Thinking out loud…while wondering why Kobe Bryant's death impacted some a great deal, and others hardly at all?
- Kobe is, well, complicated.
- The entire story of his life, as we've unfortunately come to know in the past week, can't be described simply…or with glowing overtones, without a little uneasiness in there.
- Sure, he's one of the best basketball players to walk the Earth. He also seemed like a great Dad. To this generation, I can certainly see how his untimely death would hit them especially hard.
- I remember when Thurman Munson died in a plane crash. Payne Stewart also died up in the air. My generation might be a bit numb to these tragedies through the years.
- I was also more of a Jelly guy than a Kobe guy, seeing as his Dad, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played in the NBA while I was a broadcaster in the league. Then, I became more of an "MJ" guy, a Larry Bird guy, a George Gervin guy…you get the picture. A lot of great players once upon a time.
- Doesn't make Bryant's accidental death any less shocking, or sad. Nine people lost their lives, including long-time Cape Cod League coach, John Altobelli, and his wife and daughter.
- And while there is a time and place for this discussion – NOT 30 minutes after news of his death – Bryant does have a checkered legacy that has been swept under the rug like so much carpet dust.
- I'll miss the entertainment. I'll miss the heroics. I'll miss his competitive fire and drive, the "mamba mentality." We'll all miss what his daughter could have been. I won't miss the salaciousness of his very public fall-from-grace in 2003.
- That was a hit to his reputation we all could have done without. Including his accuser, I'm sure.
- Tweet of the Week I, from @ESPNStatsInfo: "Over his career, Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles in seven finals appearances. In 1998, he became the youngest all-star starter in NBA history. In his final game, the NBA's 4th all-time leading scorer finished with 60 points, an NBA record for a players' final game."
- The media coverage of Bryant's death was notable for its inaccuracies, socially and otherwise – including an ABC reporter erroneously reporting all of Bryant's children perished in the crash. He was suspended. Fans, however, couldn't get enough of it.
- ESPN2's SportsCenter coverage caused the network's audience to increase more than 400% between 3:00 and 8:30pm compared to a typical Sunday afternoon. CNN was up 250%, Fox up more than 100% in the same time frame.
- Oh, the Super Bowl is this Sunday. In case you forgot.
- Our friends from Wallet Hub (friends, really?) are good at sending fairly useless information. But we share because it sometimes creates discussion…so here goes this week's missive: Boston is the Number Two Football City in America.
- Duh.
- And Number One? Pittsburgh. Because they have a strong college football presence, while Boston has, um, Boston College.
- Providence, on the other hand, is the 3rd WORST Football City in America. Ahead of only Valparaiso, Indiana and Brookville, NY.
- Huh?
- We know college football is largely an oddity in Providence – except at Brown, of course. But the fact the NFL headquarters are here for the postseason (when played in Foxboro) and teams usually fly in here, and stay here instead of Boston – doesn't that count for something?
- Dante Scarnecchia is a Hall of Fame coach. That he's a life-long assistant (and interim head coach) primarily for the Patriots is of no consequence. We've seen him do more with less for a long period of time.
- His players loved him. And if you're wondering, TB12's chances of coming back for another season (or two) may have lessened ever-so-slightly with Coach Scar's retirement this week. Just sayin'.
- And that cryptic social media post TB12 sent out Thursday that sent Twitter into a frenzy? Walking out of (or into) Gillette through the visiting tunnel? Some people just like to watch the world burn.
- Was the greatest trade in NFL history 20 years ago this week? The Patriots hit social media with that one, producing the letter of understanding between the team and the J-E-T-S (and Bill Parcells) allowing discussions with Bill Belichick in return for draft picks.
- So, how'd they do? Fair to say, even if the jury hasn't come back, that the returns still look strong for New England.
- Not for nuthin', but hey Gronk? Shut yer trap. That is all.
- Joe Montana said this week TB12 should not change teams at this (late) stage of his career. Unless he has to. Wonder if Brady will accept 'do as I say, not as I do' advice from his boyhood hero?
- And, if the Patriots know this, too…will they play hardball with a potential new contract?
- Still think, as I have all along, TB12 finishes out in New England. It's his best chance to win, and that matters more than the money. Always has.
- LA Chargers? C'mon, man. That is disaster-in-the-making for everyone, including TB12. Deep down, he has to know that.
- Wish I could put my finger on just why the Friars can't shoot – and can't score. The inconsistencies are maddening, especially since the shots they're getting are good shots for the most part.
- A couple of thoughts here – 1) Work to simplify shot selection, especially off of pressure defense. The Friars have tried to control most games with tempo, and it clearly hasn't worked. Gotta play faster wherever they can.
- 2) Feed the post until teams beg them to shoot it outside. Every possession should be 'inside-out.' Nate Watson has improved on his recognition and is arguably the best offensive low-post player in the Big East. Ride him.
- 3) Drive/slash/cut to the rim as often as possible. The defense will be forced to give up ground if they are to stop you. Hopefully create either more free throw opportunities, or more clean looks from outside.
- This Providence team has talent. The coaches have worked on the above agenda – I've seen it. Defense keeps them in games, but simplifying on offense might actually win them games, too.
