Sports Writers should like Sports

Sports writers often annoy me because they too often become jaded toward the sports they cover. I think, for this reason, sports writers should have term limits. They have the greatest job, watching and talking about sports for a living, and they take it for granted to such an extent that they start to dislike sports. It is for this reason that I prefer bloggers, as I have written before (sorry, too lazy to link to my old posts).

Take Bomani Jones. He looks young enough in his picture, but he does not really like basketball. Yet, he gets to write columns about basketball for espn.

Today he wrote:

Bron Bron's the only high-watt superstar left. Tim Duncan's got lots of rings and Steve Nash has a couple of MVPs, but both are more impressive than exciting. They're great, but not one-name, can't-miss fare. Other than LeBron, there's no player so singular that people will tune in just to watch him.

Really? Have you turned on the TV? Or, are espn employees prohibited from watching TNT? For anyone who loves basketball, Steve Nash is an absolute treat. What's not to like? He passes, he scores, he makes unbelievably tough shots, he's fundamentally sound. I think his greatness is lost on a non-basketball person like Jones, who apparently only "gets" the WOW factor. The single NBA player who gets basketball coaches excited is Steve Nash. He's far more entertaining than TMac, Kobe or Kevin Durant.

Have you watched Baron Davis' magic in the play-offs? Carlos Boozer's brilliance? Tim Duncan's precision? Stephen Jackson's defense on Nowitski? Jason Kidd's triple-doubles? There's plenty of star power alive in the play-offs.

The teams aren't looking so great, either. What compelling story line is left in these playoffs? Even though the Suns looked great in beating the Spurs by 20 Tuesday night, the Spurs-Suns series will feel like a rerun until Phoenix can win a game in San Antonio. And does anyone outside of Utah really care if Jerry Sloan goes back to the Finals?

What? Again, go cover baseball. These play-offs are over your basketball head. I would love to see Jerry Sloan go back to the Finals. With everyone wrapped up with the Warriors and Suns, people have missed the Jazz. The Utah vs. Houston series was epic, with Carlos Boozer establishing himself as one of the elite power forwards in the game.

The Jazz and Warriors have played an epic two games. And, as much as we love the Suns because of their fan friendly style of play and the Warriors for their excitement, the Jazz play fantastic basketball. They move the ball, they hit threes, they post up. They are the epitome of good basketball. AK47 is back from the living dead and swatting shots like Kerri Walsh on the beach and Deron Williams is running the show like a Steve Nash protege in a bigger, more athletic body. Come on, Derek Fisher flies cross country after his daughter has surgery to remove a tumor and hits a big three and you feel nothing? Are you human?

LeBron James has played an injury-depleted Wizards. He has played one good game in the play-offs. And, Jones only cares about King James, like some kind of groupie.

Some suggest the play-offs are boring. I can't remember a more interesting play-off season this decade. Think about it: the Suns pace and fun style of play versus the grit and determination of the Spurs; the aggressive, trapping defense and three-point bananza of the Warriors versus the offensive efficiency and power of the Jazz; the Ben Wallace series, with Detroit's defenders and solid fundamental basketball against the small ball Bulls and their dribble weave offense; and, finally, the least compelling series, LeBron James and co. versus Jason Kidd and co.

Who's the favorite? I picked the Spurs to win before the play-offs started, but, really, would it surprise anyone if any of five or six teams won it all? The Warriors already dispatched the best regular season team; the Suns and Spurs are obvious threats; the Jazz look as good as anyone; the Pistons are a logical choice; the Bulls, if they can beat Detroit, maybe. New Jersey or Cleveland would be long shots, but the Nets still have their big three and Jason Kidd at the top of his game and Cleveland has James and a tough defense. When was the last time so many teams playing so many different styles had a serious chance to win the championship?

And, officials are evern calling traveling violations! What's not to like?

Sure, there are skeptics and people who generally just want to hate the NBA because of the millions they make. It is unfortunate when these people make their living writing about sports, and the NBA in particular. There are hundreds of talented bloggers who would likely love the opportunity to cover basketball for espn. Instead, we get Bomani Jones.

Edit: OTOH, Henry Abbott from True Hoop exudes enthusiasm for the NBA when he writes. He is the type of writer who should write about the NBA (I'm not saying everything has to be annoyingly positive, Abbott questions the officiating, and that we shouldn't point out its worts; instead, I simply do not believe writers should be apathetic toward well-played basketball).