I know what you're thinking of, i.e., slander or libel cases, but even within opinions, there can be ones that are "wrong" for all practical intents and purposes, even if they aren't necessary "fact." For example, "Lebron James sucks at basketball" or "Michael Jordan wasn't very good at basketball" are both technically opinions. They're just ones that very, VERY few would share, and hence would be seen in society as wrong. Saying "Daniel is the slickest oil man in town" would be an opinion, whereas saying, "In my opinion, Daniel stole money from the Richardson couple" (assuming he did) is actually a statement of fact.
No, saying Lebron James sucks at basketball is not an opinion, that is a statement of fact. It can be quantified. You set a baseline for an average basketball player and determine whether he was above it or below it. Then you could argue about the subjective nature of the word sucks I suppose, but in the case of Lebron, he does not suck at basketball. That is not opinion, it is fact. Now, "I hate the way Lebron plays basketball" would be an opinion, or "Watching Lebron play is boring" or "Lebron's style is frustrating for me" etc. Those would be opinions.
Lol you guys, I guess I worded that sentence poorly. The point was to say that, guess what, some people that are knowledgeable about basketball may in fact think that Reggie Jackson, George Hill, Chalmers, etc. could be a better fit for the Rockets than Lin. And that just because PhiSlamma says so, doesn't mean they're wrong... his opinion is not inherently worth more than the other poster, and his cherry-picked evidence doesn't make it more factual.
You just admitted that you could argue about the definition of "sucks" lol. Saying Lebron James sucks at basketball is an opinion because you could say he crumbles in the 4th quarter (he doesn't anymore), or he tries to take over the game too much, blah blah. They're all BAD arguments, but they're still arguments that can be made. That's why it is an opinion. Contrast that with, Kevin Durant isn't the best scorer in the nba during the 2012-13 season...where there are no arguments or matters of opinion because he was the best scorer that yr. That is fact. Your later examples are also opinions. They're just more defensible ones. But my point was saying, just because an opinion is a really bad one, or one shared by very few, does not mean it is automatically a matter of fact. A less extreme example would be to say, Lebron James is the best basketball player in the nba today. Virtually everyone agrees w/ that, and almost all metrics support it, but it isn't fact. It is opinion.
Then the further point was that the aforementioned opinions don't matter because we aren't in the front office, so don't be an overzealous jerk when someone expresses the opposite opinion.
No, that is true to some extent, but the Chalmers comment at least (I didn't see the Reggie one) said Chalmers was a LOT better than Lin right now. Like OBVIOUSLY a lot better, or something to that dramatic extent. That got people riled up lol. If the poster had said, Chalmers might do as well as Lin on the current Rockets team...it might have gone unnoticed.
Just because people argue about something doesn't make it an opinion. As for the earlier point, the reason I said you can argue about the definition of sucks is because that is a subjective word. But, no matter what your definition, it implies bad, just to what degree is in question. Therefore if a player is above average it is impossible for him to be bad and he therefore can't suck.
Welp, here's my formal apology for kickstarting the derailment of this thread: I'm sorry guys, I just didn't want to see the acronym ABJ become a thing.
Let's just get back to talking about the incredible momentum the Lakers clearly have in the Dwight chase.
Agree... There is but one way to cleanse this thread, and that is to burn it to the ground. Please Clutch, put it out of its misery. We'll make a new thread... it'll be called "J.R. Posts and discussion only, all Lin posters will be shot on site"
lol Man, how great would it be if we can land him? I know, he's not perfect. But we would be at a whole different level.
New from USA Today's @sam_amick: "... signs remain that Howard may be heading to the Houston Rockets" http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...eace-staying-with-los-angeles-lakers/2454455/ …
