Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Wednesday Breakdown

*Sounds like everyone is giving up on Greg Oden. Bill Simmons sadly joins the party, also worried that Greg Oden's body is not fit for the NBA.

*Former Phoenix Sun, Kevin Johnson becomes Mayor of Sacramento. I wonder if he was the most qualified for the job. My gut tells me someone in politics or economics should be mayor.

"Johnson's rallies featured current and former NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. His personal wealth and far-flung fundraising ability (Warren Buffett, among others, contributed to the campaign) allowed him to outspend his opponent by nearly 3-to-1 in a race that cost nearly $2 million total."

So, yea. I guess raising a lot of money from celebrity friends and advertising/promoting is really important in elections, sometimes making the less qualified person win. Imagine what he could have done with $150 Million. Just an observation. Hate comments welcome below.

*David Thorpe ranks the Rookies weekly, and today it's not Derrick Rose, or Beasley, or Mayo to take the #1 spot.

*Gotta love the attitude of both Chris Bosh and Paul Milsap. These are the attitudes that make for winners, and usually great contracts. It's this attitude that often leads to championships, and I'm not sure why some GM's even bother on guy with a bad attitude and work ethic. Sometimes, you get a gold mine (see: Artest, Ron). But most of the time, it's doesn't go well (see: Artest, Ron).

*Basketball Prospectus: "In this article, we will take a look at two teams from each conference to see how their changes will impact the product out on the floor."

*Vinny D, how he fell into the job, what he's learned along the way. “We’re just trying to develop the team the best we can. Let’s see what we end up with.”

1 Comments:

Unknown said...

"Johnson's rallies featured current and former NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. His personal wealth and far-flung fundraising ability (Warren Buffett, among others, contributed to the campaign) allowed him to outspend his opponent by nearly 3-to-1 in a race that cost nearly $2 million total."

So, yea. I guess raising a lot of money from celebrity friends and advertising/promoting is really important in elections, sometimes making the less qualified person win. Imagine what he could have done with $150 Million. Just an observation. Hate comments welcome below.

You know I was going to respond to this. Fundraising is one of the most fundamental aspects of running a campaign, and that goes for any level be it local, state or federal. Modern day politics is mastering the art of bullshitting. This is not a skill that is exclusive to politicians. One of the most highly regarded politicians in the past 50 years was an actor. Hint, it was Republican Jesus! Most successful athletes know the importance of hard work, discipline, and the value of team. Kevin Johnson is an extremely intelligent man. But more importantly, he cares about his community. He was born and raised in Sacramento, and I definitely believe that a man who has in turn lived his life in that community is better suited to meet their needs and demands. Plus, being the proponent of capitalism that you are I would have thought you could respect his fundraising acumen.