I can win any basketball debate.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I win?

Why do you seem to think post length is perfectly correlated to the validity and soundness of the argument?

I use to tell students that when you are answering statistical essay questions, the more you write, the more room you have to get things wrong, and that counts against you.

:boxing:

Ok. Mr. Big Teacher. Point out where I was wrong.

I know a lot about the game. Maybe more than others on this site. I love basketball and I want to share my insights with others so they can enjoy it too. Not everything in this world has to be neatly placed into a black/white mathematical formula where the simple-minded folks can declare right or wrong. That's simply people who can't think for themselves.

We live in a world of gray area. Some people might not be able to point to a statistic or formula to declare Sedale Threatt is a surefire HOFer. I can look deeper. More importantly, I can think deeper than that.

Put down the calculator, come out from behind your cubicle, straighten those pleated khakis and join all the fun, sociable kids.

[Bush4Ever]

Ok. Mr. Big Teacher. Point out where I was wrong.

I know a lot about the game. Maybe more than others on this site. I love basketball and I want to share my insights with others so they can enjoy it too. Not everything in this world has to be neatly placed into a black/white mathematical formula where the simple-minded folks can declare right or wrong. That's simply people who can't think for themselves.

We live in a world of gray area. Some people might not be able to point to a statistic or formula to declare Sedale Threatt is a surefire HOFer. I can look deeper. More importantly, I can think deeper than that.

Put down the calculator, come out from behind your cubicle, straighten those pleated khakis and join all the fun, sociable kids.

I use computer (stats/math) programs, not calculators. I also don't wear pleated khakis (often).

I recently went to a party where I had at least five friends.

[LookAway]

You can pick the topic. And my position.

I'll still win the debate. Probably.

The topic is big market teams pilfering talent from small market clubs. You are on the side that supports it.
My position is competitive balance is better when small market teams are viable and can win, and that can't happen if the Lakers can just buy talent; wah!

[lettherebehouse]

Fuckin Vigoda. That's all I gotta say. Fuckin'Vigoda.

[AbeVigodaLive]

You can pick the topic. And my position.

I'll still win the debate. Probably.

The topic is big market teams pilfering talent from small market clubs. You are on the side that supports it.
My position is competitive balance is better when small market teams are viable and can win, and that can't happen if the Lakers can just buy talent; wah!

The stage was set. Two NBA champs battling each other in a hard-fought 7 game series. Would it be the defending champs repeating? Or, the champs from two years prior regaining their top spot?

Meh. Nobody cared.

The 2005 NBA Finals were one of the least watched NBA FInals of recent times. Nobody wanted to watch these two "team-first" squads from flyover cities battle it out with defensive intensity, passing, teamwork and all that crap. Don't believe me? Just ask the hundreds of millions of Americans who didn't turn in to watch the Finals then.

It was a disaster.

How bad was it? The previous year, a bad, non-competitive series involving big market LA garnered an 11.5 rating. Only game 7 of the 2005 series came close to that. Other games drew only about HALF of the 2004 average audience. Ouch.

But wait... things could get worse. And it did. Turns out Cleveland is more irrelevant than Detroit. Because in 2007, ratings sank even further. The NBA was seemingly in trouble. At least it was until it got wise.

The Boston Celtics snatched Kevin Garnett away from the forgettable Timberwolves. And Ray Allen away from Seattle (who could barely keep a team at this point.) Was it fair? I dunno. But I know it's great for business.

TV viewership went up 50%!!!

And it's taken off from there as big-market or star-studded teams and exotic NBA locations have taken over the Finals. Whether it's been LA or Miami, the NBA has been in good hands in recent years.

The stars belong in choice NBA cities. The public demands so. You want parity? Go to the elementary school's track and field day and grab your participant trophy.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I win?

[Deez]

Victorious

[Kingcarl24]

[AbeVigodaLive]

This was easier than I thought.

[LookAway]

You can pick the topic. And my position.

I'll still win the debate. Probably.

