DERRICH.com - crude, yet refined » San Antonio

Fourth of July Extravaganza with Robert Earl Keen

derrich — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:55:57 +0000

Fourth of July for me and my family usually means a habitual trip to Port Aransas. This year, we’re looking for a bigger piece of sky for our celebration…and we’ve found it!

Despite not being a huge baseball fan, I am guilty of enjoying a San Antonio Missions game every now and then. I’m also a self-proclaimed member of the loyal Texas Country following. Add fireworks and you’ve got ‘the greatest show ever been gave’!

Come cheer on the Missions followed by post-game fireworks and a live concert on the field featuring Texas Country icon Robert Earl Keen. “Play ball!” at 5:05 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at The Wolff (where’s The Wolff). The Missions take on Northwest Arkansas with the concert and fireworks show to follow immediately afterward. For ticket information, check out the San Antonio Missions website.

The H-E-B Fourth of July Extravaganza is presented by KRAFT and the San Antonio Express-News.

If you want to have even more fun, check out the other activities on the list. Other San Antonio bloggers have provided their take on some of the best activities in the area.

Take a look:

4. Fourth of July Celebration in Luckenbach, TX, by Luis Sandoval Jr.

3. Tubing on the Comal River (New Braunfels, TX), by Jennifer Navarrete

2. Celebration on the River (Kerrville, Texas), by Shelley Cook

1. Aqua Boom Festival on Lake LBJ, by Jessica Young

This blog post is part of the JW San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa “List of the Best Things to do in the Texas Hill Country” Blog Scavenger Hunt. The goal is to compile a list of the best ways to spend this Fourth of July (and any day of the year!) in the Hill Country. Bloggers from San Antonio, Texas and anywhere around the globe are invited to participate and share they favorite thing to do in the Hill Country. To participate and have a link to your blog featured in the JW San Antonio “List of the Best Things to do in the Texas Hill Country” blog post all you have to do is write a blog (length, style and everything else is up to you), include this paragraph at the end of your post and send us a link to it via Twitter at @JWSanAntonio. Visit our blog for more information about the Blog Scavenger Hunt. We can’t wait to read your post! Thank you for helping us discover the Hill Country – the home of the newest and largest JW Marriott Resort, opening January 2010.

San Antonio River Walk Expansion – Canal Lock In Action

derrich — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:25:43 +0000

The talk of the town in the last few days has been the River North river walk expansion project in San Antonio…also dubbed the Museum Reach, which includes the section between Lexington Avenue and Josephine Street near the Pearl Brewery. Today was the grand opening of this section.

The section boasts a number of features including public restrooms, exhibits by local artists, pedestrian bridges, fish lunkers (shelters), and the lock and dam complex. The lock and dam complex takes approximately 8-10 minutes to allow entry and exit of the barge and to displace 40,000 gallons of water. My brother took a series of photos and turned it into a video montage of the lock and dam process. Enjoy!

Storm Cloud Photo In San Antonio

derrich — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:51:34 +0000

As storms rolled through San Antonio tonight, the clouds produced resembled those in Independence Day when the UFOs entering the atmosphere…or like a fire crawling along the ceiling. Strange nonetheless. Although I snapped a pic with my BlackBerry and tweeted it, I got home just in time to capture it with the Nikon.

Click for high res photo

These clouds are called mammatus clouds, which means “bumpy clouds”.

Clever Advertising Slogan: Your Wife Is Hot

derrich — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:33:29 +0000

I’m no expert on effective marketing, but occasionally an advertisement catches your attention. In fact, some are so good you have to tell your friends and family all about it. Depending on the venue, the placement of some memorable ads can cost millions while others cost significantly less and are just as engaging.

Jon Wayne Air Conditioning in San Antonio has accomplished that with its ‘made you look’ slogan.

Jon Wayne Air Conditioning

I rarely notice billboards. In fact, I can’t think of one that caught my attention like this one since the GodSpeaks billboards.

When In Doubt, Shave Kobe In Your Head

derrich — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:47:52 +0000

One thing Spurs fans dread when playing the Lakers aside from Kobe Bryant are the droves of Fake Lakers in the crowd. Fake Lakers? The people FROM San Antonio that cheer for the Lakers…and they’ve likely never even been to LA. It’s annoying. Almost as annoying as Dallas Mavericks fans. Anyway, I thought I’d seen it all until my friend Daryl sent me this snap of some guy with Kobe’s mug shaved in the back of his head. I’m speechless.

