Zaijian, Yao Ming
Image from www.bleacherreport.com
In the fall of 2004 I came to Lianyungang, China to teach English to a group of high-school students. I was 23 years old, spoke no Chinese, and had never formally taught before. The vast majority of my students were good sports, but a few clearly didn't want to be there. After my initial efforts to engage them fell short, I mostly was content to let them sit in the back of the class and doze off.
One boy in the class was particularly difficult to reach- he never spoke, and since I couldn't speak any Chinese we mostly communicated in nods and grunts. One day, while walking home, I saw him shooting hoops by himself. He waved at me, and I came over. For the first time, he spoke to me in English.
"You are American, aren't you?"
"Yes"
"Do you like basketball?"
"Yes, I do"
His eyes lit up. He then spat out the names of some of the league's marquee players. Kobe Bryant. Allen Iverson. Shaq. Then, he managed to ask me which team I liked.
"Warriors"
Appropriately, he laughed in pity. For unfamiliar readers, the Warriors were then (and still are) a laughingstock of the NBA, a team that had been terrible for years. I asked him about his favorite team.
"Lakers. I like Kobe," he replied immediately. Of course. The Lakers are the Manchester United or New York Yankees of the NBA, the marquee franchise.
We then parted ways, silently acknowledging that we had ran out of language with which to communicate. But for the rest of that year, that student would diligently supply me with the number of points Kobe scored each game. 27. 32. 16. 47. And while I don't think his English ever developed much beyond that, basketball at least provided him with a portal into the language and the cultures that use it.
That, more than anything, is the legacy of Yao Ming, who has the distinction of being the first Chinese star in NBA history. Can you imagine the pressure that he must have felt? In China, stellar athletes are seldom found, randomly, in rural sandlots or anonymous urban gyms. They're bred, cultivated, nurtured, trained, and funnelled into a life where they have little choice but to excel in the sport, whether they like it or not. For a man of extraordinary height (7 feet 6 inches) like Yao Ming, basketball was to be his profession from the beginning- whether he liked it or not.
At an age when most people are still trying to find themselves, Yao went to America as the first pick in the NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Being picked first is a great honor for any player, of course, but also a great burden: in a game like basketball, a first overall pick has the fate of the franchise resting on his shoulders. So Yao not only had the usual baggage associated with being a high draft pick but also the weight of a billion Chinese eyes to deal with. And- it should go without saying- he was a young man with limited language skills sent to a faraway country, thousands of miles from family and friends and everything familiar. Being in a similar situation myself, I understood that that pressure alone could be unbearable at times. And I was just an anonymous English teacher, not a famous professional athlete.
Given all that, it would have been easy to understand of Yao crumbled- if the big man from China couldn't hack it in America, with all the heckling fans and bright lights and translators and handlers. No one would have blamed him if after a while he decided to return to China and attempt to live an ordinary life.
But instead Yao Ming turned himself into one of the very best players in the game. Prior to his career, men of his size in the NBA were typically awkward freaks, players called upon to do little else besides block shots and disrupt an opposing team's offense. But Yao was a force. When he was on his game, there were few players more dominant on the floor than the center from China. Yao not only shut down opposing team's big men but also could score, relying on a deft touch around the basket. Not only that, but the man was truly a gentle giant- he conducted himself with grace and aplomb, never letting the criticisms and jibes distract him from the game. Even when injuries ravaged his body in recent years, causing him to lose much of his on-court effectiveness, he was a credit to his team, the league, and his country.
Yao Ming, aged 31, has reportedly decided to retire from the NBA after nine seasons. Now wealthy and a hero on two continents, Yao seems to have set himself up very nicely in his retirement. Given what he has been through, it's difficult to imagine anyone who deserves it more.
Should We Feel Sorry for New York Sports Teams?
