Is Lamar Odom wrong?

Hey y'all it's your favorite sports fan, SportsGal89 In the building! What up?! So it's been a busy day in the sports world. I mentioned a trade that never was in my last blog (you should check it out). I briefly discussed the fallout that occurs during trades a trade doesn't always mean money for one person, it can mean multiple people coming or going + money, or draft picks or whatever.
  In this trade dream between the Lakers, Rockets and New Orleans Hornets. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom would have gone in order for the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul. Odom to NoLa and Gasol to the Rockets. Not to be whatever, but I get that trades occur all the time, players that we love are there one minute and gone the next (hello Shaq, Burress, Holmes...) the list could go on and on. The problem as pointed out by Odom is that there was no conversation by the Lakers regarding the trade.
    I know that I really have no clue what goes on in the front office, but something that becomes a pain in the butt watching the sports you love is when the detach human emotion out of business transactions. I think that any player would be foolish to hold on to this idea that there will NEVER be a possibility that a) the team would keep them forever or b) that they wouldn't want to leave at some point. I know that for some athletes the dream of retiring with the team you have learned to call family is important, but when it comes down to it it's a business. However, no person should EVER be treated like a bottom line, especially such high profile players and key contributors to the Lakers like Gasol and Odom. Odom's beef with the Lakers organization was that he was never told about the trade, he caught wind of it the same way we did, through the rumor mill - the media. How fair is that? It's disrespectful, rude and ungracious. Odom was just voted the 6th Man of the Year- that is a big deal. Gasol and Odom were amazing when we won our last championship, it's disappointing and frustrating to know that your team is responsible for making them feel like crap.
   So what happened? The deal to get Chris Paul fell through, Odom and Gasol were to report to a team that they knew now on some level didn't want them. Report to training camp when you know you are the ugly stepchild?! Odom reported to training late and then didn't practice. People say Odom has no heart- would you under those circumstances? They tell him that he should suck it up, but I think that he is right to be angry. Not that I expect new Coach Mike Brown to step up and make peace with his players--especially when he is trying to create some balance in the transition, but the point is that someone should have made the call. At least given Odom a heads up.
  So here we are, no Chris Paul deal and Odom feeling hurt and disrespected (rightly so, in my opinion). So Odom officially asks the Lakers for a trade, if they were going to do it to get someone like Chris Paul, then they can do it to get any whack person, or in this case a Draft Pick. Odom wanted a trade and is now going to be suited up with the Dallas Mavericks- what worse team could he have gone to. One of our big competitors, but at the end of the day, Odom has to go somewhere where he feels wanted.  I don't know if I agree with all the comments that are being made by commentators and fans, but I do agree with Odom, human capital and morale is what makes a company rich, when you basically take a dump on part of your capital, that doesn't make for high morale.
   I will always respect Odom in the purple and gold or not. Best of luck in the new season.

   That's all she wrote folks!

NBA is today's "Whack Act"

Hey y'all it's your favorite sports fan SportsGal89, In the Building! And boy do I have a story for you. If you aren't living under a rock and call yourself a basketball fan, than what I am about to talk about is nothing new to you. But, for those of you who do not follow the sport, you need to.
  So less than a few weeks after the NBA and the player's association FINALLY reach a deal on the lockout-YES NBA is back!

Every season fans brace themselves to see who is coming back ,what their teams roster looks like and the layout of the teams in the NBA in general. I typically do not pay attention to trade rumors or the hype *cough* cough* Lebron James *cough*cough*(Without which I would not be writing this blog)  but the big one that dropped yesterday was one that had me and the rest of the sports world in shock. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets has been wanting to get out of the city for a while, his destination the Lakers! Kind of exciting, but what's the fall out--whenever there is a trade someone always loses. So the Lakers were going to give up Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for 1- Chris Paul. WHAT?! Disappointing.  (I'll get into that in a minute, check out my next blog- "Is Odom wrong?") I love both players and I am tired of seeing our boys traded, but I understand- new coach, new vision, new team.
   So what happened to the trade that never was? The NBA stepped in and said "AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN" Excuse me, come again. Since when does the League step in and dictate where a player may or may not go? According to League rules, the League does have the right to intervene during a trade, in this case Stern cites an imbalance and an unfair trade for the interests of the Hornets. But I think people are up in arms due to the fact that the NBA currently manages/owns the Hornets and with the recent disruption and the late start to basketball, this whole thing is a hot mess and a big deal.. Furthermore, when other owners (Cavs owner and other small market teams) add their two cents, it changes the dynamics of the game. Trades are business strategies for not only the teams and owners, but also for the players themselves. The players should have an active role in where they want to go or when they want to be released from their  contracts. I mean look at what happned to Carson Palmer in Cincy, he wanted out. He became disengaged, going through the motions, it can destroy the morale of teams and the morale  of fans. When trades have a fall out like this one did today, it really leaves this festering wound that everyone wants to try to ignore and move past. Hence the reason why the NBA gets the Whack Act award for today.

And that's all she wrote!

Update: 8.24.2013

The New Orleans Hornets are actually called the New Orleans Pelicans now-a-days.. Just thought I would share that nugget.

And Chris Paul currently plays for the LA Clippers!

Losing SUCKS!

Hey y'all it's your fav SportsGal89 in the building. I know that given my title you would all assume that the Steelers Nation must have taken a turn for the worst, you would be sadly mistaken- we had what I think is our BEST game of the season where the Defense AND the Offense were powerhouses. So today's blog has nothing to do with my boys in Black and Gold.
  It instead has to do with the Washington "Deadskins"  the name is well deserved, and to my ' Skins fans out there I am sorry for the reminder. For those of you who do not know (which I think is sad since y'all aren't reading my other blogs) I live in Washington DC. I have said it time and time again, I am a sports fan before I am a team fan. So any city I live in I get involved there. I may not like the teams, but I respect the culture and I at least PAY Attention.
   Today like many other Sundays, my team's game was not on TV- that will change when I get THE NETWORK (NFL Network). Anyways today's pick of games was scarce, I was left with JETS and REDSKINS. I like watching the Jets play. Their organization is beautiful reminds me a little bit of  the Steelers.
   I started watching the game late in the 2nd Quarter, teams were tied 10-10. It seemed that the Redskins were playing great (like every weekend). 2nd half begins and the game changes. Redskins start off strong, seem to have the Jets on the ropes and then a hit by Barnes on Sanchez changes the dynamic of the game. You know it's bad when the other teams' fans are cheering their own chant and the people watching the game forget that the game is in DC and NOT New York. Yup that's right, Jets fans started doing their J-E-T-S chant and I forgot for a few seconds that the game was actually being played in DC.
  Here's my thing. The Skins can be a great team, I know that they aren't cursed, but it must be sooooo disappointing watching your team give up wins that they can control. Watching this game today made me think- C'mon son! Really. It was disappointing and draining for me to watch and I am not a Redskins fan. Losing week after week must be the most frustrating thing and Coach Shanahan has to figure out something new because playing the same way they have been is NOT changing how they are playing. The only excitement coming from this game is watching Banks as he returns the ball- you get excited seeing his little legs go and the speed and waiting to see what he does next, but losing sucks..
  I don't know what I would say to Redskins fans, coaches or players- but something HAS got to give.

That's all she wrote folks!