LeTravel and the Crab dribble Thread - Wadette Girliman

[doclinkin]

LeBron's a phenomenal talent, a student of the game, even plays defense, and while sure I like my grapes sour as the next guy, in this case the guy frankly turns my stomach.

There's a reason we never had a long thread dedicated to hate on DWade despite the fact that he kills this squad every time he's healthy. DWade just has a quiet sort of class, has worked to earn his talent.

LeBron's act though is tiresome. The whining to referees, checking his tampax for blood whenever someone intrudes on his aura. Loves the smell of himself, and has been stroked by the gods since he was in infancy. Rooting for LeBron is like getting a tattoo of the MicroSoft logo, and bragging about how much money Bill Gates' got. Yeah, and? So? Only an idiot would suggest LeBron ain't good. But only an asswipe or a Clevelander would root for him.

[TheSecretWeapon]

As much as I hate James, there's no denying that he's a once in a decade type talent, probably the most supremely gifted athlete this league has ever seen.

That said, when they talk about LeBron and his outstanding PER and the season he is having statistically, what they fail to put in perspective is just how easy the game has become for offensive players. I hate when players from different eras are compared for precisely that reason.

Just imagine what clip Jordan in his prime would score at with these no contact rules. Conversely, put Lebron in the late 80s early 90s and see how he does against the Jordan rules Pistons or Riley's Knicks.

When I see LeBron cry to the refs after every bit of contact, check his mouth for blood when he wasn't even hit in head, all I can do is shake my head in disgust

"They're trying to hurt me!", for real?

The scoring environment today is about what it was during the Jordan's career. League average during Jordan's career was about 108 points per 100 possessions, if I recall correctly (it's been a couple years since I looked at this). Average this season is 108. Last I looked, fouls are called today at about the same rate as they were during Jordan's years. Free throws -- same rate. The game today is getting closer to what it was during the game's glory years. Except there's better long-range shooting nowadays.

[fishercob]

LeBron's a phenomenal talent, a student of the game, even plays defense, and while sure I like my grapes sour as the next guy, in this case the guy frankly turns my stomach.

There's a reason we never had a long thread dedicated to hate on DWade despite the fact that he kills this squad every time he's healthy. DWade just has a quiet sort of class, has worked to earn his talent.

LeBron's act though is tiresome. The whining to referees, checking his tampax for blood whenever someone intrudes on his aura. Loves the smell of himself, and has been stroked by the gods since he was in infancy. Rooting for LeBron is like getting a tattoo of the MicroSoft logo, and bragging about how much money Bill Gates' got. Yeah, and? So? Only an idiot would suggest LeBron ain't good. But only an asswipe or a Clevelander would root for him.

Ladies and gentleman, the great doclinkin. Just fantastic stuff right there, doc.

[miller31time]

LeBron's a phenomenal talent, a student of the game, even plays defense, and while sure I like my grapes sour as the next guy, in this case the guy frankly turns my stomach.

There's a reason we never had a long thread dedicated to hate on DWade despite the fact that he kills this squad every time he's healthy. DWade just has a quiet sort of class, has worked to earn his talent.

LeBron's act though is tiresome. The whining to referees, checking his tampax for blood whenever someone intrudes on his aura. Loves the smell of himself, and has been stroked by the gods since he was in infancy. Rooting for LeBron is like getting a tattoo of the MicroSoft logo, and bragging about how much money Bill Gates' got. Yeah, and? So? Only an idiot would suggest LeBron ain't good. But only an asswipe or a Clevelander would root for him.

Ladies and gentleman, the great doclinkin. Just fantastic stuff right there, doc.

HOF post?

(I don't make these decisions and Doc isn't pompous enough to put it there himself.....though he's close)

[fishercob]

LeBron's a phenomenal talent, a student of the game, even plays defense, and while sure I like my grapes sour as the next guy, in this case the guy frankly turns my stomach.

