Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote

English poet Geoffrey Chaucer devoted the last thirteen years of his life to writing The Canterbury Tales. You probably at least read excerpts of it during high school. If not, you may or may not have dodged a bullet, depending on your feelings about Middle English, adultery, organized religion, or countless other acts of foolishness.

The Canterbury Tales is about 30 people from all rungs of society, including Chaucer himself as the narrator, and their religious pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. The night before they set out, the group of pilgrims eat dinner at a Southwark tavern. In the middle of the dinner, the owner of the tavern, known as the Host, proposes that each member of the group tell stories during the pilgrimage to help pass the time. The Host states that each pilgrim is to tell four tales, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back to London. He decides to accompany the group and nominates himself as the judge of the tales. The pilgrim who he deems the winner is to receive a free dinner from his tavern at journey's end.

A simple calculation tells us that Chaucer intended to compose 120 tales, but died before he could complete them. His unfinished manuscript included only 24 tales. He was overly ambitious, to say the least.

I'm about to undertake an overly ambitious project of my own. The plan, starting tomorrow with the Bulls game, is to document an NBA playoff game everyday until they are no longer playing Playoff games everyday. These won't be of the boring preview/recap variety. Actually, I have no idea what they're going to entail, but they will be here. So check back in, whether occasionally or just for the Bulls games. I'm interested in the game-by-game subtleties of each series, as well as the outcome.

But before all that, here are my first round picks:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Bulls vs. (8) Pacers ---> Bulls in 4

(4) Magic vs. (5) Hawks ---> Magic in 6

(3) Celtics vs. (6) Knicks ---> Celtics in 6

(2) Heat vs. (7) Sixers ---> Heat in 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE 

(1) Spurs vs. (8) Grizzlies ---> Spurs in 5

(4) Thunder vs. (5) Nuggets ---> Thunder in 6

(3) Mavericks vs. (6) Blazers ---> Blazers in 6

(2) Lakers vs (7) Hornets ---> Lakers in 4

Whether An Adventure Or Journey, It Was A Good Run

This post is best read with the video above playing.

Champions League commentators have been fond of calling Tottenham's run an adventure. An adventure suggests venturing into unknown territory with a possible element of danger involved, even a sense of impending doom. The commentators were evidently on to something.

Tottenham hadn't qualified for the Champions League in over 50 years and had their fair share of missteps against some of Europe's finest teams. Everything that could have went wrong did in their 4-0 loss in the first leg against Real Madrid. That would be the 'unknown territory' and 'element of danger' aspects of an adventure. The impending doom part happened yesterday.

The score this time was a more respectable 1-0 loss at White Hart Lane. However, Ronaldo's lone goal (again Ronaldo, of all people) should have been saved. And just like that -- the end. Tottenham couldn't muster a goal despite setting a furious pace out of the gate. The aggregate was insurmountable anyway, but a positive moment to end on would have been nice.

While an adventure was certainly an appropriate term to describe Tottenham's time in the Champions League, I prefer to think of it as a journey. A journey has a less cynical tone to it, and suggests a learning experience. Because that is really what this was -- a learning experience. Players don't go to Tottenham expecting to play in the Champions League.

In the second stanza of his poem "Journey's End," J.R.R. Tolkien describes the reconciliation process at the end of a journey:

Though here at journey's end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.
 
Journey's end, but the sights seen and lessons learn remain forever. I was happy to be a very small part of that journey, 4,000 miles away, watching on my computer.

Those Dreaded Bandwagoners

"No bandwagon fans!" Say it with me. "No bandwagon fans! We remember everyone. From Eddy Curry, to Eddie Robinson, to James F'n Edwards. You don't belong in the same seats as we do. What high school did Derrick Rose go to? And what is his favorite mid-afternoon treat? I betcha can't answer me those simple questions with your bandwagon-hoppin' ass."

As much as I'd enjoy engaging in luminous "discussions" such as the one above, I just can't. The notion of a bandwagon fan, and even more so, the hate directed towards them is puzzling. The Bulls have surpassed 60 wins for the first time since the 1998 Championship year. They've clinched the number one overall seed through out the playoffs. Derrick Rose is going to be this year's MVP. These type of accomplishments get a team noticed. With notoriety comes the dreaded bandwagon fans.

