DISAPPEARING ACT

Sometimes, things happen that can only be described as “magical.”

Erasing a 24-point deficit to win a game in the NBA Finals might qualify. Sinking a birdie one-hop chip from the rough could be seen as an escape of Harry Houdini proportions.

But, these moments have more to do with supreme skill sprinkled with a bit of luck than some magic straight out of a David Copperfield book.

Leads—big and small—vanish within minutes. Reputations can be built or lost, while careers and statistics are altered on a constant basis—but everything in sports happens for a reason.

The NBA Finals saw the reputations of two of the leagues biggest stars undergo a permanent change.

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett removed his name from the list of great players never to win a championship. After early exits nearly every season with the Timberwolves, Garnett’s unselfish play and superb defense finally led him to the title he’s coveted for so long.

Anyone watching his first interview with Michelle Tafoya right after the final buzzer sounded could hear a grown man in a vulnerable emotional state. Garnett fought back tears and mistakenly uttered a few obscenities before making sure his fans in Minnesota and Chicago (where he attended high school) felt they were a part of it.


Garnett’s achievement wasn’t the product of mystical doing. It was the culmination of a career of hard work combined with phenomenal talent that came together at the right time.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant’s reputation as the NBA’s best player took a significant hit during the finals. Granted, his supporting cast abandoned him, but averaging a mere 25.7 points per game just doesn’t cut it. Bryant will still be regarded by many as the top dog in the game, but now it’s become extremely debatable.

What is no longer applicable to the Lakers star are comparisons to Michael Jordan. While Paul Pierce was being named Finals MVP, all the Bryant/Jordan talk melted away faster than the “Wicked Witch” in Wizard of Oz.

Jordan never lost a Finals series, Bryant has now lost twice. Jordan’s scoring output actually increased to 33.6 points per game when it mattered most. Bryant disappeared this time around. He failed to rise to the challenge, struggled to get to the basket and failed to put his team on his back and steal a game for them.

Jordan never would have lost the 2008 Finals. He was too good, too dominant. Jordan was far better than Kobe Bryant and always will be.

I’ve never watched an entire round of golf until the playoff of the U.S. Open. There was something so compelling about Rocco Mediate vs. Tiger Woods that it didn’t matter who won. It was a rare occurrence in sports where I found myself rooting for both sides.


However, for the sport of golf, it was better that Tiger captured his 14th major championship. That’s right, I used the word “sport” to describe golf.

You see, up until that weekend at Torrey Pines, I never considered golfers as athletes. I always argued that Tiger didn’t belong in the same category as Jordan, Muhammad Ali or Jerry Rice for that matter.

But, the way Woods played through unthinkable pain—basically on one leg—to finish with his name atop the leaderboard was one of the most impressive sports feats I’ve ever witnessed.

Again, no paranormal assistance needed, the word magic need not apply. Woods won by being the most skilled golfer ever to walk the face of the Earth. It also helps that on a clutch scale from 1-10 with 10 being “Out of his mind ridiculous,” Woods rates at infinity.

This performance compares favorably to Michael Jordan’s flu game vs. the Utah Jazz in game five of the 1997 NBA Finals. Jordan scored 38 points and hit a clutch shot to lead the Bulls to victory before being carried off the floor by Scottie Pippen. In the back of my mind, I think Tiger did it to prove a point. He laid it all on the line for 91 holes to prove that he’s simply the greatest ever.

Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo has let the offense fade into oblivion. The amazing stat guys at ESPN have confirmed that as the roster currently stands, the Bears will enter next season with the least amount of production from it’s top skill position players the season before. That’s right, no team in NFL history has had less offensive production on its current roster than the Bears currently possess.

Rookie running back Matt Forte has yet to carry the ball in the NFL and was a shockingly high draft choice. While he could turn into a terrific player, the odds are just as strong that he will go the way of most Bears running backs since Walter Payton—a list that includes Rashaan Salaam, Raymont Harris, Curtis Enis and now Cedric Benson.

Meanwhile, Rex Grossman (1,411 yards and 4 TD’s in 2007) remains the starting QB. He is expected to put up big numbers with Angelo’s key free agent signing Marty Booker (556 yards and 1 TD in 2007) as his primary target. Looks like punter Brad Maynard will compete with Devin Hester for team MVP.

Any offense the Bears had is gone, but again no magic here. Just the work of a bad general manager that expects the defense to hold teams to 10 points a game.

Want a tip? Take the under in every Bears game during the upcoming season.

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