This is a bit sad, but Los Angeles, the pinnacle of evanescence, filled with its entertainment industry transplants, trustfund hipsters, Ed Hardy-shirt-wearing douchebags and invisible working poor has taught me something about civic pride. Never thought it would happen because I live in Oakland, and Oakland is like Detroit or Baltimore — a fiesty underdog city where every citizen has not so much a chip on his shoulder but a log. Everyone from Oakland is damn proud of it, and if they don’t have a tattoo that says as much, be sure they’ll let you know somehow. However, right now Oakland could learn something from Los Angeles (and I never thought I’d say those words).
See, I just saw this video from LA Times Sports columnist Bill Plaschke making an impassioned plea for Elton Brand to stay in LA, and I read another column, also in the LA Times and written by FTB friend Kurt Streeter, on the personal impact of the Seattle Sonics being herded away to Oklahoma City. Both these pieces speak to the importance that a sports team and their players can have on a city’s self regard. As we’ve overtly expressed before on FTB, and as naive as it might be, we believe sports to be a part of the public trust, something that unites a citizenry (which means a lot in a place like Oakland that is statistically the most culturally diverse city in the US). Although many are grown-ass men, true sports fans are kinda like Emo Girls. They feign cynicism yet are unable to avoid emotional investment, and thus, are perpetually heart-broken.
And I should know better than to think that any pro team has anyone’s best interest in mind but its own. In big-time sports these days, loyalty is a one-way street. It flows from our thinning wallets to the ever fattening ones of the pockets of owners, athletic directors and players.
-Kurt Streeter
That could be the verse to a “Dashboard Confessional” song with a few lyrical substitutions, right? Maybe it’s because I’m tired of the cynicism that I really hope Elton Brand and his agent have the heart to decide and stay put in LA. In fact, Elton Brand, why not shave off a few more million from your salary so The Clippers can keep Maggete too. Honestly, in the past I have only supported the Clippers because of their step-child status vis á vis the Lakers, but now, if Brand does the right thing and stays for less cash, I’ll support more than a team, but an idea. An idea that the city of Oakland, its leaders, its journalists and its basketball team could embrace. I know it’s only a few miles down the road, but dammit, where are the mainstream voices protesting The Fremont A’s? And where’s my Ron Dellums “Monta Stay in Oakland” video? I’m waiting Oakland, and in the meantime, I won’t be getting my hopes up, but secretly I will.
Welcome to the red, white and blue special edition. Apparently, not satisfied with making a super-sized offer to just one LA Clipper, he of the torn Achilles tendon, Elton Brand, now there’s another Clip allegedly on the Warriors’ list. And it’s a name I had hoped not to hear mentioned in the same breath as the word “Warriors” this summer: Corey Maggette. I’m not even sure I spelled his name right. That’s how little I want to see him suit up for the Dubs. There’s a reason everyone says that he should have stayed another year at Duke. Hell, some of us think he should still be there. And what am I missing here? Were the Clippers the ones in the title series two weeks ago? Is this some kind of dynasty being broken up? Adding Baron to the squad makes them lightweight nice, but do the Warriors have to go after every free agent of theirs in a vindictive vendetta-fueled haze? Yo, Mully, it’s not “Gangs of New York.” And memo to you and yours: I’m not sure that the rest of last-year’s Clips are that good.
This brings me to the fireworks.
Yo, Warriors. Hear me on this. If you go and blow your bankroll on Corey the Underachiever and someone coming off of a season in which they played seven games and ruptured their Achilles tendon, and then somehow fail to have enough in the old Schwab One account to re-sign Monta Ellis, I will mock your ineptness relentlessly. As in, unrelentingly. Without stopping. From now until next-year’s lottery. While very publicly courting a new hoops team to follow. Take these words lightly at your own peril. Because I have followed this team avidly, lovingly even, for more than 35 years. I can still name-check the last roster to win a title for you down to about ten places on the pine. But if I find out that Monta is a Grizzly because Mully, Nellie, Cohan and everyone else didn’t have enough perspective to see that there just might be some big-azz offers coming his way from the hometown squad, I am telling you this now. Two things. One: the soft fuzzy gloves with which I have talked about all things Warriors will come off. Two: I am quite likely to categorically refuse to root for two ex-Clippers, a couple of cats I remember and four rookies, while we start another 15-year rebuilding process.