No related posts.

Timing Could Be The Deferens In A Good Vasectomy Experience

derrich — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:20:40 +0000

If you’re looking for a solid excuse to take off during the NCAA Tournament, recovery from a vasectomy may be the answer. On the way to work today, I heard an interview with a local doctor promoting pre-NCAA Tournament vasectomies. According to the Urology San Antonio website, “men who have had vasectomies can return to normal activities within 24 to 48 hours of the procedure.” So why not use the recovery time during tournament time?

2009 NCAA Tournament Schedule
ROUND	DATE	LOCATION
Open Game	March 17	UD Arena [Dayton, OH]
Rounds 1 & 2	March 19 & 21	Greensboro Coliseum [Greensboro, NC] Sprint Center [Kansas City, MO] Wachovia Center [Philadelphia, PA] Roes Garden [Portland, OR]
Rounds 1 & 2	March 20 & 22	Taco Bell Arena [Boise, ID] UD Arena [Dayton, OH] American Airlines Arena [Miami, FL] HHH Metrodome [Minneapolis, MN]
East Regional	March 26 & 28	TD Banknorth Garden [Boston, MA]
West Regional	March 26 & 28	University of Phoenix Stadium [Glendale, AZ]
Midwest Regional	March 27 & 29	Lucas Oil Stadium [Indianapolis, IN]
South Regional	March 27 & 29	FedEx Forum [Memphis, TN]
Final Four	April 4	Ford Field [Detroit, MI]
Championship	April 6	Ford Field [Detroit, MI]

The Oregon Urology Institute did this last year. It was successful enough that they’ve decided to repeat the campaign in ’09.

You can’t deny that the timing of this is perfect, especially since the first two rounds of the tournament begin on Wednesday, March 19 and ends on March 22. If you’ve been thinking about getting the procedure done, why not now?

Whether or not there’s a pricing special or if it’s simply an astute suggestion is unclear. But one thing you can be sure of is a doctor’s note giving you the necessary tube time.

Get A Snip In Your City. These clinics are also offering March Madness-related events. If you’re in Austin, maybe a visit to Dr. Dick Chopp is exactly what you need (maybe the best aptronym ever).

San Antonio, TX: Urology San Antonio
Austin, TX: The Urology Team
Springfield, OR: Oregon Urology Institute — hear the ad

San Antonio Is Crazy About Cornhole

derrich — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:28:19 +0000

I’m sure you’re wondering what the h3LL it is I’m talking about. Cornhole! You know…the game. In Texas, we know a game called washers…played in every backyard BBQ, tailgate, and college fraternity house in the Great State.

What Is Cornhole?
Well thanks to Incredible Technologies, the creators of the ever-popular Golden Tee, their latest video game BAGS is sweeping the nation. The game is based on midwestern sensation, Cornhole. The premise is similar to horseshoes…toss a bag filled with corn at a hole in a platform about 30 ft away.

Where Can I Play?
We’ve decided to start hosting Cornhole matches at RETOX on Sundays. My brother and I built some boards this week, stocked up on some bags…and we’re ready to rumble! You can find out where to play cornhole in your city on one of these Cornhole Forums: CornholePlayers.net and CornholeParty.com.

Cornhole In The Media
During a recent interview, Stephen Colbert talks to Congressman Zack Space about Cornhole.

American Cornhole Organization is an outfit dedicated to promoting this pastime across the globe. They manufacture products, organize leagues and tournaments, and promote the sport through various entertainment channels (TV, movies, viral, celebrity, etc) via its brand.

Of course, there’s also a movie. An indie so far, but don’t be surprised to see this one make the big screen. It’s about time for “the next dodgeball”. Go check it out at CornholeTheMovie.com.

Big 12 Championship — Oklahoma Meets Missouri In The Alamodome

derrich — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:02:43 +0000

RETOX BAR Gets Its First Review

derrich — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:47:52 +0000

Well. The first unbiased, to-the-point review. Despite having heard primarily positive comments from friends, family, and strangers alike, Hector Saldaña of the San Antonio Express News gives a very objective point of view.

