Ball or Nuthin' » Allen Iverson

Tidewater Natives Representin’…In a Bad Way

T Lamont — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:32:50 +0000

One of the richest areas for producing extraordinary professional talent is failing to produce extraordinary citizens.

While this article may go over the top a bit, it’s a good illustration of why I can be proud of the 757. Hailing from a small town positioned within the 757 area code, I have a special love for the region’s native professional athletes.

And we all thought Eazy-E was dead...

The Southern Virginia region – known for its rural landscapes and agriculture – has an athletic talent base that has proven to be the cream of the crop. And while these talents have shined in the sport of their calling, they have left much to be desired when it comes to their ability to be model citizens.

For those of you unfamiliar with the products of the 757 area code, check out the list of the most polarizing personalities in sports:

Plaxico Burress – The 6’5″ talent from Norfolk, Virginia set the college landscape ablaze at Michigan State. Thus far, Burress has split his pro career in Pittsburgh and New York – winning a Super Bowl with the latter. But his success was short lived after shooting himself in the thigh at a New York nightclub with an unlicensed Glock pistol. He’s now in the middle of a two-year prison sentence.

Allen Iverson – The miniature (don’t call me a point) guard led a revolution in the NBA. The cornrows, baggy clothes and blinging jewelry worn by every other NBA player in the late 90′s and early 2000′s trace back to the entry of the most dominant NBA player under 6’3″ in league history. A.I.’s pinnacle was in 2001, when he won the MVP award and led the Sixers to the NBA Finals. But Iverson’s disdain for all things ordinary (like practice), his past flirtation with the law, and his recent reluctance to reduce his stubbornness on the hardwood may leave him unemployed, and will certainly keep him from changing the perception of the fans.

Michael Vick – What more can we say about a man who owned and supplied the funding for a big-time dogfighting operation? Oh…I guess we can say that he also killed several dogs, himself, in the process. I can’t imagine what someone will have to do to unseat him as the top dog on the most hated lists for athletes.

And now, we have a new entry.

Merling got arrested for "illegal hands to the face" of his pregnant girlfriend.

Miami Dolphins defensive end Phillip Merling was arrested for battering his girlfriend. Listening to the 911 call from his girlfriend, things aren’t looking to good for the Portsmouth, Virginia native.

Did I forget to mention that she was pregnant?

Even with the boatload of players grown in Hampton Roads, this may be the real reason that there’ll never be a franchise rooted in the 757. Residents would be irate with the undeniable tax increase to support the ‘rehabilitation’ of their favorite players. Any potential franchise would also have to keep reserves available to counterbalance the resulting suspensions and prison terms obtained by its players.

Here’s to hoping that one day I’ll be able to support my favorite players without defending them.

Hey – even a grown man can dream.

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Ten Most Disliked Sports Figures??

T Lamont — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:51:03 +0000

Fox Sports recently posted its “Top 10 Most Disliked People in Sports”…and in more than a few of their choices, they missed the mark.

Let’s review their top 10:

10. Gilbert Arenas

Now obviously, Arenas was a late entry…barely making the cut at #10, which Fox Sports may believe actually makes it legit. But I’m sorry – Arenas in no way deserves to land on this list. Throughout his career, he’s been nothing but a jovial prankster – - trying to live up to a reputation as a carefree rebel without a cause. Well, that finally caught up with him this fall, and suddenly – out of the thousands of notable sports related people – he’s one of the top 1% (or less) of disliked people. I’m not buying it.

9. Allen Iverson

This must be a lifetime achievement award, if you will. Iverson hasn’t done anything of importance on or off the basketball in a few years now. The last unlikable A.I. incident was probably when he beefed about coming off the bench for Detroit (and, as sorry as they are, who in their right mind wouldn’t have beef about that?).

Of course, Iverson has been reckless during his basketball career, being involved with guns, fights, unhappy relationships with coaches, etc…

He’s one of the pioneers of the urban, street style wardrobe that was adopted by many players in the late 90′s and early 2000′s. And the Hampton, Virginia native had others copying his cornrow patterns.

Cornrows and gangsta wear? I guess that image will last in people minds’ for years to come.

8. Alex Rodriguez

With his steroid admission only a year and some change behind him, A-Rod’s championship season did little to get the haters off of his back. He’ll always be remembered as the $252-million man – and the mega-contract only generated more critics (not fans). I even know some Yankees fans who don’t like him.