There's a reason we never had a long thread dedicated to hate on DWade despite the fact that he kills this squad every time he's healthy. DWade just has a quiet sort of class, has worked to earn his talent.

LeBron's act though is tiresome. The whining to referees, checking his tampax for blood whenever someone intrudes on his aura. Loves the smell of himself, and has been stroked by the gods since he was in infancy. Rooting for LeBron is like getting a tattoo of the MicroSoft logo, and bragging about how much money Bill Gates' got. Yeah, and? So? Only an idiot would suggest LeBron ain't good. But only an asswipe or a Clevelander would root for him.

Ladies and gentleman, the great doclinkin. Just fantastic stuff right there, doc.

HOF post?

(I don't make these decisions and Doc isn't pompous enough to put it there himself.....though he's close)

I'm an admitted doclinkin fanboy. I can only put so many of his posts in the HOF before it looks ridiculous.

[doclinkin]

HOF post?

(I don't make these decisions and Doc isn't pompous enough to put it there himself.....)

Sure I am. I just have really high standards for myself.

Really though on the HOF deally anybody can feel free to drag and drop any thing they think belongs. Seems to me also like a good place to pin down long-term toldja-so's or signature bets or whatever. Basically serving as the board's collective memory for anything that doesn't merit a link to an entire thread.

[infinite11285]

Any of you guys partying with the Cavs and the Wiz at PARK tonight?

Since you guys love Bron so much, here's some class from him.



LeBron James comforts Thurgood Marshall's Juwan Staten, right, after his team was beaten by St. Vincent-St. Mary.

[hands11]

I can only hope that in some small way our dedication thread to LaQueen and the Crabeliers in same way acted as a good enough offering to the Basketball Gods that they decided to shine on us tonight.

We were rewarded with at least

one LaTravel - tough of course not called
one LaCryBaby bloody lip check

And of course, the ultimate reward - a win of historic proportions.

Ahhhhhhswoooooossshhhh.

[hands11]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... rdsinsider

Ok. I missed this happening. What an rss he is.

Did anyone notice what LeBron James did with 15.3 seconds remaining and Gilbert Arenas at the foul line? After Arenas made his first free throw to give the Wizards a 107-101 lead, James informed a referee that he had blood on his jersey, leading to an officials' timeout that broke up Arenas's rhythm. Arenas missed his next free throw attempt, one of three misses on the night for him, and gave the Cavaliers a little life.

Arenas said something felt fishy last night. 'Instead of calling a timeout, he said he had blood on his jersey," Arenas said, rolling his eyes. "It's always something, right?

I'm liking Micheal Lee... Check this line out.


Oh and as for the blood on the jersey, it was probably from the thumb he is always chewing on. Nice trick sissy boy.


The craziest foul on McGuire came in the third quarter when James drove to the basket, feet rolling like he was in Fred Flintstone's car, and stumbled to the ground. McGuire did everything in his power to back out of the way, but that's pretty hard when a 6-foot-9 guy is falling down.

[hands11]

The Cavs are 1-2 against the lowly Wizards this season and the one victory took a minor-miracle comeback in Cleveland on Christmas Day.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindeal ... thispage=2

I give credit were it is do. LaTravel makes a nice statement here.

"It's an NBA team, there's nothing embarrassing about it," James said. "To look at it and say it is embarrassing is disrespectful to them."

But he should be because that was only GA and Haywoods second game back and they were rusty.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizard ... rdsinsider
Watch the video to hear Gil call out Fartly

[pancakes3]

http://www.movieclip.se/video/3189/NBA- ... enice-Cali

never gets old. and this clip has the audition tape shot in it. insane.

[likwitdesi]

Oh god, I am hoping D-Mac continues to progress as a defender. He may have enough athleticism to hinder LeBron

[hands11]

http://www.movieclip.se/video/3189/NBA-Star-LeBron-James-gets-beat-by-David-Kalb-Horse-in-Venice-Cali

never gets old. and this clip has the audition tape shot in it. insane.

That shot with the fork lift was insane.