Hector Saldaña/Express-News

My only gripe with the review is the fact that RETOX is spelled “ReTox”. Clearly unimportant. I’m definitely happy with the review. I found Hector’s description of the bar interesting: “back-to-the-future, casual 70′s vibe”. Cool. It’s definitely different for San Antonio. The rock face bar and the lighting are certainly focal points. But you can’t ignore the 120″ wide screen, which is in HD. The cool thing is that the screen doubles as a curtain for the live music acts. When the game buzzer sounds, up goes the screen…and voila…a band. He also hit the nail on the head with regard to the overall feel. RETOX BAR is “…not trying to be fancy or pretentious…”. Ain’t that the truth. We definitely believe we’ve created a happy medium: not an ultra lounge, but not a dive either. In case you missed it, I posted a few photos at RETOX last week.

To read the rest of the RETOX review, click here. Thank you, Hector, for an excellent review.

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The Spurs Are Back…And So Are The Haters

derrich — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:17:52 +0000

With the NFL and college football coming to a close, my focus on them only grows stronger. But I do manage to develop an appetite for my San Antonio Spurs. Last night, the boys in silver and black ran though the Lakers…as they have most opponents thusfar. Having lost only to the Houston Rockets, the Spurs sit confidently at 7-1.

Courtesy GETTY IMAGES

Last night, Bruce Bowen put his lock down defense on Kobe Bryant holding him to just 18 points. Bruce Bruce also managed to add 23 points to the mix. Impressive for a 36-year-old veteran. Unlike this guy who thinks Bruce should retire already, I’m confident he won’t skip a beat. And to say that Bruce tends to “grab and hold [his] man” is just ridiculous. He’s lockdown. And although he likes to occasionally lay the smack down, his penchant for “white on rice” defense is frustrating to most players…and often mistaken for dirty play. Ok, so it doesn’t help matters when he decides to kick someone or throw the clothesline. But he does get the job done, and better then any defensive guy currently in the NBA.

Either way, it’s early in the season and most teams are just getting used to all of the off season changes. Luckily, the Spurs are operating under the same guise as last season. Hopefully, that simply means the team will be that much better come playoff time. Itwill be a necessity with the Western Conference as tough as it is.

Brokeback Mountain?
It should come as no surprise that Lakers coach, Phil Jackson, said something that stirred the pot. After sinking 13 three-pointers in last night’s contest, the Spurs’ performance led to questions about too much penetration creating open shooting opportunities. Phil Jackson’s reply?

We call this a Brokeback Mountain game, because there’s so much penetration and kickouts…

Brilliant, Phil.

A Few Pictures From RETOX

derrich — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:19:31 +0000

Well, we finally opened the place up this weekend. RETOX has been fortunate to receive rave reviews from our patrons, and the bands love the setup as well. Anyway, here are just a few pictures that my friends snapped this weekend (Leo isn’t the only one with hot friends). More to follow.

Click here

RETOX BAR is Almost Complete

derrich — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:54:27 +0000

For those of you that are curious to know how my bar is coming along…let’s just say we’re almost there. Needless to say< i've learned alot about this process. In a ense, we've made it longer than it should have been by cutting corners.

The bar is set and ready to go. However, there are 2 obstacles that prevent us from opening on time. We’ve encountered a finicky health inspector. He has found every little detail to shove back in our face. After disagreeing on several “requirements”, he kindly offered to bring his supervisor along, which I had no problems with. The supervisor was quick to notice our inspector’s behavior and set the record straight on a number of things. I was relieved. We’re addressing all of the issues, and let me tell you…RETOX will be the cleanest bar in San Antonio.

Second, and most importantly, our bar isn’t dry. Isn’t dry? Well, we chose a tile top covered with an epoxy which was supposed to take 48 to 72 hours to dry. It’s been 10 days and it’s probably 40% dry. Not good. Even as I type, my partner, Eddie, is removing it. At this rate it would take another 2 weeks to dry, and we don’t have that kind of time. The bad part is that’s about $600 down the drain. When put into perspective, each day we wait for it to dry is more expensive as we forego potential income. And each day we postpone our opening, we also put off bands and those aren’t relationships that we wish to mar.

