It will be interesting to see if the flypaper strategy deployed in this recent series of posts will work. Ogged & Labs: fighting commenter terrorists/insurgents there so they don't have to fight them here.
He did his job. He was just obeying orders. Look, these are bad excuses for bad behavior in the best of cases. But in Laimbeer's case, they also have the disadvantage of being transparently false. He *liked* playing dirty, he *liked* fouling on every play, he *liked* flopping like a fricking soccer player. He was almost dislikable to make you dislike Joe Dumars by association, and that is damn dislikable.
. He *liked* playing dirty, he *liked* fouling on every play, he *liked* flopping like a fricking soccer player.
That a Celt fan, who no doubt cheered when McHale clotheslined Clark Kent, could say this....My generosity towards Laimbeer is actually a result of that play (and similar such plays). I hated the Celtics so much, for so long, that any enemy of theirs was a friend of mine. I spent at least three years cheering for the Pistons to beat Boston.
Confronted with Hitler and Stalin, you refuse to choose. You are --- France. I, OTOH, am Churchill. And, thanks to WGN, I was also a die-hard Bulls fan.
Oh for the days when the likes of Bill Laimbeer, Jack Sikma, Jon Koncack and Paul Mokeski could roam the lane (mainly because MJ would be playing too).
Noted.
Posted by eb | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:15 PM
Best what ever?
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:16 PM
From his NBA profile: "Laimbeer was called 'the prince of darkness,' 'a street thug,' 'an ax murderer' and 'His Heinous.'"
Posted by Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:16 PM
I was more comfortable with the white supremacist stuff.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:21 PM
Always provacative, always pervy.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:22 PM
I find PJ O'Rourke kind of sexy.
Posted by Tia | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:23 PM
Facist.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:24 PM
Sigh. 7 to 4.
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:24 PM
It will be interesting to see if the flypaper strategy deployed in this recent series of posts will work. Ogged & Labs: fighting commenter terrorists/insurgents there so they don't have to fight them here.
Posted by oceanic | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:30 PM
Wasn't he the guy that Bird (or maybe Parrish) and Magic (or maybe Kareem) threw the only punches of their career at?
Posted by Ugh | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:41 PM
I never really had that big a problem with Laimbeer. His job sucked, but he did it well. And he shot a lot better than people realize.
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 3:52 PM
Kevin McHale was the sickliest, feeblest-looking major athlete I ever saw. Like Bob Dylan, he was from Hibbing, Minnesota.
Mark Olberding was also from Minnesota, near my undisclosed location in fact. He did more with less talent than anyone could ever have expected.
http://www.thebluesteels.com/images/players/kevin_mchale_200.jpg
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:00 PM
He did his job. He was just obeying orders. Look, these are bad excuses for bad behavior in the best of cases. But in Laimbeer's case, they also have the disadvantage of being transparently false. He *liked* playing dirty, he *liked* fouling on every play, he *liked* flopping like a fricking soccer player. He was almost dislikable to make you dislike Joe Dumars by association, and that is damn dislikable.
Posted by baa | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:21 PM
Sigh. 7 to 4.
That's why I think people should always quote the comment they're responding to. Less confusing.
Also, it's a bit of a pain to scroll all the way back up the thread and then back down again when comment 237 says "72 to 19".
Just sayin'.
Posted by M/tch M/lls | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:22 PM
people should always quote the comment they're responding to
Agreed. I don't like all the scrolling around either.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:28 PM
If I could win a world championship by making more talented people look bad, I'd happily do so. So sue me.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:30 PM
Talent-free Olberding shuts down Larry Bird.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:46 PM
. He *liked* playing dirty, he *liked* fouling on every play, he *liked* flopping like a fricking soccer player.
That a Celt fan, who no doubt cheered when McHale clotheslined Clark Kent, could say this....My generosity towards Laimbeer is actually a result of that play (and similar such plays). I hated the Celtics so much, for so long, that any enemy of theirs was a friend of mine. I spent at least three years cheering for the Pistons to beat Boston.
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:49 PM
Just when I start thinking that you might be a decent guy, SCMT, you go breaking out the Laimbeer apologetics.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:52 PM
Yes. Best 7-foot NBA villian ever.
Posted by Miller | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:53 PM
Just when I start thinking that you might be a decent guy, SCMT, you go breaking out the Laimbeer apologetics.
I like Thomas Kinkade, if that helps. Look, in the late 80's, as between the Celts and the Pistons, who did you want to win?
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 4:58 PM
in the late 80's, as between the Celts and the Pistons, who did you want to win?
This is the Hitler / Stalin question in disguise, I think. I was in Chicago, I wanted both their planes to crash.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 5:04 PM
Confronted with Hitler and Stalin, you refuse to choose. You are --- France. I, OTOH, am Churchill. And, thanks to WGN, I was also a die-hard Bulls fan.
Posted by SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 5:08 PM
Oh for the days when the likes of Bill Laimbeer, Jack Sikma, Jon Koncack and Paul Mokeski could roam the lane (mainly because MJ would be playing too).
Posted by Ugh | Link to this comment | 11-30-05 5:20 PM
Confronted with Hitler and Stalin, you refuse to choose. You are --- France.
I thought France was divided between Hitler and de Gaul/Churchill?
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 12- 1-05 12:56 AM