Seattle Slew

An awful game, don't you think? From what I've read so far this morning, the piling on has begun. In the end, it's like an Amos Lee lyric: "baby, I've seen it all before, don't want to be your friend anymore". The evening started out so innocently; our TV spin doctors AGAIN try and tell us how good Ricky Davis is, how we don't understand the inner workings of the team. How many times do we have to be told we're not insiders, and by implication, our opinions aren't as informed as theirs? With results like this, what difference does it really make?

I'm not sure why I focus so much on the broadcasting team. I guess outside of the players themselves, they are the most visible, communicative face of the franchise. Of the other broadcasters in the NBA, they seem most tightly attuned to a single "message" coming from the front office, which again is one of the worst in the league. And, their justifications for their opinions is not on-the-court play, it's that you, the average fan, are not one of them and haven't played the game, therefore you must be mistaken.

Talking about subtle differences between playoff and championship teams may need an insider's acumen, but the Wolves are reflective of the state of modern broadcasting and marketing today: they don't trust their audience. Just buy the tickets, dammit, leave the decisions to us. I've participated on enough message boards to know a lot of fans opinions are flotsam. We as a species tend to think emotionally, and it's always easier to expect more out of the millionaire athlete. But fans aren't stupid either, and they know crap when they see it. And in the Wolves case, crap is what we're looking at.

It's time to blow up the team, entirely, from the front office right down to the broadcasting crew. Trade KG, get what draft choices you can, and build some buzz once again. Cater to the knowledgeable fan; bring back summer league games here, actually WORK with the community you're trying to market. That's how you build loyalty in the face of disastrous seasons like the last three.

Otherwise...it's the Adventures of the Iron Ranger, coming soon to a Podcast near you!