Wizards point guard and mid-season MVP candidate Gilbert Arenas came from behind to pass Vince Carter and eke out a spot as an Eastern Conference All-Star Game starter.
I should be thrilled that we have a legitimate star in town for the first time since the Stone Age. (And no, I don't count Michael Jordan. He was as much a true Washington Wizard as much as I am 7 feet tall. And yes, I realize I just used the phrase "true Washington Wizard." Yuck.) But I can't help but say that I'm a little disappointed he got the starting All-Star spot. Why do you ask?
Well, a little bit because that could have been about the 359th slight, real or perceived, that he would have used as motivation to raise his game to an even higher level.
But mostly, I would have liked to have seen how he would have tried to get back at the people who left him off the starting squad in favor of Carter. What would he have done? Take on 4 Nets fans and a random Raptors fan in a pickup game to make them pay for their sin?
Maybe that could be the first game of a doubleheader. Game 2: Gilbert vs. the 2006-07 Duke Blue Devils. First to 85 points wins.
I should be thrilled that we have a legitimate star in town for the first time since the Stone Age. (And no, I don't count Michael Jordan. He was as much a true Washington Wizard as much as I am 7 feet tall. And yes, I realize I just used the phrase "true Washington Wizard." Yuck.) But I can't help but say that I'm a little disappointed he got the starting All-Star spot. Why do you ask?
Well, a little bit because that could have been about the 359th slight, real or perceived, that he would have used as motivation to raise his game to an even higher level.
But mostly, I would have liked to have seen how he would have tried to get back at the people who left him off the starting squad in favor of Carter. What would he have done? Take on 4 Nets fans and a random Raptors fan in a pickup game to make them pay for their sin?
Maybe that could be the first game of a doubleheader. Game 2: Gilbert vs. the 2006-07 Duke Blue Devils. First to 85 points wins.
1 comment:
I'm assuming this post is solely about basketball, but in case it's not, I want to point out some things.
There's been a lot of talk about DC athletes this year and about the first time in forever that we have a legitimate MVP candidate. I know it's not as mainstream as the other sports, but DC United is the winningest franchise in Washington history, and it's only 10 years old. I think that they deserve some mention whenever you talk about DC sports, and so you should bear in mind that this past year, Christian Gomez was league MVP.
DCU aside, Washington DC has the most exciting players right now in Basketball (Hibachi) and Hockey (Ovey). This is an amazing fact, and it is not brought up nearly enough in the local press, or nationally. It is truly phenomenal that leading candidates for league MVPs of 2 (or 3 counting Gomez) professional sports are playing in the same city. And besides their on court/ice presence, they are great guys. From Gilbert eating a fine so he can throw out his jersey every game to Ovechkin's passing on team captain because he doesn't feel his English would make him the most qualified player, these guys are class act. I'm not a fan of Sports Illustrated, but these two should be on the cover on the Lincoln Memorial steps.
At the past few Georgetown games, there have been a number of local celebrities present, all shown on the big screen. Ovechkin came to a game, and got a polite round of applause. Gilbert showed up; some fans stood up. But the biggest reception, by far, was for Nancy Pelosi. The entire arena gave her a standing ovation for the duration of a nationally broadcast, i.e., 3 minute timeout.
While I can understand why Nancy Pelosi is a crowd favorite and deserves the appreciation of Washingtonians, I think Gilbert and Alex should get just as much support coming from their home, the Verizon Center
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