So that just happened...

Just got back from a brisk 5K in my brand spankin' new shoes. Was a minute faster than two days ago in my brutally destroyed old shoes, I turned on the MacBook Pro, went to ESPN, and saw "it". I then, stood up and starred out the window for about 45 seconds as if I were watching a snake mate with a bird. Quickly, a slightly menical-smirk came over my face and I realized the world we are living in is beyond crazy.

Sportynation, ladies and gentleman there is a page on ESPN designed specifically to chronicle Tim Tebow's "career." It is called "Tebow Watch"

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/feature/index?page=TebowWatch

Remember the days when ESPN had an NBA running free agency clock 3 months ago? And then, when July 1st happened nothing happened? People stood around and looked at each other like "so what do we do" Eventually, something happened "it" in this case was LeBron. ESPN, ultimately, lost with that "it." However, now ESPN is back to its money maker: Tim Tebow.

Sportynation, manufactured storylines are back back back. The NFL is back.

Be easy, sportynation. This is my Minority Report.

Disclaimer: I experienced a great deal of cognitive dissonance in this post. That is to say, I am writing about something that I find utterly ridiculous, "Tebow Watch" and am also attaching a link. O my. Shower, red wine, burger in no particular order here I come!

Contrarian Prokhorov

To whom this may concern:

The players are signed, the "Decision" is made, but the passions around this year's extraordinary class of NBA free agents refuses to die down. What surprises me is the amount of negative commentary directed at the three top free agents (especially LeBron James) who decided to play on the same team and to create a great franchise together. Of course, any club owner dreams of having those players, including me, but all questions of how the announcements were made aside, I respect their choice, and no one has the right to judge them.
 

I want to say that I support LeBron, the best athlete in the NBA. He had a truly difficult choice to make. Any move he made was sure to be viewed as wrong, and to leave many unhappy fans. Basing his decision on achieving results on the basketball court shows that the sportsman won the day, not the showman or the businessman. What is wrong with that?

We are seeing the birth of a new, dynamic team with such star players, and all of us can await the new season with great anticipation. I wish them success and give them my moral support. I will be happy for us to beat the Miami Heat in the conference finals, maybe not this season, but in the very near future.

Mikhail Prokhorov; Moscow

Summer 2010 NBA FA

Free Agency
July 1st 12:01am the first day of NBA free agency. A free agent (FA) is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise.

A trio of star players Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade lead the summer 2010 FA class and signed deals that would allow them to be FAs at the same time  instead of staggered. That coupled with players such as Amar'e Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitski opting out of their contracts makes an already typical free agent summer that much more ridiculous.

Due to the structure of the NBA and the savy players' contracts, the athlete has become, perhaps, more powerful than the billionaire owners. That is to say, the athlete can tell the owner what he wants, where he'll play, who he will play with, how much money he wants and needs, and who he wants his coach to be. In addition to that a city, organization(s), and governments backing/offering so much for a signature and agreement to join their favorite NBA team.

Financial implications
It has often been mentioned that LeBron James can re-sign for six years and $125.5 million with the Cavaliers, but the max deal he could get from another team would be five years and $96.1 million. Here's the year-by-year breakdown.

Comparing Max Deals

Year	Sign with own team	Sign with other team	Difference
2010-11	$16,568,908	$16,568,908	0
2011-12	$18,308,643	$17,894,421	$414,222
2012-13	$20,048,378	$19,219,934	$828,444
2013-14	$21,788,113	$20,545,447	$1,242,666
2014-15	$23,527,848	$21,870,960	$1,656,888
2015-16	$25,267,583	--	$25,267,583
Contract total	$125,509,473	$96,099,670	$29,409,803

These differences are attributable to the fact that a player's own team can offer 10.5 percent raises every season, while other teams can offer just 8.0 percent raises (in addition to the fact that a player's own team can offer a sixth season).

Perception/fairness
"You've got to love all these NBA owners and execs begging players to do something that they themselves have never done: Take less money."-Adrian Wojnarowski

Indeed, the players have almost all the power and control, but we cannot forget about the implications of the media and people within the NBA organizations. The media has been disseminating unsubstantiated reports for many months now trying to get the scoop and NB teams have been leaking tidbits consistently to increase their chances of acquiring a FA, but more importantly pre-emptive damage control. There are more teams than there are stud players. 


As it happens ...

WojYahooNBA: Knicks owner Jim Dolan called Jay-Z and complained massive Nets mural overlooking MSG was "intimidating his employees," Nets sources say.

RT @PDcavsinsider: Knicks just sent over their luggage/computers for presentation with an advance team. Folks, I can't make this stuff up.

sportsguy33: "Hey Joe Johnson - thanks for leading us to that 4-game 2nd round sweep when we lost by 20+ per game. Here's $119 million."

LeBatardShow: I know this is impatience talking but we we gathered for a 12:01 circus, dammit, and under the tent is just a sad reindeer and drew gooden

sportsguy33: Joe Johnson in Magic sweep w/ Vince/Barnes/Pietrus defending him: 12.8 PPG, 30% FG, 9-39 3FG, 19 FTA. His team quit by Game 3. $119 million?

sportsguy33: Like BP shored up the oil leak. RT @chadfordinsider: Wolves spent $33 million on Darko and Pekovic to shore up their middle.

LeBatardShow: There's a dirty, emaciated wolf under this lame circus tent and look over there! A clown gm and darko sitting atop 20 million! Party!

LeBatardShow: Minnesota giving darko 20 mil is worst basketball idea since kenyon martin tattoed a rapper's lips to his neck

WojYahooNBA: Channing Frye considering Suns 5-year, $25 million offer, and waiting on the likes of Chicago and New York to have resolution on big stars.

WojYahooNBA: As Y! reported late Wednesday night, Bucks and John Salmons progressing toward contract agreement. Deal likely worth $40 mlll., source says.

LeBatardShow: When Riley arrived at lebrons, did he ask spoelstra to wait in the car?

LeBatardShow: Jay-z has 99 problems and his pitch ain't one. But Russian mafioso owns 99 percent of team. So jay-z has 99 problems and his percentage is

LeBatardShow: Tom Thibodeau, who has never been a head coach in the NBA is 2 signatures away from becoming the greatest head coach in NBA history 

This is my Minority Report!