Playoff atmosphere tomorrow night in Cleveland.

Hope everyone is getting ramped up. Series 1-0 Wizard heading back to Cleveland.

[spaceman_E]

Stumbled upon this quote, thought it was deserving to be mentioned in this thread...

"In 12 of the 20 games since then, James has been called for one or zero fouls in a game. James had a stretch of five straight games to conclude March averaging 36.8 minutes per game without being called for one foul. Not one in five games! In the last nine games, James has been called for three personal fouls. It's really amazing given the involvement James has in the action of the game. "It's impossible," said one team executive. The executive said there is one slight explanation. That the game has changed to so much drive and kick that the perimeter defenders end up guarding the three so much, and don't foul as often. That there is less one on one penetration. Still, he said not for five consecutive games like that."

[doclinkin]

Adding the link for the quote. From Sam Smith. Here.

[pancakes3]

the only time a bulls fan and a wizards fan can agree is in hatred for cleveland. the NBA - it's fan-tastic

[doclinkin]

The General Population forum has a thread on the LeCon foul disparity. This was my contribution:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=895699&p=19134714#p19134714

I'm less concerned about LeBron getting the benefit of calls on defense when the fact is the problem is worse at the other end. By rule he should be called for an offensive charge 4-5 times a game. His signature move, besides the crab dribble, is to lower his shoulder and bull into a player. If he misses the shot, and the ref doesn't call the foul on the opponent, he immediately checks his lip for blood. If he shoots an airball, he falls down. If he tunrs the ball over, once again rubbing his head like someone tried to decapitate him.

It's getting ridiculous.

Fair enough, superstars get the calls. Refs are fans of good ball, vulnerable to star worship. They get to see the talent up close every night. But the truth is that makes it worse. This guy is good enough that he doesn't need the extra help, if they called it straight he'd still be dominant. He'd find a way to adjust. No knock on him personally, he's using whatever edge he can when he fakes injury or flops or games the referees. He's just looking for every edge. That's intelligent. No difference for LeBron than if it were, say Bill Laimbeer trying to cheat for an edge. But it's a scrub move used in soccer when a more talented player beats an opponent. Flop, roll around, call for a medevac copter, then pop up and run around healthy. Not saying it's unamerican, just saying it's a little galling to see the most talented player in the league pulling a scrub move as if he actually needed it.

Now I won't go so far as to say it corrodes the integrity of the game. It may turn off people predisposed to dislike the game, but hey, they'd find another way to call the thing a fraud-- if it weren't LeCon, it would be someone else.

But seems to me that a self-respecting referee would realize they're getting gamed. Would recognize it beforehand in their pre-game breakdown that LeBron likes to pull an acting job every now and again, and likes to, quite frankly charge, charge like the bulls of pamplona with a hot chili jammed up their hoo-hah.

Seems to me that NBA refs nowadays ought to prefer to enforce the rules carefully, without bias, always keeping an eye on their collective reputation. Because, integrity of the game or no, their personal integrity has been enduringly rendered suspect by the actions of one of their own.

And frankly, refs ought to get embarrassed when someone continually plays 'em for a fool. Hell I'd be whistling a tech everytime he touched his damn lip. Call it 'lip-flopping'. Tired of the act is all.

[DaRealHibachi]

The General Population forum has a thread on the LeCon foul disparity. This was my contribution:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=895699&p=19134714#p19134714

I'm less concerned about LeBron getting the benefit of calls on defense when the fact is the problem is worse at the other end. By rule he should be called for an offensive charge 4-5 times a game. His signature move, besides the crab dribble, is to lower his shoulder and bull into a player. If he misses the shot, and the ref doesn't call the foul on the opponent, he immediately checks his lip for blood. If he shoots an airball, he falls down. If he tunrs the ball over, once again rubbing his head like someone tried to decapitate him.

It's getting ridiculous.

