Dwight Howard Or Dwight Coward?

[BOTSLAYER]

If you guys hate on hockey its just because you don't understand it. Hockey is as action packed or more action packed than any sport out there.

Soccer, I played soccer for 20 years. Its fun to play (my opinion) but horrible to watch.

I played hockey for my whole life, won state in wisconsin. Ive played football, basketball, golf, baseball. Nothing is quite as intense as hockey.

I watch a lot of soccer but know just enough to bet on it. I do not enjoy hockey as much because I do not bet on it.

I say that hockey is soccer but for men. In jest of course, but a lot of the rules are similar, offsides, low scoring games, last a while, have a goalie etc except in hockey you touch each other and one player doesn't roll around on the ground begging for death over the agony he is in and then pop up as soon as a yellow card has been awarded ready to play like he just had a mid game nap.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

@geneh on hockey soccer and a follow up

Besides winning florida and texas hockey amended it's rules to make it more popular. I believe they made the pads smaller? and possibly the goals larger? leading to more goals.

Americans totally love scoring. That is why I am surprised arena football never took over, but the NFL adjusted their rules to encourage scoring as well, particularly passing which is more exciting than most rushing. Just look at the average yards per year passing and how it has escalated hover the last few years.

Soccer on the other hand is exciting in a different way. I rarely watch without a wager on the game...ok I never watch it without a wager. But I understand the excitement. It is a chess match of back and forth that to the uneducated eye (and mine) that they are playing patty cake but they are in fact jabbing until they are in a position to throw a good (but still low) percentage hay maker or upper cut. A lot like what boxing is when Tyson isn't in the ring...we didn't watch that either.


Soccer is a lot like a low scoring football match. Their defense takes over and they play field position until one can take a couple chances at the haymaker. Only a select few enjoy watching defense dominate a game, and it usually is not the american public.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

It's a tough pill to swallow for Hocky fans, but the NFL, NBA and MLB are the biggest sports in the USA and the NHL is a distant 5th behind College football which is 4th in my opinion. Hockey is interesting to watch, but it just doesn't have the popularity and draw the NBA does

 

[geneh_33]

@geneh on hockey soccer and a follow up

Besides winning florida and texas hockey amended it's rules to make it more popular. I believe they made the pads smaller? and possibly the goals larger? leading to more goals.

Americans totally love scoring. That is why I am surprised arena football never took over, but the NFL adjusted their rules to encourage scoring as well, particularly passing which is more exciting than most rushing. Just look at the average yards per year passing and how it has escalated hover the last few years.

Soccer on the other hand is exciting in a different way. I rarely watch without a wager on the game...ok I never watch it without a wager. But I understand the excitement. It is a chess match of back and forth that to the uneducated eye (and mine) that they are playing patty cake but they are in fact jabbing until they are in a position to throw a good (but still low) percentage hay maker or upper cut. A lot like what boxing is when Tyson isn't in the ring...we didn't watch that either.


Soccer is a lot like a low scoring football match. Their defense takes over and they play field position until one can take a couple chances at the haymaker. Only a select few enjoy watching defense dominate a game, and it usually is not the american public.

Thanks for the info, I haven't followed hockey at all in the last two decades or so and I didn't realize that they had changed the rules. Good for them.

Arena football has several faults, I'll mention two here:

1. It is true that the players who can't make it in the NFL (or Canada) play in the Arena League. That's a bigtime turnoff. It kind of makes it a minor football league. And we all know how popular minor league baseball is.

2. Too much scoring is detrimental to a sport also, especially a variant of football where teams are not expected to normally score so many points in a football game. I watched an Arena football game on TV and it was okay, but it fell far short of CFB or NFL football.



I understand how and why soccer is so popular elsewhere in the world. But Americans only see a boring game and therefore do not have any desire to understand it. The almost complete lack of physical contact is a turnoff for Americans also. You and I both know that basketball was meant to be a non-contact sport but that is pure BS as the players are constantly bumping each other and sometimes downright knocking each other out of position. Baseball is exciting because of the physical contact on close plays at second, home, etc.

Also, baseball has the man vs. man thing going for it like no other when the pitcher faces the batter and it is one-on-one all the way. That's macho enough for most Americans. Also, what's more exciting, when a guy hits a mammoth homerun or when a guy finally kicks a goal?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I actually have friends that play soccer on in local leagues and they are very athletic, so it takes a lot of strength to run like that, but the problem for me is the game is so far away you really can't enjoy seeing the action like you can in basketball. I am not much on football or baseball which are also boring to me as well

 

[jayviabay]

The media hates lebron for looking for help and then they hate dwight for wanting to be "the guy" somewhere else.

Great thing about the media is they are never happy and just look to criticize. As much as I (and most) disagree with the decision and think it was a foolish decision on Bron's part its SO hypocritical to have ESPN blast lebron for it when they are the ones who hosted the show.

ESPN has become a mess, unfortunately they have basically a monopoly on major sports.

They boasted about collins coming out of the closet and how he is this big gay hero. Then they blast him with an article and interview with his ex fiance who happens to be a woman. Basically how he left her high and dry and lead her on for 8 years. I like when she stated, how can espn label him a hero, when last she checked, heroes have integrity.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

fucking ESPN!!! ok I am done with them, I keep going back but they really suck and do so many things I find repulsive.