Let's first recognize the player/fan distinction. Rose, like MVP's who pull off at least one highlight-reel moment per game, has added some fans to an already extensive list. Basketball fans all over the country tune in to Bulls games to watch Rose play. They could care less about the team's success, although things get a bit murky because a superstar's individual success usually correlates with his team's success. I went through a similar infatuation period with Allen Iverson during his peak years in Philadelphia. I was an Iverson fan, thrust into rooting for the 76ers by default.  I wanted to see more A.I., and that meant the Sixers had to win.

These type of fans get lumped in with bandwagoners. Ironic in the sense that players don't truly build MVP cases until fans, analysts, and writers outside of their market start to embrace them. The Bulls fans who didn't want Rose/non-Bulls fans to sit at their table were the same one's claiming he got no respect from the media. I think that was a proper example of irony. If not, I give up.

Fans living in a state other than the one where their team is located are often categorized as bandwagoners. This can be true, but ignores the reality that people move away from home and take their fan allegiances with them. There are Bulls fan in California, New York, Texas, Florida, even across Europe and Africa. Some are from Chicago and others aren't.

But what about those who aren't from Chicago? Let's say for example they began rooting for the Bulls during the 1990s and have continued ever since. They didn't previously have ties the city or the organization but have since remained loyal to the franchise. We wouldn't call them bandwagoners--but at one point they were. They were originally attracted to the Bulls because they were winning/had star power, and whether they stuck by them or not, were on the dreaded bandwagon at one point.

Somewhere in Iowa little Timothy saw Derrick Rose on SportsCenter and pretends to be him when he plays outside in the front yard. He watches the Bulls from time to time, whenever they're on national TV, and notices they're really good. The state of Iowa doesn't have a NBA team, so the Bulls become his team. Little Timothy could have just as easily picked the Timberwolves, but they're not on national TV and don't have a player that makes the plays Derrick Rose does. Some Bulls fans want nothing to do with Timothy. They say he isn't a real fan because he didn't watch any of their games last year. He didn't have to suffer through Vinny Del Negro. He doesn't even know that we traded LaMarcus Aldridge for the God-awful Tyrus Thomas on Draft Night. He wasn't even alive to see the six Championships and would have been too young to remember the fallout of those teams.

Timothy will remain a Bulls fan for the rest of his life. 2011 happened to be the perfect storm of style, substance, and W's to lure him in. Timothy is a fictional character made up for the purpose of this post. But there are thousands of Timothys from all over the world. They're the new generation of Bulls fans and they had to start somewhere. Don't deny them. You're no more of a fan than they are. A 40-year old isn't smarter than a 20 year-old because they've lived 20 years longer.

An important element of the sports fan's experience is the communal bond. It's fun to interact with fellow fans on the Internet. Live games are much better when the venue is packed. Wearing the same colors, jerseys, and hats make us feel like we're part of something. But ultimately, being a fan is a singular experience. A team's successes, failures, and players over the years will mean something different to each person. Bulls fans who live to drop names like Ron Mercer and Khalid El-Amin are going to have a different perspective and understanding of this team's success than someone who began watching this year.

That singular perspective is why I'm surprised so many people care about bandwagon fans. What does this team mean to you? Why does it matter how anyone else chooses to enjoy this team? The Bulls gained some lifetime fans this year. They also gained some passing fans who will move on to the next team eventually. Like it or not, we're all in this together. I long for the day when fans realize they're not in competition with each other. Until then, enjoy these Michael Ruffin Spanish League highlights.

Poise: What Is It Really?

The word "poise" is often used in professional sports, especially in conjunction with the losing side. We hear how a team was unable to maintain their poise in a loss, or that the underdog needs to remain poised in order to pull off an upset. Poise is somehow only a factor in sports during a crucial moment or after a game is decided. It's so much more than that.

How about speaking of a team's poise after they've virtually been defeated, but the game is still in progress? That's what I'd like to talk about because, for all intents and purposes, Tottenham lost Tuesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid with 75 minutes remaining. Former Arsenal striker/Tottenham assassin Emmanuel Adebayor headed home a corner four minutes into the game. He slipped past Aaron Lennon's injury replacement, Jermaine Jenas, and headed the ball past both the goalkeeper and Luka Modric on the far post. 1-0.

