Outside Oberlin

Jordan’s Competitiveness an Inspiration for Everyone

Do you remember when Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball the second time? You might recall how perfectly he ended his career — nailing the game-winning jumper over Utah Jazz defender Bryon Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals to give Jordan and his Chicago Bulls their sixth championship of the decade. As consummate as his storybook ending was, let’s also remember that he was only “99.9%” sure that he would never play again.
For a guy like Jordan, whose sole existence thrives upon winning championships and awing crowds, a tenth of a percent chance of returning is enough to almost make certain that he will step foot on the courts again. And yes, folks, as of Tuesday, it became official. Bring out the new Air Jordans and the new number 23 Washington Wizard jerseys because Jordan, the inventor of the free-throw line slam dunk and the Wheaties man of all Wheaties men, is returning to play in the National Basketball Association.
It wasn’t too long ago when National Hockey League star Mario Lemieux, who helped turn the Pittsburgh Penguins around last season from mediocrity into a contender for the Stanley Cup, made his return to professional hockey. Nearly six months ago, inspired by Lemieux’s sheer desire for competition, Jordan followed in his close friend’s footsteps and began working himself into shape and on to the court, much like Lemieux had done on the ice.
The similarities between the two are astonishing — among the obvious, they both have owned shares of their respective teams and shattered numerous league records while becoming living legends of their sports. But perhaps the biggest semblance between Jordan and Lemieux is their unparalleled resoluteness to compete and play the games they love. Lemieux already proved that age is an obstacle that can be overcome when he returned to the Penguins last season. However, at age 38, can Jordan do the same? Will he be able to return to his old dominant form and become the spokesman for the Viagra of athleticism?
Let it be known that this is no ordinary case of a veteran athlete returning to his or her beloved sport to give it one more go around. Not only is Jordan forfeiting all stakes he currently has in the ownership of the Washington Wizards, he is returning to play under Head Coach Doug Collins, whom as the team’s owner he hired in April. In addition, Jordan played three seasons for Collins when he coached the Bulls during the ’80s. Jordan’s new team will primarily consist of players he drafted, signed and traded for, so certainly he has put a lot of thought into his return and is aware of what he is getting into. And above all, the general timing of his decision to return is almost perfect. Our country has been devastated by the recent attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and however miniscule in importance in relation to these happenings, Jordan’s return will be sure to brighten the spirits of at least a few. Also, Jordan announced that he will donate his entire salary of one million dollars next season to victims of the attacks on the United States.

What makes the timing of his decision especially interesting is the inclusion of one major rule change in the NBA for this upcoming season. Unlike the college level, teams in the NBA haven’t previously been allowed to play the zone defense. By the old NBA rules, teams could only double-team Jordan at certain spots on the court and only in specific situations of the game. With the inclusion of the zone defense, though, teams can potentially put two or three players on Jordan at all times of the game — and that’s no small stress for any 38-year-old athlete, no matter how incredible his or her talents may be. However, assuming that Jordan hasn’t already put this into consideration would be ridiculous, and what would seem to be a disadvantage for the NBA’s fourth career leading scorer (29277 points) might actually turn out to be a slight advantage.
It is no secret amongst Jordan followers that in his early days, when playing under Collins, he played for a short time at the point-guard position. And without a doubt, Jordan’s passing skills evolved in his last few seasons with the Bulls as more teams decided to take the risk of doubling him whenever possible, thus forcing his teammates score, rather than Jordan himself. Considering how many teams’ backs Jordan has broken (no need to go into detail of his game-winning shot over Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers quite a few years ago), that’s hardly a dumb decision. Now, however, if put at the point-guard position, Jordan could potentially fill the role for the Wizards ideally. It is highly unlikely that he has lost any trace of the unbelievable jump shot he developed during the course of his playing days — c’mon, the guy has his own gym and weight facility, it would probably be impossible to count the amount of jump shots he takes on his own every day.
Jordan became the legend he is in the league today because of his ability to overcome the competition through exhaustingly hard work and many adjustments — both major and minor. For example, when he first joined the league in the early ’80’s, he immediately made his presence known through his unrivaled ability to slash to the basket and finish off plays — whether it be an amazing slam dunk or a circus shot from underneath the basket which never before seemed possible. However, he still lacked a dominant jump shot in his game. So, as teams began to clog up the middle and force him to shoot from the outside, Jordan did just that — Larry Bird style. He shot thousands upon thousands of jumpers every day until what once was a weakness of his became one of his strong suits. Teams also began to figure out that although he could bury an open jump shot and dribble and pull up to his left, he couldn’t go to the right and shoot with the slightest bit of accuracy. Needless to say, Jordan soon perfected this aspect of his game — evident above all in the last shot he took in the NBA, which defeated the Jazz for his third-straight title.

