Why Joakim Noah Rules and Why You're Prejudice and Close Minded for Dismissing Him

I spent the night before NBA Draft day and the entire day of Draft day hoping the Chicago Bulls wouldn't choose the amazingly unimpressive Spencer Hawes (C, Washington).

My primary choice for the Bulls was either: a- Joakim Noah (F, Florida) or b- Anyone but Hawes. The rationale was and is quite simple, really. Why draft someone who didn't succeed on a team or individual level in college (Hawes) over someone who dominated on a team and individual level in college (Noah, Noah, Noah)? Where is the sense in that?!

But John Paxson and I think alike, and he decided to make my night by drafting Noah. And upon that selection, my guests and I cheered the brilliance of the pick.

Surprisingly, after the Bulls made the selection, I got call after call from my friends, absolutely killing Pax for his "idiotic," "moronic," "ridiculous," and "b.s." move.

Here is a current away message...
PrObLyMaNy: eat sh-- a--f--- noah

And some IMs...
APerformS (1:56:53 AM): F'in noah
APerformS (1:57:05 AM): out of like 1000000
APerformS (1:57:22 AM): i hate noah
APerformS (1:57:35 AM): he is more over rated then michael vick
APerformS (1:57:42 AM): and less talent than me
APerformS (1:58:22 AM): but more so completely ignoring my contempt for noah
APerformS (1:58:31 AM): why do the bulls need him?
APerformS (1:58:40 AM): isnt he a mexican version of ben wallace?

That last IM sums it up perfectly. This is all just a case of general ignorance.

Most people, when asked why they don't like Noah, usually say close minded things like, "I hate the way he dances" or "His long hair is stupid" or "He thinks he's soooo great."

Well, he dances because he wins conference championships and NCAA titles, he has long hair because he defies petty social norms, and he thinks he's great because he has every desire to be great, and at this point, nothing has stood in his way from fulfilling that desire.

He's more than what you hear. Leading up to the draft, the one word I heard used more than any was the word "energy," and don't get me wrong, that's a pretty accurate word in describing his play, but I think he brings more to the table than that. He brings flair. He brings personality. He brings the right attitude.

I can't wait for the Joakim-era to start in Chicago. I hope the local media understands him for who he is -- a pensive, dedicated, and passionate young player who is looking to do everything he can to help his team win. And trust me, these aren't cliches. His quotes are going to be memorable, colorful, and hilarious, and his play should amplify his already present passion.

I'll end this with a call-out to the haters; why do you dislike Noah? I'd like some legitimate and real reasons. Nothing fake, nothing about dancing or hair. You know, maybe something about the way he plays basketball? And finally, if you're so against the pick, who would you have drafted in his place?

Oh, And Also...
Major props to Wilson Chandler (DePaul), Sammy Mejia (DePaul), and Adam Haluska (Iowa) for getting drafted tonight. Congrats, guys.

News & Notes: 5/30/07, Kobe, Hockey, Bonds

Bah! First, in the most overhyped storyline of the day, Kobe Bryant is apparently asking for a trade from the L.A. Lakers.

This site lists the Bulls as the 3/1 favorites to land him. But the question is, do the Bulls want him?

Well, I'm not the Bulls, but I am me, so let's rephrase that question to "As a Bulls fan, do I want him?"

Short answer, yes. Long answer, if Luol Deng isn't traded for him, then a big time yes. The rumors floating around include players like Deng, Ben Gordon, and Ben Wallace. But like all things sports, we'll just have to wait and see. I remain excited and optimistic. If we get him, that'd be stellar, but if not, oh well.

It's win-win.

Next item: Hockey.

I've been disinterested with the NHL since probably the late 90s. I never really followed hockey on a regular basis, but that could be because the Chicago Blackhawks have been absolutely terrible. I loved the Colorado Avalanche and Patrick Roy for a while, but it was more of a bandwagon thing. And all I really did was watch a few highlights on SportsCenter and a playoff game here and there.

But last night, things changed -- uh, maybe.

I was watching Comcast SportsNet last night, and they did a piece which talked about Jonathan Toews, a guy the Hawks drafted third in 2006. Toews could potentially be a stud. He has a Canadian Gold medal at the World Championships under his belt, he took his North Dakota team to the Frozen Four, and oh, he's 19. Yeah, two years younger than me.

