December 2005, I am sitting in the back storeroom of my in-laws. I am pouring over data about the Texas Longhorns. Checking their schedule; checking the yardage for, against; checking the scores for, against; etc... I was looking for a reason to believe that my Trojans would beat the 'Horns. USC had the greatest offense around during that year. They averaged just under 50 points a game. Studs in EVERY department: Sam Baker and Ryan Kalil on the line, Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith as receivers, LenDale White and Reggie Bush as backs, and Matt Leinart as the Captain. At this point in his career...Matt was 37-1...the only loss an overtime loss on the road to Cal in his first 4 games. When that game was played Hershel Dennis was the running back - Bush and White were just highly touted recruits. The defense was good but not great...but they didn't have to be. All they had to do was hold the opponent under 35...and they won! It was a good year...scares by Cal and Fresno St kept the fans and the nation interested. On paper...it was a slam dunk...USC would win. The only thing I couldn't account for was Vince Young. Young was without a doubt the most impressive athlete I have ever seen in person (this includes LeBron). He towered over everyone on the field...his body did things that no one's could (just ask Brian Cushing - the young SC linebacker responsible for keeping tabs on Young - a guy who was just drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, but was on his face a lot, diving after Young, while Young had moved in another direction piling up over 200 yards rushing).
May 2009, I am sitting thinking about the Lakers. How will this season end? On paper, no one can touch the Lakers. But, in person they leave a little to be desired...they do not have the drive of Kobe. They play with NO urgency. They play like there is a tomorrow and like there is an infinite number of tomorrows. Vic the Brick says, "they need to play with their hair on fire" and that just isn't who they are.
Kobe Bryant can not impose his will on this team. No matter how much he locks his jaw and stares down his teammates. They play with a chip on their shoulder. However, it is a little bit different than the chip that last years Celtics played with, or the Nuggets play with this year. Their chip is more like "don't you know who we are"...a sense of entitlement. They short arm rebounds. They do not hustle on defense and get lazy on offense. They sit and wait for Kobe to bail them out (maybe Kobe's new nickname should be Obama). I love the Black Mamba...but he can't do it every time. When thugs (I can't believe I agree with Mark Cuban) like Kenyon Martin, JR Smith and Chris "Birdman" Andersen are beating you...things are bad.
Unfortunately, I had a front row seat as the Trojans got rocked by VY. I am hoping this year that I don't catch a case of deja vu.
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