Unless I am stealing their broadcast for a game then I will not be on ESPN.

USA today and SI.com seem fine...what other options are out there? Y sports?

 

[huskers1217]

I was very surprised to see the newsmedia calling this guy Dwight Coward?Seems a bit harsh, but I like it - LMAO

actually Ice Cube said it first at a concert a day after Howard mentioned he was going to the Rockets.

 

[trojanfan12]

TF12, I think you are a super poster. But there is no way I believe that Kobe had nothing to do with Dwight's departure and D'Antoni's system is a good thing for Dwight - or anybody else for that matter.

Dwight wants to be THE MAN. In LA as long as Kobe is around that is not going to happen. Ever.

Come this time next year you guys will be ready to tar and feather D'Antoni and ride his ass out of LA as fast as possible.

Dwight's not going to be "the man" in Houston either. Harden is. Dwight would actually be able to step up and be "the man" with the Lakers sooner than he could with Houston given that it's pretty likely that Kobe will retire before Harden!!

Go ahead and believe it's on Kobe if you want, but understand that there is zero evidence to back that up since Dwight not only never said so, but even went as far as to say that Kobe had nothing to do with his decision.

 

[huskers1217]

DH12 would have been the man this year in Dallas. Dirk would be first in line to take a back seat if it means winning another championship.

 

[trojanfan12]

DH12 would have been the man this year in Dallas. Dirk would be first in line to take a back seat if it means winning another championship.

True. But being "the man" and being "the man" AND capable of leading a team to a championship are 2 different things!! Dirk may take a backseat, but he'd have to be one heckuva "backseat driver" to win a championship with Dwight in the lead role!!

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Too much responsibility and too serious in Los Angeles for DH. He is still a child and doesn't want to grow up. Said so himself in a round about way

 

[#1BostonFan]

It's a tough pill to swallow for Hocky fans, but the NFL, NBA and MLB are the biggest sports in the USA and the NHL is a distant 5th behind College football which is 4th in my opinion. Hockey is interesting to watch, but it just doesn't have the popularity and draw the NBA does

NFL, NBA, MLB, CFB, CBB and Nascar are ahead of the NHL In my book.

 

[#1BostonFan]

NFL, NBA, MLB, CFB, CBB and Nascar are ahead of the NHL In my book.

As I said hockey is behind all 6 I listed.

Poll Shows Popularity Of Pro Football Continues Growing While Baseball Slides - SportsBusiness Daily | SportsBusiness Journal | SportsBusiness Daily Global

 

[True Lakers Fan]

NFL, NBA, MLB, CFB, CBB and Nascar are ahead of the NHL In my book.

Women(in small bikinis) Beach Volley Ball in the International Olympics is ahead of the NHL in my book and gets watched more then the NHL in my home

 

[geneh_33]

Women(in small bikinis) Beach Volley Ball in the International Olympics is ahead of the NHL in my book and gets watched more then the NHL in my home

 

[trojanfan12]

Women(in small bikinis) Beach Volley Ball in the International Olympics is ahead of the NHL in my book and gets watched more then the NHL in my home

I've learned to like hockey, thanks to a couple of friends who are hockey fans. I definitely watch it over NASCAR, Golf, etc.

But it takes a backseat to Women's Beach Volleyball!!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Too Harsh

I was very surprised to see the newsmedia calling this guy Dwight Coward?Seems a bit harsh, but I like it - LMAO

Idk if you heard his intro press conference in HOU...but you can tell this guy was raised in the era of "everybody is a winner if you competed".

To paraphrase...he said he was a winner because he's played 10 yrs in the league when the avg. career is 3 years blah, blah, blah and he won a Gold Medal.

IMO Kobe handled the whole thing the wrong way from the outset saying it was STILL his team and he would hand the baton to DH at some later point essentially...and that's basically how he played...like a sidekick.

No axe to grind with DH, but he's basically a big fish in a small pond of talented bigs in the NBA...nothing more.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Idk if you heard his intro press conference in HOU...but you can tell this guy was raised in the era of "everybody is a winner if you competed".

To paraphrase...he said he was a winner because he's played 10 yrs in the league when the avg. career is 3 years blah, blah, blah and he won a Gold Medal.

IMO Kobe handled the whole thing the wrong way from the outset saying it was STILL his team and he would hand the baton to DH at some later point essentially...and that's basically how he played...like a sidekick.

No axe to grind with DH, but he's basically a big fish in a small pond of talented bigs in the NBA...nothing more.

I think Kobe without any doubt could have handled it better, but honestly I think Dwight was gone without any consideration from the beginning. There was absolutely no hesitation or discussion of any kind. One conversation with Kupchak and they were taking down their signs asking Howard to resign.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think Kobe without any doubt could have handled it better, but honestly I think Dwight was gone without any consideration from the beginning. There was absolutely no hesitation or discussion of any kind. One conversation with Kupchak and they were taking down their signs asking Howard to resign.

...I think the LA market/pressure to win (Titles, not games mind you) may have been more than DH wanted to deal with.