"Farewell To The S.S.O.L."

[enigmatics]

Barbosa can go 0-7, never get back on D, have a matador's cape when guarding Parker and make 3-4 turnovers - and he still plays 30 minutes.

[Nebroc]

Maybe the Suns didn't win a championship, but we'll remember them 100 times more fondly than the brutally efficient and hopelessly bland Spurs, who taught everyone over the years that the regular season doesn't matter, transformed the NBA Playoffs into a flopathon, revived the vile and fan-unfriendly Hack-A-Shaq strategy and did everything short of sending Bruce Bowen out on the court with a chainsaw and a taser. If the Spurs were the Team of the Decade, no wonder ratings dwindled until the league's big comeback this season. The real shame is that all the mugging, acting, eye-rolling, flopping, rule-bending and hysterical shrugging obscured what should have been remembered as a throwback sports team, a shrewdly assembled roster of well-coached guys who played beautifully together, didn't care about credit and revolved around the best power forward who ever played. Instead, we'll remember them as the team that turned the NBA Playoffs into the World Cup. Congratulations, fellas.

Well said Simmons...........well said............

Wow Bill Simmons is a bandwagon tool. People may love a good dead musician or actor who couldn't make it big but in sports it's not celebrated at all. Fab Five's the exception but they influenced pop culture. Critically aclaimed? Casual fan aclaimed more like it. The suns won't be remembered like say Big L or River Phoenix but like the Sacremento Kings. That pathetic soft team with no defence that couldn't finish the job but always packed a exuse. You can whine about the Spurs flopping all you want... but please just don't defend the suns with it! Rule bending? The suns are the ones breaking rules that everyone knows about. Don't step on the court, is it that hard? Mugging? Oh my god, the Sun's are the ones that pay those fake thugs Amare and Raja. Amare asking where Raja lives and jumping off the bench like he wants to start something? Right, the Suns were choir boys! Anyways, don't expect anymore articals like this guys, because it's safe to say that Bill Simmons has stepped off the bangwagon now that the great white hype is declining.
2005 was a tightly contested series? You win one fluke game with the series out of reach and it's a tightly contested series?
2006- Healthy Amare and your NBA champs? Yeah, I'd love to see Amare trying to guard '06 Shaq or the Suns try to stop the force that was playoff Dwyane Wade.

[rsavaj]

-= original quote snipped =-

Wow Bill Simmons is a bandwagon tool. People may love a good dead musician or actor who couldn't make it big but in sports it's not celebrated at all. Fab Five's the exception but they influenced pop culture. Critically aclaimed? Casual fan aclaimed more like it. The suns won't be remembered like say Big L or River Phoenix but like the Sacremento Kings. That pathetic soft team with no defence that couldn't finish the job but always packed a exuse. You can whine about the Spurs flopping all you want... but please just don't defend the suns with it! Rule bending? The suns are the ones breaking rules that everyone knows about. Don't step on the court, is it that hard? Mugging? Oh my god, the Sun's are the ones that pay those fake thugs Amare and Raja. Amare asking where Raja lives and jumping off the bench like he wants to start something? Right, the Suns were choir boys! Anyways, don't expect anymore articals like this guys, because it's safe to say that Bill Simmons has stepped off the bangwagon now that the great white hype is declining.
2005 was a tightly contested series? You win one fluke game with the series out of reach and it's a tightly contested series?
2006- Healthy Amare and your NBA champs? Yeah, I'd love to see Amare trying to guard '06 Shaq or the Suns try to stop the force that was playoff Dwyane Wade.

Thanks, that was all really informative.

By the way, I'm not sure if you remember a single Heat/Suns game from 05/06...but Phoenix blew them out of the water, and that was with BORIS DIAW as the starting Center.

So you can go take your indignation elsewhere.

[TASTIC]

That was like a 2000 word punch to the crotch

Hurts on so many levels..Simmons should have gotten the MIL gm job, that would have been classic...imagine all the players he's bagged/brought down and he suddenly acquires them for next to nothing haha

[Nebroc]

-= original quote snipped =-



Thanks, that was all really informative.

By the way, I'm not sure if you remember a single Heat/Suns game from 05/06...but Phoenix blew them out of the water, and that was with BORIS DIAW as the starting Center.

So you can go take your indignation elsewhere.

The heat weren't much in the regular season that year. And the bobcats beat the Spurs twice last year the regular season doesn't mean anything but once Wade starts driving to the hole at will and gets his 60 fts a game the Suns spirit would be broken.

[albasuna]

The Suns would have ran Shaq and the Heat out of town.