It gets better. Peter Crouch, the same Peter Crouch who stands 6'7 and is expected to do one thing (win balls in the air) recklessly challenged Sergio Ramos and picked up a yellow card shortly after the goal. Eleven minutes later, the same Peter Crouch, who really shouldn't be sliding under any circumstances, picked up a second yellow for another reckless challenge, this time on Marcelo, and once again on a ball he wouldn't have won anyway.

So with 75 minutes remaining, Spurs were at a goal disadvantage and a man disadvantage against a team more talented in every facet of the game. These are the situations in which "poise" is normally discussed. And of course, it would be said that Tottenham lost theirs.

In the meta-football universe we're operating in for the purpose of this post, I'd like to argue the opposite, in fact. The goal and Crouch's challenges were a series of bad mistakes, completely separate from the team's collective identity. The team showed their true colors in those remaining 75 minutes, when they were beaten mercilessly and left fending for their lives.

This is how I like to imagine this match. Two friends walk out of a bar. Both strong and imposing young men. The type of guys no one would pick a one-on-one fight with. As they exit left and head towards a dark alley, one of the men heads back into the bar because he left his wallet, or something else, a jacket, maybe. Now alone, the less forgetful friend continues walking. Four young pick-pockets hide behind a rusted dumpster waiting to pounce and rob him for all he's worth. The four gangly cowards may have reconsidered if it was still the two men, but down to one they happily engage in a vicious ass-whooping. Kicks, punches, steel-toes, spiked bats, tire irons -- the whole nine.

The hapless friend, left to fend for himself curls up and tries his best to absorb the blows. He's bloodied and his swollen left eye begins to shut. But he doesn't play dead. He continues to get up -- relishing the violence. He would have preferred to be lying in bed, enjoying the comfort of his own home, but he can't. This is a beating he has to take -- and he takes it, without complaint. That was Tottenham on Tuesday.

Poise to me is more than staying calm under pressure. It is also about self-respect and respect for the game. It's easy to give up. Everyday people give up on their dreams, relationships, and even life itself. Overmatched athletes quit on a regular basis when they can't keep up. Poise is about resisting the urge to quit, even though you know your best isn't good enough. Poise is about continuing to play your ass off, even after Ronaldo scores the fourth goal, one that should have been saved at that, and blows kisses to the raucous crowd like the consummate douche that he is.

Every fan experiences an "A-Ha" moment when they either realize or are reminded why they love their team. Strangely enough, mine came in a 4-0 blowout in which Tottenham embarrassed themselves and the EPL in the Champions League Quarterfinals. They took their beating, and came back for more, refusing to back down. They weren't intimidated by the historic Real Madrid and their lineup filled with world-class players. The score didn't reflect it, but I still felt like Tottenham belonged.

Poised they were, at least in my meta-football universe. Now let's grab this 4th spot and do it again next year.

Cleveland's Long Road To Rebuilding

A central theme of Miami and Cleveland's fourth and final match-up of the season Tuesday night was "showing up." Most observers, including myself, felt all Miami had to do was show up in order to win. They'd won the previous three match-ups by an average of 20 points, more than tripled the Cavs win total this season, and flat out possess more talent on their roster.

LeBron James also failed to show up for the pregame introductions, launching a thousand speculations as to why. The least likely among them is that James was scared to face the chorus of boos waiting for him. Unlikely because James has been serenaded with boos from every city this season and took part in the introductions on December 2nd, the last time the Heat played in Cleveland.

James claimed he was in the restroom during the introductions. Obviously, an eight-year veteran who hasn't missed a pregame introduction in his career shouldn't be granted the benefit of the doubt in this case. James most likely skipped the introductions in protest of some of his friends and associates being denied access to an underground parking garage at Quicken Loans Arena. The privilege, routinely granted to James' entourage when he was a member of the team, isn't typically granted to visiting players.

James hogged the pre-game and much of the in-game conversation, posting the 36th triple-double of his career. But Tuesday night was undoubtedly about the Cavaliers and their 102-90 win.

In their first meeting in Cleveland, the Cavs were rightly accused of cowering to LeBron. They joked with him as he approached their bench during free throw attempts and offered very little resistance on the defensive end. The Cavs went on to lose 35 of their next 36 games. Followers of the team pointed to the Miami game as the one that rocked the Cavs' confidence.

