NBA drops the pre-season ball

Way back a week or so ago, when the NBA and The Litigants finally got around to saving some scrap of a 2011-12 basketball season, one of the big questions around these parts was how were they going to say “sorry” to the fans and others they’d screwed over for about five months.

One of the most logical and easiest things to do – and hardly an earth-shattering statement of apology but at least something – would have been to make all the exhibition games free to anyone who wanted to go.

If memory serves, it’s what they did here in 1999 (the game against Boston that year was at the dome) and while it didn’t go too far to making amends, it was at least a gesture.

This time?

Noooooooooo.

I know for a fact the Raptors tried to convince the league to let them offer the game – Dec. 18 against Boston – for free but were rebuffed.

Dopey league.

Now, I’m not saying at all that one free exhibition game would assuage the feelings of all the fans; it is, after all, a first exhibition game after about nine days of practice and I don’t imagine it’ll be at NBA Finals intensity or skill.

And I can imagine the league figured ‘well, there are some markets where the teams could use the cash they’ll get so we can’t let one team do it and not others’ but why not simply make ever pretend game in every city free?

Who’s it going to hurt?

No one.

Huge fumble on the NBA’s part, in my opinion. You know my feelings on pre-season basketball as it is, I cannot imagine anyone forking over cash to see it under these circumstances.

Not sure what they’ll eventually end up doing as a way to make up for the past few months, I’m sure they’ll find some way to discount some tickets, I bet the Tallest of League Foreheads are coming up with other things as we speak but this was an easy, right-off-the-bat chance they blew.

Sad.

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Oh yeah.

If you happen to be near a radio between 5-7 p.m. tonight, or if you’re at your computer, I hear the McCown show on FAN590 or whatever it’s called now, is going to be hugely entertaining.

Helluva round table assembled, I’m told.

Hope we talk a lot of pucks.

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Is there a more interesting story – in a train wreck kind of way – in all of sports right now than the Philadelphia Eagles?

You know, the Super Team formed in the summer, unbeatable force, dominant group, one that’s now 4-8 after arguably its most abysmal performance of the season Thursday night against Seattle?

Here’s the thing with teams that put together seemingly unstoppable squads: Most of us want them to fail.

We all tend to love to root against monoliths – just think back to how much glee so many felt when the Miami Heat didn’t win the NBA championship last June – and the Eagles were the perfect target for what amounted to a lot of fan anger.

They were self-assured bordering on cocky, they had amassed all kinds of talent and everyone knew it.

Now?

Now they’re probably going to fire the coach eventually, and their quarterbacks are either hurt or not playing well and they are stumbling and bumbling along every week.

Fans love to have targets and villains and a lot of us like to see sure things fall flat on the collective faces, don’t we?

Thanks, Eagles.

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This is why I believe – math marks notwithstanding – Super Son has a rather promising future ahead of him.

He goes to sax lessons one week, hears a tune he likes, asks for the sheet music and – presto! – the ever-so talented Pat Carey (yes, he of Downchild Blues Band fame) comes through.

And most of the week since, it’s been Yakety Sax blaring throughout the house.

Yakety Sax? Oh, well, the Benny Hill theme song.

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Andrea Bargnani was in the Air Canada Centre yesterday.

Rest of the group will trickle in over the weekend.

Thought you’d like to know.

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Was invited – thanks, fellas – to take in the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America annual end-of-season luncheon yesterday (Griff’s got the award-winner details here and a wrap up of a chat with Alex Anthopoulos and Paul Beeston here) and it was a gas.

One of the things that most struck me is that regardless of your feelings for what they do in their jobs – and there are always going to be hit and misses and everything in between – the men who run the three major sports in Toronto are good guys.

I know the basketball people very well, have come to know the baseball people sort of well and have had my share of conversations with Mr. Burke over the years.

They are all, without fail, good, honourable men you wouldn’t mind sitting down and having a drink with. They can tell stories and don’t mind doing it, they can be funny and engaging and informative. Sure, they have to protect their products and their plans and may not always be as forthcoming with inside information as some of us would like but they are solid men.

Not a bad group to represent your city.

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Okay, before the big radio gig, I not only have to finish the NBL Canada package we’ve got going in the paper tomorrow (you asked, we complied) but there’ll be at least a couple of hours for mail.