The topic is big market teams pilfering talent from small market clubs. You are on the side that supports it.
My position is competitive balance is better when small market teams are viable and can win, and that can't happen if the Lakers can just buy talent; wah!

The stage was set. Two NBA champs battling each other in a hard-fought 7 game series. Would it be the defending champs repeating? Or, the champs from two years prior regaining their top spot?

Meh. Nobody cared.

The 2005 NBA Finals were one of the least watched NBA FInals of recent times. Nobody wanted to watch these two "team-first" squads from flyover cities battle it out with defensive intensity, passing, teamwork and all that crap. Don't believe me? Just ask the hundreds of millions of Americans who didn't turn in to watch the Finals then.

It was a disaster.

How bad was it? The previous year, a bad, non-competitive series involving big market LA garnered an 11.5 rating. Only game 7 of the 2005 series came close to that. Other games drew only about HALF of the 2004 average audience. Ouch.

But wait... things could get worse. And it did. Turns out Cleveland is more irrelevant than Detroit. Because in 2007, ratings sank even further. The NBA was seemingly in trouble. At least it was until it got wise.

The Boston Celtics snatched Kevin Garnett away from the forgettable Timberwolves. And Ray Allen away from Seattle (who could barely keep a team at this point.) Was it fair? I dunno. But I know it's great for business.

TV viewership went up 50%!!!

And it's taken off from there as big-market or star-studded teams and exotic NBA locations have taken over the Finals. Whether it's been LA or Miami, the NBA has been in good hands in recent years.

The stars belong in choice NBA cities. The public demands so. You want parity? Go to the elementary school's track and field day and grab your participant trophy.

You deserve a trophy.

[PhutureDynasty]

Explain why the 76ers tanking strategy was/is successful.

Then weep.

[Kennethgriffin]

i destroy abe in every debate.. he literally quits every single time and leaves us with "griff ruined it for me" or "i'm out" or "i can see we won't be having a serious discussion"


abe is legitimately the lebron james of debating on angergeneral. atleast when it comes to debating me


but i'm probably the best at agenda driven posts... so its no slight on him. i'm just on an entirely different level

[Havlicekstealsit]

You can't spell CHAMPION without ABE, for the most part.

[sportswise1]

so far- Abe hasn't won a single debate and is showing his lack of BB knowledge-- nothing new for him

[AbeVigodaLive]

so far- Abe hasn't won a single debate and is showing his lack of BB knowledge-- nothing new for him

Stats + historical references + anecdotal evidence = a lack of BB knowledge?

Maybe a good debate would be whether sportswise is a third-rate obvious troll -or- some chump who has aspergers/autism.

[sportswise1]

so far- Abe hasn't won a single debate and is showing his lack of BB knowledge-- nothing new for him

Stats + historical references + anecdotal evidence = a lack of BB knowledge?

Maybe a good debate would be whether sportswise is a third-rate obvious troll -or- some chump who has aspergers/autism.

better debate -- if you know anything at all about basketball
so far-- it reveals YOU KNOW NOTHING

[rtiff68]

A rebuttal to Abe's "ratings" argument could come by referencing a league that dwarfs the popularity of the NBA in this country: the NFL.

The NFL crushes the NBA in terms of ratings, and it has-- by far-- more parity than the NBA. While bringing in another league could disqualify this from being a "basketball debate," I think it does confirm that a professional sports league doesn't necessarily need to have its biggest and/or most high profile stars in its biggest markets in order to thrive-- when the Rams-Titans and Raiders-Bucs met in the Superbowl, EVERYONE was still watching and the money was still pouring in.

[PhutureDynasty]

Abe ducked the point I asked him to defend.

I win?

[sportswise1]

Abe ducked the point I asked him to defend.

I win?

absolutely-
Abe boasting that he can win anything is comical

[PhutureDynasty]

Abe ducked the point I asked him to defend.

I win?

absolutely-
Abe boasting that he can win anything is comical

He's certainly the "whitest" poster here, so he wins that competition, pasty white hands down.