The New York Times wants us to feel sorry for the fate of New York sports teams, who have had a difficult time winning championships. Except for the Yankees, of course, whose dominance in Major League Baseball history is such that no other team has won even half as many titles as they have. The poor Rangers haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1994. The Mets haven't won a World Series since 1986*. The Knicks haven't won an NBA title since 1973, while the Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since 1969! How about the New York Giants? Oh yeah, they won a Super Bowl just three years ago.
I suppose one could argue that as the nation's largest city New York is somehow entitled to a greater share of titles, but the fact is its distribution across the four major sports is not in the slightest bit unusual, and that's even if you don't count the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders, two successful NHL teams who play in the New York metropolitan area.
The problem with this article is that it could have been published in virtually any other newspaper in the country without looking out of place. In the Bay Area, take away the 49ers five Super Bowls and you're left with four titles by the A's, two by the Raiders, one each by the Warriors and Giants and none yet by the Sharks. LA's record seems less impressive without the Lakers, as does Chicago's without the Bulls or Dallas' without the Cowboys. Philadelphia's four sports teams haven't exactly set the world on fire lately, and the city of Cleveland hasn't had a championship parade since the 1960s in any sport. The only city that truly seems to punch above its weight is Boston, whose four teams are all among the best in their respective sports.
I realize it's a slow period for sports but surely the NYT could have done better than that?
*An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the Mets' last World Series title came in 1996. It was in 1986, as anyone with a Bill Buckner memory should know.
A Ballgame in China
Last month I wondered whether baseball, my favorite sport, had a future in China. While it's still too early to tell, the Los Angeles Dodgers (jerks) battled the San Diego Padres in two exhibition games played in the nation's capital. Jeremiah has an entertaining roundup for those interested.
Much to my dismay, no prominent Dodgers appeared to suffer season-ending injuries during the games. (Yes, I know that's harsh but it's about all we Giants fans have to look forward to this season).
Yao’s Out for the Season- but for the Olympics?
The big story right now in the NBA is that Houston Rockets star center Yao Ming has fractured his foot and will not play again this season. For Rockets fans, this is surely terrible news: the team has won 12 games in a row and were a legitimate championship contender. Without Yao, Houston's hopes for an NBA championship are nil.
Ordinarily, this story wouldn't be earth-shattering news. Big-time players get hurt all the time, and sports fans have long learned to cope with these kinds of disappointments. But Yao's injury has broader implications than just the Rockets' season- he of course is the most famous athlete in China and the star of the country's ultra-popular national basketball team, expected to compete for a medal in the upcoming Beijing Games. Should Yao be unable to play, both China's competitive chances and the spirit of the nation's millions of basketball fans would surely dampen.
At the moment, it appears Yao will heal in time to hit the court this summer. Let's hope for the sake of China's hoop fanatics he doesn't suffer any setbacks. åŠ æ²¹ï¼
UPDATE: Just for the record, the Rockets have now won 21 games in a row- the last nine without Yao. The streak is the second longest in NBA history and has catapulted the Rockets to the top of the Western Conference standings.
Baseball in China?
China's two biggest team sports are basketball and soccer. As for the former, evidence of the Sinic obsession with the sport are everywhere: young men wear jerseys of their favorite NBA stars, Yao Ming's games are broadcast nationally on CCTV5, and every basketball court you pass by is filled with young Chinese men (and women) shooting hoops. One boy I taught once asked me to supply him with information about "street ball", his latest obsession. I had to confess that my experience playing ball in the concrete jungles of American cities was rather slim. And besides, basketball isn't my favorite sport; that's baseball.
Awhile back a friend and I argued whether baseball will ever take off in China. He was skeptical. Because Chinese cities are so crowded, he couldn't imagine the government clearing enough land to build a baseball diamond. In addition, for a developing country, baseball can be an expensive game: players need bats and gloves and spikes and balls and catcher's gear, none of which are particularly cheap. A basketball game can happen with two hoops, a ball, enough guys, and a good pair of shoes. Baseball? Not so much.