RETOX Review
Last night while we worked diligently to address the health inspector’s checklist, our GM decided to invite a number of the bands in town to tour the bar. This proved to be a good move. You see…we took over an old “legend” bar called Iguana Bay. The place was known for having top notch bands and a great crowd…in the mid to late 90s. By early 2000, it had begun to take a dive, which led to its eventual demise. Many of the bands assumed that we did little to change the ambiance and layout of the place. So our GM, Dave, made a great decision to have them come see the new digs for themselves…something we should have done a long time ago.

One of the vocalists for one the bands decided to posit his own thoughts of our fair RETOX. Despite the fact that my partner and I got no mention as the actual owners, and that my Tour of Texas trip in which I treked down I-10 to El Paso round trip to pick up our blue velvet booths from Las Vegas, Scottie did us proud. Thanks for your detailed review of RETOX BAR in San Antonio.

…and don’t worry. Pictures coming soon.

Support The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk

derrich — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:18:55 +0000

Alzheimer’s Disease is something that hits close to home for me and my family. I had a grandparent that suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease (and one that developed dementia prior to her passing). So, what better way to participate in the fight against Alzheimer’s than to organize a team, raise money for charity, and get some exercise in the process?

The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Held annually in hundreds of communities across the country, this inspiring event calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $225 million. Team captains are needed NOW! Team Captains need to sign up early to ensure they have enough time to recruit a team and raise funds for the cause! I signed up to be a Team Captain this morning.

In order to join or start a team, simply locate a walk in your area. Then, begin recruiting family, friends, and colleagues to join your team…and ask for donations. Our team name is “In Memory Of…”, and our fundraising goal is $1,000. If you do not have time to participate in the walk but want to help a worthy cause, please consider donating to our team.

Donate to my team IN MEMORY OF… and support the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease.

If you are a blogger and you donate to our team, I will provide you a link with the anchor text of your choice in my recap of the Memory Walk…regardless of your donated amount. However, a $20 offering would be appreciated. After you donate, please send me an email confirming your donation to derrich [at] derrichdotcom. Blogger or not, I will definitely list your name as a donor…unless, of course, you wish to remain anonymous. The Memory Walk in San Antonio takes place Saturday, October 20, 2007. Thank you in advance!

Eat Your Heart Out Mobile, Alabama!

derrich — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:49:43 +0000

Sunday morning, I woke up to the most beautiful thing I’d witnessed in awhile…the sun. It was so bright, that I could hardly keep my eyes open…the kind of sunlight you curse when you’re trying to grab an extra hour of sleep on the weekend. But I welcomed it, and started the day with a smile, a stretch…and I almost belted out the tune from Song of the South. Almost. But I’m not much of a morning person, so my glee was limited. On a normally quiet day, the sound of lawn mowers and weedeaters filled the air. Some, including yours truly, opted to wash their cars even with the realization that by the next day, it would be caked with road grime all over again. It’s raining now. When you read this, it’ll probably be raining. This is just so ridiculous. I decided to snap a picture of the gloom so that you could share the mood with me.

Mobile, Alabama is the rainiest city in the U.S. San Antonio is well on its way.

This Week’s Forecast
According to the National Weather Service, here is this week’s forecast for San Antonio.

Tonight. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday. Rain and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 71.
Friday. A 50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a high near 88.
Friday Night. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 74.
Saturday. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 89.
Saturday Night. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Sunday. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91.

Great. So, if my blog posts carry undertones of depression, anger, and sadness you now know why. Have a great day, folks. (That was sarcasm, by the way).

By the way, for those of you from San Antonio…you can view real-time road closures on the City of San Antonio Public Works website.

No related posts.

Foul Ball Claims Life of Beloved Baseball Coach

derrich — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:01:13 +0000

You may have read or heard by now about Mike Coolbaugh, a coach killed during a minor league baseball game on Sunday night. He was struck in the head by a foul ball during a game in Arkansas. Talk about a freak accident.

Coolbaugh, a batting coach for the Tulsa Drillers, was standing in the first base box. He was only 35. Mike was from San Antonio, and attended Roosevelt High School with a good friend of mine. David Flores of the San Antonio Express-News reminds us of another incident that occured nearly 18 years ago.

Another accident in a memorable locker-room incident 18 years ago this fall tarnished Coolbaugh’s senior football season and ended the late John Ferrara’s career as a public-school coach.

