The Republic of Sport

jamarbruin

jamarbruin's Comments

Posted Wednesday November 25, 2009, About: Recruit drops Gophers for Bruins

Are you serious?! UCLA is a top 20 university nationally academics wise every year. And the fact that UCLA has been a regular pipeline to the NFL for both punters and place kickers means that he'd receive better coaching and development there for the next level than anywhere else. How's that for "not too bright?"

Posted Tuesday October 20, 2009, About: Lamar Odom signs a prenup

Will she be considered apart of the Lakers' salary cap calculations with her annual lump sum;?

Posted Thursday August 13, 2009, About: True freshman QB to start for USC?

I think you both make good points. SEC teams really should schedule more quality teams than the Troy States (bottom feeders) of CF.

When many schools schedule non conference opponents for the football schedule, they schedule home and away agreements. That's the best way to do these. That way, an SEC team gets to go north to play in the cold, and the following year the northern school goes to play in the humid south. That way we get to see the SEC teams go against some real comp, and over time there are no real advantages gained over who plays where.

Real football is played on a football field regardless of temperature, humidity, snow fall, wind chill, etc. Football is football, who cares where the games are played; just that the games are competitive and bring out the best in the athletes. That is what we'd all like to see.

Posted Thursday July 09, 2009, About: Blazers preparing 'toxic' offer for Millsap

Seriously, where would Millsap play? What kind of minutes would he get at PF behind Aldridge? I think Portland's management wants to sign somebody just for the sake of having done something this summer.

Their real need is at the point. Everything else is irrelevant.

Posted Friday June 26, 2009, About: UCLA lands QB commitment

Everybody knows you can't judge a new coaching staff based on the first year and the previous coach's players. Karl Dorrell did a good job of recruiting for defense and skilled positions but left the cupboard bare when it came to the O-line. You can't expect a successful QB when he is protected by converted Tight Ends and Defensive linemen.

Year 3 is when it is all supposed to come together. Increased depth in the trenches, and an improved running game will help whoever is at QB to be much more successful.

Posted Wednesday June 03, 2009, About: USC losing another player

There must be some gooood stuff being passed around in the sc basketball team locker room. I mean seriously- 3.8 points per game! Where does he think he's gonna go?

I mean with the mass exodus to the pros and the backpedaling by their recruits, at least lil Romeo might get some burn next year along with the 3 or 4 walkons that usc is sure to have to take on next year.

Posted Thursday May 28, 2009, About: Jackson rips NBA's fine process

I have to side with Phil on this one. Not just because it's the Lakers, but for the whole of the NBA. I just hate it after a game that had some critically missed calls and see the players and coaches dance around the subject b/c they don't want to get fined. Why even bother requiring players and coaches to participate in press conferences and such when they can't even speak their mind without fear of retribution from the league???

Seriously, I think players and coaches should be free to criticize if the criticism is warranted. Otherwise, the NBA should not even bother with a press conference for losing teams; or better yet, justice would be served by fining the reporters who ask inflamatory questions of a player or coach after a poorly officiated game that illicits a critical response from the player or coach. Even better, how about fining the officials for blown calls.

Even if the NBA does fess up and admit to blown calls, that doesn't mean anything. They can't go back and change the outcome of the game.

If they really wanted to solve this thing, they would add a fourth official courtside to review questionable calls such as goal-tends, charges/blocking fours, clock infringements, and change of posession situations.

Posted Thursday May 28, 2009, About: Nugget: Lakers bought Game 5 win

wow, this must be a T&R record waaah fest. The officiating is never ever perfect from game to game. But in the end, the team who plays the best wins.

As poor as the officiating was in game 4 in favor of the Nuggets, the majority of the calls they got were because they were the aggressors. A handful of the calls were just crap. But when the Lakers took the initiative in game 5, they exposed a lot of Denver's weaknesses. The Nuggets reah, puch, and hack their way through games. And you see their players arguing even the most obvious of calls.

I wish I had a quarter for every call J.R. "Schmitty" has ever complained about. My jar would be full.

Posted Friday January 09, 2009, About: Ellis to meet with Warriors

All I know is if Ellis and Crawford develop any kind of chemistry on the court together, we could be looking at the most dangerous backcourt in basketball. With the Warriors style of play, they will be prolific.

Of course, that won't mean anything in the way of improving their defense. Which means they will be entertaining, but fail to accomplish any playoff success.

Posted Friday August 08, 2008, About: Kobe: I could play in Italy

Simple economics MATTUSA.

When the NBA had a monopoly on basketball, a salary cap made sense. Now that there is competion for NBA caliber players with European Teams willing to spend more than ANY NBA team can spend, that will hurt big market and small market teams. And if the Lebrons and the Kobes of the NBA go to Europe, than what kind of NBA are we left with.

Atlanta isn't then type of big market team to go out and sign superstars, but they got played b/c they couldn't offer what Olympiacos could pay for Josh Childress. I think more small market teams will find it harder to compete if their best players are being tempted out of the NBA by foreign big spenders.

Posted Friday August 08, 2008, About: Kobe: I could play in Italy

I think what Lebron and Kobe are doing by fanning these rumors of how they would go play in Europe if the price was right, is simply sending a message to David Stern and the NBA- Do away with the salary cap! It will be the demise of the league!

Just look at recent happenings around the league. Denver had to trade Marcus Camby for nothing just to save 20 mil (his 10 mil salary plus additional 10 mil luxury tax). Josh Childress signs an inflated deal to go play in Greece, and a host of other players are going to Europe. And teams that are over the salary cap or are close to it, have to let fan favorites leave to play elsewhere.

