THIS & THAT #25

GOLD DIGGERS

It’s quite apropos that the National Basketball Association 2017 Championship was won by the GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS. The NBA, the media, retailers, and a plethora of other entities are extremely engaged with making money through their connection with professional sports.

After the Warriors victory, many quickly and deftly found a tie in to the team, and to their desire to gather the gold for themselves while they may.

Speaking of gold, the owners of the Golden State Warriors have found that investing in this particular NBA team has been a gold-send for them. They purchased the team in 2010 for $450 million, and today the Warriors are worth $2.6 billion.

Loyalty to Whom?

Although the Warriors regularly sell out the 19,596 seats at all of their home games in the Oracle Arena in Oakland, the owners are taking their organization across The Bay to the now-being-built Chase Arena in San Francisco. Apparently, there’s more gold in them thar hills to mine for, and after they have left their loyal, and already despondent East Bay fans, there’s a good-as-gold chance that the Golden State Warriors will once again become the San Francisco Warriors. That was their name when they arrived in San Francisco in 1962, shedding their Philadelphia Warriors moniker.

Everything’s For Sale   

One local newspaper spent the entire NBA season digging deeply for even the most inane story to keep its readers “informed” of most everything concerning the Warriors. The San Jose Mercury News, a “homer” newspaper, had four or five writers covering every aspect of the team, and most always in a positive manner.

They’ve written about Kevin Durant’s mother, Stephen Curry’s wife, the coach’s physical problems, and why they should easily win the championship once they signed Kevin Durant — which they did.

The Warriors television broadcast team, does an even better job promoting the team, even regularly quoting how many are on the season ticket waiting list, and artfully describing what awaits the true Warrior fan. Remember that “fan” is short for “fanatic.”

You Can Count on the Media Coverage,

But Does the Coverage Really Count?

When the Warriors won the fourth and final game of the championship series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the local media were truly excited and effusive, as they offered stories to fit most every reader’s appetite. “Durant soaks up every minute,” “Best of the best,” “Will the Warriors give Trump a cold shoulder,” “Curry, Durant want to keep the team together,” “DYNASTY DÉJÀ VU,” and “Should the Warriors make nice with Trump?”

One such headline prompted a letters-to-the-editor campaign. It read “Curry still has no interest in visiting Trump White House,” and readers took both sides of the subject. What was the team’s obligation to represent the people of the Bay Area? One, sensible and esteemed columnist intelligently wrote that the White House visit mainly matters to politicians and others of a similar ilk, that just seek coverage of themselves in the media, and the opportunity to fill their selfies albums — if that’s where people store their selfies.

The newspaper’s editorial board inserted their own opinion to show that with all of the Trump-induced turmoil in our land, that they could see the positivity the team brought to the Bay Area, with a headline that read, “Warriors show how to be a winner.”

After the Team Won, the Media Won

As Did a Plethora of Advertisers

While the newspaper was filled with stories and photographs, it was also inundated with advertising from the media, local advertisers, and the trophy sellers.

The Mercury-News unabashedly ran a series of heart-tugging advertisements including a half-page, four-color one, entitled “DUB NATION, a high-quality, full color reprint of the winning front page. PURCHASE TODAY.” A sub-headline screamed, “Immortalize the winning moment!” offering the buyer a rare opportunity to preserve history, and enable the paper to gather in some additional gold.

Fans could get even more according to another half-page, four-color advertisement. For only $24.95  “Get your limited hardcover edition celebrating the 2017 championship season.” It contained (or eventually will contain) 128 full-color glossy pages. In smaller print it reminds the faithful they will also have to also pay tax and shipping.

Not to be outdone by the print media, NBC Sports Bay Area Television, ran a full-page advertisement telling loyal supporters to watch the victory parade on their station, “The Home of the Authentic Warriors Fan.” No phony phans need watch!

On June 18, the Mercury News ran a 16-page section lauding the team’s accomplishments, and not to be left out, KOHL’S ran a half-page, full-color advertisement, with an overwhelming headline, “DUBS WIN! Get Your Championship Gear at Kohl’s and Kohls.com.” AT&T, which charges too much for its inefficient services ran a full-page advertisement with the headline, “A dynasty is born.” The entire page sixteen lauded the team with, “CONGRATS WARRIORS. NBA CHAMPS AGAIN! YOU MAKE THE BAY AREA PROUD!” It was graciously signed, “From the Champions of pest control, Pacific Coast Termite.”

If you are interested in real mementos, other than tee shirts, take a look at the following THIS & THAT #26, and you will be dazzled by what is being offered.

THIS & THAT #17

AKA — THE GREEN GROPER

THE PAST HAS PASSED

In the 2014-15 National Basketball Association Championship, the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers four games to two, and won their first title since 1975.

