Cary Clack: They're all out to get the NBA champs

[spurssheriff]

Cary Clack: They're all out to get the NBA champs
San Antonio Express-News

Over the weekend, the San Antonio Spurs received three generous considerations from the NBA and ABC Television.

The first was that the Spurs didn't have to open their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on the same night they closed their playoff series against the Sacramento Kings.

Befitting the respect that should be given to the DEFENDING NBA CHAMPIONS, the league and television network, after having the Spurs play the late game Friday night, gave them an entire 36 hours to fly 1,500 miles and rest before having them play the early game on Sunday afternoon.

The second consideration was that the Spurs didn't have to play their first home game in Hartford, Conn., and were allowed to actually play in San Antonio.

The third gift of munificence came after Bruce Bowen's game-winning three-pointer when officials conferred and decided that he did indeed ask, "Mother, may I?" before launching his bomb and thus wouldn't be penalized.

Before Game 2 tonight, the Spurs will be required to catch a morning flight to Massachusetts, run the Boston Marathon course, catch a flight back to San Antonio, hopscotch from the airport to the AT&T Center and then jump through rings of fire before taking the court.

The Spurs and San Antonio as a city shouldn't be so hypersensitive that the DEFENDING NBA CHAMPIONS were asked to make such a quick turnaround for the Dallas series and that they weren't given the top billing of the late Sunday afternoon television slot.

That honor, instead, went to the first game of the playoff series between the Detroit Pistons — which the Spurs beat last year to become the DEFENDING NBA CHAMPIONS — and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are led by the outrageously precocious LeBron James.

It's of little consequence that on paper and on the court, the Spurs-Mavericks series promises to be the best and most closely contested. So what if the massacre at the Little Bighorn was closer than Game 1 of Detroit-Cleveland?

Before tip-off of Game 3 between San Antonio and Dallas, the Spurs must first take a flight to the Himalayas, bring back evidence of the existence of the Abominable Snowman and, on the return flight, watch the home movies of the birth of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby, narrated by Cruise in person.

San Antonio shouldn't feel slighted or think that the league and networks don't give them the props they deserve for being the DEFENDING NBA CHAMPIONS who have won two of the last three titles and three of the last seven.

The Spurs got to play the Pistons on Christmas Day 2004 in Detroit. That was a huge holiday matchup between the two teams who'd played in the previous season's finals. It made perfect sense that the Spurs should have to travel and the Pistons have the luxury of staying at home. After all, that's a perk and sign of respect of the Pistons being the current defending NBA champions. Right?

Before the Spurs compete in the the Western Conference Finals, they will be asked to consider changing their name and moving to New York.

Should the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals — to DEFEND THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP — they will be asked to complete five of the 12 tasks of Hercules, including cleaning the Augean Stables and capturing the Cretan Bulls.

If the Spurs repeat as champions, they won't be allowed, next season, to see their schedule of games. They will have to guess when and where they play and forfeit the games they miss.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/col....1157922d.html

[j_chantana]

a little drastic........this is the kind of article that other boards see and make san antonio look bad. who is this person? he/she's never written for the sports of the express news before

Cary Clack is a writer for the express news... he does just does off the wall stuff... if you get a chance you should read some of the stuff he writes... he's pretty funny...

He's just writing how over the top some folks have been about the spurs lastest delima..
(if that's how you spell it) ...

[JWest]

Clack has been writing for the E-N News for years. No, he doesn't write sports just on city and social issues and events.

I've never seen an NBA defending championship team being treated as an afterthought as much as the Spurs have been. God knows the number of writers and commentators who have referred to the Pistons as "Champs" this year. There's some justification.

[jaespur21]

Clack is a good writer and normally doesnt talk about the spurs even though he is featured daily on the Express News.. I Agree with him NOT just on Christmas But Easter day the WORLD CHAMPS went on the road 2 of the best days of the US calender(i dont know about yall but my family gets together on those days like no other) but the World Champs where on the road F THE NBA

[penwhen]

I think this thread, and the at least 2 others on this board dedicated to this issue, are proving Clack's underlying point--Spurs fans are getting a little too lathered up about being disrespected by the NBA and the networks. It is certainly clear that the NBA would rather have teams led by a superstar or teams in bigger markets play in the championship because it would get better ratings, and I've bemoaned this myself in other threads. But I think it's time for Spurs fans to let their team do the talking by winning it all and get over the television issue because all of our complaining certainly isn't going to change anything.