I countered that Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese cities were also quite crowded yet baseball managed to get a foothold in those societies. In America, baseball is now a mainly suburban sport but it wasn't initially- the game developed on the streets of cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Besides, several developing countries around the world are mad about baseball, particularly communist Cuba.
For the Chinese, baseball has several advantages over basketball. For one thing, size isn't as advantageous in baseball as it is in basketball, where few Chinese would be as tall as the average NBA point guard. Several Asian baseball players have succeeded in the US despite being undersized: think no further than the great Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.
Furthermore, baseball is a sport that emphasizes skill and dexterity over strength. South Korea won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 due in no small part to their mastery of fundamental baseball skills. The Chinese, with their legendary discipline, would be well suited to a game in which so much emphasis is placed on error prevention.
Finally, evidence is on my side. China has developed a national baseball team, managed and coached by former Major Leaguers. The team entered the World Baseball Classic and will automatically qualify for the 2008 Olympics. While it's entirely possible that the sport will fail to catch on just as soccer never really has in the US, I still think in the next few decades you'll see far more Chinese youths playing catch. It'd make me happy, at least.
Stunning
I usually don't care about the Super Bowl unless the 49ers are playing, and the fact that the game was aired at 7:30 this morning in China my motivation to watch was nil. But...wow: I can't believe the Giants won. I'm of two minds about this. Part of me wanted the Patriots to win, to humble the obnoxious 1972 Dolphins and to finish off what would be the most impressive accomplishment in NFL history. I also don't like the Giants much. Their coach is a jerk and so is their quarterback- I'll never forgive Eli Manning for balking to play for the Chargers (my No. 2 team) when they drafted him a few years back.
But as a 49er partisan, I was getting sick and tired of this Patriot dynasty talk and the beatification of native son Tom Brady, who some reckoned would knock Joe Montana off his pedestal as the greatest quarterback ever. Well sorry Tom, but Joe never lost a Super Bowl.
Plus, this will humble obnoxious Boston sports fans for awhile, which is good news for absolutely everyone outside of New England.
Anyway, the Super Bowl is usually the only time anyone outside of the US ever watches American football, which is a shame. The event seems more like an exhibition game than anything else- it's played inside a dome or at a warm weather site (Arizona this year), the ridiculous and bloated halftime show, the obsession over the ads, the pomp and circumstance of the introductions, and the sheer length of the game all would turn me off if I weren't already a fan of the sport.
For my non-American football following readers, the best time to tune in is for the second and third week of the playoffs, pitting teams from the same conference in cold-weather stadiums filled with screaming partisans. The Super Bowl comes two weeks after the conference championship games and often feels like little more than a formality.
These American sporting events are superior to the Super Bowl:
- The NCAA college basketball tournament
- The World Series (baseball)
- The NCAA college football championship game
- Occasionally the NBA (basketball) finals.
The Stupid Bowl
Actually, all things considered I can't complain much about this year's Super Bowl matchup. I was happy the Patriots lost though I realize a Colts win means we'll be seeing a lot more insipid Peyton Manning ads on TV. I was rooting for the Saints though have nothing against the Bears, so that's ok too.
A Disappointing Finish
So the Chargers' season ends with an early postseason defeat to the Patriots, a savvier and smarter if inferior NFL team. How many stupid penalties, questionable coaching decisions, incidents of poor judgment by Philip Rivers, and dropped passes did we see yesterday? The Chargers did all they could to give the game to the Patriots, and in the end New England finally decided to take it.
One consolation: this might cost Marty Schottenheimer his job.
So it's another Patriots/Colts matchup on Sunday, becoming the 2000s version of the Niners and Cowboys. I'm not sure who to root for. I like Brady and the Pats, but haven't they won enough already? In the NFC, it's an easy choice: go Saints!
Can't we fast-forward the NFL draft to the day after the Super Bowl?
