November 7, 1991

I was doing chores in the kitchen, emptying and loading the dishwasher, getting ready to head out to our high school’s homecoming football game. The local news was on in the living room. I heard Channel 6 news anchor Lynn Ganser announce, “Tragic news.” Immediately assuming someone famous had died, I stopped what I was doing, entered the living room and focused my attention on the news.

The next thing I heard triggered the type of physical reaction that accompanies shock. “Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson…,”

Magic Johnson died?

“Announced that he is retiring from basketball…,”

WHEW! Wait, that’s surprising, not tragic.

“…after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.”

WHAT?!?!?!?!?

PROFILE OF COURAGE

On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced to the world that he tested positive for HIV. I am 41 years old. I was not alive for the Kennedy assassination. I was not alive when Pearl Harbor was attacked. In my lifetime, there have been three “I’ll never forget where I was when I heard,” tragedies – the Challenger explosion, 9/11, and Magic Johnson announcing he was HIV positive.

That Magic Johnson is alive and well 25 years later makes this day in history remarkable. That HIV/AIDS is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when Magic Johnson is mentioned is remarkable. That HIV is no longer a death sentence with the same Grim Reaper connotation it had 25 years ago is remarkable.

We would never know any of this had Magic not had the courage to step up and share his illness with the world and do more for awareness of this devastating disease in minutes than all of the death and carnage in the prior 10 years in which the medical world was aware of and attempted to spread awareness of AIDS.

Retweet of The Day

I love Magic Johnson. He is one of my favorite athletes of all time. I also think that there are many facets of his life after which people should try to model their lives more. Profound tweeting is not always one of those facets.

The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft in last week's NBA Draft Lottery. The Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers point guard dropped this food for thought in the wake of the good news. A week later, it still makes me do a face palm. Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) ‏delivered today's Daily Hat Trick Retweet of the Day.

"Laker fans all over should be happy with the No. 2 pick because the Lakers will get another really good player."

Magic never owned any newspapers, did he?

Image from http://live-av.info

By the Book: Showtime

I graduated from high school more than 20 years ago. Still, as sports fans, we can all enrich our fanhoods with a good book about one of our favorite sports subjects. There are few topics in sports history more fascinating or important to the development of a major North American sports than the Showtime era Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. Author Jeff Pearlman (once again) captivates the interest of sports fans with his tell-all book, "Showtime".

1

WHAT YOU ALREADY KNEW

Magic Johnson was the centerpiece of the Showtime era in Lakers basketball. From how the Lakers acquired the pick to draft him to how he was convinced to leave Michigan State University a year early to enter the NBA to the backdrop of Magic's rivalry with Larry Bird in college and the pros, Peralman explores all things Magic.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest players in NBA history, a vocal minority would argue the greatest. Kareem was also private and somewhat aloof. Many reports, after his carer was over, from those who covered him describe him as not necessarily the most likable person (or coworker) in the sporting lexicon. Pearlman goes into extensive detail on the background and behind-the-scenes persona of the enigmatic yet transcendent talent.

Former Lakers Coach Pat Riley was the captain of the Showtime ship. The GQ posterboy guided the Showtime dynasty to four NBA titles ad launched what is certain to be a Hall of Fame coaching career. "Showtime" discusses Riley's metamorphosis throughout the 1980's from a former player turned-announcer turned-assistant turned-head coach. Riley's rise and fall with the Lakers organization is a classic story of man's determination and shortcomings.

Dr. Jerry Buss is the Father of the Los Angeles Lakers as we know them today. What became showtime was Buss' vision. Pearlman extensively reveals how Buss made his unlikely Showtime dream into a reality.

This should surprise no one. 2

WHAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW

What even the most ardent Showtime Lakers fans don't know about this team could fill a book. That is what Jeff Pearlman did. His text is filled to the brim with stories, scandals, anecdotes, and secrets that only an author like Pearlman can deliver to the masses. The Showtime Lakers were like rock stars. The phrase "sex, drugs, and rock & roll" is a cliche for a reason. "Showtime" reveals why the 1980's Lakers were no exceptions.

There is a new, original, and often unbelievable tale of frat house mischief in every chapter. Cocaine is a "helluva" drug and the Lakers were not immune to its wonders - good, bad, and otherwise. There is sex, nightlife, sex, glamour, sex, fame, sex, and in case I forgot to mention it, more sex. Sex always sells, but it is also critical to the complete story of the Showtime Lakers. That roughly a quarter-century has passed since the end of the Showtime dynasty did little to silence the first-hand witnesses to the excitement and debauchery that was the backdrop of the Lakers' story.

