OK folks, it's part 3 of the Hoopus Community Draft Board. Who do you think should be #3 on the Wolves' draft board? So far we have this:
- John Wall
- Evan Turner
Also, I'm sitting here watching Chicago and Philly play some of the most exciting, top-level professional sports in HD on a 42 inch screen with 5.1 surround (with the best play-by-play announcer in all of sports) and it's hit me: The NHL's on-ice product is vastly superior to the on-court action in the NBA. It's really not even close. From the crowds to the broadcast to the speed to the non-stop action to the quality of play, the NHL is putting the NBA to shame...and that kind of pisses me off.
My first sporting event was a Boston/North Stars game at the old Met. Back in the early 80s we had a bunch of families on the 5500 block on 28th avenue in south Minneapolis (right near Bossen Field) get together to watch Wednesday Night hockey and root for Bobby Smith and the Stars. We played boot hockey up at Bossen and in the alley. We used to eat at this place called Just For the Halibut, which was owned by a former North Star.
Then Norm Green came along, kicked me in the nuts, and I turned full-time to basketball.
Anywho, I've always been a big hockey fan, even after the Stars left. I've never really played organized hockey like I did organized basketball, but I know enough about both sports to appreciate the finer points in each presentation. The Stanley Cup playoffs dwarf the NBA playoffs in terms of quality, watch-ability, likability, and fan-friendliness. It shouldn't be this way. Basketball should be America's peoples' game. It shouldn't be viewed the way it's currently viewed and it deserves better. Expansion has hit it hard and the Starbury ethic of the late 90s still lingers in a bad way in peoples' mouths. Cap space, free agent summits, and draft picks have turned it into a league that is more notable for its off-the-court antics than...well, perhaps we shouldn't talk too loudly about this year's playoffs, which may be some of the most unwatchable ball in recent memory.
OK, I've ranted for long enough. Vote for the draft board. Wait another 2 days for the NBA to roll out a ho-hum Finals game. I've got to wrap up this post before the 3rd period starts.