In the wake of the San Antonio Spurs game-one defeat of the Miami Heat -- a spirited contest in which three-pointers were drained at a 46-percent clip, the third oldest active NBA player did
this, and all-time great Tim Duncan performed legendarily -- the leading story in sports is a faulty air conditioner.
Athletes, for the most part, are coming to the defense of LeBron James. Isiah Thomas, who famously played on a severely sprained ankle in the Finals,
stated that not he, Michael Jordan, nor any other athlete could've completed the game. This is not to mention the unfortunate fact of science that LeBron's build, with all his lean muscle mass, on top of the added heat from an AC malfunction, leaves him prone to severe cramping.
However, despite such expert testimony and medical logic, Lebron is taking yet another internet beating. That fans (of the 29 non-Heat NBA teams especially) are behaving like the idiots they are is no surprise to anyone, and I'm not going to waste your or my valuable time explaining why it is stupid to compare a leg cramp to the stomach flu. But I would like to take a moment to express my disappointment in various professionals, including journalists and corporate publicists charged with a higher level of integrity.
Let us begin with Michelle Beadle, an ESPN personality whose name you might recognize from the television program Sports Nation. Beadle this morning
cracked a Midol joke on Twitter, then
proceeded ironically to lament misogyny. Certainly I'm not too rigid to absorb a little humor -- everything funny must come at someone's expense -- but one would expect Beadle, in her role of professional female reporter, to refrain from using sexism to diminish an athlete's toughness. And if Beadle wants to take it there, one might diminish her own accomplishments in a similar manner -- for example, one might say she's merely an attractive female whose enthusiasm for sports happens to be more than that of the stereotypical attractive female. Not exactly a special talent; just a person extraordinarily expressing a stereotypical quality of the opposite sex. Presumably, Beadle feels as though her career boils down to more than her physical appearance, and she would not appreciate my assertion that her success amounts to little more than a byproduct of sexist attitudes. Yet I have just made this exact argument from her own expressed perspective.
Gatorade, the NBA's official purveyor of sugar water, is also taking
part in the tweeting circus. When fans mockingly tweeted Gatorade asking why
their beverage hadn't prevented LeBron's cramps, Gatorade
seized the opportunity to take multiple shots at LeBron and Powerade, who presently
enjoy a business partnership. In reality, of course, Gatorade and
Powerade are basically the same thing, and replacing LeBron's Powerade
with Gatorade would not have prevented his cramp. In fact,
there is often little advantage in consuming any type of sports drink; water
works just about as well, and without all the sugar. In fairness, some
amount of sugar can help a distressed body hydrate somewhat faster.
According to
this page from Washington.edu, that amount is between four percent and eight percent. Not surprisingly, both Gatorade and Powerade contain between four and eight percent sugar.
Moving on from Twitter, the front page of Yahoo.com earlier today read as follows: "[LeBron]'s legacy seemed secure — at least until he couldn't finish a Game 1 that every other star did." Not only is this headline obnoxiously melodramatic, but it is irresponsibly worded in that it suggests there is something LeBron could've done to prevent his leg from ceasing to function. Obviously, the person responsible for this headline aims to attract attention by reviving the old, dead storyline in which LeBron just doesn't have "it," as if LeBron subbed himself out under pressure. While I understand it's been a frustrating couple of years for LeBron's detractors, the notion that LeBron could've played but didn't want to play is utterly ridiculous. And somehow, the assertion that he should've toughed it out may be even more ridiculous. As admirable as it is to compete whilst sick or hobbled, an athlete entirely unable to walk cannot help his team and should not be involved in a basketball game. This much is simply common sense, yet the inevitable and nonsensical flu comparisons abound. It's as if Michael Jordan's influenza rendered him paralyzed from the waist down.
In summation, we watched last night what ought to be the beginning of another incredible NBA Finals. It's a shame LeBron wasn't able to go the duration, but it's equally fortunate that he is not likely to be hampered throughout the series. As much as his leg failed him in that brief moment, structurally it has held strong over a decade-plus of pounding the hardwood. I expect this series to go seven, and today the discussion should be not about an air conditioner or a leg cramp, but about the Spurs and how they won by drilling a barrage of critical three-pointers. That fans and professionals alike are more intent on tearing the loser down than building the winner up -- or simply appreciating the game of basketball as it is played on its highest level -- exposes an unfortunate flaw in the common human mentality.
