Wizards talk trash, then play like it
Posted: Monday, April 21, 2008 11:41 PM
The Wizards couldn’t wait to sink their teeth into LeBron James and the Cavaliers. That’s what they said. They wanted Cleveland and King James because they knew they could beat the stuffing out of them.
Gilbert Arenas led the way down trash-talk lane. “I think everybody wants Cleveland in that first round,” said the man who has the tact of a pit bull but none of the manners. “They've been a .500 team ever since they made that trade and everybody wants a chance at that matchup. We want Cleveland for our own reasons, we don't think they can beat us in the playoffs three years straight. It's hard to beat a team three years straight. We want to try our luck."
There’s a saying about leaving sleeping dogs lie. Arenas should read up on it some day. He might also want to check out the old line about having the last laugh. He’ll have plenty of time to do it. After Monday night’s 30-point massacre in Cleveland, the Wizards are down 0-2 in games. I’ve seen road kill with more life in it than the Wizards are showing.
They sure did put the screws to LeBron in Game 2. The overrated bum – that’s what the Wizards were suggesting before this series started – couldn’t even get a triple-double against Washington’s suffocating defense. Yeah, he got 30 points and 12 assists, but other than that, he didn’t do much – just nine boards, two blocks and a steal. And they hounded him into one turnover.
The Wizards are another of those teams that want people to respect them. Arenas has a thing about not talking to the media. Guess they misrepresent him as a competent basketball player. And a smart one. That’s got to be it.
The upside for Arenas and his mates is that he and they won’t have to worry about talking to the media much longer. The might win one, although that would require them to play with unity and focus, and I’m not sure they’re capable of that. The only thing dangerous they did was Brendan Haywood’s cowardly cheap-shot flagrant foul on LeBron in the second half. Haywood got tossed for the move. With any luck, the league will give him another game off. He earned it.
Like so many teams that muddle into the playoffs on a tide of mediocrity, the Wizards want respect. But they don’t want to earn it. All they want to do is talk about it.
They’re an embarrassment, mostly to themselves, but also to their city and their game. If you’re going to roll over and die, at least have the dignity to do it like gentlemen.
Have you seen their road uniforms? I’ve seen garbage scows that are prettier than the abominations the Wizards dress in. You’d think they’d know that anybody who wears uniforms that ugly should sit quietly in the corner and hope nobody notices them. The Washington Generals have better uniforms than the muddy gold and black and white and star-spangled and striped clown suits the Wizards take on the court. Where’d they get the color scheme, from Duracell? One thing is sure: they were designed by a committee – of color-blind second graders.
Google “wizards ugly uniforms” and you get more than 42,000 hits. The Washington Post knows it. Even this Audi forum knows it. Ray Charles wouldn’t wear those uniforms – it’s an ugly you can feel. Everybody knows it except the Wizards.
But there’s a lot the Wizards don’t know. Like the axiom that if you dress that ugly, you’d better play awfully darned well. Also the one about not daring a player like LeBron to beat you. And the one about not shooting your mouth off before a game.
And they want respect? Earn it guys. Earn it.