Heading into Tuesday's game the future of both teams was already decided. The 14-58 Cavs were headed for the draft lottery and the 51-22 Heat were gunning for the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. A win figured to mean more to the Heat, but no one bothered to mention that to the new look Cavs.

Ryan Hollins shut Bosh down, holding him to 10 points on 5-14 shooting. He provided the defensive intensity that was sorely lacking during their December match up. Anthony Parker hit four three-pointers, all of which either prolonged a Cleveland run, or killed one of Miami's. Luke Harangody came off the bench looking to score and poured in seven 2nd quarter points. He was the biggest reason the Cavs held an 11-point lead at halftime. All unlikely heroes indeed, which seems only fitting for Cleveland's Herculean toppling of the supposed Miami super team.

I'm reminded of a quote from 1994 children's movie classic Little Giants, which coincidentally took place in Urbana, Ohio, about 200 miles southwest of Cleveland. Giants coach and perpetual loser Danny O'Shea addresses his depleted team at halftime of a blowout at the hands of the Cowboys, coached by his older brother Kevin. 

Danny O'Shea: ...you guys belong out there with those Cowboys. You know how I know that? Because I belong out there with my brother.


Rudy Zolteck: Give us a break, coach. You could never beat Kevin O'Shea at *anything*!

Danny O'Shea: That's not true. I did beat him once.

Jake Berman: When?

Danny O'Shea: When we were kids. We used to race our bikes down Cherry Hill every day after school. We raced every day and he always beat me, but one time, one time... I beat him.

Jake Berman: You beat Kevin down Cherry Hill?

Danny O'Shea: Yes, I did. He ate my dust.

This was the Cavs' one time.
 
It is now important for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland to move on. Even the Packers had to get over the hump and beat Brett Favre before they won the Super Bowl. The LeBron James chapter is now closed. Continuing to curse his name and sell out only the games he plays in just shows how dependent they are on the idea of LeBron.
Tuesday night was about the Cleveland Cavaliers and no one else. They showed up and beat a team they didn't deserve to be on the floor with. The city of Cleveland can be proud, if only for one night. This feeling, even more important than the upcoming 2011 Draft, is the first step towards the rebuilding process.

Jet Lag And Chest Passes

Back-to-back games are a constant source of contention every NBA season. Players hate them and fans use them as an excuse for poor play from their favorite team. Bulls fans and some players have openly questioned the amount of back-to-back games the team has played this season. It has certainly seemed like a lot, but how to the Bulls stack up compared to other teams?

The Bulls will play 22 back-to-back games this season, tied for second most with the 76ers, Clippers, Bobcats, Cavaliers, and Nets. Only the Bucks, with 23 back-to-back games on their schedule, will play more than these six teams.

Below is a table of all 30 NBA teams. The first column shows how many back-to-backs each team had played through Sunday, March 27th. The second column details the record of each team in the second leg of their back-to-back. And the third column points to the remaining number of back-to-backs for each team, and the total number of back-to-back games they will play this season in parentheses.

Click To Enlarge.

Of course, simply looking at the wins versus losses in the second game of a back-to-back isn't the best indicator of how back-to-backs affect a team. Differences in shooting percentage, points scored, points surrendered, and minutes played from the first game to the second game would be a better determinant of a team's performance. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to calculate all of those stats. We also have to keep in mind other factors such as home versus away games, travel distance, quality of opponent, if the opponent also played a game the day before, and a team's average age/depth in assessing just how impressive these records are. Those are questions for another day.

This table does however, prove valuable for a few reasons. Firstly, it appears that the schedule makes have been very kind to the preseason favorites. The Lakers play two less back-to-backs than the next closest team, and a staggering nine less than the Bucks. The Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Magic, and Celtics all play a low number of backs-to-backs. However, so do the Suns, Warriors, and Hornets; three teams that weren't expected to contend, so take that observation with a grain of salt. 

Then there's the teams that seemed to get the short end of the stick. The Bulls, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, Pacers, Rockets, 76ers, Clippers, Bucks, Bobcats, Cavs, Nets, and Wizards all will play 21 or more back-to-backs. How many of these teams were considered preseason playoff locks? The Bulls, Hawks, and Bucks to my knowledge, and the Bucks probably won't make the playoffs this year. It seems like the preseason NBA heavyweights received the benefit of the doubt concerning back-to-back games this season.