But seriously. How in the name of Andrew DeClerq did you let this happen? Guys! Monday, you had a team that the Bay Area loved. Four days later, you look desperate as hell. And now we are turning our lonely eyes to goddamn Corey Maggette? All I can say is, this. Don’t get fooled again. Do what you can to keep what remains of the team that we enjoyed watching so much these past three seasons. How you perform your duties will determine how I perform mine. Today at least, I, unlike y’all, I am trying to perform them for something we can all get behind.
In service of freedom from the tyrrany of mediocrity,
Daniel Turman
PS. Props to Shahid for reminding me of the finest rendition of the anthem ever. And at the NBA All-Star Game, no less. Make the jump for the vid. RIP Marvin. Read More »
Last night, the maximum-strength FTB posse was in attendance at the Bay Area screening of the Baron Davis-produced documentary about the history of LA gangs, “Made in America.” What we didn’t realize was that we were going to be present as one of the most unexpected stories in recent Bay Area sports history broke.
With the news at maximum boil, and the mainstream media assembled and waiting, Baron came over, gave me a pound and we had a quick private conversation. The subject of same is virtually immaterial, but that he sought us out under the circumstances, and did so knowing that we are all lifetime Warrior fans, spoke volumes. It wasn’t until later, when I was driving home, that I had a moment of clarity about it all: perhaps our “Contract Karma” video worked too well, to perfection even. Just not for the benefit of the Warriors. Perhaps some “front-office” karma would have helped too. I suppose that two things go without saying for anyone not reading this blog for the first time. First, obviously, we are sad for our Warriors. They have likely regressed and if the rumors of today are to be believed, they are scrambling for position. Not good. But second, we can’t help but be happy for Baron. He has been nothing but class around us and good for the Dubs. And we have to accept that this world is governed by commerce. That he proved to be good at the game of commerce is not something to trifle with. He got the contract he wanted and he gets to cash the checks in the city he’s always truly called home.
As for us, we’ve got a couple of staff meetings on the horizon. We’re not terribly stoked about the departure of our avatar from the home turf, but let’s be realistic too. We’re Warriors fans. We rebuild for 15 years to succeed for two or three. And frankly, it’s getting tiresome. Just the same, il capo di tutti capi (at least on the hardwood) has just left the building. Pour some red wine out on the curb and try not to hate. He earned his. On the floor and off.
Last week, Baron Davis was participating in Steve Nash’s “Showdown in Chinatown” back in the NYC. In the “beautiful game,” that is. That would be futbol. While BD picked up a couple of handball violations, apparently, he was also doing his thing. Video to follow after the jump. Our man on the ground was our hitherto unknown operative Stan Park, who captured BD in this moment of grace on the pitch and forwarded the pic. We’re not sure why BD plays in spectacles and a cap, much less cleat-less OG Reebok pumps, given the insurance considerations, but WTF, it’s summer. Even Lloyd’s of London takes a day off every so often (we hope). But yeah, with $100M on the pitch, including global futbol superstar Thierry Henry (fresh off his Euro-cup “own goal” for France’s Les Blues no doubt necessitating a vacation), summer is in officially in full swing.
Meanwhile, back in Tha Bay, FTB was taking on all comers at Saturday’s Panhandle 3-on-3 in the city. With Baron unavailable, we had to settle for the lefty stylings of stand-in David Singleton. He performed capably, but Meschery and Turman were only adequate in a reputation-damaging loss to a team known only as “Hubris.” At least the $60 went to a good cause, in this case the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco. Plus, we got to holler at Bay Legend (and card-carrying 50 Greatest member) Nate Thurmond in the process. So, while we are getting back to our grind tonight night at the Berkeley YMCA and BD is doing whatever BD do, FTB encourages you to put on those PF Flyers and get in the game. Summer is for getting outside and making it happen.
