Mike Ehrmann - Getty Images
Cool pic, bro.
Sandwiched between last night's win over Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic and tomorrow night's game against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls comes an off day for the 15-6 Philadelphia 76ers.
Outside of Doug Collins addressing the shouting match he appeared to have with Evan Turner at the conclusion of last night's game, and a pick up game involving injured centers, Nikola Vucevic and Spencer Hawes, it's a fairly quiet day as far as Sixers news is concerned.
Luckily, there were two excellent pieces, with connections to the Sixers, published by prominent writers today. The first comes from Bomani Jones via SB Nation on Allen Iverson, and the second from Bethelehem Shoals, aka @freedarko, on why the Sixers are "the NBA's most compelling team".
Bomani on Iverson:
The city he played in, Philadelphia, loved him for his passion. His teams won. He brought home scoring titles, led his team to six playoff series victories and dragged a motley crew of role players to the NBA Finals. And, for better or worse, he brought his people with him. No matter how silly it was to support dozens of people, or how selfishly Iverson handled his role in a team sport, he'd reached places that once seemed impossible for him.
Shoals on the Sixers:
... I have no idea if Philly will be a force in the playoffs, but I know that these Sixers are intensely, irresistibly, watchable. At this moment. Whatever that means.
Shoals has an incredible way with words and makes me feel like the Sixers are something more than just a basketball team. I highly recommend giving both a read.
0 recs | 23 comments
Two great articles, thanks for mentioning them, the freedarko’s is a pleasure for an occasional reader, even greater for a Sixers’ fan.
apfan - January 31, 2012
bethelehem shoals?
never can understand what he writes. maybe i’m too dumb.
always seems pretentious and overwritten to me. makes simple observations into complicated bloated meanderings.
so – philly is genuine, which is different than authentic; authentic implies defensiveness. then philly is real, authentically if not unself-consciously (meaning self-consciously) itself. um, okay.
and the sixers are humility without shame. this guy took too many postmodern philosophy classes back in the day.
the neener - January 31, 2012
Yeah, that piece was an exercise in pseudo-intellectual blather. 1000 words trying to take a simple concept- that the Sixers are enjoyable to watch because they are an uptempo team that “plays the right way” and transform it into an existential basketball journey into the heart of sport. He could have simply stated that the Sixers give you the positives of youth, athleticism, up-tempo and team play without the downsides of careless mistakes, selfishness or boring LB style conservationism.
So Shoals starts with a valid point, but stretches it to an extreme. Sort of reminds me of a college freshman trying to stretch a few paragraphs into a full essay on the back of flowery prose. That might have worked 300 years ago in literature, but I’m not sure what place it holds in sports journalism. Then again, a lot of what Shoals writes is entertaining, and there is room for all types in the blogospere. He just laid in on a little to thick for this piece.
tk76 - January 31, 2012
Shoals is nothing if not thick. Thick is good.
Michael Levin - January 31, 2012
thats what she said
doh
the neener - January 31, 2012
"don't be thick with me" - daniel plainview in 'there will be blood'
i always thought thick meant obtuse…
juggadore - January 31, 2012
Agree with both you guys, but it’s what makes him unique. If I read him consistently I’m sure it’d get old, but it’s refreshing once in a while, especially when it’s about the Sixers.
Jordan Sams - January 31, 2012
pretentious would be a great way to describe that writing. I suppose it constitutes as good writing now-a-days, but questioning if the guy is trying too hard to sound impressive while reading this certainly isn’t an absurd thought. It’s almost Kelly Dwyer-squared.
jefu - January 31, 2012
It’s just a different style. It depends on what you classify as “good writing”. I feel like Shoals would dominate a college English class, where a guy like Bill Simmons would get mediocre grades, but I’d much rather read Simmons, even though he’s not quite in his prime anymore.
Jordan Sams - January 31, 2012
He would certainly dominate a creative writing class, but to me, it just doesn’t sound as good when the topic is on sports. I was hoping to read something analytical, but this was more so making a point, then seeing how many times he could dance around it.
He wrapped it up well at the end, but I thought it was stretched too far by that point.
jefu - January 31, 2012
So where does that put Tommy Craggs or Tom Scocca from Deadspin? Id say they are somewhere in between, and both do better writing.
That being said, I really liked Shoal’s Sixers piece, and I still enjoy Bill Simmons.
highwaterhello - January 31, 2012
“The Sixers are boring to watch because they have no one special to watch.”
-my friend
secondroundpick - January 31, 2012
Everyone watches sports for different purposes. Some people don’t appreciate good team basketball…no, scratch that, a lot of people don’t appreciate good team basketball. It’s the reason why the media hypes up individual players and casual fans buy into it like the latest teenie-bopper fad.
jefu - January 31, 2012
Anyone else dig these pacer jerseys (if you have league pass and are watching the game)?
jefu - January 31, 2012
Do you guys think Allen Iverson is going to find his way back to the league?
The One Who Wears The Crown - January 31, 2012
no
jefu - January 31, 2012
Anyone think there is an alternate universe where AI had Kobe’s worth ethic and Iverson had Kobes and the Sixers had a dynasty?
xEgan - January 31, 2012
i dont think iversons work eithic was the missing part of a sixers dynasty. better “practice” wouldnt make mutombo-shaq, tyrone hill-gasol, or matt geiger-bynum.
J.Michael Woodson - February 1, 2012
nice post, Iverson’s problem was the Sixers never took him seriously (until that magical year where he almost won the chip by himself until they ran up against one of the best teams assembled) and failed miserably at assembling talent around him.
Dan Pearson - February 1, 2012
When did Jrue become a lefty?
“Newjack point guard Jrue Holiday is a lefty whose hops are one of the league’s best-kept secrets”.
And he’s had some good dunks in his career but to say his “hops” are one of the league’s best secrets is a little overboard. Like the sixers love but article was a little much.
E.T.23 - February 1, 2012
Agree, and he’s ambidextrous, supposedly.
Jordan Sams - February 1, 2012
he did have the really nice QB pass to Iggy the other week.
Dan Pearson - February 1, 2012
Bear11
It must be strange for Iverson to look at today’s stars. The NBA must look like a foreign country to him. The article is right—- wearing suits and sweaters is fashionable – not throwbacks and baggy jeans. So while it was cool back then to be the “rebel” now it’s cool to be “student council.” Super-teams are IN. No more “one man army” mentality. Even tattoos and arm sleeves are the norm and no longer are seen as different. He didn’t leave the NBA behind the NBA left him behind.
.
There’s still a part of me that roots for the underdog though. He represents such a dark and edgy underworld that always exists. To a later generation he’ll be seen as “cool” again someday i’m sure. Some big article or show will introduce him to people again and he’ll be a cult hero of some sorts. I like where our team is today and i remember how bad the air was on those AI/Webber teams, but part of me feels like nothing can touch that feeling of ’01.
bear1 - February 2, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Liberty Ballers to post a comment.