send my kids to play for Coach Knight? Probably not. But there are a lot of kids who need the discipline he has always insisted on without regard to skill. College basketball is not the same without The General patrolling the sideline and his brand of coaching, while controversial, has left a lasting, positive impact that will be sorely missed.

3. Shaq Traded
The Phoenix Suns acquired the great Shaquille O’neal on Thursday, giving up longtime Sun Shawn Marion and little used guard Marcus Banks. I was both surprised by the speed with which this deal was pulled off (no rumors surfaced beforehand) and what Phoenix gave up for The Big Aphrodite.

I’m not a fan of Shawn Marion in any way. I think he might be the most overrated player in the league. He had a perfect setup in Phoenix, getting paid like the number one guy but playing the role of the third option. His stats were exaggerated by the Suns style, though he was a major part of their defensive scheme. Marion has been crying about his role on the team for years, often publicly questioning the team and why he wasn’t getting the ball (apparently unaware that he was on the same team with MVP Steve Nash and wunderkind Amare Stoudemire). Marion was a locker room cancer who hopefully will soon become a free agent and sign with a terrible team that will struggle to win 20 games while allowing him to be the number one option he so badly wants to be. It is exactly what he deserves.

At the same time, however, I cannot see how Shaq fits in with the Suns run and gun system. Shaq is deteriorating quickly. With certain teams (such as the Mavs), he would fit perfectly: he could be a third or fourth option on a team that plays a great deal of half court offense. But the Suns’ strategy is to shoot within the first eight seconds of the shot clock. Shaq may not be able to make it across half court in eight seconds. And while I can’t stand Marion, he was the Suns best (only) defender who was often matched up against the opponent’s point guard in order to disguise Steve Nash’s inability to guard a three legged dog. On the first night without Marion, opposing point guard Chris Paul ripped off 42 points against the Suns. In addition, Marion was Nash’s best running mate. The alley oop from Nash to Marion was a major part of the offense and the Suns now seem much older and less athletic without Marion on the floor.

On the flip side, I applaud the Suns for recognizing that their window of opportunity is closing. Nash turned 34 this week. Point guards do not hold up well in this league, similar to the way running backs seem to crash rapidly after hitting the 30 year old mark. There are exceptions to the rule (Jason Kidd, John Stockton), but I doubt Nash will fall into that category. He’s already shown a propensity for fading as the playoffs progress, often coming up empty in the final stretches of the season. Grant Hill has been a major asset for the Suns this year, but he also is getting old fast and truthfully, he’s so injury prone you almost have to hope you can get one good season out of him. Amare Stoudemire is proving his to be either overrated or unwilling to work up to his potential and eventually he’ll end up being traded. The Suns are basically headed for the lottery within the next two years with or without Shaq. Trading for O’neal may give the Suns their best opportunity to win right now before Nash crashes and burns. They’ve acknowledged that the core of Nash-Marion-Stoudemire cannot get the job done and taken a gamble on Shaq becoming motivated to get one last ring.

Two more quick points about this trade from the Suns perspective: On the positive side, while Shaq is a shell of his former self, he’s still pretty un-guardable in the post. Phoenix has had a MAJOR issue scoring the ball without Nash in the game, leading to Stevie being overplayed. With Shaq, the Suns should be able to score a few buckets while Nash rests just by dumping it into the Big Fella. On the negative side, I think this move hurts Amare Stoudemire’s development tremendously. Amare is one of the best physical talents in the NBA. It’s sickening how athletic the guy is. Yet he is often unmotivated to work inside where he is most effective. A physical defender can easily force Amare into shooting 18 footers all night. Adding Shaq and his amazing size to the middle of the paint will almost certainly force Amare to the outside, resulting in more and more outside jumpers. It’s quite possible that Amare will never go back to the paint the way he should.

I’m unconvinced that this move will put the Suns over the top, mostly because the clash in style seems like it would be insurmountable. But I respect the team’s acknowledgement of their window closing and hope it will inspire the Mavs to do the same!