Without the addition of these aspects of his game, there is no way Jordan would have even considered returning to the NBA. Now, in his relative old age, it is quite possible that the addition of these skills with a few important ones he already possesses could make him one of the league’s top scorers and passers this coming season. Did I say passers? Yes, that’s right, passers. In his last few years with the Bulls, Jordan became a genius at finding the open man underneath the basket, and if put at the point-guard position, he has the potential to be deadly. Teams will doubtlessly attempt to double-team him, but respect from NBA officials and his passing abilities will either get him or his teammates consistently to the line. If they lay off him around the top of the arc, Jordan can bury the 20-foot jumper and the three-pointer. And of course, if they give him the open lane, even though he might not possess the same cutting ability he used to, have little doubt that Air Mike will finish to the basket in a dominating fashion.
During his prime, Jodan was considered one of the top defense players in the entire league, and he continued to own that distinction for the most part until his latest retirement. However, his ability to hand check, that is, his ability to use his hands and forearms to halt a player from penetrating with the basketball, was always a major advantage he held over players considering the immense amount of natural strength he possesses over other players. This coming season players will once again be allowed to hand check to a certain extent, much to Jordan’s liking.
The one main problem Jordan might have at taking up the point-guard position is being able to actually guard other point-guards himself. It would be a stretch to say that he will be able to keep up with the speedy likes of Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen and others, but what is beautiful about it all is that in all likelihood he won’t even have to. Taking the new zone defense rule into consideration, Jordan could possibly never be forced to face a speedier point-guard on defense, and could settle for either matching up with a small forward or playing the top on the “two-three” zone defense.
Whether Jordan takes up the point-guard, shooting guard or small forward position remains to be seen. However, it is evident that his ability to adjust to different situations and challenges has made him the legend he already is today. Will he be able to conform to new difficulties and retake his place as the most dominant and entertaining player in the NBA? Don’t doubt it — don’t ever doubt it. His wealth of experience and unmatched desire to compete could be more than enough to give him the capacity to show the NBA what it has been missing the last few years.

Major League Slugger Chases History Yet Again

Once again the chase for the home run crown is on. Barry Bonds has left his competitors in the dust and is chasing history by himself. For me that just doesn’t make it as fun. Sure, I think he will break the record and I have been following the chase rather closely, but it just isn’t the same.
When Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were chasing history, you had someone to root for. It was the same with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. You essentially had three choices then. One, you wanted to see the record stand, or you wanted one or the other of the two guys to break it. In this last race, I wanted to see Sammy break it or to see the record stand. It’s not that I don’t like McGwire, he’s an all right guy, but I knew he had the better chance to break it and I have always been partial to the underdog.
That is why this year isn’t the same. I like Bonds. I know that is a daring statement because he is a very unlikable baseball player, but for all the reasons he is hated, I like him. Bonds is a guy who has pictures of himself on his wristbands, his own PR guy, not to mention his own masseuse and big screen TV in the clubhouse that only he can see. He also refuses to talk to the press. I mean, we are all evil, and we all misquote everything, but most people are willing to put up with it.
Actually, I like the fact that he refuses to talk to the media. It adds an aura of mystery to the guy, though most people just assume he is an asshole. He has never talked to the media, but that can be a good thing. Look at the case of Maris.
I watched 61* last night. It’s a baseball movie about Maris and Mantle and their chase to break Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in a season. To me, that chase is the ultimate home run chase. You had teammates battling each other in the Yankee Stadium, which is known as none other than the “House that Ruth Built.” To start the movie, both Maris, a newcomer to the team, and Mantle, a seasoned veteran, are loved by the Yankee fans. Maris, a small town boy, isn’t big on talking to the press, not because he dislikes them, but because he is just a quiet person. Mantle is, of course, loved by the press because he always tells them what they want to know.
Mantle starts the season on fire and immediately talk begins as to whether or not this could be the year the record falls. Maris on the other hand, starts the season in a slump, hitting only .200 with a handful of home runs. Maris, who felt winning a game was more important than hitting home runs, is called into the coach’s office and told not to worry about his average, just to hit homeruns.
This isn’t a review of the movie, but to know what happened is important. Maris quickly becomes hated by the fans in real life. This is due in large part to the media. Maris, after being misquoted dozens of times, decides to quit talking to the newspaper altogether. This drove the media crazy, in turn driving the fans insane. All of a sudden a home run-hitting machine was booed in his own ballpark. Meanwhile, Mantle, everyone’s favorite, is cheered like a king every time he steps into the box.
Mantle and Maris battled it out, staying ahead of Ruth’s pace the whole season, but a ruling by the commissioner put the race in jeopardy. It stated that if the record was to be broken it had to be done in 154 games because that is how long the season was when Ruth set the record. If the record was broken in any game after that, an asterisk would be put beside the number denoting a lengthened season. 1961, the year that Mantle and Maris chased the record, was the first year of the lengthened 162 game season.
Mantle, playing injured, ended his run at 54 home runs, when he was finally hospitalized with a hip injury. Maris, in the 154th game of the season, needed three home runs to break the record. He hit one that game, ending his run at 58. Maris, obviously, did go on to break the record hitting 61 home runs that season, a record that stood 35 years until McGwire broke it and went on to hit 70.
In 1991, the commissioner of baseball ruled that there only be one home run record, thus getting rid of the asterisk beside Maris’ number. Maris had died six years before, never knowing that he was the true home run king.
Bonds, as I said before, is going to break McGwire’s record, which is an amazing feat, but for me the excitement just isn’t there. Maybe if Luis Gonzalez or Sosa has kept up the pace Bonds set, then it would have been more interesting. To me, this race is just another shot at history only five years after it was set. Bonds to this date has 67 home runs and is projected to hit 71 by the end of the year. That is, if pitchers throw to him. The most exciting part of the chase is the fact that the Giants are in a pennant race and pitchers are throwing around Bonds. If he breaks it, it will be an impressive feat because of that factor more than any other.
I will be watching closely to see if he hits 71, but it’s not the same.