It was one year ago that the Pacers overcame a 14 point deficit with less than 3 minutes remaining in game 1 of the playoffs against the Knicks at MSG, winning in overtime. Last night’s game was a mirror image of that collapse. Wonder how many fans were thinking of that game last year.
Just got my copy of BIG FAN in the mail today from Joseph Beth! Only boring signatures form Joe and Mike, nothing from Kristen Bell or Dirk Blocker or Kate Flannery or a list of Mike's son's 5 most favorite golfers or whatever, but I suppose it will have to do.
Weird story leading to a clever name for a hair cutting place:
About 20 years ago, in my efforts to track down my estranged father, I found a listing for him in Dalhart, Texas, a town I knew my parents had lived in before I was born.
The address turned out to be a salon called Scissor's Palace.
I have 300+ books in my IBOOKS to read and got two new books yesterday, but Big Fan is the book I picked to start today, because that is how much I am a BIG FAN (pun intended) of your writing
I downloaded Big Fan on Audiobooks and I am enjoying the drive into work and back home. Today, I shared the book with a great friend who is a Clevelander like Joe. He said he will buy it and also is not a fan of Pickleball. He loves tennis, baseball, and Duke hoops.
Posnanski's "Temple of Groom" list is almost perfect, but he missed Clive Barker's horror classic "Gelrazor". (Also the "Jurassic Parlor" series, although the "Jurassic Twirled" follow-ups are the sort of hair only an old-timey villain would inflict of us.)
I think it really depends on how many you mean by "one of the greatest players in NBA history." I can't see the logic ranking him outside the top... let's say 125. To be one of the greatest 125 people in the history of the world at ANYTHING is pretty amazing. He's certainly one of the greatest players in NBA history by that logic. Now, if you're assuming that Joe means something like "top 10" then yeah - he's definitely not THAT. But I don't think you can argue against the statement as Joe originally said it.
According to my thorough research (wikipedia), there are more than 150 players in the Basketball Hall of Fame. I'm willing to assert that James Harden is at least the equal of a few of them.
He's obviously an all-time great, while being incredibly flawed as a player.
The Manny Ramirez of basketball? Gary Sheffield? Brett Favre or Patrick Roy?
I’m not much of a hoops fan, but in my preferred sport, Ted Williams and Greg Maddux are all time greats without providing anything in half the game. So I can see being good enough at half the sport to be a top N player while being negative in the other parts.
Oh - and Joe, here's the thing. I'm GOING to pre-order your next book. Eventually. But the problem is, I pre-ordered SO early the last THREE times that I missed out on signed copies, extras, etc. So I won't be burned again! I'm not committing until I find out what you might have out there for special stuff, like signed copies and such. Fool me once, twice, three times... but there shall not be a fourth!
According to Bill James' Safe Lead calculator, had the Cavs been up by 25 with 7:49 remaining, instead of up by 23, the lead would've been safe. Thank you, Safe Lead calculator!
What... when do the REST of us get to hear the Mookie story? Poscast special episode? Write-up in The Clubhouse? Don't leave the REST of us hanging, Joe!!! (Unless you guys decide to come to Minneapolis and tell the story there; THEN it's okay if you don't write it or post a Poscast *wink* *wink*.)
You say that you had a bad fan ex p experience last night but to me a bad fan experience is something like: you go to the game, get rained on, they called it in the 3rd, and you don't have the day off for the make up. Or you take your family to the game the heat index is 110 and you got great seats but they are in the sun and you have to leave early because you kid is having a heat stroke. Those are bad fan experiences (though they make memorable family stories) What you had is a half of the fan experience; the negative half for sure, but still regular. The fan experience is waves of ups and downs and it's that rollercoaster of emotions that binds us to our teams/sports.
Two things. First, given your Temple of Groom mention earlier in the post, only fitting you ended the piece on the Cavs-Knicks game by saying you had your heart torn out of your chest. Was that intentional? Second, "Desperately Seeking Susan" was supposed to be "the" Rosanna Arquette movie. It was filmed before Madonna had broken out as a megastar, but of course by the time it was released, she had and it was marketed as her movie, much to Ms. Arquette's chagrin.
I’m half way through Big Fan and loving it. It’s renewing my faith in sports. If possible please tell Mike two things:
1. There is no question LeBron will always play a distant second fiddle to Jordan. No discussion needed.
2. The Yankees will always be the greatest team ever in MLB.
Both can’t be debated!
"Gas station sushi" is an S-tier joke.