Toews, combined with whoever the Blackhawks select with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, immediately makes the team interesting again. Will they be contenders right away? Probably not. But it's getting me to care again, and that's something I haven't done for a while.

So, my 2007-08 policy is going to work like this: I'll aggressively follow the team for the first month of the season, and if they are still in contention at the end of that month, I'll continue to follow them until they fall out of the playoff race.

It could be interesting. Right? ... Maybe?

We'll see.

And lastly for today, bodacious Barry Bonds.

Not a lot to say, other than a quick comment on his amazing quote yesterday. This was his response when asked if he'd donate his home run memorabilia to the Hall of Fame:

"I'm not worried about the Hall," the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought.

"I take care of me."

"Doesn't everybody have the right to decide to do it or not do it?" he said last week.

He's the best.

Predictably, everyone in the media is freaking out about it, but if that quote makes you mad, it's probably just because Bonds said it. Think about it, why should Barry Bonds have any obligation to donate his personal items to a Hall of Fame that may not admit him as a player? It makes no sense.

Is it really that selfish? Not if you ask me.

Either way, Bonds gets to keep his gear while the haters keep grinding their teeth.

Can't get too mad about that.

Bulls-Pistons: DOA, Field of Dreams

Well, if I've learned anything about the Bulls-Pistons Round 2 series, it's that it's a lot harder to write about your favorite team when they are being disassembled by a much, much better team.

The Pistons really turned it on the past three games, and there's really not a lot to say. When people have asked me about the series, I've pretty much said the only thing there you can: the Bulls are being outclassed in just about every phase of the game. And I'm really developing a distaste for Ben Wallace. Yeah, he can shutdown some of the best traditional centers in the NBA, but really, how many teams still use centers like that? You've got Shaq, Yao, Dwight Howard...am I forgetting anyone? Even if I am, there aren't more than a handful, and playing 4 verse 5 on offense isn't helping the Bulls score points. That said, I don't miss T-Chan, and I think, even now, he's half the player that Big Ben is.

Here's to the Baby/Grown Up/Losing Bulls not getting swept.

***

In slightly more cheerful news, I took a trip to the Field of Dreams with P and Healy two days ago. Since I don't really feel like re-writing about it here, I'll just re-post the column I wrote for the Daily Iowan:

Dream Field
Bobby Loesch - The Daily Iowan
Issue Date: 5/11/07 Section: Sports

Between a light finals schedule this week, my beat coverage winding down, and this amazing weather we've been having, my buddies P, Healy, and I planned a trip to Dyersville, Iowa, to see the Field of Dreams, made famous as a setting in the 1989 movie of the same name.

Before the trip, I did a Wikipedia search on the film just to brush up on some stuff and check out trivia. All of the info was pretty standard, but the quotation, "The restored relationship between protagonist Kinsella and his father is notable for making male viewers cry," had me laughing.

Anyway, we made the hour-and-a-half drive from Iowa City, and at about half past noon, the field was in sight.

"There's a guy with his shirt off," Healy said.

Little did he know it was actually a wooden statue of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson.

We parked the car in the gravel lot in between cars with Iowa and Wisconsin plates and made our way toward the field. Going in, we estimated as many as 20 people would be around, but those guesses ended up being overzealous - there were no more than five or six.

The Gift Shop(s)

Before we took the field, we headed over to the gift shop, which, according to Healy's online research, lent out baseballs and gloves for people to play catch. But there was a problem, there were two separate gift shops.

One, called "Field of Dreams" was approximately 100 feet behind home plate, while the other, called "Field of Dreams Souveniers" was located by third base. The first gift shop, which is managed by the Lansing family, who own the field, uses proceeds for the maintenance and upkeep of the field, farm, and house. The other shop is owned by a different farmer who leased it to out-of-sate investors not associated with the Lansing farm or family. Naturally, I drifted to the first one, which I perceived to be less evil.