“Solitude is dangerous to reason, without being favorable to virtue…Remember that the solitary mortal is certainly luxurious, probably superstitious, and possibly mad.”
- Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784
Chris Cohan has been called the anti-Mark Cuban, not because he isn’t a complete tool like Cuban, but because, unlike Cuban, he’s totally invisible and doesn’t open his wallet with generous abandon for his team. As for Cohan being a tool, I wouldn’t know because I’ve never met him, nor have I ever seen him at a game, and most likely, neither have you (Franklin Mueli is more visible). Cohan’s reclusive nature can’t be a good thing for the Warriors organization and especially not now. Granted, if I was the Warriors owner from 1995-2006 I wouldn’t want to show my face in public either. But last year something happened, and it involved Cohan finally doing something right - not being himself.
There is a particular sense of terror we Warriors fans are feeling this off-season. It’s like when your alcoholic dad got sober for a couple of years, but you still thought that any day could be the day he falls off the wagon again. It’s hard to trust that things are actually going to be different, right? I’m half expecting next week to find out that Mullin and Nellie quit and Baron was traded for Stephon Marbury.
Let’s call it the “Cohan Effect.” The only way to avoid the Cohan Effect is to open up the decision making process a bit, even to the fans. Cohan has finally gained our very tenuous trust. If he wants us fans to keep coming to the games in record numbers and buying his poorly-branded schwag, he must hear us out. In this era, the fans have all the power. There are a zillion other distractions out there and we’re not going to wait three or four years to see if a “project player” becomes a star. This is the season that Cohan proves himself as an owner, as a caretaker of our city’s basketball team and a part of the public trust. He can’t do this in isolation. If he closes his wallet, closes his mind, and closes the gates again, we just might have to storm the castle and take this team for ourselves. Look no further than Green Bay, Wisconsin to see how it’s done. Power to the people!
Since opening in 1925, Kezar Stadium has been home field for a plethora of local schools, including Santa Clara, USF and, St. Mary’s. It was also home to BOTH the 49ers (from 1946 to 1970) and, yes, the Raiders (for their inaugural season in 1960).
It’s been a featured location in Dirty Harry films and a concert pavilion for musical legends, such as Led Zeppelin, Tower of Power and the Grateful Dead. To name a few.
Recently, the Kez has served home to the Dragons, our very own MML team (Major League Lacrosse), the Golden Gate Women’s Soccer League and the beloved “Turkey Bowl” (the high school football city championship).
Now, this rich and storied venue, on the edge of Golden Gate Park, will play host to The Professor, Escalade, Go Get It, and the rest of the AND1’s Mixtape tour posse.
When: Friday, June 27th at 7:00 PM
Where: Kezar Pavilion, 755 Stanyan St
Tickets: $10 at the door or at and1.com.
Some of the Key-Czar Players:
Fig. A. The 1956 East-West Shrine Game
Fig. B. The Robert Planet, sportin’ extra tight jeans.
Fig. C. The Street-Ballers, fool.
Gd.
PS. Thanks to Wikipedia for historic facts assist.
When the Lakers were casting for their “It’s A Small World” international roster, they ineptly left out a representative from the Nation of Thizzlam, and now look who’s ghostriding WW2 amphibious transport vehicles in a victory parade. The Celtics are world champions. The Celtics have a high percentage of East Bay personnel on their team. Therefore, more East Bay means more success. But I challenge any NBA team to take such a syllogism to it’s logical Hyphy conclusion. If you have just one dude on your team with highlighted dreads and a mouth full of gold, I’d say that’s the equivalent of three Leon Powes.
In this year’s draft, any team that wants to get a huge vertical leap on the rest of the league, might want to consider McClymond’s Damon Powell. Sure he’s only a High School junior and should probably stay in Mr. Sneed’s class another year, but damn, this kid’s going to be a beast. I mean, if he can dunk over four teenagers, he can definitely smash on Pau Gasol. Check out the above video of Powell dominating this year’s Sac vs. Bay Dunk Contest. Powell pretty much dumps on all these cats, including UCLA-bound, 408 reppin’ Drew Gordon.
