Friday Fryer (Feb. 23, 2007)
by user Christof
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a look at the sports week's biggest losers
by Christof
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Welcome to the Friday Fryer, where we take a look at who was the sports' world's biggest idiot this week. The warmth is slowing coming back to the eastern part of the US of A, which only means that the Fryer is getting hotter. So without further ado, let's go take a look at our three finalists and, of course, the person or team being dipped into the Fryer....
THE FINALISTS
| NBA
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| Stupid is as stupid does, and this week, the NBA was stupid. Earlier this month, I mocked the NHL for holding their All-Star game on a weeknight and broadcasting it on a cable station. This week, the NBA held its All-Star. Ok, the NBA held the festivities on the weekend, which is better than what the NHL did. However, like the NHL, the NBA broadcasted their game on a cable station. Nice way to keep the game available to all potential fans, fellas!
Then again, maybe it was a good thing that the NBA had the game and the festivities on cable television. For example, the biggest story to come out of the weekend were the shootings and general out-of-control behavior of those who attended the weekend.
So the NBA gets a Friday Fryer nomination for creating a black-eye for the league’s image over what should be a positive image event.
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| NBA Trading Deadline
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| Yesterday was the deadline for trades in the NBA until after the 2007 playoffs are completed. As 3pm approached, many expected at least one blockbuster trade to be completed. Will it involve Jason Kidd? Or how about Vince Carter? Maybe the time would be right for KG to leave the T-Wolves.
So what happened? Well the Philadelphia Sixers traded Alan Henderson to the Utah Jazz for the right to swap second round picks in this year’s draft. (Sure, the Sixers were still going to have the higher pick than the Jazz before the trade was made, but lets not get into that fact.) There was also another trade that involved Fred Jones and Juan Dixon. My response to that trade is: WHO?
Hence, the trading deadline was as deadline as the playoff chances of the Sixers. All the hype and excitement, and nothing to show for it. Well, except for a nomination for the Friday Chair.
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| San Diego Chargers
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| Let me get this straight. You fire a coach with 200 career regular season victories and replace him with Norv Turner. But for his time with the Dallas Cowboys as offensive coordinator, what has Turner done? He did NOTHING as head coach of the Washington Redskins. And lets not talk about his time with the Oakland Raiders].
The Chargers have the most talent of any NFL team. The team, however, will not reach its full potential with Norv Turner as head coach. A team that should have the best record in football will likely end up with at most, 10 wins. This prediction is based on the assumption that the players won’t quit on Turner until December.
Maybe Eli Manning was right when he said that he didn’t want to play for the team because they were not committed to winning. Then again, Eli would fit perfectly with the Chargers under that viewpoint. Anyway, the Chargers get the nomination for the Friday Fryer, but they do not get the Chair. (Chargers fans, get use to coming up short).
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AND THE LOSER IS . . .
| Miami Heat
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| The Miami Heat are the defending NBA champions. Injuries have limited the playing time of Shaq this year. Injuries also put on the shelf the head coach of the Heat, Pat Riley. In recent weeks, both Shaq and Riley have returned to the Heat. During their absence, the Heat struggled, but they were still in the chase for a playoff spot.
Hope for a repeat title, however, ended likely on Wednesday when Dwayne Wade went down with a serious shoulder injury. It is not known at this time whether Wade will need surgery to repair his dislocated shoulder. Whether or not he does have surgery, he will likely be sidelined for weeks, if not months.
The Heat needs both Shaq and Wade healthy and playing well to have any chance to win another title. This is now not possible. And with the trading deadline passes, there are no possible alternatives to fill the hole created by the Wade injury. Therefore, the winner of the Friday Fryer Chair this week is the Miami Heat.
Until next Friday, AMF.
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