"What did I do to land on this list?"

7. Terrell Owens

What can you say about T.O.? Generally speaking, people don’t his light-hearted arrogance and creative showboating. I wouldn’t say that his hate factor is very high – but maybe this position is one that fits him OK.

6. Mark McGwire

The former Bash Brother was America’s sweetheart during the magical 1998 home run battle between him and fellow doper Sammy Sosa. But after not giving much comment during the steroids in baseball Congressional hearing, his star began to fade as if it were Big Mac’s batting average. Ironically, McGwire is looking much worse than his blabbermouth ex-teammate Jose Canseco – who admitted the baseball/steroids problem to anyone who wanted to hear it.

5. Jerry Jones

Jones is spurned by those who despise the Cowboys. Although he never does or says anything particularly newsworthy, just hearing him reverberate “How ’bout them Cowboys?!!” is enough to make some people want to place him on the 40-yard line and kick him through the uprights.

4. Tiger Woods

Once again, I’d say that this one is aptly positioned. Nobody would have saw this coming a year ago…but now, how will Woods become the crowd favorite that he was? Or will people be able to move past this incident at all?

3. Ben Roethlisberger

The road from being a hero to being a villain can be a very short one at times. But Big Ben has been building a villainous case for some time now. Roethlisberger can’t seem to pry himself away from the bar scene. It’s time for the organization to take a hard-nosed stance on Ben’s future with the Steelers. For now, Roethlisberger’s earned this spot in the infamous lineup.

2. Al Davis

Davis is too busy cleaning up the colossal mess that has become the Oakland Raiders. Davis has suffered through his bad decisions for a decade – seemingly with the next big hope being available in the upcoming draft. I don’t know why the guy would be disliked so much. Perhaps its the fact, that the Raiders have struggled for so long. Or maybe Oakland fans are the loudest gripers. I’m not sure, but a #2 position is definitely much too high.

1. Michael Vick

No surprise here – Americans love pets. Vick killed potential pets (or, if you will, his own pets). People will remember that for a long time. Unfortunately, there’s not much that Vick can do to get off of this list. Time is the only thing that can help him. And not going to parties where people who were linked to his infamous criminal activities are getting shot.

As long as dogs roam the earth, Michael Vick will have plenty of haters.

Who belongs on this list that wasn’t mentioned?

Kobe Bryant

It doesn’t matter if his Lakers just won their second of back-to-back NBA titles. People either like Kobe or they don’t like him – plain and simple. My wife, who probably knows 20 NBA players by name, can’t stand him. Bryant’s attitude borders on the edge of arrogance or extreme confidence, which will sway one way or the other based on people’s individual perceptions of him. Kobe’s a great player and, unfortunately for him, one of the most polarizing figures that the sport of basketball has ever witnessed.

Barry Bonds

How could Mark McGwire be on this list, but not Bonds? He’s generated so much hatred – mainly because anyone with a television set could have observed the increase in the muscle mass of his head. However, nothing has been proven against him – which infuriates those who hold baseball records to be sacred accomplishments. Bonds is the current all-time and single-season home run leader, and now that the cat is out of the bag (about steroids) his records could stand for some time. Someone probably punched a wall just from reading that.

O.J. Simpson

Long removed from the sports scene, Simpson is hating for nothing related to athletics. Nevertheless, he was a sports figure and is one of the most despised people on the planet. The public doesn’t usually like people suspected of killing other people – off of the gridiron, that is.

What’s Allen Iverson’s NBA Legacy?

T Lamont — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:31:18 +0000

Yesterday, 10-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson announced his retirement.

But as ESPN NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith said, if any of the teams with true championship aspirations come knocking – i.e. Boston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Cleveland – he will almost certainly be ready to hit the hardwood once again. And while we’re not certain that he’s 100% out of the game, this is a good time to look back at some of the things that he will be noted for.

1. Lethal little-man scorer: Iverson was the first small shooting guard who had a franchise designed around him. That’s how good he was. During his tenure in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia employed a host of big point guards ranging from Eric Snow to Raja Bell to Larry Hughes. The Answer is 5th in NBA history in scoring at 27.02 points per contest. The 4-time scoring champ redefined the standard for how little guys are ‘supposed’ to play the game.

