Jenksismyhero

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 11:57 AM) "A" championship is very different from 5, which is the whole argument you were trying to make. Much like with Lebron, it's far from a lock. Maybe you end up with a legit All-Star big, maybe you end up with Mo Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The latter is far more common. The Cavs lost a playoff series where Lebron averaged like 35-8-8. If Lebron wins one in Cleveland (or if Kobe hypothetically won one in Charlotte), that has a MUCH higher degree of difficulty. The second part is arguing minor differences. You don't win two titles by yourself. The Lakers were still a very good team those 2 other rings. They had arguably the best frontcourt in the league between Gasol, Odom and Bynum (and MWP the second title) and Fisher wasn't anywhere near the corpse he is now at that point (not a great player, but still a 8-10 PPG game guy that hit some shots). The Heat's top-3 was stronger, but they've been hurt/bad for a lot of the last two runs and the Lakers didn't have a glaring lack of interior muscle. Their supporting players were also pretty terrible when they lost in the finals, they were starting a last-legs Mike Bibby and Joel Anthony. No, my argument is that as it stands now, one guy (Kobe) has a better overall record of performance, and while Lebron might be a more skilled/bigger/faster/whatever, at this point he hasn't achieved nearly as much and thus it's at least debatable (not indisputable) that Kobe would still be considered the better player. If Lebron never wins another title but still puts up his normal numbers, would you consider him better than Kobe? I wouldn't.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 11:10 AM) The rings argument is just asanine. So many things have to go in your favor to get one that are out of a guy's control. A lot of very good to great players only get one or two legit chances, and even then you might run into a far superior team. So much is determined by what franchise you land with. Kobe ended up on the Lakers, one of the marquee franchises and a team that won 53 games the year before he got there. Lebron landed on the Cavs, a frequent doormat that won 17 games the year before he got there and never added a legitimate second star. They didn't have nearly the same opportunities to get rings. Kobe's teams were threats to make a deep playoff run from day 1 when he was still averaging 8 points a game and nearly every year after that. Lebron had to carry a s***ty roster to legitimacy for the first 7 years of his career before switching teams. You're kidding yourself if you think Kobe has 5 rings if the Hornets never trade him. I bet he still wins a championship (or multiple championships) if he's given some decent guys around him. He's one of the best offensive players ever to play. And I wouldn't call the 2008 and 2009 Laker rosters amazing. Again, you have Gasol, which fine, is better than anyone Lebron had, but then you're throwing out guys like Lamar Odom, the corpse of Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, etc. What titles are more impressive to you - Kobe's 2 without Shaq or Lebron's with Wade and Bosh (and Ray Allen even)?

I think it's relevant when you're comparing franchise players that lead their teams. You don't compare Steve Kerr and Lebron James, but why not Kobe and Lebron? edit: and how are numbers any better than rings? You can be on bad teams (like Lebron in Cleveland) and put up great stats. How is that a better way to compare players? edit 2: btw, i'm not saying the number of rings is the ONLY measure, or that it's more important than others stats. But if Lebron doesn't win another title for the rest of his career, the fact that he has less than Kobe should matter.

