If Bulls 2007 season was a Disney movie, this would be one of those gut-check moments.
A moment comparable to when coach Gordon Bombay–played an oh-so-versatile Emilio Estevez–had to decide which was more important in Mighty Ducks 2: the money and fame of an Olympic coaching job or his team of rag-tag misfits.
Led by their own Gordon Bombay,–played by an irritable and not-so-personable Scott Skiles–this Bulls team of rag-tag misfits will face their toughest tests of the season starting tonight against the East-leading Pistons and Saturday afternoon against the second-seeded Cavs, both at the United Center.
If the Bulls win both games, they would, at the very least, be tied with the Cavs for the second seed in the Central and gain the NBA-wide respect they’ve been clamoring for all season. Not to mention the fact that if they beat the Cavs, the Bulls will have a better record in the series, which will come in handy should the two teams need a tiebreaker.
The good folks at Disney must be drooling over the rights to this stuff.
But despite all the drama and endless reasons to watch, there’s just one thing missing: you.
Stop the average Joe Schmoe on the street and he won’t know the first thing about the Bulls, save for the fact that they were dominant in the ’90s. No one seems to care that this team is actually built to go deep into the playoffs-so long as they can get their act together, starting with the next two games.
So after hearing endless excuses for why you’re not interested in the Bulls and NBA, I’ve compiled the top three worst excuses and the real reasons why you’re being so lame.
Lame excuse #1: The NBA sucks because all the players care about is money.
You’re 100 percent right on this one. All the players care about is money. Can you guess why? That’s right: because it’s their job. Using this logic, you suck and so does everyone else out there who has a job. What is true is that most of the players are overpaid and arrogant, but still not a viable reason not to watch. So turn on the TV and pay attention.
Lame excuse #2: I’m focusing all my energy on Spring Training.
Well that’s just hogwash. What you’re really saying is you’re too engrossed in tweaking your fantasy baseball team to join the rest of us out here in the real world. Here’s a helpful tip: Shoehorn yourself away from the computer for long enough to watch a Bulls game or two so you can contribute something worthwhile to daily conversations. Oh, and also immediately drop any Cubs pitchers you might think “is totally their year” from your fantasy team. It’s not their year. It never will be.
Lame excuse #3: Nothing will compare to the Bulls’ championships of the ’90s, so why even bother?
[Expletive deleted] you. With all the heartache Chicagoans feel each year come playoff time in every sport, each trip to the playoffs should be treated like the miracle it is. If the Bulls can win even one of these next two games, they’re would prove they have a legitimate chance to advance past the first round. Seriously!So, yes, it is understandable that most of you probably don’t live for the NBA. And it is true that watching an entire NBA game can occasionally feel like watching a Steve Guttenberg movie marathon. But the Bulls are actually worth watching. Give ’em a try. What could it hurt?
One thing is for sure: It beats the crap out of spending your Thursday night watching Grey’s Anatomy.
