US wins game, loses face

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, the US team confirmed it will be going to Athens next summer.  The 
question now is who will be on that team.  A few years back, some members 
of the US Olympic basketball team shall we say, behaved badly.  A few 
members of the USOC undoubtedly had nervous tics when thinking about Allen 
Iverson taking his physical game to the international league.

Turns out AI is about the best-behaved player on the team.  It wasn't 
aggravating enough that Jason Kidd blows kisses when he plays, he's not got 
Kenyon Martin doing it.

Tracy McGrady apparently felt recovered enough from back trouble to nearly 
get into a fight after knocking a player on his butt, then stopping 
three-quarters of the way to the basket to turn and look at his now-seated 
opponent en route to an uncontested basket.  To be fair, McGrady says he 
thought he heard a whistle.

Right.  When every other time that happens and there IS a whistle, players 
just can't resist putting the ball up just to try for an "in the act of 
shooting call", no matter how absurd the circumstances.

The other teams aren't forgetting these antics.  They're going to store up 
the offenses, the insults, and the boorishness; and when someone eventually 
beats the US team in Olympic competition, the IOC will probably suspend the 
doping rules for the duration of the party that will ensue.

Yes, I know we're supposed to send our best players.  But would it kill 
then USOC to encourage these guys to act their age instead of their High 
School GPA?

Besides, I think the USA needs to back up what it said last winter.  To 
actually go to Athens, you have to be willing to commit to practice time 
NOW.  That means, as soon as your team is done for the season, you get your 
butt over to the US Olympic training camp, and learn the international 
game.  They also need players that will compliment each other--and 
represent our country as something other than self-absorbed thugs.  To 
Allen Iverson's eternal credit, this doesn't apply to him.  As far as I'm 
concerned, AI more than earned his place on the team.

So has Paul Pierce.

But, you say, he played in that terrible team last summer--the one that 
actually lost games.  Yes, he did.  Had he NOT played, there might well 
have been an additional loss.  Had George Karl not been using Isaiah 
Thomas' substitution patters--bench the Celtics players--they might have 
won at least one more game.  And Pierce was the ONLY player who was 
willing--back in February, when the choices were being made--who was 
willing, publicly, to commit to this summer as a prerequisite to next summer.

The USOC has dumped on Paul enough.  He deserves to be named to the team, 
ASAP.

Who else?  Kevin Garnett is a possibility, but he'd be in a totally 
unfamiliar situation--playing with teammates who have actual talent.  I'm 
not sure he remembers how to pass the ball, he's had so little opportunity 
to do so in Minnesota.

And I do NOT want Shaq.  Why?  Because as one of the L.A. Z.Y. Lakers, he 
was chiefly responsible for blowing his team's chances to win the NBA 
title.  All his yapping about his toe.  Then his dismissal of the regular 
season games as meaningless--having, apparently, to be reminded that you 
have to win a few of them to get to the playoffs.  The careless assumption 
that they could turn it on at will and win, blown to smithereens by 
midseason, and confirmed by Playoff time.

The problems is, a lot of the players I might normally pick will all be 
playing for other countries, like Dirk Nowitizki of the Mavericks, or Yao 
Ming of Houston.

Vince Carter is a maybe and ONLY if he stays healthy all season.

Walker is not a candidate, unless his play this season totally blows the 
doors off the court every night.

I hate to say Jason Kidd should go, but he does belong there.  But someone 
tell him to a) stop blowing kisses, and b) leave the kid at home.

Kobe?  No.  NOT because he's being tried for a felony; because I remember 
the USOC clearly saying that anyone wanting to originally play for the team 
next summer had to be on the court THIS summer.  He wasn't.  And no, I do 
not buy the surgery as an acceptable reason.  If he had enough strength, 
stamina and mobility to have sex with someone else (whatever the 
circumstances), then he had enough to get his behind to Puerto Rico.

I think other players should be picked as the season get into December and 
January, after they're in regular season shape.

But whomever they pick, they should be reminded that they are, after all, 
representing the USA.  Could they try doing so with some dignity?  After 
all, if Allen Iverson can manage it with aplomb, then the rest of them 
should be able to follow his example.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website