Le Basketbawl

Even before New York Vinnie writes a word of this column I realize all the grief and heat that I am going to take for the stand I am going to take. New York Vinnie will get e-mails saying that I am twisted and Frickin sick and my priorities are all messed up. That is fine New York Vinnie has very broad shoulders and you can throw a lot of Crappolla on my back and I will be strong enough to stand it!

New York Vinnie does not always follow conventional Frickin wisdom; I have my own mind and my own set of values. New York Vinnie is not some lemming who follow the Frickin crowd; I go by what my brain and my heart tell me not what society thinks is the correct way to act.

A wise man told New York Vinnie many years ago that there are two kinds of mistakes a person can make; a mistake that is caused by trying too hard or a mistake a person can make by not trying hard enough. He then went on to tell New York Vinnie something that has stuck with me for the rest of my life. He said he could always for give someone for making a mistake by trying too hard but a mistake that is created by not trying hard enough is unforgivable.

Those are words to live by as far as New York Vinnie is concerned; you make a mistake because you are trying too hard New York Vinnie will pat you on the back. However if you make a mistake by giving too little effort than New York Vinnie is going to call you what you are; a lousy Scumbago. You don’t show any effort that means that you lack pride. And if you do not have pride you are Frickin worthless.

Friday night the Washington Wizards  lost a game to the Indiana Pacers by the score of 102-86. It was a game that the Wizards could have won had they exerted themselves instead of just going through the motions. Washington played the game with no heart and no passion and it showed in their lack of effort on the hardwood. Wizards All-Star forward Antawn Jamison injured his right shoulder during the preseason and has had to start the regular season on the injured list.

Jamison is a big time competitor and there is no doubt he is chomping at the bit to get back on the floor. However it is one thing to be frustrated because you can not play quite another if your anger is caused by a half-hearted effort by your teammates. According to the “Washington Post” Jamison let his teammates know his displeasure in the locker room in no uncertain terms. Reports say that Jamison could heard screaming and cursing in the hallway outside the team’s locker room. When reporters entered the room they saw that Jamison had also taken the fruit tray provided for the team and had thrown it off the table. There were reports of fruit, candy and pieces of the broken tray all over the floor.

Now New York Vinnie knows that lots of sports fans are going to think that Jamison blew the whole thing out of proprtion and overreacted. Not New York Vinnie though; I applaud Jamison for getting so fired up and hopefully he has inspired his teammates to play better. Every once in a while you have to speak out when you are disgusted by what you see around you; and to New York Vinnie this was one of those times. Antawn Jamison is the kind of player that New York Vinnie would want on his team; a guy who is unwilling to put up with a lack of effort.