- That more teams don't play zone more often, to me, is an indication of pure stubbornness from coaches. Shooting percentages are down, and not just at PC. Maybe they sell man-to-man to recruits? I don't know, but I'd like to sell winning to recruits…
- Tweet of the Week II, from @ChicagoBulls: "With his league-leading 100th steal, Kris Dunn has just joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only players in franchise history to record 100 steals in the first 50 games of a season."
- Around the Big East, Seton Hall and Villanova (again) look like the class of the league, yes. But I'm thinking someone else is going to make a charge. And make life uneasy at the top.
- URI is charging hard, at the right time, even securing a few AP Top 25 votes this week. But we all know Dayton is the benchmark this year in the Atlantic-10. Fly along with the Flyers, and you've got something going.
- How about the season Fatts Russell is having? He leads the A-10 in scoring going into the week, ahead of Dayton's Obi Toppin; he's #2 in steals, 5th in assists. Has the look of 'all-league' to me.
- And the Rams have the look of an NCAA tournament team, too. They're sure playing like one. VCU, Dayton twice, at Davidson are the potential bumps on the road ahead. Two wins in there, and no mess-ups elsewhere…the Rams should dance.
- Think Bryant has a future? The Bulldogs' Charles Pride has been named the NEC Rookie of the Week three times, tied with teammate Benson Lin.
- And yet, Division I newcomer Merrimack leads the NEC going into the week at 7-1 in league play. The same Merrimack trashed at the Dunk by PC 93-56 in November. Told ya' they could be good.
- The most-ever wins for a transitional team in their first year of DI is 16…Merrimack is currently 13-8 overall.
- Merrimack beat Northwestern, which beat Providence, which beat Marquette, which beat Villanova, which beat Kansas. So…Merrimack's Warriors can beat Kansas, if you believe in the rule of transitive property.
- That's about the only thing I remember from my high school math classes. I still suffer agita from taking trigonometry.
- Merrimack's Juvaris Hayes leads the nation in steal rate per game. The DI record is 385 career steals (former Friar John Linehan's mark), and Hayes has 416. The all-division record is 449.
- The Ivy League has announced some schedule changes for the next couple of seasons, ostensibly to make travel easier on the players. The conference schedule gets spread out over two more weeks, starting in early January, and there will be fewer Fri/Sat back-to-backs.
- Did you see where Notre Dame's Mike Brey was fined by the ACC for ripping into the refs this past week after a loss at Florida State? He even mentioned old friend John Gaffney, by name – a frequent official in the Big East, too. Cost him $20K for the shout out.
- Maybe my broadcast partner Joe Hassett is right about some of these refs? Or their calls? Nah.
- Remember when, for the briefest of moments, Boise State was a member of the Big East in football? This week, the Broncos filed a complaint with the Mountain West Conference, alleging their new TV deal with Fox and CBS effectively kills their 'sweetheart' deal that kept them from moving eastward in the first place.
- Big 12, you lookin'? I know someone interested, and they're not named UConn.
- The National Prep School Invitational is this weekend at Rhode Island College. Future Friars, Rams and many other future collegians from 9:00 am until the evening. Sounds like hoop-nerd heaven.
- So now the Dodgers are the landing spot for Mookie Betts? I still say ride the horse as long as you have him – but if he's gonna go, can we get on with it?
- The Sox can't possibly get equal value in return. This is the equivalent of pulling a hangnail – just get it over with.
- ESPN reported this week umpires will wear microphones in Major League Baseball this season, so they can announce why certain calls were reviewed, or ruled the way they were.
- Which will make certain games with certain umps behind the plate "must watch TV." Cowboy Joe West and Angel Hernandez, looking at you fellas.
- But unless Cowboy Joe breaks out in full song, I'm not sure I'm a fan of extending game times even more…just to hear these guys croon.
- Oh, and the DH in the NL? Pass. I actually like the quirky nature of one league having a designated hitter, and the other league not having it.
- But would it help baseball win? Should we poll the millennials and Gen X'ers to ask their thoughts? Gotta be all-inclusive, ya' know, these days.
- Who am I kidding? Do millennials and Gen X'ers even go to games anymore? Attendance was down in the majors – but up in the minors – last year overall.
- And MLB wants to kill an entire classification of the minor league system. Stupid is as stupid does.
- But Happy Truck Day anyway, Sox fans. It's Monday. And you still don't have a manager, or maybe Mookie, either.
- My buddy "Big E" sez his grandson was quite the hit at Sunday school recently. Seems the teacher asked the kids "where is Jesus today?" One answered, "in my heart," while another answered, "he's up in heaven!"
- E's grandson said, "he's in our bathroom!" The teacher asked him how he knew that, and his reply was, well, memorable. "Every morning," he told the teacher, "my Dad gets up and knocks on the door and yells 'Jesus Christ, are you still in there?'"
- Eldred (@redman1love) from North Carolina tweeted this week with regard to Tom Brady's internet-wrecking photo: "I think so…I think he's walking away and saying goodbye to New England."
- Eldred: Maybe that's your way of bracing yourself for bad news? Honestly, I'll be shocked if he walks away from New England. He wants to win, as long as he's in. He's got plenty of money. I don't believe – not for a minute – that any perceived salary or contract "slights" compared to other QB's mean a thing. He wants #7. Where is his best shot to get it? There might be another spot besides here (Tennessee?), but one of them is definitely here.
- Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send 'em to me! It's your chance to "think out loud," so send your questions, comments and local stories to jrooke@weei.com. We'll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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