Standing in front of T-shirts, stickers, baseballs, and even actual DVD copies of the movie was an elderly woman named Marcia Weigell, who has worked at the field for
18 years. Much to our disappointment, she told us the shop had to stop lending out balls and gloves because of pending lawsuits. Luckily, Healy had a mitt and a tennis ball in his car, so we made do.

Weigell estimated 50,000 people visit the field each season, which lasts between April and November.

"Most people are happy to come down," said Weigell, who has been interviewed by countless television and newspaper reporters. "Some people who come are actually emotional because they just lost their father, but for the most part, people are just
happy."

I guess Wikipedia was right. It was my fault to question its power.

The Field of Dreams

"They built it, and I came," P said after we finally stepped onto the field.

After playing some pitch and catch, half-jogging the base paths, snapping some pictures, and looking into the not-yet-grown cornfields in the outfield, Healy asked me to throw a pop-up to him. As I obliged, I noticed power lines running over left and center field. After getting more information out of Weigell, I learned the power lines are the divider between the Lansing farm and the farm that leases the out-of-state shop. It depressed me to think something so pure and serene as the Field of Dreams could be tarnished by commerciality, but I did my best to block it out.

Now, I'm not one for simple pleasures - I'll take A/C and a television over a camping trip on most days - but the overwhelming simplicity of the scenery really captivated me. Mixing it with a gorgeous mid-May day, and it was one hell of an afternoon.

"I haven't felt this emotional since Friday Night Lights," P said in a serious tone.

I wasn't sure if he was joking.

All problems aside, I'd say the trip is a must-do for any baseball fan, serious to casual. And because I don't have a clever "If you build it, they will come"-type ending, I think I'll leave you with a phrase I saw on the back of the Field of Dreams sign as we made our way towards to the car:

Live the magic, Have faith in simplicity, and Always dare to dream.

News & Notes: 5/2/07, Grown Up Bulls, St. Louis Trip Nixed, Moss, Keyshawn

Sorry for my lack of timeliness on some of these subjects, but I got pretty burned out after my live-blog. Nevertheless, I'm back, baby!

First off, the Grown Up Bulls sweep the Miami Heat in Round 1. It all happened so fast. I had a meeting for the newspaper, so I actually missed the last eight minutes or so of game time, but when I found out the Bulls actually closed it out, I was partly surprised. I mean, yeah, I thought the Heat would quit on the series, but they're the defending champions, right? Playing at home? Man, the Bulls have come a long way.

Second, I know I ended my last post talking about my trip to St. Louis. Well, that couldn't have ended (or, started?) worse. Minutes before we hit the highway, we got news of Josh Hancock's death, and needless to say, we never made it to St. Louis because the game was postponed. Sad story, and made more angering due to the fact that the whole thing is likely DUI related. Ugh.

In better news, Randy Moss is headed to the Patriots!

First, the only negative I see: it puts a helluva lot of pressure on the Patriots. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is crowning the Pats as the Super Bowl 42 Champs, and the whole thing is giving me an eerie Carolina Panthers vibe. I don't like it one bit.

I won't list the positives, because they're obvious, but I will give a few reasons why I think the situation won't be catastrophic.

1. It's clear that Moss is awfully motivated. In all of his interviews around draft day, he kept talking about how all of the uncertainty about what team he'd be playing for led to him working out and training harder than he'd ever trained before. Maybe he's lying, but I don't think he is, and when he's delivering quotes like "You're going to see things from me that you've never seen before," you better believe I'm fired up.
2. He took a pay cut to play for the Pats. It's clear winning is his No. 1 priority, now.
3. The Patriots gave up a 4th round pick on him. That's it. No matter what happens, it's clear they got a bargain deal for a player with a high ceiling of potential.
4. Even if -- going against everything I believe -- Moss becomes a problem, the Patriots have enough depth at wide receiver now to cut all ties immediately. Moss' one-year deal gives the Pats a lot of flexibility. But again, I really don't see any negatives spawning from this. The only reason people will be worried is because the sports media will give them reasons so to worry. You just have to look at the situation; Moss has clearly matured, and I think he's willing to put his past behind him and finally come into his own on a winning team.

And last, but not least, how could I not mention Keyshawn Johnson getting cut from the Carolina Panthers. I noted the irony on Draft Day of the Panthers drafting USC wide-out Dwayne Jarrett because Keyshawn said Jarrett wasn't ready for the NFL. Now? Jarrett's on Keyshawn's old team. Sports are amazing, sometimes.