With his team trailing Judson 21-0 at halftime of a key district game on Oct. 28, 1989, an angry Ferrara hurled a clipboard at a wall in frustration.

Unfortunately, the object hit Coolbaugh in the face and cut him badly. He had to be taken to the hospital and Ferrara was fired as the Rough Riders’ coach a few days later.

Even though he went on to a long pro baseball career after graduating, Coolbaugh never escaped his association with that infamous incident. But he handled the unwanted attention with the dignity that defined his life.

Needless to say everyone is heartbroken over this recent tragedy. Mike Coolbaugh was held in high regard by those he met throughout his life…coaches, friends, fans, teammates. Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy, and two sons, Joseph, 5, and Jacob, 3, all of San Antonio. Mandy Coolbaugh is expecting another child in October.

UPDATE: Removed mailing address for donations.

You can read the rest of David Flores’ article at MySA.com.

Rain, Rain…Stay Away!

derrich — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:52:42 +0000

Today is beautiful outside. Sun shining, only a few clouds scattered across the sky. And although I’m stuck inside behind my desk all day, I’m happy. HAPPY IT’S NOT RAINING ANYMORE!!!

For 2 weeks straight, it rained. Everyday. All day. And I can’t stand rain. Yesterday and today have been gorgeous. I even got to wash my car…gave it a bubble bath. On National Geographic’s website, they posted a photo taken by a NASA satellite between June 11 and June 20.

About 48,000 square miles (124,319 square kilometers), an area the size of Mississippi, was pounded by rains. Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were hit with more than 330 percent of their average rainfall. In Texas, every major river basin flooded, an event that had not occurred since 1957, according to the Associated Press.

You can read the rest of the article here.

NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs Celebration Video

derrich — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 06:52:42 +0000

Well. The NBA season is over…many NBA “fans” are thankful. I’m just glad the Spurs won. I won’t have to hear anymore about how the Spurs are boring (they’re not) and whether or not to refer to the Spurs as a dynasty (they are). I can just sit back, relax, and wait to do this again next year. Congrats, Tony! (you know) And congrats to the San Antonio Spurs.

My brother, Jason, made this video from a collection of photos he took after Game 4 in downtown San Antonio. I was there as well, but we never managed to find each other due to poor logistics. The second video is of the official Spurs celebration downtown last Sunday (Father’s Day). Now that the season is over, I can concentrate on Fantasy Football.

Win For Fin!

derrich — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:50:13 +0000

Spurs Will Try To Close Out Boring Series Against The Cavs

Courtesy Big Shot Bob in Texas.

Hey. It’s always exciting to see your team win especially in the NBA Finals. But I agree with most of the critics. This series is a…*yawn*…a bore. The lop-sided outcome has some talking about fixing the NBA Playoffs among other things. I’m just glad that this Finals matchup hasn’t gone unnoticed like those of the NHL. Who won that cup thingy again?

Don’t fret Spurs fans. I’m certainly not ceding to the idiots that continue to call the Spurs boring. Thanks to the exciting play by Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker throughout the season, there is no possible way even the most intent Spurs haters can say that any longer…since 2003 to be exact.

Take it from 6-time champion, Robert Horry, who says that this Spurs team is arguably the best of San Antonio’s four championship teams, but that they don’t compare to his 2001 Lakers squad.

What about Michael Finley? If anyone on this squad deserves a ring more, it’s him. Finley is ol’ reliable. He finds his stroke when it matters. In Game 5 of the Denver series, he sunk a franchise playoff-record 8 shots from beyond the arc. So, my mantra has become “Win For Fin!” since the start of the playoffs.

Don’t forget to download the Rob G Reppin My Block Spurs Remix and blare it in your car tonight. Everyone else will…including the 09er and Monte Vista mom mobiles.

GO SPURS GO!!! and let’s WIN FOR FIN!

A Notch In The Derrich.com Belt

derrich — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:15:20 +0000

15 Minutes of Fame? Johnny On The Spot, perhaps? Either way, I’ll take it. Last week, I posted a video of the Mississippi Braves Manager Meltdown. I posted the video Tuesday. By Wednesday, I was #1 for the search “Mississippi Braves Manager” (sans quotation marks) or some variation of that search in Google Trends, Google Blogsearch and Google Web Search. As of Monday evening, I am #2, #1, and #9, respectively.

