Grip on Sports: For now, the Warriors are the best to ever play
A GRIP ON SPORTS • The NBA finals seemed to be a referendum this year. Not on who was the champion, that’s decided on the court. But a referendum on just how good the Warriors are and the relative merits of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Read on.
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• Debates these days seem to be decided by whomever can yell the loudest. Or make up they most convincing set of “facts.”
But don’t let the cacophony of sound cover up this one sports truth: Athletes are always improving.
What do I mean by that? It’s simple. In every sport in which athletes are measured against by the most unbiased of judges, a clock, they continually improve. Whether it be on land – we nearly saw a person run a marathon in under two hours the other day – or in the water – how many world records were set in Rio? – records continue to fall.
What does that tell you? Athletes are always getting better.
So when a 60-year-old man says teams of his era were the best, smile, tell him sure and understand he’s wrong.
(Warriors coach Steve Kerr had the best statement about this during the finals, using sarcasm like a razor blade to cut through all the malarkey.)
Babe Ruth was the most dominating hitter of his era. Heck, he may have dominated his era like no other baseball hitter ever. But the Ruth of 1927 wouldn’t be able to compete today.
Wilt Chamberlain was the most dominating scorer of his era. But he also towered over the competition, not only in height but in athletic prowess as well. Today? There are one or two more athletic 7-footers on every NBA team.
Jim Brown was big, fast and strong. Watching film of him run reminds me of a high school star competing against Pop Warner opponents. Today? He would be running into players just as big, just as strong and just as fast. And that’s just the safeties.
None of this should me misconstrued as an indictment of the past. Players should always be judged by how they performed against their peers. Bill Russell won double-digit titles. Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, John Stockton, they all did things against their peers that were unmatched.
But every day players get better physically. Games change. Different abilities are needed. The clock tells us, unwaveringly, athletes improve.
The Warriors may not be the best team of all time, but they are the best team right now. And have been over the past three years, despite last year’s championship series hiccup.
LeBron James may not be the best player of all time but he’s the best player right now. And has been for almost a decade.
And, if the best athletes are competing in their sports today, then that makes James – and the Warriors – the best ever.
But it doesn’t last. Time always wins. Before you can blink, another group of athletes will step onto the stage. And take over the mantle of best ever.
• A couple of things happened yesterday that haven’t happened all that often in the M’s history. First off, they scored 14 runs in a rout over Minnesota to open up a road trip. That, in itself, would have been noteworthy.
But the franchise also did something it may not have done in the past: commit to spend money. Seattle took first baseman Evan White with its first pick (17th overall) in the amateur draft, which in itself isn’t all that big a deal.
The M’s need hitters, they need a long-term answer at first base and White has a chance to be both.
It’s the second round in which the Mariners did the unexpected.
Minnesota high school pitcher Sam Carlson had top-20-in-the-draft stuff. And, reportedly, wanted a lot of money to forgo college and sign.
Those demands were enough to scare off just about everyone. But, when Carlson was still available in the second round, the M’s took a chance.
If the gamble pays off, and Carlson seemed to indicate on Twitter last night he’s looking forward to signing, then the M’s may have just spent a little money for a lot of talent.
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WSU: If you are wondering how many football games the Cougars will win this fall, here is one opinion. … John Olerud’s name still comes up every once in a while. … Remember how there were hardly any Pac-12-related stories yesterday? Well, there are a lot more today, though many of them are ones no on would want written, including this one from Colorado. … Or this column about Oregon State. … Utah has a quiet giant leading the offensive line.
Gonzaga: It’s probably still too early to come up with top-25 basketball rankings but that has never stopped anyone.
Indians: It’s not only Spokane that is seeing the influx of minor league players. It’s happening all over the Northwest.
Preps: Former Mt. Spokane Wildcat Drew Rasmussen is now a first-round draft pick.
Mariners: The M’s pulled back within a game of the break-even mark with a 14-3 romp in Minnesota. The bats were on – name a hitter and he probably had a hit or two – and Yovani Gallardo pitched well. … The continuing Tacoma-to-Seattle-and-back-again bullpen train moved a couple of passengers yesterday. … Speaking of Tacoma, Felix Hernandez will make another start there.
Sounders: It doesn’t count in the MLS standings, but when Seattle and Portland get together, it’s always a big deal. … The U.S. National Team believes in itself again. There is probably one man to thank.
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• The wind is blowing hard this morning around our place. If I was pitching today, I would say it’s blowing out. If hitting, it’s blowing in. My baseball career was a bad Charlie Brown comic. Until later …