Either way, best of luck to Keyshawn in the future. I always liked him.

Bulls-Heat: !!!

Even with my head swollen from the buzz that is the NFL Draft, I owe it to the Bulls to write about last night's tremendous game.

There really is a lot to say, but I don't know if I have the words. It was probably one of the most complete games the Bulls have played all season. And it was on the freaking road! They just kept scrapping, and digging, and giving their best effort -- basically being the antithesis of what Miami Heat basketball is all about -- and although the Heat looked unbeatable during stretches, the Bulls were able to overcome Miami's scoring binges and put the game away with slightly more ease than I expected.

Deng was a little streakier than usual, but he got the job done. Hinrich and Gordon played the way they needed to play, especially on defense. And it can't be overstated how important to this team Ben Wallace is. There's a lot of people at ESPN who seem to think that keeping Tyson Chandler (who I pretty much only refer to as T-Chan...because I hate him) would have been a better move for Chicago, but being someone who watches the Bulls regularly, they're wrong.

Sure, T-Chan averaged more points and more rebounds playing with a great point guard on a non-playoff team, and maybe the Bulls did overpay a little bit, but with someone like Ben Wallace, stats kind of go out the window. Last year's playoffs spawned what I liked to call the "Two-Two" rule for T-Chan. Two fouls, two minutes. He was so glaringly ineffective at guarding Shaq that he basically fouled his way off the court every single time Skiles put him in. The Chicago Bulls picked up Wallace for these situations, and you say what you want about T-Chan's stats, but right now, Big Ben and his amazing defense/playmaking are likely headed to the second round, while Two-Two-T-Chan is sitting at home.

Sounds like a decent deal to me.

The question now is, when do the Bulls close out the series? Game 4? Game 5?

I said before if the Heat went down three games, they'd probably end up giving up, and you know what? I'm gonna stick by that.

Bust out the brooms, Bulls in 4.

We'll see.

Bulls-Heat: So Far, So Great

Wow, what an impressive win for the Grown Up Bulls. (Up 2-0 on the Heat, heading into tomorrow' game in Miami).

Favorite highlights from Game 2:

• Noc's sick seven straight points to close out the first quarter. The look on Ty Thomas' face when he first passed the ball to Noc was amazing, but it got even better after Noc hit the three at the buzzer. Watching those two interact is absolutely amazing.
• Speaking of Ty Thomas, how about Alonzo Mourning obliterating Thomas when he tried to sky over him for an attempted dunk. The veteran really put the rookie in his place -- I'm just glad Thomas didn't get hurt.
• Thabo being able to shoot the ball a little bit -- always nice to see.
• Hinrich getting things going a little bit. He wasn't dominant, but he was a lot more impressive than his dud Game 1. Dude still needs to work on staying out of foul trouble, though. Always happy to see him get his assists.
• The Bulls literally running the Heat ragged with screens and motion. I really think Miami is fading into the dreaded 'not-care' zone.
• Luol Deng: The surge continues.

Before the contest MJD at the AOL FanHouse predicted a Bulls victory, but he also followed it up something that really stuck with me: "And in Game 3, the Heat will still feel like 20-point favorites."

You know what? They kind of do feel like favorites. As confident as I felt about the Bulls winning Game 3, Alonzo Mourning said this, and again, It got me thinking:

"You guys [the media] can write what you want to write, and that's fantastic. You've got to do what you've got to do, and that's appease the public. But the bottom line is we're the world champions, and the first team that wins four games moves on. And that has not happened."

You know what? Mourning's right. The Miami Heat are the defending NBA Champions, and as dreadful as they've looked at times during this series, there's no reason to write them off, especially going into consecutive home games. That's not to say I'm forecasting some type of Bulls collapse -- I'm not -- but let's just say I'll be singing a much, much happier tune if the Bulls somehow go up 3-0.

But the way the NBA works, and homecourt works, and champions work, the task is daunting, to say the least.