Probably the most telling detail this table is that it reads like the NBA Power Rankings. Besides the 6-7 Celtics dwelling in the middle, the good teams are at the top, and bad teams at the bottom. Regardless of the circumstances listed above, the best teams take care of business in the second game of back-to-backs. The number is somewhat tainted because they play more back-to-backs than other elite teams, but the Bulls are in position to win more than any other team this year. Reaching for positives, maybe; but add this to the list of unexpected Bulls accomplishments this year.

We Will Be Back, We Have To Be

"Let's Go Red. Let's Go Red. Let's Go Red."

The whispered chants of the Badger faithful scattered faintly across New Orleans Arena. Down 20 with just over 10 minutes left, Wisconsin had scored just three points in the second half. I felt sorry for those chanting. Were they looking for something to do? Did they feel obligated to cheer, knowing they had spent all of their parent's Spring Break money on a trip to Louisiana? Or did they actually believe the Badgers would come back and win?

Fandom is funny like that. Rooting for the same team, through thick and thin, by nature is extremely irrational. We wouldn't continue to support an artist who has consistently put out shitty albums the past decade. We wouldn't clamor to see a director's next movie if his first one was a dud. Hell, we might even divorce our spouse or disown our child if having them around continued to depress us year after year.

Any rational, die-hard Badger fan, not content with mediocrity has surely been tested the last decade. On one hand, it's easy to be pleased with Wisconsin's new found success. The Badgers have notched ten straight NCAA tournament appearances, four Sweet 16s, one Elite 8, and advanced to the round of 32 nine of ten times since Bo Ryan took over. Ryan's predecessors, on average, took Wisconsin to the tournament about once every ten years. Progress, yes. But progression is a relative term. Wisconsin basketball is in fact progressing, but doing so at a snail's pace.

Speaking of snail's pace, Wisconsin's offense has been known to stall to almost unbearable levels. Their historic 33-point effort, historic for all the wrong reasons, against Penn State in the second round of this year's Big Ten tournament provided a collective chuckle for college basketball fans across the nation. That game also showcased how dependent the Badgers are on their outside shooting. They have a very difficult time winning, particularly when they're not hitting threes.

First-team All-Big Ten center Jon Leuer is the Badgers' only consistent low-post threat. He posted up early in both the first and second half but couldn't get anything going. He seemed to abandon the block all together after missing some shots he would normally make. Leuer finished the game 1-12, hitting a lone three-pointer at the 16:32 mark in the first half. Those would be his only three points in the game. Wisconsin can't win with only three points from Jon Leuer.

It's easy to single out Leuer, Wisconsin's leading scorer during the regular season, but the entire team struggled offensively. Beginning in the end of the first and half and extending into the second half, the Badgers had a 9-minute stretch where they didn't score a single point. Think about that. Nine minutes! Leuer missed three shots during that stretch, and his teammates missed ten.

Then the chants came. The Badgers had scored three points in the last 12 minutes. It's hard to say how much a crowd inspires a team. I'm sure those cheering would like to think they could make a difference. Otherwise, what's the point? Whatever their thought process was, a small Wisconsin contingent, existing within a Butler scattering and the abandoned seats of Florida and BYU fans may have inspired a run.

Jordan Taylor promptly dropped five points, cutting the seemingly insurmountable lead to fifteen. The Badgers would dwindle the lead to four after a Taylor three-pointer with 37 seconds remaining. That is as close as they would come. Wisconsin scored 30 points in the second half, 14 of them came in the final 3:23. The Badgers didn't deserve to win. They are the better team, but weren't on Thursday.    

Their nine-minute scoreless stretch is probably the most memorable portion of the game, that is, if you're a bitter individual. The more optimistic fans will look towards the final three minutes and point towards the resilience of this Wisconsin team. The proper recollection, I would say, is somewhere in between.

I honestly didn't believe this team would beat Belmont. Now I feel like they should be in the Final Four. Irrational thought processes at their finest. Such is the life of a fan rooting for a team drenched in mediocrity. Woulda, coulda, shoulda....But I, those watching on TV, and the brave, hopeful throng in attendance on Thursday will keep coming back. We have to, there's no other way.

LET'S GO RED. LET'S GO RED. LET'S GO RED.