[jaespur21]

dude penwhen i dont know what you R talking bout dog
I read this guys point on commented on it .....ITs not something i talk about normally its just well known....Living in Sa we are use 2 it already....
I wasnt whinning @ all punk all day long i talked to ppl and not once did i complain about the nba but talked basketball I dont appreciate you calling spurs fans whiners

[Harro]

I think the whole 36 hour turn around would be and issue if the DEFENDING NBA CHAMPIONS actually lost the game. They did'nt. They won. put it to bed.

[Rooster Cogburn]

That article was horrible. Horrible.

[Robinson50]

It's horrible but kinda funny. I really like the idea of a blind schedule.

[pjjrfan]

Originally Posted by j_chantana

a little drastic........this is the kind of article that other boards see and make san antonio look bad. who is this person? he/she's never written for the sports of the express news before

Who is this guy? Mr. Clack is probably the most brilliant and compassionate writer on the Express-News staff. Perhaps the reason he doesn't write a lot about sports is because he writes more about the atrocities done to children by our civilized population. The next time you read about some child getting abused and killed look for this man's column, he has left me in tears more times than not. And at other times like with this article, he has has made me laugh and smile.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Originally Posted by pjjrfan

Who is this guy? Mr. Clack is probably the most brilliant and compassionate writer on the Express-News staff. Perhaps the reason he doesn't write a lot about sports is because he writes more about the atrocities done to children by our civilized population. The next time you read about some child getting abused and killed look for this man's column, he has left me in tears more times than not. And at other times like with this article, he has has made me laugh and smile.

Who says that I have to look to my newspaper for a brilliant and compasionate writer? When I read the NEWSpaper I am look to get my news, not some emotionally charged rhetoric.

I agree with the previous poster in that this article typified bad writing. If Clack's schtick is writing tear jerkers about child abuse, he needs to stay in his genre, and leave sports alone.

Next time I want to have a good compasionate cry when I read I will swing through the chick lit section of Barnes & Noble, not the Metro section of the Express News.

Rooster

[Harro]

Rooster is correct

[Derek Flint]

This was a funny article in my opinion. It pointed out very humorous way the way that the Spurs are treated not so much by the NBA, but by TV.

+++++++++++++++++++


And by the way, we could use a few more people of this writer's ilk in the newspaper business.

[Amente]

Piece of crap.

[Supernatural Anesthetist]

Originally Posted by boo_radley

This was a funny article in my opinion. It pointed out very humorous way the way that the Spurs are treated not so much by the NBA, but by TV.

+++++++++++++++++++


And by the way, we could use a few more people of this writer's ilk in the newspaper business.

I agree... presented in an outrageous and humorous light which serves it well (eg. its not darkly conspiratorial... which would be whining IMO) ...but it also makes a point.
I enjoyed it.

[carpetback]

Originally Posted by theman21

It's just a constant stream of disrespect because they don't have to give the Spurs any attention. They only care about the money and face it, the money is on the east and west coast of this nation. It's not even just disrespect to San Antonio. Dallas as well finished with a 60 win season, but was relatively uncovered on a national scale. The whole thing is VERY racist if you ask me.

Racist? Is Texan a race now?

[ElNonoMasa]

Cary should feel fortunate that everyone is not out to get him, writing that kind of garbage.

[Rooster Cogburn]

This is nothing more than the man keeping the Texicans down!

[penwhen]

Originally Posted by theman21

you make a good point, but how does winning solve anything? The Spurs have won more than any team in basketball over the past 10 years or so, they're listed as one of the top franchises of all american sports. Certainly winning doesn't change anything either.

I agree with you that if the Spurs' record over the past decade has yet to generate respect, it probably never will. The problem is, I don't see any way of resolving the "respect" issue if the NBA and tv continue in their current mindset. But winning is a great "up yours" to the league and its broadcast partners since a Spurs championship is their worst nightmare.

[Rip4Life]

Originally Posted by theman21

In game 1 of the Pistons vs Cavs at halftime they actually prepared an interview, featuring Billups they talked to him about his championship ring and showed images of the Pistons winning......funny, I don't remember seeing a piece like that about the Spurs.

Actually it was Rip they interviewed, how closely did you actually watch the interview?

And the Christmas day scheduling of the Spurs coming to Detroit on Christmas day was brought up a million times on here. He fails to mention that last year Detroit, as the defending Champions, had to travel to Indiana to play on Christmas day, I guess it wouldn't play in to the theme of his article to mention that.

