Friday, November 2, 2007

Filowitz's Friday Five

1) I can’t believe how many people are rushing to defend the New England Patriots’ complete lack of sportsmanship. I’m sorry, everyone, but they are running up the score, and they are behaving in a completely classless manner. Yes, they’re great, but they don’t have to be such dicks about it. Being great and not being a tool in being great is what it means to have class. Once you are up by more than four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, you run the ball, and make the clock move, to hasten the end of the contest. You have won, the game is over, and margin of victory doesn’t count in the NFL (and shouldn’t count anywhere else, but that’s another story.) Some people seem to enjoy this giant middle finger that Belichick is giving all teams in the league. It is smug triumphalism, and is everything wrong with the American character. I hope they pay a terrible price for their douchebaggery. If this were a film about gangsters, soon Belichick would be getting busted by the FBI or shot by a character played by John Leguizamo.

2) Kevin Durant already looks kind of awesome. He’s going to have ups and downs, and like Charles Barkley said last night, “eat a couple of cheeseburgers, brother.” But in two NBA games he’s already shown flashes of being a scorer unlike which we’ve ever really seen. I can’t wait to watch his development. In other news, I’m going to be in Seattle over Christmas, and will be going to a Sonics-Raptors game there. Can’t wait to see him in person.

3) Another player to watch out for this year: Dwight Howard. It looks like he developed a bit more of a finesse game to go along with his already impressive power game. Dude is probably the best rebounder in the league right now, and if he has really added post moves and short jumpers, he will be absolutely unstoppable. Not to mention if he can learn to pass out of double teams, then watch out for Rashard Lewis’ 25 points a game.

4) For good measure, also be sure to watch Chris Paul and Dave West (from Teaneck High, okay!) in New Orleans. And Josh Smith in Atlanta. And TMac and Yao in Houston. And Gerald Wallace in Charlotte. It’s going to be a fun season. League Pass is going to just about pay for itself (not in real money, but you know what I mean.)

5) If the Comedians of Comedy tour through your city, you should definitely go see it. I saw them last night in Chicago, and it was awesome. In particular, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, and Brian Posehn. Really different, creative, intelligent, yet still kind of filthy, stand up comedy. The exact opposite of Dane Cook. Meaning, it’s funny, and not prone to make you want to punch someone in the sternum.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

1) Dude, the Patriots aren't playing in Teaneck Sports and Arts, where everybody learns that they need to play nice with each other. They're playing *against* the best football players in the world in the most competitive football league in the world. If the defense can't physically stop the Patriots offense from being dicks, then they deserve to continue to get their asses beat up and down the field with those aforementioned dicks on TV. I think you're making way too much about the overall importance of football in our society.

2) Kevin Durant will put up some numbers, but the Sonics suck something awful and it will be hard to tell how good he'll be until he's with a competitive team.

3) Agreed, Dwight Howard will be unstoppable.

Did any of you guys go to Sports and Arts?

Dan Filowitz said...

I should have added that I think the Redskins were dicks, too, for not being more upset about being humiliated. Real men would have done more about it, instead of laying down and taking it.

Be that as it may, I don't care if they're professionals. There is a way to win with class, and the Patriots did the opposite.

Also, I didn't mean that this is influencing the American character. I meant that it exemplifies the worst in American character.

But, yeah, I did Sports and Arts for a year or two. It was kind of lame, if I remember right.

zman said...

I did sports and arts once with Benny Blanco from the Bronx.

I'm a Pats season ticket holder and I've gone to every home game this year. The game against Cleveland was ridiculous - they went on 4th and 1 inside their own 10 instead of kicking the FG. Last week I brought a friend from the DC area. He was not pleased, especially when the Pats were up by 30+ points and went deep to Moss down the right sideline. It's also horseshit how often they go for it on 4th down, with Tom Brady running the ball. What if he got hurt? They also have some lumpy Irish OT who they line up as an eligible receiver, even when they are up by multiple TD. It's amazing to watch this offense at work, but it actually makes me feel bad for the other teams when they run up the score. Their body language shows how demoralized theya re.

Twinkie said...

Are y'all seriously questioning running up the score or the Pats going for it on 4th down?

It's real simple and it was said before, but clearly without enough gusto - These are professionals, so if you have a problem with the team scoring, STOP THEM!

If the Redskins players looked sad after getting their asses wrapped up and packaged back to DC, they should have done one of two things A) step up and play some defense or B) send someone and hit Tom Brady late.

This has nothing to do with American character in my opinion. Watch a European futbol game once in a while. The game could be 5-1 in extra time, if Joey English has a chance to score, he's not laying up because it's a sign of good character.

The rest of the NFL needs to grow a pair and man up. Play some defense and if that's not working, show off the All-American trait of excessive revenge by sending a third-string LB on a Kamakazi blitz at Brady.

And kicking a field goal when you're up big is worse than going for in on 4th down. If you're up, the object is to get the game over with, therefore the offensive team that's up can keep the clock running and you can't do that if you a) kick the ball which stops the clock and b) give the ball to your opponent, who will stop it in an attempt to score again.

What's the character assessment of a team down 35 points still trying to score with three minutes left in the fourth quarter? A feel-good touchdown late is close to the Teaneck Sports and Arts mentality that we apparently want our pro sports teams to adhere to today

THE INNOVATOR said...

Hey Nancy (Dan) get over it. I like assholes, I have been one myself my whole life, I love Belichik and I love when they kick peoples asses. some people in this world were meant to kick ass and some were meant to get their asses kicked!!

Besides all that, I think it is point three where you talk about the upcoming NBA guys. Think about this, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith and Randolph Morris were all ont he same AAU team out of Atlanta. What's worse is none of them was the leading scorer on that team the summer they won the national championship. Nope, the leading scorer was enigmatic South Carolina senior swingman Dwayne Day.