2. “We Talkin’ Bout Practice”: Definitely one of the most popular soundbites in modern sporting history, Allen Iverson’s rant will live on in infamy. Let’s revisit the humor:

3. Style: A.I. was a trend-setter in bringing the street fashion to the league. The baggy jeans, oversized T-shirts, Timberland boots, chains and diamonds - were all signature Iverson items. And, as things stand now, they are all things that David Stern has outlawed with the recently implemented NBA dress code. But for a moment in history, A.I.’s style was ingrained as the standard wardrobe of the National Basketball Association.

4. Killer Crossover: The Answer’s crossover move was a big attraction during the early part of his career. Fans waited to see who would be the next victim to get caught by his signature move. And Iverson was an equal opportunity victimizer – - meaning he unveiled his best anklebreakers on the entire league…from NBA journeyman Greg Anthony to NBA legend Michael Jordan.

So, while he was one of the smallest players in NBA history, Iverson has had one of the biggest impacts on the game that he loves.

What’s Allen Iverson’s NBA legacy? I can sum that up in one word…

Individuality.

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Iverson Leaves Another Team Hanging

T Lamont — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:44:21 +0000

A.I. has done it again.

After God apparently told him that he needed to go to Memphis, he has revealed his disgruntled side. Allen Iverson has been disappointed in his role (sound familiar?) with the rebuilding Grizzlies.

So what did he do about the situation?

The former NBA MVP took a personal leave from the team on Saturday. Yeah, he walked out on ‘em.

This is just the latest saga in the story of a player who has left a trail of dissent wherever he has played. He did not get along with Larry Brown in Philly. He did not play to the delight of George Karl in Denver. He couldn’t fathom coming off of the bench in Detroit.

But both Iverson and Memphis are to blame for this colossal mess.

Allen Iverson will watch the Grizzlies on TV for a little while.

So why would Memphis think he would want to come off the bench on their team? The Grizzlies were 24-58 last season. All the Memphis management had to do was look at what happened last season in Detroit. That would have been enough to make me say “I think I’m gonna stay away from this guy.”

The Grizzlies have a young nucleus – centered around their three outside / wing players Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. And since the Grizzlies are rebuilding, there aren’t going to be many minutes for a 6-foot, 34-year-old, non-point guard who plays poor defense (at best).

Memphis should realize that sometimes if something looks too good to be true, stay away from it. It’s probably really bad for you.

And a little note to A.I….please realize that it is a privilege to play in the NBA, not a right. There aren’t many teams looking for a player with the following attributes:

- 6 foot tall, not a good shooter, not a good passer, not a good defender, 34 years old

So, remember that and choose your next contract very carefully – if you get one.

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Allen Iverson and Memphis – A Match Made at the Box Office

T Lamont — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:19:30 +0000

This is according to Allen Iverson’s Twitter account.

“God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I feel they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that. I feel that I can trust them.”

The former young gun is now a seasoned veteran who would be supplying potential leadership for Memphis.

So much for the potential reunion with Larry Brown. A.I. looks to have agreed to a one-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies (as reported by the Memphis Commercial Appeal) worth approximately $3.5 million and additional possible incentives.

The motivation for this move by the Grizzlies seems to be fairly straight-forward – they need all the help they can get bringing people into the FedEx Forum. Allen Iverson means more interested fans and more ticket sales.

Of course, this is only a short term ‘answer’ to a problem that will take a while to fix. If I were Memphis, I’d be more concerned with the development of a winning franchise. Fans always come out to support winning teams, even if they don’t have the greatest superstar attractions (prominent examples are the Pistons and Spurs teams from earlier in the decade).

Having Iverson hanging around for a year (and demanding a decent amount of minutes) will only stunt the progress of the Grizzlies future backcourt. It remains to be seen how Lionel Hollins plans to pair up his guards, but any combination involving A.I. will put either Michael Conley or O.J. Mayo on the pine. If the plan is to make the Grizzlies into winners, Conley and Mayo need as much time on the floor together as possible.

And no, Memphis wouldn’t dare talk playoffs – even with the addition of the dangerously streaky scorer.

But as the team’s two best SG’s, O.J. and A.I. will be tussling for P.T. – putting the Grizzlies in the NBA’s basement A.S.A.P.

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