The NBA Cares, So why don't I?

I don't know exactly which direction this blog will take me, but I can assure you it will follow my passions. On top of the list are sports, movies, and comedy (both the comedy of others, the art of joke-telling, and my obsession with puns).

There's no denying that sports are somewhere near the top of my brain at any point in the day. And I'm definitely a hoops junkie.

So why is it... I'm wholly uninspired by the 2010 basketball season?

I can literally walk to the AmericanAirlines Arena from my apartment... In fact I have.

And yet this year... Given the choice between watching Dorell Wright and Jermaine O'Neal play... or cooking my special yellow rice and steak with Chirasco... I usually play Julia Child more than Chris Childs (former Knicks guard for those of you scoring at home... or even if you're alone--- that's a Keith Olbermann quote from his SportsCenter days and was incidentally my senior quote in high school--- look it up).

(I tend to have more asides than a Shakespeare play... you'll have to get used to that).

It's not just that Miami is mediocre this year.

Battling for the 8th spot in the East?

Considering they have Dwyane Wade... That's really weak.

Look at it this way.

There are about five human beings on planet earth who play basketball as well as Dwyane Wade.

He's on the Heat.

There are only five guys on a court at a time.

How can you not be good?

In the East?

It's a team who has Michael Beasley... the 2nd overall pick in last year's draft... who is the 2nd best player on the team... and yet he's RARELY in during the 4th quarter? Ridiculous...

But it's not just the Heat.

It's the NBA in general.

I can't tell you how many people I know... who like basketball... Who LOVED Magic and Bird and Michael...

And now...

They'll look up Jason Kidd's assist totals for their fantasy team... and that's it.

The NBA on NBC on Sunday...

That was a BIG deal.

When that John Tesh score started... people watched and it mattered.

Now...

It's like... Eh....

So what's missing?

I think the 2010 Heat are emblematic of Summer of 2010-itis.

Usually, basketball is plagued by the following: 82 game schedule... damn near everyone makes the playoffs... so wake me up when the playoffs start.

I can't tell you how much it infuriates me to see athletes not try.

They get paid to exercise.

For two hours a day.

My job isn't nearly as fun... I don't make even within 10 tax brackets... and I never half-ass it...

So how can they?

This whole season has been...

Wake me up when the summer starts.

I think everyone knows the West is the Lakers' (sorry Mark Cuban)

SO yeah--- I think we'd all wake up from our collective malaise for a Kobe-LeBron final...

But otherwise...

We're all caught up in this season as an ellipsis for the summer.

If LeBron ended up in New York or Miami or somewhere else... Yeah--- the dynamics of the league could change.

But for some reason right now feels so blah... because of it.

It's a shame.

Let March Madness begin!

(If anyone can put your finger on why YOU think the NBA is blah this year--- or if you disagree and are totally feeling it--- let me know--- I'd like for this to be a dialogue--- and if you got this far into the blog--- you probably have some opinions).