There's more where this came from. 3

NO STONE UNTURNED

This book isn't just about the stars and the sensational. In addition to Magic, Kareem, and Riley, Pearlman writes about Buss, Jerry West, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis, Bob McAdoo, Norm Nixon, trainers, P.R. people, draft busts, the former owner - Jack Kent Cooke, the X's and O's architect of Showtime (no, not Pat Riley) and many others with fascinating stories about all of them. Simply put: if you are familiar with Pearlman's work, you know what to expect and your expectations should be high. If you have never read any of his gems like the biography of the late Walter Payton and the story of the 1986 World Series champion New York Mets, you will not be disappointed with "Showtime".
  

4

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info. 

1) Image from www.jeffpearlman.com
2) Image from www.complex.com
3) Image from www.tauntr.com
4) Image from http://losangeles.cbslocal.com

Tarnished Sterling

TMZ released an audio recording purportedly of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist statements while arguing with his then-girlfriend, V. Stiviano. Some of the sentiments expressed on the recording include Sterling, who is white, allegedly telling Stiviano not to bring any black people to Clippers game, including Basketball Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson. He also expressed wishes for Stiviano not to "broadcast" pictures of herself with black people on Instagram.

The nine-and-a-half minute recording can be heard in its entirety in the YouTube upload of this past Saturday's Louisiana All American Sports radio show at the 39:00 mark. Sterling, allegedly, is heard repeatedly asking Stiviano to not associate with minorities. He cites his "culture". He then goes into a disorganized, almost nonsensical sociology monologue about Blacks and Latinos and how "things have always been". Stiviano is half Black and half Mexican.

Maybe Sterling really doesn't see color. Psst! Donny boy. You're girlfriend is (half) black (gasp)! 1

NOT SO SURPRISING

I received a text early Saturday morning from my Internet and radio broadcast partner, Perry Daniels, about the Sterling story. As soon as I saw Sterling's name in the hyperlink to the story, before even reading it, I thought, "What did this known a-hole do this time?" I wasn't quite prepared for the bombshell that followed, but I was not exactly in a state of disbelief, either.

Sterling has been sued and settled out of court for a record payoff, just short of $3 million, in a housing discrimination suit. Basketball Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor,  a former Clippers executive under Sterling, sued Sterling for withheld pay and also alleged racial biases in the Clippers' workplace tied to Sterling. In short, this isn't the first time with Sterling.

Sterling is possibly one of the least liked owners in the NBA by all accounts. His team was a laughing stock for decades before acquiring current Head Coach Doc Rivers and All-Stars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. His reputation for penny pinching to the detriment of his NBA organization preceded him. Since this story broke, a story was reported on sports radio that the other NBA owners tied to rid themselves of Sterling in the past by "encouraging" him to sell.

This type of black eye on the league via Donald Sterling was a long time coming.

Adam Silver didn't start it, but, taking him at his word, he's going to finish it. 2

NOW WHAT?

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver vowed to respond swiftly and aggressively to this image crisis. Clippers players have already made symbolic statements like wearing black socks and wristbands and wearing their warm-up tee shirts inside-out before Sunday's Game 4 of their first round matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Doc Rivers has acknowledged the distraction that this is become but also said, "We have a job to do." Rivers, a former NBA player, by all accounts is very respected by his players and the Clippers players appear to be following Coach Rivers' lead.

Given the highly competitive nature of Western Conference basketball and the razor-thin gaps in talent from top-to-bottom between teams, this distraction could be enough to tip the scales on the court and preclude the Clippers from winning an NBA Championship (possibly preclude them from advancing past the Warriors in the first round). The possibility of the players union filing a grievance and asking for players to have the power to opt out of their contracts should Sterling retain ownership is not far fetched. The Clippers have, overnight, become the least attractive free agency destination in the NBA. This would make offseason player personnel improvements very difficult, particularly in a league in which roughly 80% of its players are Black.

Doc Rivers is not a miracle worker, but he'll have to come close to it to salvage his team's playoff run. 3

LONG TERM

Should the TMZ recording be authenticated, which I suspect it will, in the absence of a really good explanation, Sterling has to go, immediately. The NBA probably cannot force Sterling to sell his team (I am not familiar with the NBA's bylaws) but they can compel him to do so by creating an environment in which continued ownership of the Clippers is not desirable to Sterling.

There is no room in pro sports, especially in a league like the NBA that has an image of earning an A+ in diversity over the years. The more swift, decisive, and appropriate a resolution is reaching in this incident, the faster the crisis will be behind the league and its players, coaches, and owners. It is my hope that Adam Silver backs up his bold and unequivocal proclamation over the weekend to respond to these events with action.