For June 6th, that traffic translated into 27.94%, or 725, of my visits. Of course, traffic slowly tapered off as people stopped searching for it. Normally, I get about 400-600 visits per day. Not super awesome. But, my other huge traffic booster (totally unrelated) was for the Reppin My Block Spurs Remix, which is still #1 on Google, by the way.

In The News…
Friday morning on my way down to the beach for a fishing trip, my mom called to inform me that Derrich.com was mentioned in the paper. When I returned on Sunday evening, I saw that David King, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, had included Derrich.com in a list of blogs that mentioned the manager meltdown. According to King, it turns out that the maniac manager is from San Antonio…a graduate of Madison High School.

You can read the online version here. Unfortunately, none of the domains referred to on the newspaper’s website are actual links…or this could have resulted in even more traffic. The mention resulted in a small hiccup in Friday traffic. Hard to tell exactly how much of that was related to the article with no tracking. Like I said before…I’ll take it. Thanks for the mention, David. I’ll try to keep the one-liners coming.

NBA Finals Preview: Spurs vs. Cavs

derrich — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:37:32 +0000

Spurs West versus Spurs East. Spurs East? Cavs Head Coach Mike Brown, General Manger Danny Ferry, and assistant coach Hank Egan were all members of the Spurs organization in some capacity. As far as the makeup of the teams? Not even close.

And then there’s King James. Wait. Allow me to get this out real quick: *ehem* LeBron may not have gone to college, but the Spurs will take him to school starting tonight (thanks, Ed). Seriously though…LeBron James is a ridiculous basketball player. Arguably the best player on the court (sorry, Kobe). Quite frankly, I’m glad the Spurs are playing Cleveland because I wanted nothing more than to watch LeBron play…and do that thing he does with the chalk. No doubt Bruce Bowen will have his hands full. But in favor of the Spurs, who is going to stop Tim Duncan? Unless Sideshow Bob distracts Timmy with his dreds, it’s a hopeless cause. And Tony Parker? Not ti…I mean boobie.

The Spurs Are Boring?
That’s funny. The Spurs aren’t showy, but they’re not boring. If you’re a still a believer in this ridiculous mantra, then maybe you haven’t noticed Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. I think they split a sixer of Red Bull before each game.

I read a pretty good article on SI.com by Ian Thomsen that discusses this very misconception. Well, he just turns it into a positive thing, actually…but the Spurs aren’t boring.

People like to complain that the Spurs are boring. I say we should all be grateful. If it weren’t for a franchise like the Spurs maintaining the high standard for team basketball as handed down from Bill Russell’s Celtics, then the NBA really would lose its way as a traditional sports league. Without teams like San Antonio this whole enterprise might devolve into a reality show based on marketing and celebrity and preening for the cameras.

Check out the rest of the article about how the Cavs will only benefit from showdown with Spurs. Heck, they defeated the “supposedly unbeatable Pistons”. Whomever “supposedly” that the Pistons were “unbeatable” didn’t watch NBA basketball this season.

Spurs Haters Out In Full Force
When you win as often as the Spurs, or the Patriots, it’s inevitable that hatred runs rampant throughout the blogosphere…or anywhere for that matter. Spurs haters and Patriot haters are similar. They really don’t have a good reason to hate these teams…they just do. Kinda like how I hated Robert Horry with every bone in my body before he became a Spur. One thing remains: Bobby Ho is a winner…and undoubtedly a future inductee.

It is equally fascinating to see what names people come up with for the teams or players. For the Pats, the best I could find is the “Hatriots”. For the Spurs, you’ve got Tim “the Whiner” Duncan, and Manu “the Flopper” Ginobili, and Bruce Bowen who’s just regarded as “Dirty”. Typical bad boys. As far as whining, the Spurs have definitely toned it down since last season…arguably much more reserved this season. “Yeah…because they’re getting all the calls in their favor!”. *sigh* You just can’t win. As far as I’m concerned, the Pistons have stripped that title from the Spurs after this season.

Check out this hilarious video from the guys at Basketbawful.com.

…and be sure to check out Jack Archey’s breakdown of Cleveland vs. San Antonio.

GO SPURS GO!!! and let’s WIN FOR FIN!