I am a lifelong sports fan.  I love sports as much, if not more, than the next guy.  And like your average sports fan, I get most of my sporting news and information from ESPN, TNT, and SportsCenter.  I also visit a lot of sports related websites, cnnsi.com, espn.com, nba.com, etc.  Inevitably on each of these sites you will see a poll posted that has something to so with the most current sports topic of the day.  “Who should win the NBA MVP? A. Lebron James, B. Kobe Bryant, C. Dwayne Wade, D. Other.”  Or “Who should be the first pick in the NFL Draft?  A. Mathew Stafford, B. Mark Sanchez, C. Who cares? D. Other.”

Because SportsCenter focuses on topics that will provoke a response from viewer they often only show the “sexy” stories while other stories are put on the backburner or ignored altogether.  For this reason the general public only knows what SportsCenter is willing to tell them.  I think that if you only listen to what the so-called experts tell you then you will be vastly uninformed and likely to say things that you think are well-informed opinions, but ultimately leave you coming off like a douche.

For  example:  Today on nba.com there is a poll that says, “Which young player has stepped up the most during the Playoffs?  A. Derrick Rose, B. Andre Iguodala, C. Rajon Rondo, D. J.R. Smith, E.  Aaron Brooks?”  If you were to answer this poll I already know what most of you would say.  You would all say Derrick Rose and if you were to view the results of this poll you would see that Rose has gotten the majority of the online votes with 46%, with Rondo a distant second with 32%.  I know you would all say this because Rose had one good game against the Celtics with 36 points, tying Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie record.  He looked unstoppable, he looked remarkable, he is a rookie and rookies just don’t do that sort of thing in the Playoffs.  The story was incredibly sexy and ESPN ran with it.  Derrick Rose was shoved down our throats for a week and America formed its opinion of Rose’s Playoff performance based on ONE game.

Let’s take a closer look at the real numbers.

Derrick Rose 2009 Playoff statistics:

PPG-18.4  APG-7.0  RPG-6.4  Turnovers-5.4  FG-49%  3FG-0%  EFF-19.4  STL-0.8

Rajon Rondo 2009 Playoff statistics:

PPG-24.2  APG-10.2  RPG-10.2  Turnovers-2.2  FG-51%  3FG-57%  EFF-35  STL-3.2

The numbers don’t lie.  Rajon Rondo leads Rose in every single category, not almost every single category, but EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY.  Rondo is averaging a triple double for the first five games of the Playoffs, a feat rarely seen in the history of the NBA.  Rondo leads or is in the top ten in most statistical categories, while the only category Rose leads the league in is turnovers per game.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating on Derrick Rose.  He is a nice player with tremendous talent and unlimited up-side, but he has not stepped up the most of any young player in the Playoffs this year.  One good game does not a great series make.  The obvious correct answer to the nba.com poll question is Rajon Rondo, but people don’t see it because they don’t take the time to make an informed opinion.

Don’t let SportsCenter tell you what to think about the sports that you love.  Listen to what the “experts” have to say and then ask yourself why it is they are saying what they are.  Is it the truth or is it the truth that will attract the most viewers?  If you’re ever confused about what to think just drop me a line and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.  Trust me, the next time I’m wrong will be the first.

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