Ironic? The league wants to get rid of Donald Sterling, independent of this scandal. Another  Los Angeles franchise turned its public image around overnight with a change in ownership. That same ownership group has D..E..E..P pockets and is rumored to want to get his foot into the door of the NBA. Cue Alanis Morissette. Just sayin'.... 4

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from www.hollywoodreporter.com
2) Image from www.startribune.com
3) Image from http://sports.yahoo.com
4) Image from www.fansided.com

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics - April 16, 2014

The NBA Playoffs start this weekend. With the marathon run to the NBA Championship set to begin, you can expect to be fed a healthy dose of basketball statistics. The team that does this first can expect to win. A team without a player who can do that has never advanced past the second round. Etcetera, etcetera….

The Daily Hat Trick has a couple of factoids you can toss out over a frosty beverage while checking out the playoff action with friends, family and coworkers. Get ready to wow the guys with your vault of useless trivia. It’s, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”!

THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES HAVE PLAYERS IN THE NBA’S TOP 5 IN SCORING, ASSISTS, REBOUNDS, AND STEALS

As star-driven as the sport of basketball is, as much as a single player can elevate an entire team, it is mind-blowing that a team can have top five league leaders in four of the five major individual performance statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) and not only be in 10^th place in its conference and out of the playoffs, but no even have a winning record. That is the position that the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in (again). It begs the question: are Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio wasting their talents in the Twin Cities?

Wolves big man and three time All-Star Kevin Love averages 26 points per game and 13 rebounds per game, fourth and third in the NBA, respectively. Point guard Ricky Rubio dishes out nine dimes per game and steals the ball 2.3 times on a typical evening, placing him fifth and second, respectively in those categories. With players who are so good, how can the Wolves be so consistently bad?

Part of the T-Wolves’ misfortune is being in the talent-superior Western Conference in a division loaded with All-Star talent. The Northwest division is home to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a perennial front runner for the Western Conference championship. Also in the division are the Portland Trailblazers with 2013 Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard and All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. Their regular season schedule is simply weighted to play more of the league’s better teams.

The other problem is that the Timberwolves have a mediocre to below average supporting cast around their two stars. In spite of being in the NBA Draft Lottery year-after-year, the Wolves have not parleyed their higher picks into higher talent. The 2014 version of the Wolves is an undersized front court (Love notwithstanding) with players who can shoot but intimidate nobody defensively.

The 2015 season may be Love’s last dance in Minnesota, with the seventh year of his contract approaching. Love will be an unrestricted free agent after next season. The odds of Love staying in place shrink with each loss.

Lakers, Knicks... get ready to start your bidding! 1

MICHAEL JORDAN'S BEST STATISTICAL SEASON DID NOT EARN HIM THE MVP, OR ANYTHING ELSE

We know the narrative on MJ: 14-time All-Star, six NBA titles, five-time MVP, first ballot Hall of Famer…I would wager he is the consensus greatest basketball player of all time; he has my vote. I can only imagine that those of you who are basketball fans but not stat geeks would assume that in the best measurable year of the career of arguably the greatest player ever would have earned him the award for the Most Valuable Player for that season.

However, anyone not digging inside the numbers might regard the 1989 NBA season as a footnote in the career of Michael Jordan. He didn’t win the MVP. His team, the Chicago Bulls, did not win anything of note – They didn’t even win the Eastern Conference; in fact, they were next-to-last in the Central Division. Mike’s success was not even enjoyed vicariously by his Head Coach, Doug Collins. Collins was fired after the season.

While the path of Jordan’s career would trend sharply upward very quickly with the Bulls’ promotion of Phil Jackson to Head Coach the next season and winning his first NBA Championship ring in the year after, Jordan’s box scores never peaked more than during the valley that was the Bulls’ 1989 season. Jordan averaged 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game from the shooting guard position that year.  He also played over 40 minutes per night and averaged a tick under 3 steals and a blocked shot per game while shooting 55% from the field and 85% from the line, at or close to career highs.

For casual fans who only care about wins, losses, and what they seen on the highlight reels, those…stats…are...ridiculous! Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder has a stat line is similar but, across the board, slightly lesser that the aforementioned MJ stat line from 1989 and he is all but certain to win the 2014 MVP award. 

It would make for great barber shop conversation about the modern NBA versus the "golden years" of the 80s and 90s. How much more physical the play was back then.... How much more intense the competition was among the star players.... By the way, the winner of the MVP in 1989? Some Johnny come lately named Earvin "Magic" Johnson (23 PPG, 13 APG, 8 RPG, 91% FT - led the NBA).