Bulls-Heat: So Far, So Good

I really had to force myself out of writing a headline that said something using a play on of the word "heat," but I guess I was able to manage. I couldn't imagine being a headline writer for a Miami newspaper. Those hilarious/goofy headlines are just too easy not to use.

Anyways, I look at the series score, and I see:
Bulls- 1
Heat- 0

To me, that doesn't give a lot space to complain -- and I don't plan on it.........yet.

There have been a few things about this series that I've really enjoyed.

• Luol freaking Deng: The man from The Sudan has lived up to my always sky-high expectations of him. He's been my favorite player in the NBA for a full season now, and I think the rest of the league is finally starting to take notice (What took so long?!). He's finishing when he takes it to the basket, he's exploiting his match-up against D-Wade, and most importantly, he's leading the team in scoring. I really hope Deng can keep things going throughout this series. Seeing him in an All-Star uni next year would be stellar.
• Thabo Sefalosha: I've always been high on Thabo since his first game of the regular season against Miami on opening night. I thought he'd have a chance to contend for Rookie of the Year if he got the minutes. Obviously he didn't play well enough to deserve those minutes, but he's really coming into his own of late. He's always been great at defense, and apparently Scott Skiles is taking notice. What stood out to me was when Kirk Hinrich picked up his fourth foul in the 3rd quarter, and Skiles put in Thabo over Chris Duhon. It showed trust in the rook, and we're going to need him if we wanna take down the defending champs. Did you know Thabo's wingspan is 7'0''? Yeah, crazy!
• Shaq: The big fella's upset, and after fouling out in Game 1, he's already calling out the refs in his post-game interviews. It's the same every year. It's tough to officiate someone so big, powerful, and dominant. I feel for him, but at the same time, the question remains: is this whining going to turn into more motivation or a series-losing excuse fest?
• Mi-apathy: Do these guys care? Shaq and D-Wade seem to be invested, but after Game 1, Pat "The Devil" Riley told reporters that he instructed Wade to bank in a three for the last second attempt to tie the game. To me, Riley is too loose -- he just doesn't take these Bulls seriously. I know it worked last year, but I don't think this year's team has the same "it" that this current team does. They can't continuously treat the regular season like a joke and just expect to turn it on for the playoffs. I really think if they hit a two or three game deficit, the roof might just cave in on the team and they'll fully give up. They just seem like quitters, to me. (Again, excluding Shaq and Wade.)
• The Chicago crowd: This is the homer in me, but the good folks at the UC really turned it on for Game 1. From resurrecting the "No-ci-oni" free throw cheer from 2004, to shamelessly riding James "Public Enemy No. 1" Posey with a chorus of constant boos that culminated in Posey getting a technical while sitting on the bench, to cheering at all the right moments (like Ty Thomas' blocks and alley-oop), that was, in my opinion, the best crowd for an NBA game I have ever seen in a long, long time.

That's all I gots for now.

Tune in Tuesday for Game 2. I don't expect a let down. That is, I think the Bulls will continue to turn up the ... heat?

Haha, I knew I couldn't go a whole post.

Durant SAYS He's Coming Back...It's Early, Though

In an interesting little ditty from the Dallas Morning News, University of Texas freshman point guard D.J. Augustin says he's coming back to UT next year. But there's a twist, he says teammate Kevin Durant -- maybe you've heard of him -- might just do the same.

Augustin also said that star freshman Kevin Durant has told his teammates that he's coming back.

"But Kevin's a humble guy, so he's probably going to say he's coming back whenever he's asked that question," Augustin said.

The idea of Durant coming back to college basketball delights me. With the Knicks having semi-decent 2006-2007 campaign, the idea of the Chicago Bulls getting a top tier lottery pick faded a long time ago. So, with no real shot to land the phenom, let him stay another year. How about another year after that? Maybe even one more past that?

It's not like he's beating up on Big Ten, Big East, or Pac Ten opponents (cough cough, Michigan, DePaul, Iowa, Wazzu). So, I've got no problem casually watching ESPN's bottom line and seeing, "Durant 27 points, 18 rebounds" for another year. Who knows what he'll be able to do the college game with another year under his belt.

And as for what Durant should do? My stance: what he wants. He wants to say? More power to him. But he needs to understand that serious injuries are a possibility.