What’s on your mind?

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Comments

[Diego]

I couldn't agree more about not having a free preseason game. It's a token good-will gesture that the teams (who own their arenas) can make up in beer and pretzels sold. So strange.

[Nick M]

So the MLSE asking the NBA to hold a free pre-season game. Is that like when kids volunteer a harsh punishment to their parents all the while actually hoping for some reprieve?
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It usually never works for kids, or didn't for me, but it seems to have worked for the Raps!

[jon]

Doug, any thoughts on chris paul demanding a trade, and what the point of the lockout was if the NBA still let's its players run the league?

Blogger's note: It was always -- always -- going to be a players' league so the more things change ...

[skiff]

Someone with some technical saavy (definitely not me), should try to organize a fan boycott of the pre-season in all 30 cities. Remind the NBA who actually pays the bills for this thing of theirs, and furthermore, I'm with Doug, I can't believe anyone in their right mind would ever drop more than a $5 bill on a preseason game. They are the worst! In all sports.

How does one make this happen?

[Mike D.]

I can't decide whether to blame you or Super Son for having the Benny Hill song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Awesome chase scene! Better than Bullitt! And lucky you to have a week's worth of Benny Hill Sax-athon!
Would you rather have that, or a week's worth of 'Baby Elephant Walk' on bad accordian? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GoN6CqCUOo (I was inflicting this type of carnage on my parents a half century ago... wonder how many saintly parents regret the day that door-to-door accordian/saxophone/drum huckster came knocking, and they signed us on? And no, that's not me. At all. I was never that good...)
Cheers. Go Raps!

[JHK]

Kind of surprise that MLSE asked the league for a free game.
It's like Rogers offering a free wireless service for a day.
Then of course it didn't happen, yet it makes MLSE look good.
Win-win situation for them.

[Dave]

Heh, the NBA and Team Web sites are back with actual players.

[Lorie]

@Doug and D-Mac Ottawa:
Well, I'll see your 'Yakety-Sax' on saxaphone, and your 'Baby Elephant Walk' on accordian and raise you a 'Liberty Bell' on euphonium. (The sousaphone was a bit too big.) And parents are very supportive about you broadening your cultural-musical-artistic horizons until you start practicing at home. (And yes, that was the theme music of that other hilarious British export, which cut me a wee bit of slack with my Monty-Python-loving-Dad.)
http://youtu.be/JBo0CnmDuQQ
(And I've always thought Paul Beeston seemed like one cool dude. Love the pic with the cigar.) Cheers!

[Rob.V]

Skiff:
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I entirely agree however season seat holders (10-12 thousand? of us) are already on the hook for these games. Even if there were 15 people in attendance, the cheques have been cashed by MLSE. Unfortunately there is not much we can do about it.
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I generally donate these tickets to giveakidagame (man are you right, just horrible Basketball!) however, it's definitely a more sour feeling this season having to put out any amount of money on this game... and dude has just made me feel even worse about it lol!
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I'm sure some kid might enjoy the experience however hopefully MLSE will somehow take care of their season seat holders somewhere down the road.

[ashm]

hey doug
one thing I always did not understand was how NBA could lose a casual fan.
i take my sister and my Dad as nba casual fan and they had no idea that there was a lockout until they actually reach an agreement. if all the casual fans are like that , well nba has not lost a thing and hard core fans are always there

[SheikYurbouti]

I'd take Yakety Sax for a week over my younger brother's attempts to learn to play bagpipes 40 years ago. Some of that screeching is still going on in my head!! Thanks for the update on Raps activity: we were all anxiously awaiting Andrea's whereabouts ;).

[Ryan]

Hey Doug,

True story...I was in the restaurant where the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America held their annual end-of-season luncheon yesterday... I noticed AA and Paul Beeston, shrugged and drank my brew. Then I noticed Mr. Smith off in the corner. Nearly fell out of my chair. Wanted to shout "Hey Doug, I'm an Irregular!" ...but didn't want to embarass you in front of your peers. ...It was actually the highlight of my day. Like being close to a celeb!

Blogger's note: Would have been a laugh; and give me some cred with the fellas.

[Tim H.]

Hi Doug:

A couple of things: 1) What do you think of the spat between Mother Star and Toronto's mayor? I don't know him, but everything I read makes me glad he's not my mayor! 2) Any comment on this : "(Air Canada) was also voted the best airline in North America according to readers of Global Traveler, a magazine for business and first class travellers." from a story in your paper?