He had to...taste...defeat a few more times before reaching basketball's summit. 2

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from www.nypost.com

2) Image from www.terapeak.com

Retweet of the Day - October 29, 2013

The 2013-2014 NBA season begins tonight. There are two nationally televised games on TNT tonight. Both are marquis headliners, the late game being the Golden State Warriors at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Today's retweet needs no explanation and today's retweeter needs no introduction.

Earvin Magic Johnson (‏@MagicJohnson): 

"Can't wait to see the Heat get their rings and then play the Bulls. LeBron James vs. Derrick Rose!"

Wow. The NBA just happened to schedule the Bulls at the Heat on the first night of the season!

Image from www.blacksportsonline.com

Dodger Blue Magic

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in dramatic fashion last night. Veteran third baseman Juan Uribe (.278, 12 HR, 50 RBI) hit a go-ahead two run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning to put the Dodgers ahead of the Braves, 4-3. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (4-3, 1.88 ERA, 28 SV, 111 Ks, 76.2 IP) came in to nail it down in the 9th and sent the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series for the first time in four years.

The Dodgers have been the most compelling story of the 2013 MLB season. Don Mattingly was on the hot seat for his job before the (then) last place Dodgers called up a Cuban rookie right fielder named Yasiel Puig (.319, 19 HR, 42 RBI – regular season; .471, 1.029 OPS, 5 RS in the postseason) . The season became the opposite of Murphy’s Law: everything that could go right, did go right.

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.345, 20 HR, 57 RBI) returned to the lineup from injury and caught fire. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez appeared to return to his former borderline M.V.P.-caliber self, the same Adrian Gonzalez (.293, 22 HR, 100 RBI) who earned a nine figure free agency contract just less than three years ago. Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA, 232 Ks) pitched like the National League Cy Young Award winner he is all but assured of being in 2013. Zack Greinke (15-4, 2.63 ERA) returned to his tough-as-nails performances that made him an American League Cy Young Award winner in 2009 and a highly coveted free agent when he left the Kansas City Royals three years ago. Every day, we saw part-owner and front-man Magic Johnson with his trademark smile sitting front and center, the expression on his face saying, “I told you so!”

The 2013 NLCS, depending on Game 5 of the other National League Division Series - Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals – will either be a classic battle of baseball titans should the Cards advance or the continuation of the Cinderella story that is the Pirates’ return to baseball’s contending class. Regardless of who is on the marquis, the Dodgers will provide the electricity.

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

Magic was just getting started with bringing championships to Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Image cited in a prior Hat Trick posting.

Relieving Boston of Some Old Sox

Just a year ago, former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's stubborn refusal to relinquish control of his nearly insolvent baseball team but the image and the future of one of Major League Baseball's most iconic franchises into questionable uncertainty. A year later, the ownership group including Los Angeles sports legend Magic Johnson has the Dodgers in the thick of the playoff race and relieving other trouble franchises of toxic assets with massive contracts.

"We understand that you have to spend money to be good in this league." 

These are the words straight from the lips of Magic Johnson. The Dodgers have acted consistently with that statement. During the second half of the season, the Dodgers had acquired former batting champion Hanley Ramirez (.254, 20 HR, 79 RBI) from the Miami Marlins, and former All-Star and Gold Glove winner Shane Victorino (.260, 10 HR, 47 RBI) from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Those moves, in and of themselves, made a splash in the National League West race. It seemingly forced the hand of the (currently) first place San Francisco Giants to upgrade their anemic batting order via a trade to acquire Hunter Pence (.260, 18 HR, 75 RBI) from the Phillies. Those trades, however, are footnotes in light of the mega deal that went down between the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox last Friday.

A winner who knows how to win.

CHANGE OF SCENERY

The Hat Trick has run multiple articles this year about the dysfunction that is the Boston Red Sox. Going into the 2011 MLB season, many writers, myself included, thought that the season could be skipped and the Red Sox could just be handed the American League pennant. Boston made blockbuster hot stove transactions in the offseason leading into 2011, acquiring All-Stars left fielder Carl Crawford (.282, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 31 GP) and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (.298, 16 HR, 90 RBI).

The Red Sox's epic collapse at the end of last season and borderline lunacy in their clubhouse this season has resulted in a team with a losing record, a lot of finger pointing, and over a quarter-billion dollars in undesirable contracts. Nowhere did I mention that any of those players tied to the big contracts forgot how to play baseball because I don't think they did. I think they ran their courses in Boston.

Boston isn't always the most wholesome place to be.

