Comments on: Feeding The Post: Chris Paul Is Helping To Ruin Fandom

By: Ignarus

Ignarus — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:29:02 +0000

Yeah, for what it’s worth, the Cavs organization (not talking about fans here) has pretty much no loyalty either – their treatment of Zydrunas Ilgauskas was pretty much terrible, holding him out of a record-breaking game for no reason whatsoever (for which he had bought tickets for lots of friends and family members to come to) and trading him to bring in Jamison at the drop of a hat.

It should say a lot that Ilgauskas, who had ALWAYS been the good soldier, left to join the Heat when his contract was up rather than stay even one more season working for Dan Gilbert.

Yeah, the fans get screwed, but I think you guys are right in pointing out that the mercenary attitudes come from the employers’ treatment of the players rather than the other way around.

People are only going to be loyal to organizations that deserve it.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:14:46 +0000

Mr. Velasco,

I thought you might enjoy Soulive. They did a remix of one of their songs with Talib, and they do work.

Great post, I enjoyed reading it.

By: kidcatastrophe

kidcatastrophe — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:41:37 +0000

Talib Kweli – Get By. Where’s my bunch of nothing?

By: Rhett

Rhett — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:08:33 +0000

Not to be a buzz kill, but I never really find myself around the idea ‘workers unite’ when it comes to NBA players. Why? Well, for example, my wife would have to work 487 years as a public school teacher to make what LeBron will make in one season. NBA players live in the same gated communities that our bosses do- and while it sucks that they may be moved across the country, it seems they are well compensated for it. Make millions and retire when I’m 35? Where do I sign up?

By: Gozer

Gozer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:27:27 +0000

I hear you. At the same time, there’s a flipside to all of this – especially back before the Steve Francis style “hold your team hostage by refusing to play” maneuver became popular, a team could pretty much ruin a player’s life at any time by trading them across the country. If my employer randomly came into my office and informed me that I’d been moved to Indianapolis, effective immediately, and had no say in the matter, I’d freak out.

Sure, the recalibration of influence way from owners and towards players has been done in the most grotesque, fan unfriendly way possible, but the injection of the mercenary philosophy of winning at any cost (and at the expense of minor considerations like making sure players live within 10 hours of their families) is something those owners produced for themselves.

I’ve heard that Generation Y lacks loyalty to their employers partially because we grew up watching our parents get shafted under the dying expectation that if you work for a company long enough, they owe you something and shouldn’t outsource your job at the first opportunity to make an additional penny on the dollar. Something like this has happened in the NBA, but combined with the players, especially the best of them, belatedly realizing that they’ve had all of the influence the entire time.

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:09:53 +0000

Get By, Talib Kweli

Great great song.

By: Nels

Nels — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:55:57 +0000

Talib Kweli – Get By. Pretty much my favorite song of junior year of college.