Glory Days Are Back Again

The Sixers wanted the Glory Days back and they are doing their absolute best to get them.

In an effort to not let them "pass you by", they went out and got the throwback jerseys... full time. Then they went and dug up one of the franchise treasures. Now they just needed a magical run through the playoffs and an All-Star.

You can't have the glory back all at once but they sure are doing a good job of acquiring the pieces. Now if they could just figure out that winning thing.

PS: Remember Steve Francis?

A Nettes-fueled idea

Looking at the Nettes hapless (and, to the record-holding loser Sixers, wonderfully encouraging) season got me thinking:

What if the NBA borrowed an idea from Euro soccer?

Relegate the worst two teams. Move them down.

It curbs tanking. It provides incentive for both players and front offices to a) play like a team, and b) make moves that make a difference. It makes free agency more interesting (fewer players would stick with lousy teams in "pleasant" markets). Charlie T and I have talked a bit about using the D-League as incentive- bringing one team up from the D-League and bringing one team down from the NBA (it would certainly keep things interesting). BUT... looking at the Nettes and their femininely named roster, it gave me another idea:

Relegate the worst team to the WNBA.

No, this is not a Tyler Perry movie. And, no, I'm not using this as a way to air out some latent sexism that, really, I don't have. This is real incentive. Going back to the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs "Battle of The Sexes" tennis match, this has appeal to everyone. Women want to see women kick men's butts. Many men don't think women can compete with us, that it's cute that they even try (the catalyst for the crappy "you're so beautiful when you're angry" line) It's a concept at the heart of the Road Rules/Real World challenges and any other cookout/family reunion/game night that has used Boys Vs Girls to split up teams.

The Nettes would fit right in.

76ers - Glory Days

To start the season, we really loved the Sixers going back to their old logo and uniforms. In fact, we loved it so much that we were going to sift through the Sixers history and bring back more of the Glory Days. Then Andre Iguodala got on board doing his own artistic Glory Days impressions. The Sixers haven't stopped. They are fully embracing the Glory Days theme.

Glory Days is obviously a reference to one of the Boss' better songs. Some would argue that Springsteen is a prophet of sorts. You be the judge.

"My old man worked 20 years on the line
and they let him go
Now everywhere he goes out looking for work
they just tell him that he's too old"

Injury Report 4.3

Injury Reports have become one of Charlie T's signature posts. But I've been blog-negligent lately and the only strand pulling me out is an injury report. So here we go:

JAZZ EDITION
Carlos Boozer (ever winning back Jazz fans) is unlikely.

Paul Milsap (inspiring Jazz fans to pray, fast, and/or kill for him to stay) is a mortal lock.

Jerry Sloan (suiting up to show an underachieving team what it means to care) is probable.

REST OF THE LEAGUE
L.A. Lakers (hoping the Bobcats don't make the playoffs) are unspoken.

Tyler Hansbrough (giving teams visions of Mark Madsen and the Ghost of Eric Montross) is probable.

Philadelphia 76ers (missing Elton Brand) are doubtful.

Allen Iverson (actually out with a back injury) is complete and utter malarkey.

Joe Dumars (having patience for complete and utter malarkey) is out for the season.

Rasheed Wallace (not being the Pistons' residential talented headache) is surprised.

Dream Team-Up, Pt. 7

Team Name: L.A. Gear
Team Members: Baron Davis and Elton Brand

These supposed best friends (though some would argue that they both love certain immortalized former presidents more than anything else) will finally have the chance to play together. And there is nothing David Faulk can do to prevent it. I think.

The most intriguing part about this pairing, assuming neither one of them tears a ligament or strains a muscle warming up or driving to the event, is that they will both be wearing L.A. Lights. The intrigue follows rumors that they will be filming a commercial for L.A. Gear, who is making a comeback into the athletic apparel market, during player introductions. My guess is that the lights will be turned out and they will run around on the court while their sneaker lights flash. Okay so that isn't much intrigue. But since L.A. Gear is footing the bill and paying them large sums of money as a sneaker sponsor it really shows where their heart is.

Elton and Baron better hope they an stay healthy enough to collect the paycheck for the commercial. L.A. Lights don't do much if you are on the trainer's table.

Brand Equity

What does it say about you when a surprise upstart team that came out of nowhere to push the eventual champs to the brink signs you as The Piece Who Will Take Them To The Next Level?

That's flattering, isn't it?

But then your much-anticipated debut season starts to middling (at best) results?

You'd probably ask for a little patience. Give it some time, right? Maybe plop your coach in the volcano, just to keep it happy.

And then, you get injured (like you do so well) and your new team goes on a tear, looking once again like that exciting, upstart team that could scare anybody on any given night.

What are you supposed to think about the media (who couldn't wait for you to don their red & blue uni's, bring honor back to their city of fraternal amorousness, and make the Eastern Conference do their best James Brown impression and break out in a cold sweat) that is- as we speak- editing articles about how they sort of wish you wouldn't come back? About how the chemistry shouldn't be busted up. And a fanbase- still faintly tasting the Upset Sixers afterbirth from last postseason- is remembering what it was like to love and root for this particular group. And agreeing with their busily-typing beat writers.

What does this say about your brand equity?

this is the only picture of Brand in a Sixers jersey in the first 4 pages of Google Search. none of the "action" shots are in a Sixers jersey. but that shouldn't concern Philly, right?


All things being equal, these people booed Santa Claus.