As a UCLA alumni I am going to admit to a certain amount of bias right here and now. And since they've only played 8 games so far I admit that doesn't mean much.

The question is this. They appear to be back on track for another run at the final four. What is your view? Do they make it or not? I, of course say they do.

 

AS I GET OLDER IT SEEMS MORE AND MORE TO ME THAT THE DEFINATION OF A 'WINNER" AMONG MOST FANS BOILS DOWN TO 1.) IS HE FROM THAT FAN'S FAVORITE TEAM AND 2.) HOW MANY TITLES HAS HE WON?

While sitting around writing my memoirs "True autobiography of a Pathalogical Liar" I quickly  jotted down the following pairings. The one with asterick * is the guy with at least one Superbowl Title.

Earl .Morall*    

Dan Foutts

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Fran Tarkington

Doug Williams*

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Billy Kilmer*

Jim Kelly

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Jim McMahon*

Archie Manning

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Joe Namath*

Warren Moon

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Now go back and decide how many Super Bowl winners are better than the counterpart listed? We all know that rabid homer fans are far too biased to have valid opinions in a vast majority of cases.  And in my opinion, being the  winning QB in a  Super Bowl sometimes has more to do with team than  A quarterback and may well have more to do with the planets simply aligning right and a full moon in Bangladesh than it does with a couple of these "winners"

Based on the response to the intro virtually no one was sitting around glued to their computer waiting for this but since  I nothing better to do at the moment, it's your bad luck. Try and stay focused here would you? There is an allegory going on (I think) and there will be a test in the unlikely even t that I ever ffigure out how to make this work.

 

GOTHAM CITY: STATELY MANSION OF MULTI-MILLIONAIRE BRUCE WAYNE"

"I'm sorry Master Wayne I simply cannot do it.  Even young master Dick was searching for a more appropriate look when the Zorro mask he was trying out slipped and he was momentairly blinded and impaled himself on his sword....or perhaps he was just unable to bring himself to being seen in public in yellow tights any longer. The day of the Village People is over Master Wayne.  I'm not wearing yellow tights sir. I'm 97 years old"

"I'm afraid you must Alfred. Gotham City is depending on Batman and Robin. I'm Batman, I can't be Robin at the same time. I can't let Carmen be Robin because she's already Battygirl. It must be you Alfred. No one will notice."

"Sir my hair is white. I'm an  African American.  I don't spend my free time in bath houses. I am not wearing Master Dick's Robin costume and yellow tights.  Furthermore.................

LOOK ALFRED!!!!!!!!! IT'S THE BAT SIGNAL....TO THE BAT POLES...THIS WILL WARM YOU RIGHT UP IN THAT PLACE WHERE VIAGRA DOES BUT IT DOES IT A LOT FASTER TRUST ME....................

(GROAN)

 

COMMISSIONER STERN GORDON: "Batman I apologize for firing up the Bat Signal after all these years. But this is an emergency. For the past thirty seven years this gang of cutthroats have stolen every dime they could lay their hands on, they've even collected welfare fraudently. SSI, there is no end to what they are willing to take without conscience.  I just didn't know what else to do besides call you.

"You were right to call Commissioner. I must say with all candor however I have wondered for a very long time why you didn't call before.  May I borrow your phone Commissioner?"

"Something wrong with the Bat phone?

"A penny saved is a penny earned....Commissioner......Hello, is that you? Excellent. I need your  to come to Gotham City immediately. I'm restore order  here and I have an assignment for you.  "

(cue cliffhanger music)

WHO IS BATMAN?

WHAT IS HIS TASK?

WHO DID HE CALL?

 

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I'm going to be writing this off and on all day because of prior commitments to the wife and doing my own research to try and refresh my memory.

My views are my views and anytime you try to narrow thousands and thousands of players down to just 10 players it is an exercise in futility since you can easily forget or overlook a certain player.

What I have done is try and take each player during his 5 year best prime play and adjust for rule changes, travel, number of teams at that time etc.. What may suprise you is that I am 60 years old and only one person comes from prior to the 70's.

Point Guard:  This is a particularly tough category but I'm going to go with Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd. While the case can certainly be made for both John Stockton and Oscar Robertson I think Magic's ability to lead to titles and Kidd's triple double capabilities slip by the other two.