[abmccray]

Originally Posted by JWest

I've never seen an NBA defending championship team being treated as an afterthought as much as the Spurs have been.

You obviously were in a coma last year then.

[Dave McNulla]

Originally Posted by Rip4Life

Actually it was Rip they interviewed, how closely did you actually watch the interview?

And the Christmas day scheduling of the Spurs coming to Detroit on Christmas day was brought up a million times on here. He fails to mention that last year Detroit, as the defending Champions, had to travel to Indiana to play on Christmas day, I guess it wouldn't play in to the theme of his article to mention that.

not to mention that the pistons had nothing to do with the top-billing on sunday. if the cavs were playing the bucks, that would have had top billing because the annointed one was playing. pistons get no respect either. that doesn't make it right.

[Brooklyn Dave]

Some of you guys are pretty harsh.

Cary Clack has been writing columns for several years. He writes some pretty good stuff - some of it serious and some of it tongue in cheek. I think it is safe to say that this piece was meant to be tongue in cheek.

I enjoyed it. Keep it up Cary!!

[Rip4Life]

Originally Posted by Dave McNulla

not to mention that the pistons had nothing to do with the top-billing on sunday. if the cavs were playing the bucks, that would have had top billing because the annointed one was playing. pistons get no respect either. that doesn't make it right.

Chauncey even said after Sundays game that they knew why they were in the coveted time slot on ABC and it wasn't because of them. They don't go from playing three games on NBATV in the first round to top billing, it's all because of Lebron. I said in another thread that it should be the best, most competitive, basketball game that should get the most attention. But this is the NBA where individual stars are the attraction.

And I actually think that the Pistons get more press and attention for their Championship two years ago this year than they did the year following that they won it. Right after the Pistons won it was all about the Lakers falling apart and Larry Brown this and that, only after they got back to the Finals again last year did people maybe actually realize that the Pistons really are a Championship team, even if they didn't win it last year.

Geez... what a bunch of haters...

[Supernatural Anesthetist]

Originally Posted by Rip4Life

Chauncey even said after Sundays game that they knew why they were in the coveted time slot on ABC and it wasn't because of them. They don't go from playing three games on NBATV in the first round to top billing, it's all because of Lebron. I said in another thread that it should be the best, most competitive, basketball game that should get the most attention. But this is the NBA where individual stars are the attraction.

And I actually think that the Pistons get more press and attention for their Championship two years ago this year than they did the year following that they won it. Right after the Pistons won it was all about the Lakers falling apart and Larry Brown this and that, only after they got back to the Finals again last year did people maybe actually realize that the Pistons really are a Championship team, even if they didn't win it last year.

Hopefully the can of whoop-@ss your team opened up on **Le-Bron** (ABC fireworks and drumrolls) will help start shifting the mindset back to the teams that can actually play the game.

Originally Posted by carpetback

Racist? Is Texan a race now?

I think he's referring more to the international composition of the teams. Its still a big stretch.

[JTD]

tongue in cheek article!

[j_chantana]

Originally Posted by pjjrfan

Who is this guy? Mr. Clack is probably the most brilliant and compassionate writer on the Express-News staff. Perhaps the reason he doesn't write a lot about sports is because he writes more about the atrocities done to children by our civilized population. The next time you read about some child getting abused and killed look for this man's column, he has left me in tears more times than not. And at other times like with this article, he has has made me laugh and smile.

yeah now that you bring it up...i do remember reading some of his editorials, one actually about my friend's death.

[Dave McNulla]

Originally Posted by Rip4Life

Chauncey even said after Sundays game that they knew why they were in the coveted time slot on ABC and it wasn't because of them. They don't go from playing three games on NBATV in the first round to top billing, it's all because of Lebron. I said in another thread that it should be the best, most competitive, basketball game that should get the most attention. But this is the NBA where individual stars are the attraction.

And I actually think that the Pistons get more press and attention for their Championship two years ago this year than they did the year following that they won it. Right after the Pistons won it was all about the Lakers falling apart and Larry Brown this and that, only after they got back to the Finals again last year did people maybe actually realize that the Pistons really are a Championship team, even if they didn't win it last year.

i've heard announcers and analysts say that several times this season, forgetting who is the champion right now. pistons have a great team, but the finals was not in december or january.

don't worry, i know i took that phrase out of context. it bugs me when people do that for real, though.