Fair enough, superstars get the calls. Refs are fans of good ball, vulnerable to star worship. They get to see the talent up close every night. But the truth is that makes it worse. This guy is good enough that he doesn't need the extra help, if they called it straight he'd still be dominant. He'd find a way to adjust. No knock on him personally, he's using whatever edge he can when he fakes injury or flops or games the referees. He's just looking for every edge. That's intelligent. No difference for LeBron than if it were, say Bill Laimbeer trying to cheat for an edge. But it's a scrub move used in soccer when a more talented player beats an opponent. Flop, roll around, call for a medevac copter, then pop up and run around healthy. Not saying it's unamerican, just saying it's a little galling to see the most talented player in the league pulling a scrub move as if he actually needed it.

Now I won't go so far as to say it corrodes the integrity of the game. It may turn off people predisposed to dislike the game, but hey, they'd find another way to call the thing a fraud-- if it weren't LeCon, it would be someone else.

But seems to me that a self-respecting referee would realize they're getting gamed. Would recognize it beforehand in their pre-game breakdown that LeBron likes to pull an acting job every now and again, and likes to, quite frankly charge, charge like the bulls of pamplona with a hot chili jammed up their hoo-hah.

Seems to me that NBA refs nowadays ought to prefer to enforce the rules carefully, without bias, always keeping an eye on their collective reputation. Because, integrity of the game or no, their personal integrity has been enduringly rendered suspect by the actions of one of their own.

And frankly, refs ought to get embarrassed when someone continually plays 'em for a fool. Hell I'd be whistling a tech everytime he touched his damn lip. Call it 'lip-flopping'. Tired of the act is all.

Everytime you post on this board, you come with HoF worthy stuff... Nice Read!!!

[doclinkin]

thenkyew

more, from the Cavs game thread:

See there's something I don't get... They act like they're the only ones to go through this. And they feel like they're be conspired against... Let's not forget that there was another 23 that put us through the same misery and hell that they're going through now... The worst has already happen Washington

Okay, I appreciate that you don't bother to deny it. Appreciate that you know your guy gets away with it, and that you hated it when MJ had a separate set of rules. And if LeBron ever did roll on to the Brooklyn Nets I fully expect you'd feel the same sort of sick, or okay far worse. But at least you have the sense of character to be honest about it. Here's my argument:

Eh, the point of the article is not so much that LeBron gets star treatment, it's that the treatment he gets is practically unprecedented.

An again the least of what's galling is that he is treated well by the refs, and more that he expects he deserves it, is entitled to it. Whines when he doesn't get it, throws tantrums like he thinks it's cute that a full grown baby man acts like a pampered infant. And if he makes a mistake, he immediately looks for a ref to bail him out.

I mean granted in a play like this one he was basically like totally decapitated by Trevor Ariza, basically:

Note the gouting blood.

I mean come on. He's built like a God Of Victory. Is lauded like a hero of days of yore. A Legend. But to allatime pretend you were fouled or check your lip for blood whenever someone brushes your shadow with their unclean foot. (Or their eyebrow in the case of Trevor Ariza) . Come on now, is that heroic?

In wrestling, say, where the heroes and villains are scripted, the good guy doesn't wait 'til the ref has his back turned then throw chalk in the opponents eye, smack him with a chair, and when the ref turns back roll around on the ground complaining it was the other way around. That's a villain. A heel.

Part of what we look for in sports is that metaphor for honor, hard work, personal achievement. You know, sportsmanship. What does LeBron embody? He can't help but be a role model for people who admire him, and he wants to be a Global Icon. (Mother*@#* a Barkley with his 'I'm no role model' jazz-- LeCon-artist wants the status). But an 'icon' stands for something, some greater concept. So whats he stand for? So what does this this teach your kids? If it don't go your way look for someone to bail you out? It's a different set of rules for them who God almighty, the refs, and David Stern has blessed. Manifest destiny.