Yeah i'm sure that's what you did to Crabtree. Sure looks like that's all you said. Especially when you got in his face. And flashing choking signs: was it really a choke when SF was an underdog and had a decent chance to win at the end? Yep, classy. The guy's a great player, but also a gigantic douche.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 10:15 AM) Yes they do. Shaq won 4 rings and Kobe was lucky enough to tag along for 3 of them. It's the same reason I don't put Wade above LeBron despite having more rings. Even if you assume Shaq was the only reason they won the first three (I don't necessarily) he still won 2 on his own with his best player being, who, Pau Gasol? Is it easier to win with a good, all-star level center or a hall of fame, probably 2nd best SG of all time player? Not to mention Lebron is a greatest shot in the history of the sport (or close to it) away from having only one ring.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 10:07 AM) LeBron is indisputably a better player than Kobe ever was. Rings don't back it up. Yet. So I don't think it's indisputable.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 09:59 AM) Me either. Which is why I will teach them respect and humility. But I'm sick and tired of the athletes as role models line. Admire athletes for their physical gifts and skills, but not necessarily for who they are as a human being. The guy just won the game, was emotional and has a lingering hatred for Jim Harbaugh. Seeing an emotional, violent reaction come from an emotional man following a violent shouldn't be at all surprising. Well you can be sick and tired of it, but it won't stop being true. Kids idolize professional athletes and they will mimic their behavior. If you don't want your kids to behave that way, and you use Sherman's interview as a teaching moment, why should it be acceptable in the first place? And I agree, you can be an asshole off the field all you like. But when you're on the field and on TV after a game, be a professional about it. I don't think that's really a lot to ask of someone.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 09:28 AM) You mean 2-2 right? I won't hold LeBron's first Finals against him, he was really young, the East was crap and the Spurs were at their peak, 2011 Finals was a major failure though. LBJ will easily get in my top 5 when it's all said and done. Sorry, yes. Meant winner of 2 out of 4.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 09:34 AM) So attitude and emotion after a highly charged football game = lack of intelligence? Suddenly he's the only college football player that couldn't have earned his degree? His way of speaking/grammar added to being a football player probably leads to that conclusion for a lot of people. Fair or not.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 20, 2014 -> 07:52 AM) I hate wrestling but I agree. I don't get why everyone is so upset. It's a f***ing game. The guy is going to the superbowl and was full of emotion. He didn't swear or use vulgar language. America got to see him come across as an idiot but that's his right. Get over this ultra PC bulls*** our society is ultra-obsessed with nowadays. It's not about being PC, it's about being a professional. Like it or not, these guys are role models for kids. I wouldn't want my kid acting like a clown after making a big play. I don't have a problem with him stating his opinion or even naming Crabtree in that interview. But the WWE-style delivery was dumb.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 06:13 PM) At full speed seeing the guys head bounce off the carpet like that, it is a somewhat understandable call those calls should be reviewable. have someone upstairs do it and it would take 5 seconds.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 19, 2014 -> 10:11 AM) No LeBron? He's already top 5 for me. After going 2-4 in the Finals? Really? He'll probably get there someday, but not right now. Duncan and Kobe over him for sure.

That was a boring ass game. Let's hope the NFC game is better.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 08:16 PM) Um....bull. Really? So when Gawker "outed" people like Anderson Cooper or Shepard Smith there was a huge uproar right?

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 08:59 PM) Start Morgan and Nunn for Egwu and Bertrand. I really dont get the love for Bertrand. He makes some athletic plays but he cant shoot, he cant drive, and hes just average on defense. Nunn is way better offensively and thats something this team desperately needs.

Ugh, Jim Jackson is the worst. He's making this game even more unbearabe.

Morgan is like 5 for his last 5.

QUOTE (Boogua @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 08:17 PM) Going 17-15 with a lottery pick and a bunch of juniors in Paul, Richardson, and Griffey is maximizing talent... Well, extenuating circumstances there, but fine. Maybe this team just really sucks. Sure looks like it now.

There have been bad, there have been annoying, there have been unathletic. This is just frusrating. They continue to make dumb mistakes. They dont execute on offense. They stand around. And its been like three weeks of this. They were not doing this in the non conference part of the schedule. Yes, the talent of the opposition went up, but still. Those awful Weber teams at least felt like they were maximizing their talent.

This is one of the most frustrating Illinois teams in years.

Wow, what a shot

I think Balta should just admit it has nothing to do with outing this person, and everything to do with possibly painting a gay/transgendered person in a negative light. That's the only reason this story is getting any kind of response. If she had cured cancer and still killed herself, there's no "omg! he outed her! that's so wrong!"

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 04:05 PM) There is no way in which that should possibly impact a person's actual credibility. Not in the least. You can't lie about a part of your life and who you are. That's the definition of being credible.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 03:58 PM) Why does she have to? Credibility?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2014 -> 03:54 PM) Is "I'm now a woman and no longer Mr. Krol" a lie? As far as I can tell...that was not a lie. Yes the degree statements were lies. Is it a lie to not be up front with that personal detail and personal choice? Do the other lies mean that the person has lost all privacy? He/she never admitted to being Mr. Krol. He/she lied to everyone about being a woman with a certain past. That's a clear set of lies.