The NBA has lost its way

Unfortunately, the NBA has lost its way. What was once a respectable league based on fierce competition, has now become nothing more than a marketing scheme and everlasting shoe commercial.

It's no longer about the cities, or the teams that inhibit them. No, the NBA is about stars. Individuals. One-on-one highlight shoes. Thank you SportsCenter. Without the constant 24-hour cycle of ESPN this would not have happen. The league would still be about a game, as opposed to an individual sponsor made star.

I'm sure everyone has seen the LeBron James and Kobe Bryant commercials; as a matter of fact SportsCenter even had puppets of LeBron and Kobe open Saturday morning's show. It's no secret the league wants Kobe and LeBron to meet in the NBA Finals. Not Los Angeles and Cleveland, just Kobe and LeBron. They could go play one-on-one as far as Commissioner David Stern cares.

Kobe is already there. The Lakers, I mean Kobe, clinched a trip the Finals for second straight season with a win over Denver last night. They deserve it. But Denver also deserved more respect from the league.

Cleveland, I mean LeBron, looks to be in a bit of trouble. The Cavs traile 3-2 to Orlando and the Magic will be at home in a close out game six. However, never underestimate the power of NBA officiating. LeBron is still very much alive.

Unfortunately, the NBA has officially made the jump from professional sports to sports entertainment. This is what the WWE bills itself as. Congratulations.

Honestly, the best thing that could happen to the NBA this year would be for the Orlando Magic to win the championship.Sure, the sponsors would hate it. Ratings would drop. Fair-weather fans would be disinterested. But the league would benefit greatly in the long run. Basketball is supposed to be about one team competing against another. Not the And 1 mixed tape tour or Nike commercials.

Herb Brooks once famously told his U.S.A hockey team that "the name on the front of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back."

Agreed. Sadly, for the NBA, that is no longer true.

Why Americans haven't embraced soccer.

How does the world's most popular game remain so irrelevant in the world's most prosperous nation? The EURO League Championship match between Manchester United and Barcelona will take place tomorrow in Rome. In Europe, this is a stay-home-from-work event - and yes, people in European countries are still going to work these days. But here, in the United States, nobody cares. More people in the U.S.A. will be watching re-runs of Las Vegas, than the championship match, which airs at 2:30 on ESPN 2, tomorrow. My apologizes to Tommy Smith. Why don't Americas care about futbol, ehem, soccer? Here are my theories.

1. We're not good at it: In America, there is a constant need to be the best. Especially when it comes to sports. Football is a religion in our country because no other nation in the world can play the game at the same level. Yet, turn to a sport such as soccer, where Americans fall behind the collective skill level or third-world countries, and we write it off as a dumb game. It's the same reason why people who can't sing hate musicals so much. We cannot appreciate the talent it takes to play soccer at such a high level, because we don't have it. By the way, good luck to team U.S.A. in its upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches starting January 3rd.

2. Soccer in America is not played the way soccer is meant to be played: We have too many rules and regulations. Did you know fans regularly bring flares and sparklers into soccer stadiums overseas? Imagine if people were allowed to bring their own personal fireworks to sporting events in America! Soccer is about passion and obscene acts of fan behavior. But here, we have a three beer limit at the concession stands.

Bottom line is that the American culture is too uptight to enjoy soccer.