Allen Iverson
Everyone knows by now how impossible it is to be a Philadelphia sports fan. I'm going to save you the belly-aching about how futile this city's been for the past 20+ years. I'm saving it because I'm not upset, not sad, not disappointed about this city's sports team right now. I'm just fucking angry.
I've been angry before. I was angry when Scott Rolen refused to sign a contract that would have made him the richest third baseman in baseball history. I was angry when I saw that our starting goaltender for an upcoming season was to be Jeff Hackett. I was angry when Andy Reid continually refused to sign a short-yardage running back. But no team has made me more angry than the Sixers are right now.
Allen Iverson is one of the best basketball players of all time. He's done things that nobody will ever be able to do again. He has singlehandedly carried a shitty, shitty, shitty basketball team on his back and into the playoffs on a number of occasions. And now he wants to leave. And I can't blame him.
I don't want Allen to leave, ever. I want him to be a lifelong Philadelphia resident. I want to see him play here until he's 40 years old, and then I want to see him on TV when he's retired. And I want that just so I can remember all the amazing plays he's made. When he crossed over the best NBA player ever, making him look like a fool. When he exploded against the Toronto Raptors, going toe-to-toe with Vince Carter like two heavyweight prizefighters. When he made that shot right in Tyronn Lue's face, then stepped over him like Muhammad Ali.
It's funny to describe a basketball player under six feet tall like a heavyweight champion, but that's what Allen Iverson always has been. He plays harder than anyone I've ever seen, in any sport. He's Rocky Balboa. He's the perfect Philadelphia athlete. And I'm angry because he's another athlete that we've completely squandered. And on top of that, he's never gotten the complete respect he's deserved. Years down the road, people like my father will probably talk about how he was just a nigger. Fuck that.
Allen Iverson played hard every time he stepped onto the court. He was late for practice, meetings, everything. But he just wanted to play basketball, and when he did, he was always the best player out there. He elevated his game when he was going against the best. I'm going to spend the next 15 minutes punching things while I think of how things should have been. If we didn't have the dumbest motherfucker for a general manager. If Iverson had the quality big man and the reliable outside shooter that he needed to win a championship. But he never had those things, and he never won a championship. I don't want him to leave, but I guess it's inevitable at this point. And when he does leave, I hope he wins. I don't really have to hope for that to know it'll happen. He's the toughest motherfucker in the game.
Watch this and tell me you don't feel the same way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwTgriL29o
Goodbye and good luck, Allen.
I've been angry before. I was angry when Scott Rolen refused to sign a contract that would have made him the richest third baseman in baseball history. I was angry when I saw that our starting goaltender for an upcoming season was to be Jeff Hackett. I was angry when Andy Reid continually refused to sign a short-yardage running back. But no team has made me more angry than the Sixers are right now.
Allen Iverson is one of the best basketball players of all time. He's done things that nobody will ever be able to do again. He has singlehandedly carried a shitty, shitty, shitty basketball team on his back and into the playoffs on a number of occasions. And now he wants to leave. And I can't blame him.
I don't want Allen to leave, ever. I want him to be a lifelong Philadelphia resident. I want to see him play here until he's 40 years old, and then I want to see him on TV when he's retired. And I want that just so I can remember all the amazing plays he's made. When he crossed over the best NBA player ever, making him look like a fool. When he exploded against the Toronto Raptors, going toe-to-toe with Vince Carter like two heavyweight prizefighters. When he made that shot right in Tyronn Lue's face, then stepped over him like Muhammad Ali.
It's funny to describe a basketball player under six feet tall like a heavyweight champion, but that's what Allen Iverson always has been. He plays harder than anyone I've ever seen, in any sport. He's Rocky Balboa. He's the perfect Philadelphia athlete. And I'm angry because he's another athlete that we've completely squandered. And on top of that, he's never gotten the complete respect he's deserved. Years down the road, people like my father will probably talk about how he was just a nigger. Fuck that.
Allen Iverson played hard every time he stepped onto the court. He was late for practice, meetings, everything. But he just wanted to play basketball, and when he did, he was always the best player out there. He elevated his game when he was going against the best. I'm going to spend the next 15 minutes punching things while I think of how things should have been. If we didn't have the dumbest motherfucker for a general manager. If Iverson had the quality big man and the reliable outside shooter that he needed to win a championship. But he never had those things, and he never won a championship. I don't want him to leave, but I guess it's inevitable at this point. And when he does leave, I hope he wins. I don't really have to hope for that to know it'll happen. He's the toughest motherfucker in the game.
Watch this and tell me you don't feel the same way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwTgriL29o
Goodbye and good luck, Allen.
posted by Kevin A. Doran at 6:05 PM
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