The Tottenham Chase: Has the Champions League ruined our club?

In philosophy I am generally in agreement that sport, and football in particular, has fallen victim to over commercialization in recent years. Even beloved Tottenham now charges forward with plans for a new stadium and a transfer policy designed to profit the ownership group above all else. Yet one criticism of Tottenham by many traditionalists really irritates me. The notion that the pursuit of Champions League football has ruined Spurs is simply the anthem of those bereft of ambition.

I get the basic argument. Finishing top 4 has become an obsession and we have only managed to achieve Champions League qualification once. As such, our other seasons have been failures. What's worse is that many of our seasons are over well before the end of our fixture list because we are too far out of contention. Many even argue that given our financial limitations we will continue to struggle to finish in the top 4 behind our richer peers. I won't even delve into the intricacies of how the cost of Europa League participation drives some people mad. My question to those who feel this way is simple: what in the hell do you want us to strive for?

People who detest our obsession with CL Qualification want you to believe they are staying true to the Club's history. The game is about the glory, to dare is to do, etc line up nicely with going full tilt after trophies but isn't pushing for Champions League really going after the biggest of trophies? I'd like to win a FA Cup (and end our trophy drought) as much as the next guy but that is trying to win an English trophy. By simple logic isn't the quest to win a European honor more daring? What seems more glorious to you: a FA Cup final versus Burnley or a Champions League knockout match versus Roma?

Even worse are you Spurs fans who abhor the CL ideal because of our inability to compete with other Premier League Clubs. Shame on all of you. If we can't finish in the Top 4 then surely we can never challenge for a Premier League title. Why not drop down to the Championship so we can go after a League Title? Do we have an easy road to a League title or even a top 4 finish compared to richer teams? No, but we are Tottenham for God's sakes!!! There is something special about our Club. Whether you think it's the gleaming white on our kit, the magic of White Hart Lane or the spirit of our fans there is something amazing and utterly unique about Tottenham. If you don't believe that unique quality can help us "punch above our weight" and compete at the highest levels of football then I pity you. Your experience as a Spurs fan lacks the best thing about my fandom: the belief that there is magic in Tottenham.

Many of you will read this and laugh at what you perceive to be my naievety. You have my deepest sympathy. I go into every season daring to dream of a magical run to the Title or at least Champions League qualification. You begin the season sadly waiting for failure. Remember why you fell in love with Tottenham in the first place, dare to be special....dare to be Tottenham.

"Boogie Clown," Sacramento Kings to be featured in new reality show!

Breaking news from Sacramento tonight as the makers of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series have struck an agreement with Kings new owner, Vivek Ranadive to carry the groundbreaking new series "Boogie Clown" documenting the NBA's most unpredictable franchise during the upcoming season. See the list below for the top five episode summaries sure to entertain NBA fans during the 2015-16 season.

1. The Emotional Goodbye- Witness the emotional farewell of George Karl after he is fired after the Kings get off to an 0-1 start. Karl actually appears awake for the firing as Vivek cites the brutal win loss record as the reason for the abrupt dismissal. "We signed big time free agents and our expectations were clear. We didn't sign Rajon Rondo to be coached by someone who will finish his career with zero wins," said Vivek. Rondo was particularly upset at Karl's dismissal until Boogie explained to him that the departing coach was not just "Coach Cal after he got old and ragged lookin."

2. The Awkward Reunion- Emotions are running high when the Nuggets, coached by former Kings leader and now Nuggets head man Mike Malone visit Sacramento for the first time. The situation is even more riddled with tension since Vivek has recently appointed himself as the team's head coach. Boogie complicates the situation further by repeatedly walking into Nuggets team huddles to talk to Coach Malone. Vivek mistakenly believes that Cousins is only doing so because he can't see him so he orders Vlade Divac to let him ride on his shoulders for the second half. The episode ends on a high note as the Kings win on a last second Rondo underhanded free throw.

3. Vivek's Waterloo- Vivek's dream of revolutionizing the NBA comes to a screeching halt as his two revolutionary resolutions are voted down at the NBA Owners Meeting. His first resolution, introducing a second basketball to the game at all times is defeated unanimously. His second resolution, an attempt to institute a designated offensive player did garner modest support from the Heat and Lakers. The chance to let DWade and Bryant make max money and just play offense is owerwhelmingly supported by fans of the two teams. Wade causes a minor stir when he is caught on camera mouthing, "wait, I'm supposed to have been playing defense?" at the vote's announcement. The episode closes with an odd revealing of Vivek's Stauskas tramp stamp as he walks away dejected and broken.