Lets face it, the salary cap may have been good for a while, but with the globalization of basketball, the NBA is not the only competitive league to be considered. And Euro teams wit big money can swoop up any player they want if they are willing to spend way past what any NBA team can spend.

Let's bury the salary cap once and for all.

Posted Tuesday July 29, 2008, About: Gordon won't rule out move to Europe

All this talk of European teams swooping in and cherry-picking NBA players from teams unwilling to spend past the salary cap just tells me that the salary cap era should be dealt a swift death blow.

I understand the rationale behind it- it encourages parody in the league, and has an additional effect of discouraging teams away from giving ridiculously high contracts for unproven players.

But that was fine and dandy when it was just the NBA that was in the discussion. Now that the world has in large measure closed the gap between the NBA and everywhere else, European teams are finding basketball to be profitable and are going to seek out the best talent.

It started out that really good collegiate players who didn't get their chance in the NBA or did not stick in the NBA could earn a decent living overseas playing basketball. But now many European teams have benefited from the NBA's global marketing efforts and are finding basketball to be quite profitable.

So European teams that do not have a restriction on what they can offer to players now have a competitive advantage at the bargaining table. It's no surprise that this year we see so many players jumping ship to Europe.

When the NBA had a monopoly on basketball marketability and the best competition, this trend would not have been viable. But now we see that basketball has ballooned worldwide and European teams are finding it profitable.

In the absence of competition from overseas markets, the salary cap made a lot of sense. But now, the NBA has competition and it would be silly and counter-productive of the NBA to continue this restrictive salary cap and luxury tax system.

I mean let's be honest, if we want to see parody. If we want to see David beat Goliath, then we can tune into college basketball where it happens quite regularly nowadays. But the NBA is a professional sport and such restrictions and caps our counter-productive in a competitive environment. And that is what we have now with basketball- real competition between the world and the NBA.

Posted Tuesday July 29, 2008, About: Gordon won't rule out move to Europe

I remember back in the days when if your moms and paps didn't have the cheese to go and get you the new Air Jordans, they would go to the swap meet and get the Air Gordons. Obviously the Bulls see the latter in Ben and are offering swap meet prices as such. I tend to agree.

In every Bulls game I saw last year, this guy jacks more (bad) shots in a 3 minute span than anybody in the league- Kobe and A.I. included.

He needs to get off his high horse and come to reality. He's not a star. He should not get star money. He is the today's version of the 'Microwave.' A streak on streak off bench player.

I would rather have Vujacic than Gordon cause he at least shoots a higher percentage from deep.

Posted Tuesday July 29, 2008, About: Agent: Cavaliers low-balling West

People let's be serious here. The NBA is a business for the players and the teams alike. That whole line about anybody would be willing to play alongside Lebron for less than fair market is a bunch of crap. That only works in pick up games, not the NBA.

The only time that line ever works in the NBA is when we're talking about ex-stars who are way past the prime of their careers and they don't have any championships to show for it. That's the only way that take less money thing goes down.

If the Cavs are serious about keeping West, pony up and pay the kid!

Posted Friday July 25, 2008, About: Next NBAer to go to Europe?

Pay the kid! Keep winning!

Posted Wednesday July 23, 2008, About: Eto'o's excessive salary demands

Correction from my previous comment. I was thinking in terms of dollars. If he's asking for 10 Million Euros, that would put him on par with the top NBA athletes. And heaven forbid he's asking for 10 million British Pounds would make him about a $20 million dollar man.

Posted Wednesday July 23, 2008, About: Eto'o's excessive salary demands

Hey, there are some NBA players who make double what he's asking. But then again, NBA players play twice as many games.

If soccer is the world's most popular sport, then I think the best players should be paid on par with the top athletes from other sports as well.

Go get ya money Eto'o

Posted Thursday July 17, 2008, About: McGrady interested in Pistons

The Pistons need star power to compete with Boston. And McGrady could provide that. And depending on how much Detroit would have to give up in order to get McGrady, it would be interesting to see how he would fit into their defensive scheme.

And McGrady in my opinion would sell his own soul to get out of the first round. So why wouldn't he want to go to Detroit.

Posted Friday July 11, 2008, About: Lakers offer Odom for Artest

If the Lake Show could convince LO to be there 6th man but guarantee him starter minutes, then they should keep him. He isn't a consistent enough shooter from deep to fit in at the 3, but he brings so many intangibles to the team that it would be a sin to let him go- even for Artest.

and LO as your 6th man makes both Luke Walton and Roni Turiaf expendable.

How about Turiaf and Walton for Artest in a sign and trade? Turiaf's new salary plus Walton's makes the money work. The Queens get two pieces to fit into their scheme of rebuilding. And the Lake show get their man to shoulder some of the defensive responsibilities of Kobe.

Posted Wednesday July 09, 2008, About: Did agent send Brand packing?

Even though Baron came to terms with the Clippers, he wasn't able to sign with them yet. In light of these new developments, wouldn't he be able to back out of his agreement and rethink what's best for him both money wise and winning wise?

Posted Wednesday July 02, 2008, About: Source: Celtics want Maggette

In my opinion, the best fit for Maggette is San Antonio or New Orleans. These are two teams who showed in the playoffs how badly they are in need of a 2 guard. A player who can get to the rim and get the other teams early into foul trouble.

Maggette is a wrecking ball of a player. He's not a great shooter or scorer, but he's always among the top players in the league in getting to the line for his position. If he's interested in joining a title contender, then San Antonio or New Orleans would offer him a good fit.