49ers Today
So after several weeks of inspired play the 49ers are back to being blown out today in New Orleans. At the moment, the score is 31-10 Saints with eleven minutes to play. Given the less-than-explosive nature of the Niner offense, it's safe to say they'll drop to 5-7 after today's game.
Alex Smith is not a good NFL quarterback. Whether he'll ever be is debatable, but at the moment he simply isn't very good. He exercises poor judgment. He holds onto the ball too long. He telegraphs passes. His deep balls lack precision and are rarely completed. As good as Frank Gore may be, the Niners need a good passing attack to keep defenses off-balance. They don't have one yet.
Plus, Mike Nolan isn't a great coach. He appears to have the respect of the players, who play hard for him. This is more than can be said about his predecessor, Dennis Erickson. However, how many times do the 49ers have to call timeout because they don't have the right guys on the field? How many times do they call timeout because they can't start the play on time? This happens way too much.
If Norv Turner is calling the plays, why is he so willing to concede a punt? It seems like nearly every third down passing play the 49ers run is designed to fall two or three yards short, and of course Nolan elects to punt every time. That the 49ers went three-and-out seven times today shows that they're just not very good at executing basic third-down plays
Now the tired defense is unable to stop the Saints (admittedly impressive) two-tiered running attack, led by the bruising Deuce McCallister and the silky Reggie Bush. At least the clock will probably run down before the Saints can be the latest team to hang 40 points on the Niners.
Back to the drawing board.
Sports Notes
- The Old Man and I had a long discussion last night about the Giants' offseason. He would like them to make a more concerted effort in signing impact players, while I am more wary of committing too much money to overrated guys, like Carlos Lee. Of course, the situation is almost moot as most of the key bashers have signed: Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and soon J.D. Drew. Since the Giants have so many holes to fill, and since next year's free agent class is much better, I'd like to see them make incremental signings such as the reported one of Padres outfielder Dave Roberts. Yes, he's old, and no, he isn't a great player- but at 3 years and $15m he's a much better bargain than Juan Pierre (Dodgers) or Gary Matthews Jr. (Angels).
- Although young pitching is such a valuable commodity to have, I'd still like the Giants to dangle LHP Noah Lowry a little bit to pitching-starved teams. Lowry has shown promise in each of the past two seasons but it appeared late this year that the league had begun to figure out his bread-and-butter pitch, the changeup. Since Lowry doesn't have much of a fastball it would make sense to get rid of him now before he endures a horrendous year. If the Devil Rays were to be so kind as to offer Carl Crawford straight up for Noah, Brian Sabean should take that deal faster than it takes him to knock back a bottle of wine.
- The Warriors look good but caveat: they haven't played too many games on the road yet and the ones they have played have exposed their weaknesses. I am encouraged by a few factors, though. First, the rise of Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins. The first gives the Warriors great depth at guard (should they trade Jason Richardson?) and the second gives them a low-post presence who can actually score (unlike the rarely-used Adonal Foyle). Second, Don Nelson has inspired much improved play from the much-maligned Mike Dunleavy. Third, Ike Diogu's eventual return should give the W a second wide-body in the paint who can help keep Biedrins out of foul trouble. Unfortunately, the West remains awfully strong and the Warriors could suffer the misfortune of missing the playoffs once again even if they win 44 games or so. December- with its road-heavy schedule- will be the acid test for this bunch.
- A conversation with a football-fanatic friend (over in China, no less) has convinced me that the officials rule of an illegal forward pass rather than a fumble in last Sunday's Raiders/Chargers game was correct. Is the rule stupid? Of course. It always seems like the Raiders get burned by obscure and obsolete rules.
- The 49ers are a much-improved team, but what pieces remain missing? Should they continue building the offensive line? Should they get a game-breaking wide receiver? A big-time pass rusher? A top-notch safety or corner? How about all four? The Niners have a lot of picks in next April's draft and should have sufficient cap space to make a key free agent signing or two. I believe they are three or four good players away from being a contending team, though I suppose that could be said about every mediocre team in the NFL.