Grunfeld speaks

This is a bit overdue, but I wanted to add this to the thin pile of Ernie Grunfeld utterances since the end of the Bullets' season. He said this about Brendan Haywood:
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Haywood didn't play a minute in Game 4 of that series, and the nameplate was gone from above his locker after the game. Without getting into specifics, Grunfeld said he spoke to Haywood.

“There's a certain decorum and certain way that you should act during a game and after a game,” Grunfeld said. “And that message has been relayed.”

And this about Washington's defense -- or lack thereof:

Grunfeld did return Thursday to a theme heard often around these parts in recent years, saying the Wizards need to get better defensively if they're going to “make some noise in the playoffs.”

“That's going to be our goal for next year – to move up, not just to make the playoffs, but to do something in the playoffs,” Grunfeld said. “And I don't think that can be accomplished unless we improve on the defensive end.”

Washington allowed an average of 104.9 points, surpassed in the 30-team NBA only by Memphis and Golden State. On the other hand, led by Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards ranked fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 104.3.

Asked whether the responsibility for defense comes from a coach and his system or the players, Grunfeld said: “Everybody has to have a defensive mind-set. ... We have to want to do it.”

Nothing earthshaking, of course, but Grunfeld is so close-mouthed and careful that almost anything he says is worth noting.

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Is fishing a sport? Really?

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

I like getting out in my boat and hitting the lake. In fact, it's one of my favorite things to do in the summer (or any time for that matter - I love my Evinrude and my boat!). I've never been an avid fisherman, either, but I do enjoy tossing in a line and seeing what I can manage to retrieve from the depths...

That said, I've been having all kinds of conversations recently with a couple of good friends of mine, who also happen to be rabid sports fans. We got to discussing the difference between activities and sports. At least, that was my argument. For me, when I think of a sport I think of some truly amazing physical attributes to be excellent at it.

Things that I immediately think of when I think of real sports:

1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Combat sports (boxing, MMA)
4. Hockey
5. Baseball

My friends are of the persuasion that these following endeavors also qualify as sports:

1. NASCAR
2. Golf
3. Fishing
4. Bowling
5. Darts

I get pretty animated in this discussion because I truly can't equate one list with the other. While I don't disregard the skill it takes to be good at the second list (which I refer to as "activities"), they simply don't require the athleticism to be a sport in my mind. With the possible exception of baseball, you need to be an amazing athlete with incredible physical talents in terms of agility, strength and hand eye coordination to even have a chance to be elite at any of the items on the first list. Think about that, there are physical requirements just to have a chance to be good.

While there certainly are benefits to being able to hit a golf ball farther by being strong and flexible, you can also be a player like Tom Kite or Corey Pavin who can just play consistent golf by perfecting what they can do with a limited physical skill set. There are no slow, weak linebackers in the NFL who just practiced football to the point of being a world class elite player.

To put it another way, what are the chances you could have athletes from each list swap their training for a year to play in a sport from the opposite side. If you had to bet all of your money on an NBA player being able to compete in a NASCAR race after a year of training or a NASCAR driver trying to compete in an NBA game after a year of training? Seriously? Compare any combination on that list and tell me what you think. Again, there's the common perception that baseball may be the weakest sport, but do you think a professional bowler will suddenly be able to hit an 87mph slider or would you be able to teach CC Sabathia to throw a bowling strike consistently?

There are games of skill...or activities, and there are sports. I think there's a huge difference. I'm not an athlete, but I'll be out fishing again next year.

Does Anyone Care About The NBA Anymore?

It's the NBA Finals. Yay?

My last experience at an NBA game was 2011 when I saw uber-exciting rookie Blake Griffin and the then lackluster Clippers steamroll the Detroit Pistons at the Palace. It had been some time since I visited the Palace, but the sparse crowd and apathy was shocking. Had you told the childhood me that this was an NBA crowd I would have laughed.

I recall watching the Pistons just prior to their glory days with the Bad Boys playing a not quite there yet Trailblazers team with about 30,000 screaming fans at the Silver Dome in a game that didn't really mean that much. Kiki Vandeweghe went off for 40+ points and Vinnie Johnson had a big game off the bench and despite my crappy seats, the game was riveting the entire time.

Now? The mere mention of the NBA Finals brings responses like, "I don't care who wins, as long as it's not Miami". Interestingly, despite the Van Gundy and other NBA mouthpiece claims that LeBron has been unfairly targeted, it seems like this is the only asset the NBA has outside of hardcore fans right now - the villains in Miami.

So while apathy over the product seems to grow, the opportunity here seems very old school WWF to me. Embrace being the bad guy. Whether the Heat wins a championship this year or ever, with the nucleus they have they'll be in the hunt for titles for the foreseeable future, and one way to bring back some popularity would be to go all Iron Sheik and just own being the bad guys. Local fans would become more devout, road fans would completely lose their minds when Miami came to town and the whole league would likely unify against a common enemy.

If I'm David Stern, my offseason meetings would include weekly film sessions with LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh going over classic NWO clips on YouTube. Yes, NBA, it's come to this, you need to steal marketing ideas from a fake sport. Or perhaps Vince McMahon can start up the XBA and bring back Laimbeer and Mahorn...