[sine]

-= original quote snipped =-

Wow Bill Simmons is a bandwagon tool. People may love a good dead musician or actor who couldn't make it big but in sports it's not celebrated at all. Fab Five's the exception but they influenced pop culture. Critically aclaimed? Casual fan aclaimed more like it. The suns won't be remembered like say Big L or River Phoenix but like the Sacremento Kings. That pathetic soft team with no defence that couldn't finish the job but always packed a exuse. You can whine about the Spurs flopping all you want... but please just don't defend the suns with it! Rule bending? The suns are the ones breaking rules that everyone knows about. Don't step on the court, is it that hard? Mugging? Oh my god, the Sun's are the ones that pay those fake thugs Amare and Raja. Amare asking where Raja lives and jumping off the bench like he wants to start something? Right, the Suns were choir boys! Anyways, don't expect anymore articals like this guys, because it's safe to say that Bill Simmons has stepped off the bangwagon now that the great white hype is declining.
2005 was a tightly contested series? You win one fluke game with the series out of reach and it's a tightly contested series?
2006- Healthy Amare and your NBA champs? Yeah, I'd love to see Amare trying to guard '06 Shaq or the Suns try to stop the force that was playoff Dwyane Wade.

Thanks man. I didn't realize I was just imagining all the times I thought I enjoyed watching the Suns until I read this.

[mkot]

That was like a 2000 word punch to the crotch

Hurts on so many levels..

Yea...anyway to get our FO and Sarver to read it? This is like a big "F YOU" to him.

[ma_falaa_50]

Its time someone from the suns man up and take acccountability. MD screwed up, sarver screwed up, Nash screwed up, and Amare screwed up. Off these 4 men who is the most disposable? hence the first one to go. personally Barbosa didnt get better and still hasnt learned how to play defense, Amare still gets into foul trouble AND cant rebound and defend, Diaw is still lazy. who is to blame for all this? MD lack of discipline and accountability. I still remember how MArion would go reach camp out of shape. I still remember Diaw going without a rebound in 49 minutes of game play and MD still plays him. I still see LB play ballhog and Md is still trying to sell him as the suns PG of the future.

MD is just pissed cuz he knows his philosophy HAS to change and Kerr isnt afraid to tell him. MD doesnt even worthy of the credit of LB getting better because he deligated that responsibility to his brother. As far as Im concerned Amare still cant rebound and defend. He has gotten better at scoring but that mainly because of his work ethic and phil webber the shooting coach.

MD does get some credit for reviving the NBA but he also deserve the criticism. If you expect him to change next year, I wouldnt hold my breath. His time here has ran out. He is always going to be outcoached. I dont see anything in his history that proves to me this wont happen again. The suns need a real COACH.

[JohnVancouver]

[quote="valle del sol"]I've been watching the suns play ball since I was 12 years old. I am now about to turn 40. I have never felt sadder than I do right now. I don't care if we were worse Marion was part of our Core ie. family. Its like someone died.

--- Anyone notice that when Johnson left, he said the same things Marion did, about the team not be truthful with him and dealing behind his back.

Makes one wonder - PHX may not be the 2nd happiest place on earth after all.

I am just so damned depressed right now - almost wish they would just blow it up and put me out of my misery.

[JohnVancouver]

[quote="Arles"]There are three main culprits to the state of the Suns:

1. Mike D.
a. I blame him the most because he told Sarver and BC that he WOULD NOT play any of the rookies available when the Suns had the Rondo, Sergio or Fernandez picks. So, you are an owner who's on the brink of the luxury tax and your head coach (and GM - at the time) says he won't play any of the players you can draft. Why not trade them for cash and future picks to help you afford the players he does want (ie, Banks, Hill and extending current guys).

--- This is on the record somewhere?

Jesus ...

[JohnVancouver]

[quote="Nebroc"]-= original quote snipped =-

Wow Bill Simmons is a bandwagon tool .... don't expect anymore articals l



--- "articals"

Come on mate, uneccessary

TASTIC

[Arles]

There are three main culprits to the state of the Suns:

1. Mike D.
a. I blame him the most because he told Sarver and BC that he WOULD NOT play any of the rookies available when the Suns had the Rondo, Sergio or Fernandez picks. So, you are an owner who's on the brink of the luxury tax and your head coach (and GM - at the time) says he won't play any of the players you can draft. Why not trade them for cash and future picks to help you afford the players he does want (ie, Banks, Hill and extending current guys).

--- This is on the record somewhere?

Jesus ...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/68634

D

[starbosa10]

the SSOL era was one the best runs in the league in a while. It was great to watch and revived the nba im sad to see it leave phx but i hope it continues somewhere else because i agree with MD that the style can win a championship