FOR THE RECORDS

The following season, 2015-16, they seemed even more potent setting a record starting the season 24-0. They had just begun setting records, and set a new record winning an astonishing seventy-three regular season games.

FOR THE RECORD

The Warriors made it to the 2015-16 NBA title match once again, and were leading the Cavaliers three games to one, winning game four on Cleveland’s home court. If they won game five, they would repeat as champions, and people were talking about a Warriors’ dynasty. The Warriors were playing game five in the friendly confines of their home court, where they had amassed a 39-2 record at home during the regular season.

FOR THE WRECKER

Draymond Green 6’7”, 230-lb. man-child of twenty-five semi-mature years, had developed a bad habit on the basketball court. After too many plays, he would either kick his nearest opponent in the groin, or make a grab for that anatomical area.

Coach Steve Kerr and Warrior teammates dismissed it as being Green’s aggressive, winning style of playing. Unfortunately, the NBA and its referees did not agree.

NOT CHAMPIONSHIP FORM

As long the Warriors stayed focused and let nothing distract them, they were already planning another victory parade around Oakland’s Lake Merritt. However, Green’s crotch-kicking peccadillo was about to be recognized.

Green was suspended after receiving a flagrant foul 1 for his actions in Game 4. Green and Cleveland’s LeBron James got tangled and when Green fell to the court, he swung his arm and appeared to make contact with James' groin area.

That was Green’s fourth flagrant foul point of the playoffs, which carries an automatic suspension. He was docked a game paycheck, which cost him about $140,000. Earlier in the postseason, Green was assessed a flagrant 2 and fined $25,000 for kicking the Oklahoma City Thunder center between the legs.

THE MISSING CENTER

Not only did Green’s suspension throw the Warriors off track, but with their number one center Andrew Bogut injured and out of the lineup, his two replacements combined for only one point and one rebound in his absence.

NO SPLASHING

As if the Green hex had spread to the entire starting lineup, the potent splash brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, hardly made a ripple with their shooting in game seven. Curry had averaged 30.1 points and Thompson 22.1 points during the regular season, but in the Warriors’ final game, Curry managed to score only seventeen points on six for nineteen shooting (.316), and Klay sunk just six of seventeen shots (.353), for fourteen points.

RESSURECTION, TOO LATE

The Warriors had been out of sync since Green’s fifth game suspension, although in game seven, he contributed mightily, albeit two games too late, amassing thirty-two points, fifteen rebounds and nine assists.

HE GO WITH EGO

Green’s salary for the 2016-17 season is $15,330,435, and in September 2015, he generously gave $3.1 million to his alma mater’s athletic department. As a Michigan State alum, Green was in his old college town, when in the early hours of July 10, he admitted to slapping a 185-lb. Spartan football cornerback. After the altercation, Green allegedly uttered, “Do you know who I am? I pay for ni**gas like you scholarships.” Afterwards, Green issued a statement saying, “As a public figure, I just can’t put myself in certain situations. It’s something I’ll learn from and just move on.” Hopefully “on” and not “up.”

NO PREFERENCE FOR ATHLETES?

Green agreed to a plea deal, where charges against him were reduced to a noise violation, which allowed him to avoid jail time. However, he was burdened with a $500 fine and a $60 restitution fee, which if you look at his salary, that is equivalent to a few minutes of his playing time salary. His attorney said that this is “akin to a parking ticket.”

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?

At 3:55 am PST on December 22, 2016, Draymond Jamal Green Jr. was born, and it is rumored that he entered the world kicking and screaming. Time will tell whether he will carry on his father’s tradition, and for how long.

THE APPRENTICE

Apparently, the famed Duke University basketball team has at least one player who is trying to emulate Green’s activity. On December 21, Grayson Allen was suspended from the team, one day after deliberately tripping an opponent for the third time in a year. Allen was quoted as saying, 'There’s no excuse for it.” If he wants to make it in the pros, he will have to sets his sights higher.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE

In their first meeting since the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors on June 19, 2016 in Oakland to win the NBA Championship, the two teams met in Cleveland on Christmas Day.

Two-and-one-half minutes into the game, Green had thrown the ball away and fouled two Cleveland players while they were shooting. After his second foul, Green lost it, was given a technical foul, and was screaming as he headed toward the Warrior bench. He was grabbed by teammates trying to calm him and avoid a second technical, and an automatic ejection.

Kyrie Irving of the Cavs scored a point as he made the technical free throw.

That one point was the difference in the Warriors loss to the Cavs, 108-109.

When will he ever learn, when will he learn?  .....apologies to Pete Seeger.