Shooting Guard: For me, in all my years of watching the NBA there has never been two shooting guards with so complete of a game as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. What records Jordan doesn't own Bryant does and in the end they will likely own every SG record for a long long time to come.

Power Forward:  This was not a tough category for me. Tim Duncan and Karl Malone. There have been many other greats at the PF position but these two are forever emblazed in my mind for excellence.

Small Forward: This must be a suprise coming from a Laker fan. However, the best two small forwards of all time in terms of impact and toughness along with just being the best are Larry Bird and John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics.

Center: Not a tough one here for me either once everything was taken into consideration. Hakeem Owlwajun and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The Dream could do anything and did. And Karem is simply the greatest scorer of all time. Nuff said.

As one of the few bloggers to have actually seen Wilt Chamberlain play during his prime years when he set all the records I am here to tell you I am sick to death of stat hounds and moronic idiots who see highlight film games and worship at the Altar of The Wilt Chamberlain big lie.

First off under the rules of today Wilt Chamberlain would foul out of every single game he played in. With the exception of the games in which he would be ejected for unsportmanlike play and flagrant fouls.

I don't even know where to start with this, I am so fed up with the bullshit sucking up to Chamberlain.

Let me say this and then try to break it down for you.

WILT CHAMBERLAIN WAS THE DIRTIEST PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF THE NBA.

1.) He was allowed to block shots by hitting people not just on the head but damn near just ball up his fist and cold cock people. I would assume that not only Shaq but almost every good center in between could block shots like Wilt if they were allowed to do this. How many times do we hear "the block was clean but he got him with the hip/body below the shoulder. Bullshit. Wilt got people with his shoulder, his body, his arms, his legs and seldom called for fouls. Wilts idea of defense was "I'm bigger than you, nastier than you and I'm gonna mug your ass and nobody is gonna say shit about it". And he was right.

2.) Wilt rebounded by simply going up, and again, no "over the top" in those days. He was simply taller than anyone else and once he got his hands on the ball he started swinging razor sharp elbows. Deke Mutumbo has been called hundreds of times for his elbows and he does nothing compared to what Wilt did. And Chamberlain didn't just clear out. He put people on the floor. People bleeding. Again he intentionally tried to hurt people. That was his personality. Anyone big man today allowed to do what he did could average 20 rebounds a game.

3.) He used his elbows on offense as well. Imagine I were 5-7 inches taller than you and 50-100 lbs heavier than you and back in on you on the post and suddenly and intentionally ripped my arm around and drove my elbow into your face. You'd go down and if you didn't you'd backpedal out of bounds and be temporaily blinded. Then he'd just dunk or if he was being double teamed he'd simply then back into the other defender and hand the ball off to a teammate strolling unguarded into the lane. This is why he got double digit assists in his glory years. Never has anyone ever gotten credit for so many cheap assists.

4.)  As for his scoring what a joke. He took balls off the rim, he intercepted fellow players shots, all for dunks.  For you stat hounds compare this one.

Chamberlain 48 minutes 36 of 63 field goals, 28 of 32 free throws.(that season Chamberlain was allowed to leap from the free throw line and dunk free throws.The rule ws changed the following season and he quickly became one of the worst free throwers in history)

Kobe Bryant 42 minutes 28 of 46  field goals, 18 of 20 free throws.

In 6 minutes less bryant took 17 shots less and 12 free throws less than Chamberlain and finished 19 points less. Based on %'s had Bryant shot as much and had as many FT's as Wilt, Bryant would have scored about 115 pts. And Wilt was never double teamed without the ball, played with a foot narrower lane and all the aforementioned other advantages.

The facts are that Wilt Chamberlain won one championship during his prime years with all the possible advantages that he could have. He was selfish far beyond any other player in NBA history, he was Arrogant beyond any other player in NBA history and if he played to day with the same rules that everyone has to play with today he'd be nothing more than a larger version of Danny Fortsen with the same ejections and fouls.

You can hate on me till the cows come home but the reality is Wilt Chamberlain is the most overrated player in the History of the NBA. And I was there to see it. Were you?