GET WINS OR DIE TRYING

The Dodgers are a proud historic franchise. While they are regularly a playoff contender, they were once a fixture in the National League Championship Series and World Series until the late 1980s. The Dodgers have not won the National League since their World Series winning year of 1988, when Kirk Gibson was the Most Valuable Player of the National League and a hobbled hero delivering a pinch hit walk off homerun in Game 1 of the Fall Classic instead of the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In other words, the Dodgers have not tasted real glory in a very long time.

Last week, the Dodgers acquired Crawford, Gonzalez, and All-Star pitcher and 2007 World Series champion starting pitcher Josh Beckett (5-12, 5.21 ERA) in a trade that sent much lower profile players to the Red Sox, except for struggling first baseman James Loney (.254, 4 HR, 35 RBI). The Dodgers acquired what will either be a lottery of All-Star players or a booby prize of roughly $210 million in dead weight contracts.

Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Group gambled that the three big names they acquired still know how to  play baseball at the highest level and, more importantly, are hungry to prove their former employer wrong and win a championship. The Dodgers will make a very serious run at the postseason in September while the only post-anything in the Red Sox's immediate future is Post Raisin Bran and sour grapes. Both teams in this trade could be really big winners or really big losers.

Matt Kemp: You wanted help? You got it!

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

All images cited in prior editions of The Daily Hat Trick

The Dream Team – 20 Years Later

Top Row: Patrick Ewing, Christian Laettner, Magic Johnson, David Robinson
Middle Row: Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, the late Chuck Daly (Head Coach), Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin
Bottom Row: Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler 1

The 1992 USA Olympic Basketball team, known as “The Dream Team”, won the gold medal in Barcelona, Spain nearly 20 years ago. They did so by running roughshod over every single opponent in their way. A documentary baring the team’s name debuts tonight at 9pm EDT/8pm CDT on NBA-TV. To describe this team as a dominant gold medal Olympic team would be the understatement of the century.

LAST NAME “EVER”, FIRST NAME “GREATEST”

The phrases “greatest ever” and “greatest of all time” are used SO much in sports media that the moniker loses its impact. Greatest – unsurpassed in excellence and quality. Ever – includes all time in history, often within the context of a subject area. The buzz in many sports media, as the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Summer Olympics approaches, has been that The Dream Team was the greatest team ever assembled in the history of sports.

“Greatest ever in the history of sports,” sounds like hyperbole, a loaded statement to grab one’s attention. There are a lot of sports, there have been a lot of teams, and a lot of those teams have been great. To describe any one team as the greatest ever in the history of sports could sound over the top.

2

THERE HAS TO BE ONE

I completely agree. The Dream Team was the greatest ever. Just because a statement is bold, includes a superlative, and is sweeping in its scope does not necessarily mean that the statement is wrong.

Let’s look at the break down of the team:


Christian Laettner, PF – Possible future Basketball Hall of Famer, 2 NCAA Tournament Championships, 1991 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 1992 Associated Press (College) Player of the Year; many writers have argued that Christian Laettner is the greatest player in the history of college basketball, a position with which I could empathize.


David Robinson, C – Basketball Hall of Famer, 1995 NBA MVP, 2-time NBA champion (1999, 2003).


Patrick Ewing, C – Basketball Hall of Famer


Larry Bird, SF – Basketball Hall of Famer, 3-time NBA MVP (1984-1986), 3-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986).

Scottie Pippen, SF – Basketball Hall of Famer, 6-time NBA champion (1991-1993, 1996-1998).


Michael Jordan, SG – Basketball Hall of Famer, 5-time NBA MVP (1988, 1991-1992, 1996, 1998), 6-time NBA champion (1991-1993, 1996-1998); greatest player in the history of the game in the opinion of many, myself included.


Clyde Drexler, SG – Basketball Hall of Famer, NBA champion (1995)


John Stockton, PG – Basketball Hall of Famer


Karl Malone, PF – Basketball Hall of Famer, 2-time NBA MVP (1997, 1999)

Chris Mullin, SF – Basketball Hall of Famer


Charles Barkley, PF – Basketball Hall of Famer, NBA MVP (1993)


Magic Johnson, PG – Basketball Hall of Famer, 3-time NBA MVP (1987, 1989-1990), 5-time NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-1988).


DECENT RESUMES

Twelve players…all NBA All-Stars…11 players in the Basketball Hall of Fame with one possible future Hall of Famer (the Basketball Hall of Fame includes all contributions to the sport by all people involved in the game at all levels in all leagues, not just NBA personnel)……six NBA MVPs…six NBA champions.

All of these players were on the same team at the same time. The aggregate level of fame, achievement, and athleticism on the floor at any one time is staggering. At the time, I was 17 years old and, upon learning that NBA players would be on the Olympic team, naturally assumed all of the above players except for Laettner (I expected Isiah Thomas, Hall of Famer, instead) would be on that team. It thought it would be cool to see them play together and expected them to win.