Of course, I would be remiss to not point out the risks in drafting East Bay-centric - you might get J. Kidd, but you might also end up with J.R. Rider. The key with the Oakland intangible is you want to make sure your recruit is doin’ too much on the court and not off. Going 18 Dummy needs to be strictly reserved to the hardwood - Hyphy Basketball 101.
A couple of days ago I got an email blast from Yelp.com that featured an interview with Baron Davis. Other then the prerequisite “what are you doing these days” line of questioning, BD also ran down some of his favorite spots for eats and threads.
The man is most certainly loyal to his neighborhood. In fact, most all of his picks are a stones throw from his own SOMA headquarters. And yes, Yelp’s corporate HQ too. Which might explain the “surprise visit”.
For those interested in following in the steps of our whiskered Warrior, his short list includes; Umbria, Ozumo, Boulevard, Nieman and Barneys. Oh, and don’t forget to try Boom Dizzle’s favorite pregame meal at Zebulon. You shouldn’t have much trouble finding the selection, as it has been aptly named the #5.
Gd.
PS. Most of the FTB crew work in a few block radius too, so you may recognize the Zebulon interior from a previous post.
FTB’s own Michael Marshall, aka Mike Meezy, is a name you might not know. What you do know is his voice. With his voice gracing both the seminal hip-hop soul progenitor, “Rumors,” and the smoketastic “I Got 5 on It,” Mike is a true Bay Area original.
Ordinarily, this is where I’d drop his full bio, but the song pretty much speaks for itself. What I can do is let you know that it’s available on iTunes for those who’ve got a (very reasonable) $9.99 on it. I can also speak to the breadth and depth of the effort, which as a whole seems to create a sort of new genre. I’m at a loss to name it, but it certainly seems to be a natural extension of his career to date. Hip-hop soul is growing up. And as he has been doing since day one, Michael Marshall is helping to chart the course.
What if NBA teams were like some Euro leagues? What if they had to stock the rosters with at least a few locals? Well, we might not have our avatar, but we might have three newly-minted NBA Champions next season. How many Lakers are from Oakland? Oh yeah, that’s right, none. So, with Paul Pierce, Eddie House, Leon Powe, and the legendary (and famously bearded) Bill Russell all having East Bay roots, we at FTB pretty much unanimously adopted the Celtics after a bit of consternation. Of course, this probably doesn’t jibe with the childhood rooting interest of our aforementioned LA-raised talisman, but at least we found something to cling to amongst all of the purple vs. green media froth.
What an odd game though. Wasn’t it crazy how in the first quarter it looked like The Lakers were gonna keep it close against Oakland, and then The Town started steadily pulling away in the second quarter. Sure, there were other “role players” like that Garnett guy, but make no mistake. If Bill Russell hadn’t been coaching him on the “way of the peaceful champion” all season, and if Leon Powe wasn’t there to help hold him up during Michelle Tafoya’s post-game interview, the wheels would have come smooth off. In the second half, when Kobe couldn’t get anything going, who was everywhere? That’s right, Rajon Rondo. Sure, he’s from Kentucky, but he writes a blog for Emeryville-based Yardbarker! Rotate on defense to cover Eddie House? Hell no! I’m sicking Posey, Sasha. All told, the East Bay intimidation was too much for Kobe. Luke Walton? He was as scared as a kid from Head Royce who just transferred to McClymonds. I especially liked the part when that guy from Oakland passed it to that other guy from Oakland and he totally smashed on some guy from somewhere else at the end. That was sweet. Thus, to recap, it was a great game and I’m so happy for all those guys from Oakland who really deserved this championship after so much hard work. It’s gonna be crazy in at least three houses in The O tonight. Maybe four.
The writing is totally on the wall. If the Dubs want to really make noise in the offseason, they need to aggressively pursue some more dudes from Oakland.
