» We’re all still processing Chris Paul being a member of the Warriors. I’m afraid it will still look and feel strange come the start of the season, which is fast approaching.
But I want to take a moment to acknowledge my appreciation for the Warriors’ stalwarts’ honesty about the Paul situation this offseason.
Yes, the Dubs stars felt the same way as us when they were first presented with the possibility of Paul becoming a Warrior. They weren’t thrilled about adding a “sworn enemy” to the roster.
On asked to grade how much he despised Paul on a scale of 1-to-10 this week, Draymond Green told ESPN “11“.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were a bit more diplomatic about it, but only a bit.
These days, fans and the team seem like separate entities, with the latter insulated from the other. It makes players feel like true mercenaries, devoid of any emotional connection to those who support them; like fans are putting their hopes and dreams into empty vessels.
Ultimately, professionalism kicked in for the Warriors’ core regarding Paul. Some pragmatism would suit fans, too. There’s plenty to like about having Paul on your team. All three of the Warriors’ core players think he can help them win another title, Paul’s first.
But yes, this will take some getting used to for fans and players alike. It’s nice to know we’ll all work through it together.
» I recently wrote that Cal and Stanford’s move to the ACC was a death knell for college football.
I still believe that.
But I’m not sure enough people will care about college football by the time the Bay’s schools move to the North Carolina-based league after this season.
I know I’m out after two weeks.
Let me explain: While Major League Baseball’s pace-of-play rule changes have dramatically improved the game this season, college football’s changes are actively hurting consumers.
In short, the NCAA keeps the clock running after first downs (save for the final two minutes of halves). This rule was long overdue — games were routinely over four hours before the shift.
The issue: the television networks didn’t shorten the television windows to accommodate for fewer plays.
The result: So many stoppages and so many commercials.
Saturdays are a sacred day in the Kurtenbach household, and college football plays a big role in that.
But, despite plopping my butt on the couch for hours and having the ability to have four games on my screen simultaneously via YouTube TV and the ESPN app, I’ve felt as if I’ve barely watched any college football these past three weekends.
Instead, I’m consuming three Wendy’s ads and a targeting review.
I can’t live like this anymore. This is the opposite of entertainment. Yes, I see a lot of Deion Sanders, but it’s with him hawking almonds, insurance, or chicken — I’d rather watch his Buffaloes.
I have friends who agree. Something has to give with college football, and I doubt it’s ad dollars.
So me and the guys are all figuring out what to do with our Saturdays from here on out — sans college football.
Here’s how bad it’s become: We’ve even floated the radical idea of spending time with our families.
» A’s owner John Fisher says his team will lose $40 million this season.
While I’m dubious of anything Fisher says — especially things he tells his mouthpieces in Las Vegas — I hope this is true.
He shouldn’t be fiscally rewarded for gutting his roster, letting his ballpark — and the neighborhood around it — deteriorate, and abandoning the Oakland community (which I imagine isn’t good for sponsor dollars). He sees the A’s as strictly a business, but the truth is the team is a civic institution, and he’s been an egregiously bad steward of them. I’m glad the business side is feeling the hurt.
It’s a real shame that the A’s have no interest in winning or being part of Oakland, because they’re starting to play some slightly interesting baseball.
Hear me out:
Second baseman Zack Gelof has been an incredible spark plug for the roster — he has 30 extra-base hits in 52 games.
Meanwhile, catcher Shea Langeliers is developing into a nice power hitter, Ryan Noda and Brett Rooker provide a nice middle-of-the-order pop, and the young pitching staff is starting to come into its own.
All of this success is relative — the team has 99 losses as of publishing — but the A’s have won 40 percent of their games since Gelof was called up, and they’re 16-19 since the start of the Bay Bridge series in San Francisco.
There’s a little something there. I know I’ve enjoyed watching, on occasion.
Too bad it’s all being developed to be exported.
It’s nice to know the Warriors hated Chris Paul, too
- Advertisment - 