One of the few benefits of getting older is gaining wisdom and perspective. One of the disadvantages of being young is, sometimes, not being able to appreciate the profundity of an event of moment. I am happy that I was young enough to have witnessed this greatness and still be a relatively young man so many years later, yet old enough to put the special quality of this assembly of great players in proper perspective.

There will probably never, ever be an assembly of all-time great athletes together in any sport ever again. It was unprecedented in 1992. The odds of that many great players at that level of greatness being active in sports at the same time, let alone playing together, in my lifetime is not likely.

The Dream Team: a Magic time. 3

 
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

1) Image from www.warriorsworld.net

2) Image from http://hoopedia.nba.com

3) Image from http://sports.yahoo.com

Matt Kemp Back on the DL

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a resilient team. In 2011, the historic franchise had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at them. The divorce of owner Frank McCourt and the ensuing financial issues threatened the very basic operations of the team. The team was not playing well. Attendance was abysmal, understandably so.

Fast forward to 2012 and new owner, Magic Johnson (and the Guggenheim Group). The Dodgers are comfortably in first place in the National League West. 2011 MVP candidate Matt Kemp (.355, 12 HR, 28 RBI) is having another stellar season, but missed more than two weeks in May with a hamstring injury. Yesterday, he aggravated that injury and expected to be placed back on the 15 day disabled list.

I cannot help but think that a visit from his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna, would help ease his recovery.

At least Kemp only hit baseballs.

Image from http://htrnt.blogspot.com

10 Most Shocking Retirements in Sports History

Athletes come and go. The nature of sports dictates that a professional athletes will not work for the same company for 30 years and retire at 65 with a gold watch. Actually, the nature of the modern economy dictates that anyone working outside of government should have no such expectations, but I digress.

In spite of the short career of the professional athletes, some stars have left their trade while in their primes, when their bodies would allow many more years of high level play. Jennifer Lynch of Top Online Colleges was kind enough to share an article with us about such stunning events. The original article can be found on their website, toponlinecolleges.com. Special thanks to Jennifer. Enjoy!

10 Most Shocking Retirements in Sports History

Many athletes have short-lived careers, and when they do throw in the towel, it isn't always on their terms. Injuries, age, and decreased performance are some of the common reasons athletes retire. But every so often, some athletes pull the rug from underneath fans, players, and coaches and surprisingly call it quits. Here are 10 of the most shocking retirements in sports history.

1. Barry Sanders

   Hall of Famer Barry Sanders surprised everyone when he announced his retirement in 1999. Sanders was in the prime of his career when he called it quits because he had lost the desire to play. The news broke the hearts of football fans around the country, who wanted to see Sanders break the all-time rushing record.

2. Yao Ming

   Legendary basketball player Yao Ming shocked the world when he announced his retirement in July 2011. The 7-foot-6-inch Chinese athlete had been suffering from foot and ankle injuries and underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot in 2009. His injuries only got worse and Yao decided to retire from the game. The gentle giant was one of the most internationally known athletes, especially to come out of China.

3. Michael Jordan

   Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. After nine incredible seasons, the beloved Chicago Bulls player made a shocking decision to retire. What fans didn't know is that this wouldn't be the last time they'd get to watch "His Airness" score on the court. After a short stint with minor league baseball, Jordan returned to the NBA and would retire two more times before ending his basketball career in 2003.

4. Pat Tillman

   NFL player Pat Tillman surprised fans when he decided to retire from football at 25 years old and enlist in the U.S. Army with his brother Kevin, who was MLB-bound. Tillman finished out the 15 games of the 2001 season and turned down a $3.6 million contract offer to play for the Cardinals for three years. Sadly, Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004.

5. Magic Johnson

   Magic Johnson took fans, players, and coaches by surprise when he announced that he was HIV positive in 1991. Following this revelation, Johnson decided to leave the NBA, but returned for the 1992 All-Star Game to some players' dismay. Magic retired a second time, but came back in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before bowing out for the last time.

6. Bobby Orr

   Hockey superstar Bobby Orr saddened hockey fans around the world when he announced his retirement in 1978 at the ripe age of 30. Orr was an unbelievable skater and a gifted scorer who revolutionized the defenseman position. The two-time Stanley Cup champion and Norris Trophy holder was plagued by a devastating knee injury that eventually caused him to call it quits after nine incredible seasons.

7. Kirby Puckett

   Kirby Puckett was a legendary baseball player and a heavy hitter with an impressive 2,304 hits, 1,085 RBIs, and a .318 batting average. Puckett shook the sports world when he said his goodbyes to baseball after discovering irreversible damage to his retina.