Nope. Point of sports, and rules in sports, and referees in general, is that we all get the same set. It's a true meritocracy. You win by virtue of, well, Virtue. Don't matter your color. No different rules for you nor anybody else. Again, if LeBron wants to play the heel, fine I don't fault him, that's how he wants to brand himself: LeFraud, LeTravel. But I don't expect the refs to play into it when you know it just happens to be one of his tactics.

And okay yeah I just don't expect the spoiled brat routine from the best of the best, most talented player in the league. I guess I like heroes to act you know heroic and not like a spoiled Brat who has been handed everything his life ever gave him. If I get my ass kicked, better not be by a skirt wearing pantywaist dressed in a man's body. Looking for Mommy or the refs to intercede whenever he's not allowed to win. It's frankly a little nauseating to seen a grown-ass man whine to the referees so much. Makes you wish for the old school league with beer drinking in the locker room where you had enforcers on the squad who would knock a guy out. Think about your grandfathers generation (or their fathers before them) coming out of World War Two. They would have shaken their collective head in disgust at the antics.

Seriously though. You think Bill Russell was rolling around on the floor checking for loose teeth whenever someone bumped his elbow? Grown ass man. Most talented in the league. Stop acting like a spoiled child, and refs-- don't buy the act. Sit him in a corner for a few minutes until he can behave like the rest of the kids. Because, quite frankly, that's your damn job.

Mods -- feel free to edit out the 'Le-[fill-in-the-blank] ' references. This was from the general board thread on the topic. Also apologies if you'd prefer I keep it on the Wiz board. We have a long-standing tradition of allowing a bit of give-and-take over there, Manny will let you know, we appreciate a fan who can make a strong (witty, well-reasoned) argument for themselves. But I've noticed some boards aren't quite as free-flowing. (Shoot we used to have a 'Trolls' thread [pats self on back] just because smack talk is one of the true joys of sports. Elsewise, why would we all be on here].

Personally I love the Cavs rivalry, even though it hasn't been in my squad's favor. Oh well, can't win 'em all (or apparently more than 18 of 'em this year....).

Thanks Cleveland, Later, have to go back to praying at the shrine of the Basketball Gawds to land us Blake Griffin. See y'all tonight. Oh and thanks in advance for the ass-kicking I expect tonight. We'll probably get waffle-stomped.

-doc.

[doclinkin]

Cabs fan admits they're tired of LeBron's sissy act:

good post doc...you, donkey, and ccj are like the anti po'ed, freeballing, yungal, brenice and g0a

heres my take...lebron doesnt committ alot of fouls because he doesnt put himself in position to get fouls (in fact he is actually committing more fouls per minute this season than he did in his second season). he is rarely near the paint if someone gets beat off the dribble to pick up a cheap foul. he essentially plays free safety and tries to jump the passing lanes as much as possible or get the chase down block - fouls rarely are committed in either of those two scenarios (and yes the jrich one was a foul but the dude tried a 360 dunk with his team like 3 games out of the playoffs - i think the refs let that one slide due to the fact that jrich is a moron ). his athleticism is so great where he can jump higher than anyone on the court, so he doesnt pick up over the back calls. his fouls come primarily from offensive charges.

about the acting...i really hate it. lebron either has the worst threshold for pain in the history of civilization or he needs to hire a better acting coach (the ******* ref laid him out for a good 5-10 minutes in a recent game ). i think the acting has gotten worse and worse since a ref told mike brown that fouls werent being called on the opposition against lebron because lebron "wasnt being re-routed" - even tho i think only a few players in the league logistically re-route lebron. since then (and i would say this was about two months ago or so) any slap on the wrist or hipcheck gets met with lebron scaring the hell out of everyone in the arena while he lays there for a good five minutes - it just gets annoying. now granted he does get hammered on alot of plays, but you can never tell because even the slightest bump is sending him to floor (and he is usually yelling "HEY" or "AND 1" )

we really need a win here...not just because of the wizards owning us this season (that part of it) but also we need a 5-0 finish for hca advantage and we cant afford to be dropping anymore games in the standings to the lakers - that two game stretch from hell was a killer