It was one year ago that the Pacers overcame a 14 point deficit with less than 3 minutes remaining in game 1 of the playoffs against the Knicks at MSG, winning in overtime. Last night’s game was a mirror image of that collapse. Wonder how many fans were thinking of that game last year.
Right down to a "bouncing" three-pointer to send it to OT!
Just got my copy of BIG FAN in the mail today from Joseph Beth! Only boring signatures form Joe and Mike, nothing from Kristen Bell or Dirk Blocker or Kate Flannery or a list of Mike's son's 5 most favorite golfers or whatever, but I suppose it will have to do.
Looking forward to reading it!
Weird story leading to a clever name for a hair cutting place:
About 20 years ago, in my efforts to track down my estranged father, I found a listing for him in Dalhart, Texas, a town I knew my parents had lived in before I was born.
The address turned out to be a salon called Scissor's Palace.
Shaving Private Ryan is a different type of institution
Another name for a haircutting place: Locks-Smith
I have 300+ books in my IBOOKS to read and got two new books yesterday, but Big Fan is the book I picked to start today, because that is how much I am a BIG FAN (pun intended) of your writing
I downloaded Big Fan on Audiobooks and I am enjoying the drive into work and back home. Today, I shared the book with a great friend who is a Clevelander like Joe. He said he will buy it and also is not a fan of Pickleball. He loves tennis, baseball, and Duke hoops.
Posnanski's "Temple of Groom" list is almost perfect, but he missed Clive Barker's horror classic "Gelrazor". (Also the "Jurassic Parlor" series, although the "Jurassic Twirled" follow-ups are the sort of hair only an old-timey villain would inflict of us.)
Flap Tops at Ridgemont High!
I love you, Joe. But James Harden is not one of the greatest players in NBA history. Nopeity nope nope. Nope.
I think it really depends on how many you mean by "one of the greatest players in NBA history." I can't see the logic ranking him outside the top... let's say 125. To be one of the greatest 125 people in the history of the world at ANYTHING is pretty amazing. He's certainly one of the greatest players in NBA history by that logic. Now, if you're assuming that Joe means something like "top 10" then yeah - he's definitely not THAT. But I don't think you can argue against the statement as Joe originally said it.
According to my thorough research (wikipedia), there are more than 150 players in the Basketball Hall of Fame. I'm willing to assert that James Harden is at least the equal of a few of them.
He's obviously an all-time great, while being incredibly flawed as a player.
I mean, he's 11th all time in points. So he's been pretty good, I guess.
Unfortunately, it is a two way game. Anyway, cheers!
The Manny Ramirez of basketball? Gary Sheffield? Brett Favre or Patrick Roy?
I’m not much of a hoops fan, but in my preferred sport, Ted Williams and Greg Maddux are all time greats without providing anything in half the game. So I can see being good enough at half the sport to be a top N player while being negative in the other parts.
Oh - and Joe, here's the thing. I'm GOING to pre-order your next book. Eventually. But the problem is, I pre-ordered SO early the last THREE times that I missed out on signed copies, extras, etc. So I won't be burned again! I'm not committing until I find out what you might have out there for special stuff, like signed copies and such. Fool me once, twice, three times... but there shall not be a fourth!
According to Bill James' Safe Lead calculator, had the Cavs been up by 25 with 7:49 remaining, instead of up by 23, the lead would've been safe. Thank you, Safe Lead calculator!
:D
What... when do the REST of us get to hear the Mookie story? Poscast special episode? Write-up in The Clubhouse? Don't leave the REST of us hanging, Joe!!! (Unless you guys decide to come to Minneapolis and tell the story there; THEN it's okay if you don't write it or post a Poscast *wink* *wink*.)
You say that you had a bad fan ex p experience last night but to me a bad fan experience is something like: you go to the game, get rained on, they called it in the 3rd, and you don't have the day off for the make up. Or you take your family to the game the heat index is 110 and you got great seats but they are in the sun and you have to leave early because you kid is having a heat stroke. Those are bad fan experiences (though they make memorable family stories) What you had is a half of the fan experience; the negative half for sure, but still regular. The fan experience is waves of ups and downs and it's that rollercoaster of emotions that binds us to our teams/sports.
Two things. First, given your Temple of Groom mention earlier in the post, only fitting you ended the piece on the Cavs-Knicks game by saying you had your heart torn out of your chest. Was that intentional? Second, "Desperately Seeking Susan" was supposed to be "the" Rosanna Arquette movie. It was filmed before Madonna had broken out as a megastar, but of course by the time it was released, she had and it was marketed as her movie, much to Ms. Arquette's chagrin.