8. Bjorn Borg

   Bjorn Borg took the tennis world by storm from 1973 to 1983. Borg holds the record of being the only person to win Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year for three years in a row. Despite winning 11 Grand Slams, Borg no longer found tennis fun and surprisingly retired at the age of 26.

9. Sandy Koufax

   Sandy Koufax was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history with an impressive 2.76 ERA, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 shutouts. Unfortunately, Koufax had chronic arthritis in his elbow, which caused the Hall of Famer to call it quits in 1966 at 30 years old.

10. Jim Brown

    Jim Brown was a legendary NFL player who left his record-breaking career with the Cleveland Browns to focus on his acting career. Within nine unbelievable seasons, Brown managed to rake in a total of 15,459 yards and earn Rookie of the Year in 1957. Brown's retirement announcement took everyone by surprise, especially since he was only 30 and was at the peak of his health and performance.

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

Fanhood Fued - Favre, the BCS, and Lakers vs Celtics

The Daily Hat Trick has been giving you the breakdown on the different cliques of sports fan all month long. The fanhoods that we will look at today have been around a long time. For most sports fans, there is very little middle ground on these topics. These are values to sports fans. The factions are as much a part of a sports fans' identity as "Democrat" or "Republican" are a part of the identity of a politician. This week, we look at Brett Favre Apologists vs Brett Favre Exhaustees, Pro-BCS vs Pro-Playoffs in college football, and the 1980s Lakers Fan vs 1980s Celtics Fan.

Brett Favre Apologists vs Brett Favre Exhaustees

If you ever want to get a conversation started with a guy at a bar, there is not much lower hanging fruit than all things Brett Favre. Love him or hate him, people will talk about him. The more passionate one is about sports, the closer one will lie to one of the far ends of a pole with a #4 football jersey on one end and a Brett Favre tombstone on the other.

Brett Favre apologists love all things Brett Favre. Rule number one is that the Ol' Gunslinger can do no wrong. Rule number two is that when the O.G. does something wrong, see rule number one. His annual ritual of announcing whether or not he will play the following season, which will be the eighth such edition in the 2011 offseason, is like Groundhog Day or the start of spring; no year is complete without it. The man just loves to have fun playing the game!

• His NFL record for interceptions thrown in a career? He's just a gunslinger; he's thrown the most touchdowns, too! It's a product of experience. 
• His move attempting to muscle the Packers into either sitting starter Aaron Rodgers just days before 2008 training camp or trading him to the arch rival Minnesota Vikings (which ultimately happened via a trade to the New York Jets)? Capitalism....
• Claiming to be "retired" until the day after 2009 training camp broke, then signing with the Minnesota Vikings? The spoils of having paid his dues....
• Having Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress pick him up from the airport? Leverage....The Jenn Sterger controversy? Just a man being a man, a victim of political correctness and a gold digging young woman....
• Brett Favre really DOES wear Wranglers! So do I and SO SHOULD YOU!

Brett: "Hey y'all. Watch this!"
Jenn: "Uhnnn uhmmm!" (that's supposed to be a "no" with an "uh oh" cadence).
1

Brett Favre Exhaustees are, as the name implies, exhausted from all things Brett Favre. Many a portable radio has been smashed, many a television has been thrown out of the window, and many a laptop has been broken in two from the never ending flow of inescapable, ubiquitous stock market ticker-like Brett Favre updates. He is careless with the football when the game is on the line and takes foolish, excessive risks that are not worth the rewards. He selfishly put the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers in a precarious, lose-lose position with Packer fans and the media. He is a drama queen with a greater appetite for attention than a teenage girl on MTV's "My Super Sweet 16". On top of that he is a perv, a married, near 40 year old man who was trying to diddle a 25 year old girl.

The Daily Hat Trick is: I love watching Brett Favre play. It reminds me of what is good and fun about the game. Regardless of whether you like him or not, there is no denying that he is a warrior, starting 297 consecutive games in a sport in which some of its biggest stars never play all 16 games in a season. He makes players around him better and he is a leader of men in the trenches. I do believe that it is finally time for Favre to hang it up after 2010, but it will be a sad day for me, personally, as a football fan, when the first season without Brett Favre kicks off.


I'm not saying Brett should have done it, but I UNDERSTAND! 2


Pro-BCS vs Pro-Playoffs in College Football

The BCS is the product of a series of efforts, dating back to 1992, to match up the top two teams in college football in a bowl game. The idea was that by getting the major conferences to agree to place its champions in specified bowl games, college football could produce an indisputable champion. This would eliminate the politics and controversies, such as split national championships, of media polls such as the Associated Press poll.

