I understand many people are not as attentive to details (especially numbers) when they argue and I usually don't nitpick their slips. There are a few exceptions, though. One is when I see a pattern of deliberate attempt to mislead or exaggerate. When numerical details are central part of your argument, the onus is on you to make sure they are as accurate as possible. The tendency to play loose with numbers is not necessarily a sign of dishonesty, so long as the slips are random, but it still makes you look biased. I once saw a guy, who is known for his negative opinion of player A, put up some stats in his post to show how A is not as good as player B. The numbers were rounded, which are common practice by everybody. The thing is, though, while he rounded off the decimal numbers of A, he rounded up the decimals of B, to create an effect that the disparities between A and B were bigger than they really were. Another example perhaps you are well aware of. It's become quite a cliche by many Yao bashers that the Rockets had the 22-game winning streak without Yao. It doesn't take more than a second by any objective and knowledgeable fan to contend that Yao contributed in the first 12 games of that winning streak, and if one is really getting technical, the team with Yao actually had a 16-game winning streak before Yao went out with the injury. Trivial stuff? Well, I think it depends on which camp one is in. You are absolutely right though Yao missed a big chunk of basketball games in 3 of the past 4 seasons. You probably would get no argument from me even if you said the number of missed games are on average 30 per season. However, there is another glossed over number that really caught my eyes, and I notice you didn't address it at all in your reply. If Yao had season-ending injury in 06-07, it would be that the Rockets barely lost to the Jazz in the 1st round of the playoffs by merely a couple of offensive rebounds and/or missed shots without their arguably best player on the team. And if that had been the case, despite the devastating and most disappointing loss, the Rockets would have been seen overachieved, and in all likelihood, Van Gundy would have still been coaching this team. Of course, this is not true. So the question is, do you really follow the team? Is your negative bias against Yao hurting your memory that much?
Yao's leaving will be good to both yao and you guys. Because at that time Yao will be fighting for the champion and you will be fighting for playoffs. Win-Win, right?
I actually care more about Yao than Rockets, but I think it is fair enough that rockets fans dont want to extend a max contract with Yao, if he cant stay health, without concerning his marketing vaule to this organization. It is all come down to risk vs reward, at this point, Yao is a high risk product. If Rockets can find another higher reward elite player(who?), go sign him. I believe there always will be other teams would like to try their lucky with Yao, give him a fresh start. So, no hard feelings. With all that said, last time I checked espn marketing value ranking, Yao just behind LBJ among NBA players, you think les would care more about champion than his wallet?
wnes, you know Max from your forays in D&D. I'm really surprised that you would make a post like that. Max is not biased. In fact, he's probably fair to a fault, in any instance and on any topic, basketball or not. And I'm saying this as a supporter of giving Yao a max contract, providing his summer China National Team duties are finished, excepting the Olympics. I think you are off base here.
Sorry to chime in here. Let's be honest and realistic, everyone is biased. I agree with you to a certain extend that Max was a more level-headed poster on this board, from my experience. However, I had the feeling that he's more and more biased in the past year or two, both here in GARM and D&D. But, that's just my personal opinion, and I am biased.
It's absolutely fair to discuss Yao's contract or anyone's. I only consider LeBron and Kobe an absolute MUST MAX PLAYER, not even Wade, due to his injuries. But it's more than unfair that people are labeling-happy to insult other posters with different opinions. Heck, even voting Yao as MVP in round 1 getting labeled as YOF. That is really sickening.
I love how you cherry-pick my two last rhetoric questions (though I could've done without them) and ignore the rest of my post. You know they say fairness is in the eyes of the beholder. Maybe I have a somewhat higher expectation of him? Not bothering with "factcheck" is not a very good excuse for exaggeration.
1) Kevin Garnett (Boston) $24,751,934 2)tie Jason Kidd (Dallas) $21,372,000 2)tie Jermaine O'Neal (Toronto) $21,372,000 4) Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) $21,262,500 5) Shaquille O'Neal (Phoenix) $21,000,000 6)tie Allen Iverson (Detroit) $20,840,625 6)tie. Stephon Marbury (New York) $20,840,625 8) Tim Duncan (San Antonio) $20,598,704 9) Tracy McGrady (Houston) $20,370,437 10) Ray Allen (Boston) $18,388,430 11) Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) $18,077,904 12) Paul Pierce (Boston) $18,077,903 13) Shawn Marion (Miami) $17,810,000 14) Rashard Lewis (Orlando) $16,447,871 15) Michael Redd (Milwaukee) $15,780,000 16)tie Pau Gasol (LA Lakers) $15,106,000 16)tie. Andrei Kirilenko (Utah) $15,106,000 18)tie. Amare Stoudemire (Pho.) $15,070,550 18)tie Yao Ming (Houston) $15,070,550 20) Mike Bibby (Atlanta) $14,983,603
Yes to all of your questions. I don't follow the team at all...I have a negative bias against Yao. I also bite the heads off puppies and bats in a stage performance while standing naked on a pentagram. I'm not interested in your guesses at who I am or my motivations for posting about a basketball team.
I love it...this is all about me!!! You guys should start a thread about me. Discuss!!!! That's what people really want to talk about here....the internet musings of me. Break them down. Analyze them. Guess at motivations. Fascinating!
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Sigh, that's why I said I felt your posting style has changed in the past year or two, in my humble opinion. If you feel offended, I apologize. When Deckard came here to praise you, you don't feel the urge to come out to decline the attention, and I didn't expect you to. But I didn't expect you to be outraged by my claim that everyone is somehow biased. As for guessing motivations, I think a lot posters are doing that on regular basis, in every thread. I have repeated many times that motives can't be proven, so I care about action and the result of the action a lot more.
Trust me...I'm not even remotely outraged. I'm not. We're talking about a basketball team here, for goodness sake. I think it's silly when, in discussions about a basketball team, we start picking the individuals apart who are engaged in the discussion. Honestly, it's just silly and makes all of this out to be far more important than it is. I appreciate Deckard's comments...I appreciate being given the benefit of the doubt by strangers who do not know me. But in truth I'm not all that concerned with you or anyone else's assumptions about me or my biases. I'll tell you when I have bias...and I do that quite frequently.
Reputation point to you, I am serious. I am not interested in who you are. Just calling a spade when I see one. I do it to any one. It may surprise you, but I am with those who advocate that Yao probably should take a pay cut if he sees the move to bring more talents helps achieve team's ultimate goal -- winning an NBA championship. On Yao playing for CNT, I think the whole thing is overblown. While I agree competing in inferior tournaments does little to sharpen his NBA skills, I don't see that's a burden many try to make it to be. Fact is, apart from an infect toe, Yao has never suffered any injury playing for CNT. The wear and tear on him come exclusively from him playing in NBA.
On second thought...if someone is making the case that I have a bias against Yao because of his nationality....yeah, that would upset me. I don't THINK that's what is being said here. At least I hope not.
So you are saying you haven't been excited about this team for 12 years? Then why are you still watching/posting/arguing? There are 30 teams in the nba. That means on average you get a championship once every 30 years. Big city teams like Laker/Boston/NYC/Chicago have more chance because their higher revenue and can spend more on good players(which by the way, makes spurs's success even more impressive). Houston is about right in the middle. 2 championships in the past twenty years is a great achievement. But that may also spoiled their fans, thinking anything less than a championship is a failure. Rockets are on the right track. And you want to break up the team when they finally advanced to the second round after 12 years?
Do you have a bias against baseball? I do! Don't worry about the false accusations MadMax, all of us originals get that cause that's their last resort cause they know they we started this and we are loyal from day 1 to the team and the city. we represent like Eric B and Rakim.