4. Kings And Queens- Miffed by their all star snubs, Boogie and Rondo spend the All Star break together in Las Vegas. The trip goes well until Rajon assaults a poker dealer after the dealer suggested he do something other than pass. Boogie has an outstanding trip until he runs into old nemesis Isiah Thomas at a strip club. The two have words but ultimately reconcile after Brad Stevens and Omri Casspi surprisingly arrive at the Club together and help the two truly communicate for the first time. The episode closes with Omri driving Boogie and Rondo out of town on a trike just ahead what they believe to be an angry senior citizen biker gang (which is just a Shriners Parade in actuality).

5. Belinelli Ball- The entire team turns out for teammate Marco Belinelli's charity gala. Unfortunately, the guys don't understand that the event, entitled "3 for Gs" is a benefit for homosexual men in poverty and not, as Rondo originally believed to be "an event for gangstas that can't pimp it no mo." To no one's surprise, Vlade Divac has the best time of the event until he is awkwardly purchased by Vivek in the date auction. An awkward situation turns truly bizarre when Vivek gazes lovingly in Vlade's eyes and utters a heartfelt, "Stauskas" as the final credits roll. 

I hope this whets your appetite for what will be the season's biggest new series, "Boogie Clown" airing concurrently on HBO, NBATV and the Oxygen Network. Keep your eyes on the balls!

Next NBA Extinction: What type of player could vanish from the NBA soon?

The days of the lumbering center dominating the NBA with a myriad of post moves is over. When giant centers like Shaq, Hakeem and Ewing were dominating the League it seemed that would always be the focal point of good teams. Fast forward to this year's Finals where the champs benched their closest thing to an old school big (Andrew Bogut) to fully commit to small ball to run the Cavs out of the Series. Who would have believed that giant, hulking centers would become outdated and even liabilities? The truth is the game always evolves. So who will be the next dinosaur of the NBA? 

Looking into my NBA crystal ball I see a League that will almost fully commit to the pace and space model over the next few seasons. That makes the trick of predicting the next change dependent on anticipating how teams will evolve to combat pace and space. If you are paying attention you see some teams already enacting their own strategies. The Milwaukee Bucks are the best example of a team that have constructed themselves to combat the newest offensive trends. They have committed to finding long athletes at every position who can switch almost every screen without ending up in a terrible mismatch. More and more teams are headed this way. Want more proof? Willie Cauley-Stein was the sixth pick in the Draft with practically no offensive ability. He isn't even a great rebounder. His value is predicated on his ability to guard all five positions. The premium on this ability shows that teams are going all in to defeat pace and space.

This seismic shift will leave some type of NBA player irrelevant. So who will join the hulking post player in extinction? I firmly believe it is the 3 and D player that is consistently banking huge contracts in the most recent free agent period. 

So why them? They will die out because of their limited skill sets. Inherently, those that are classified as 3 and D guys aren't creators off the dribble. I can't see this as an acceptable trade off moving forward. As defenses get longer and more athletic (ie the Bucks) they will become much more adept at closing out to the corner 3 that these players feast on. When those close outs come, the value of being able to put the ball on the floor and make plays will go up immensely. More small guys in lineups mean more shooters. This will make guys who can stretch the floor more common. What will not be common are those who can stretch the floor and attack the rim. 3 and D guys will be a dime a dozen. Being able to space the floor as a wing won't be a luxury it will be a requirement. As such, it will cease to be paid as a premium skill.

So what does it all mean? Sorry teams with cap room who have thrown big money contracts at young 3 and D guys recently. Those contracts are going to age poorly. I'm looking at you Raptors. Everyone is complimentary of the DeMarre Carroll deal today but it's not going to look so good as more and more good shooting wings come in the League. Sure he is a great competitor but that is really his best skill. He is a plus defender which will keep his deal from being a total disaster, but there will be better ways to spend eight figures in the future.

To some degree this distinction already exists. Of course, guys who can shoot AND make plays are better than those who just space the floor. The point is just that the pendulum has swung too far in the favor of players who can really shoot it. The guys who are freak athletes and can defend are the ones who are undervalued right now. Remember, that with less true big men in the NBA there are less rim protectors. This further accentuates the value of guys who can attack the rim off the dribble. The Draymond Greens of the world are going to be worth big bucks moving forward while the DeMarre Carrolls are going to be substantially overpaid.

Goodbye and good riddance to the run of the mill 3 and D guy. Shooting is great and fun, but tomorrow's NBA will value guys who can stretch the floor AND attack those close outs by finishing at the rim or making the right pass.

Thanks everyone for reading this nerd basketball piece. Make sure to keep your eyes on balls. It just means you like sports!