Nineteen seasons and two split national championships later (1997, 2003), the controversy has only grown. Issues such as the exclusion of schools from non automatic qualifying BCS conferences (or "mid-major" conferences) have only fanned the flames of disagreement among college football fans and journalists. Proponents of a tournament-style playoff system have grown louder and have increasingly gained public support over the years. Recently, billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA, announced that he would attempt to finance a playoff system in college football, once and for all, to settle the matter and produce one true champion of college football each year.

The pro-BCS faction loves the tradition of bowl games. The holidays are not the same without getting comfortable on the couch or in the recliner with a stiff cocktail or a cold beer, tuning out the chatter of children and family, and watching bowl game after (meaningless) bowl game. There cannot be enough college football on television in December and early January. They also believe in tradition. Fix the BCS system, but do not scrap the beloved bowls. Otherwise, many men may actually have to listen to what their visiting relatives have to say.

The BCS: At least it is responsible for the "FUSC" fad. 4

The pro-Playoff faction is sick of the politics of the BCS and its predecessors and the media polls deciding a game that is played by athletes on the field. There is an NCAA tournament in basketball and a College World Series. Football Championship Subdivision (smaller, less competitive) schools have a playoff system. How can the NCAA fail to provide a fitting conclusion for its most popular sport? If we can put a man on the moon, then we can find a more fair and equitable way to crown a champion in college football. Too many individual entities with too much to lose are ruining college football for everyone.

The Daily Hat Trick is: C'mon man! Show me one person, not a broker of power in the current college football system, who does not want some type of playoff system and I will show you a contrary person or someone who would have resisted the transitions from leather helmets with no face mask and someone who thinks the use of instant replay is a bad idea. I am probably describing someone who would like to bring "tear away" half-cut jerseys from the 1980s back to the college game. The lack of a playoff system in college football causes my level of interest to plummet drastically after my school, Louisiana State University, is eliminated from the hunt. Like most schools, the end is usually apparent in November, creating a 6 to 8 week "lame duck" period of sorts for most college football fans.

Pro-BCS people probably think college football should return to the look of "The Boz" 3

Lakers Fan vs Celtics Fan - Circa 1980s

In my opinion, this was the greatest rivalry in sports during the 1980s. The intensity, theater, and sportsmanship of this (what felt like almost an) annual clash of all time greats for supremacy on the hardwood is largely responsible for the soaring popularity of the National Basketball Association today. Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson...Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posting up Robert Parish...Kevin McHale and James Worthy playing the role of "X factor"...this was what symbolized the true golden age of NBA basketball.

Magic vs Bird in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game: Timeless 6

Lakers Fan came in two varieties - the glamor fan and the urban fan. The glamor fan either lived the glitzy, decadent L.A. lifestyle associated with the excesses of the 1980s or wanted to live as such. The urban fan looked at Magic and company as new era basketball players who played the game the way they did at the playground...and won! Either way, this fan set the early weeks in June for Showtime in the NBA Finals. They loved the fast-break, no look passes from Magic. They never ceased to be amazed by Kareem's sky hooks. Jack Nicholson's place, on game nights, was courtside.

Timeless 5

Celtics Fan was or closely related to the blue-collar middle American. This fan group spoke often of (lame and boring) "fundamentals" and "team play" (I am sure you know where my fanhood is already). Larry Bird's face could be Photoshopped in place over that of Jesus and many a Celtics fan would be none the wiser. They hi-fived every time Larry Bird hit one of his (then) team record 71 consecutive free throws. The sharpshooting, fundamentally sound dribbling and passing style of Bird and his teammates endeared Celtics fans all around the country.

The Daily Hat Trick is: Lakers all the way. Football is my favorite sport, but basketball was my first love and the Bird-Magic rivalry is reason number one why I loved basketball as a small child and love following the sport today. I was a Lakers fan. Magic was eye-popping and Kareem's consistency and quiet dominance was inspirational. Growing up, I hated Bird and the Celtics, but, upon reflection years later, no contest is as fun as it can be without a villain. Bird and his era of Celtics are as much a part of the fabric of my personal enjoyment of sports at this time as the Lakers were. The game became premium sporting entertainment because of them. The Lakers and Celtics of the 1980s are missed. 

Timeless 7

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

For sponsorship opportunities, contact eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from best-laptopcomputer.com
2) Image from cbsnews.com
3) Image from gettyimages.com
4) Image from sportscrack.com
5) Image from cinerobot.blogspot.com
6) Image from espn.com
7) Image from sportsblink.com