Blogger's note: Yes, I am glad he's not the Mayor of the city where I live, either; and, man, I want to find out what family members of Air Canada execs did the voting

[ikonn]

Doug, not sure if it means anything or not, but I think it's cool that Bargs was the first guy to show up on Thursday. Cool because he always gets flack for being lazy and having no passion. Was this just coincidence that he was in town or is it a positive sign??

[john]

How does that saying go about how nice guys finish??

[Angelo]

Doug, if the Heat amnesty Mike Miller do you think the raps should bid for him as part of the new process? Seems like hi might fill some of the small forward needs the raps have if he can stay healthy.

[D-Mac Ottawa]

Euphonium? (Wo)Man, that's some rarified air there. Yes, godbless long-suffering parents, one and all!
Somehow, this clip seems to fit with both music, and life... as in karma... she always comes back around... and she's generally a bitch. Remember that, Hedo! http://wimp.com/pendulumwaves/
Cheers! Go Raps! Go get them free agents, BCo! (Doug, I'm reading center over small forward, as D. Casey's top-o-the-wish-list... Your take? Should I quit reading?)

[Will]

I teach two different classes in my day and we're talking about how music can add to the mood of a movie/poem etc. Played the car scene w/o the music and the kids did not even move a muscle while watching it. Showed it to my second class with the music and they were busting a gut. Thanks for a great lesson today, Doug.

[Don Sutton]

Apparently (per Miami Harold), Mike Miller had a hernia operation yesterday - 4th operation in last year. He will be unavailable for 2 months. Will the season be over then for the Raptors? I certainly would think so if they picked him up.

[Penguin]

Fans really have to have no self respect if they're dumb enough to pay for the NBA exhibition games. Wouldn't really be a bad idea to boycott the league altogether this year, but I know that's not going to happen. I'll admit that even I likely will watch and follow, but I sure as hell have no intention of paying to attend any games. Some might say that this will hurt the Raps (not me alone, but if lots of people boycott), but that won't be true if it happens across the league as it did to baseball.
As for hating teams like the Eagles or Heat, how about the Knicks this year (and I am originally from NYC and was a big Knicks fan through the 60s onward) if they sign Paul. Who to hate more, the Knicks or Heat? Maybe just hate both? Discuss.

[joeu]

@Lorie
Not familiar with the Euphonium, but did it take up it's own seat, like the trombone I was assigned ? And were it's acoustics similarly enhanced by playing in the barn when learning Peter Gunn ?

[m]

Tried to watch the McGown thing, fell asleep.

[TT]

not sure I agree with you that the nba is a players game.... the players come and go but the owners are the ones that stay the same....the players have on average such a short window of opportunity to make their money ... probably without too many exceptions. the owners have made their money in ventures outside of the basketball and are just making even more money, the exceptions are just trying to make sure they don't lose money...

[doug]

I watched a half hour of the McGowan show, I like how you stand up to him and I know the answer to this but do you think McGowan realizes that Shannon,.Brunt and yourself are so much smarter then him that he should just sit back and shut-up, or maybe that is why he rambles on...wait I know the answer any man that sits there with a full sized image of himself right behind him says it all...if my father were still alive and that was me he'd be on the phone to me and telling me to take that down, get and learn some humility...I hope if Sportsnet offers you a huge contract, you turn it down and don't turn into a McCowan lackie...I see Brunt sitting there, a smart,smart man, looking off into space like me when i was a student in most classes...and Brunt is thinking, i get paid well so I will shut-up, but inside he must rue the day he sold out as does Grange...i am not passing judgement on their choices but they sold out, to a guy that sits there with a huge cut-out of himself behind him...he's like a Second City skit....and his incessant talk on the NHL Phoenix/Quebec City/Toronto situation was turning off viewers by the minute...but when Shannon opposed him and Brunt and you it was gold...he is a blowhard , that really knows little and good for you on calling him out for skipping over the NBA segment, as he knows squat about the NBA and most things, hence why he isn't on my destination tv list....a cut out of yourself behind him is he serious???...and Super Son playing that song is funny he has good taste, do you walk thru the house tapping him on the head ala Benny Hill...