by Ryan Isley
Before I jump into this week’s edition of “Two Cents”, I wanted to clarify something I wrote in my column earlier this week regarding fan behavior at Indians games. In suggestion No.4, I said that fans should avoid the idle chit-chat that is not game-related. I need to clarify that statement a little bit. I mean that it should not continue for the entire game, not that there should be zero talking throughout the game. My issue is with those who go to a game and spend the entire nine innings talking about anything other than the game and ignoring the game going on in front of them.
Now, on to this week’s topics:
On Gio Gonzalez:
Last week, I wrote in “Two Cents” about Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers and his act of kindness towards a Dodgers fan in San Francisco who is ill. Well this week, it was Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals who deserves praise for his fan interaction.
When the Nationals were playing in Los Angeles against the Dodgers (ironic), Gonzalez found a fan before the game that was wearing a Nationals shirt. He started playing catch with the young kid in what will ultimately be a day that one young Nationals fan will never forget.
This is just another example of a professional athlete doing something that they didn’t have to do, but taking a few minutes out of their day to make someone else’s day that much better. Gonzalez may soon forget about playing catch with a random kid at Dodgers Stadium, but that kid will be a Gio Gonzalez fan for life. Well done, Gio.
(H/T to Andy Baskin for posting this story on Twitter on Wednesday)
On Josh Gordon:
During game five between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns tweeted the following:
Of course, some Cleveland fans immediately started tweeting negative things at Josh and ripping him for liking LeBron James. Because, well, that’s what Cleveland fans do. But they shouldn’t.
We all know how some Cleveland fans still feel about LeBron following the former Cavaliers superstar’s departure from Cleveland for Miami following the 2010 season. However, that is no reason to go after other athletes who play for Cleveland teams every time they say something positive about the four-time NBA MVP.
Remember – Josh Gordon only plays in Cleveland. He isn’t from Cleveland and was not in Cleveland prior to LeBron leaving since he was selected in the supplemental draft prior to last season. Just because someone plays in Cleveland doesn’t mean that they have to hate LeBron. Athletes usually enjoy watching the other athletes perform at a high level, especially when they are one of the best in the world – which LeBron is, like it or not.
Cleveland fans need to stop going after their own just because they enjoy watching LeBron James.
On Kevin Durant:
A couple of weeks ago in this space, I touched on Kevin Durant and his distaste for always being second. Well it looks like this season he won’t have to worry about that. His Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the NBA playoffs on Wednesday night by the Memphis Grizzlies in one of Durant’s worst performances of the season.
In the 88-84 loss, Durant scored 21 points on 5-for-21 shooting and was 0-for-4 from three-point range. With the Thunder trailing by two and only 11 seconds left, Oklahoma City got the ball into Durant’s hands – exactly where they wanted it. Durant shook free from his defender, pulled up from around the free throw line and tossed up a jumper that bounced off the rim. It was the latest in questionable shots for Durant, as the lane looked open and he could have gotten to the rim – or at least closer to the rim – had he just taken a couple dribbles.
This series showed just how far Durant has to go in order to carry a team. While others were busy making excuses for Durant, I was thinking back to the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers. That team by all rights had no business being in the NBA Finals, but they made it there because LeBron James put them on his back and carried them there.
But maybe it isn’t Durant’s fault that he couldn’t carry the Thunder past the Grizzlies. After all, he has never had to do it before. When LeBron took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, it was in his fourth season in the league and he was already used to being the focal point of every defense, as the Cavaliers didn’t have another go-to guy – as much as LeBron tried to turn other guys into viable options. While Zydrunas Ilguaskas was an all-star in 2005, Ilguaskas wasn’t striking fear into opponents with the game on the line.
On the other hand, Durant is in his fifth season and has had Russell Westbrook for all but one of those years. He also had James Harden for the three years prior to this one. Westbrook has been an all-star in each of the last three seasons for Oklahoma City and was All-NBA second team last season while Harden was last season’s Sixth-Man of the year.
So Durant is used to having help, whereas LeBron wasn’t.
When Harden was traded prior to this season, Durant still had Westbrook and vice versa. When Westbrook got hurt in the first round of the playoffs, Durant found himself in a position with which he was unfamiliar – on an island by himself.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Durant is free of criticism or blame for the Thunder’s inability to get past round two. LeBron never was, so it is only fair Durant not be either.
Comments? Questions? You can leave them here or email Ryan at ryan@morethanafan.net
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