Floyd and Manny

Last night, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao touched gloves and fought 12 rounds in Vegas, a duel dubbed pre-fight as the "fight of the century."  Floyd's elusiveness shined through for the 48th time in 48 professional bouts as he won by unanimous decision.

Everyone who is feigning surprise and bemoaning last night's fight as boring must not have watched Floyd's previous 47 sweet science displays.  Anger at the fight is misplaced.  Such anger is cognitive dissonance/buyer's remorse of falling victim to slick and pervasive promotion and marketing. 

Additionally, there are others who purchased the PPV and now regret padding the pockets of a man (Floyd) with a documented past of domestic violence.  Pacquiao, an outspoken Christian, philanthropist and politician, was cast as the perfect character foil to Mayweather's love of money.  The storylines were rich and dripping with nuance.

It's as if Mayweather's marketing team waved a magic wand that made casual boxing fans forget he fights a fully defensive style before they hit "buy" for $100.  I imagine there are others, rich and famous, who shelled out insane dollars to sit ringside that today are feeling a twinge of regret as well. 

I personally didn't purchase the fight, but I've made plenty of impulse buys over the years.  Yesterday, however, I used Floyd-esque defense to fend off the magnetic pull of ESPN, TMT and Manny (as a Christian warrior) hype.  The marketing major in me really appreciated many elements of the event.  From Manny eating Butterfinger products at the weigh-in to Floyd walking out with the actual. Burger King, Twitter was ablaze and $100 cheaper than actually buying the fight.

Both Mayweather and Pacquiao will one day be enshrined in the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. Mayweather is the best of his generation, revered by hardcore fight fans and dismissed by virtually everyone else.

Never Underestimate the Underdog or the Top Dog

It may sound incredibly cheesy, but as high school athletic coaches have been preaching for years, sports teach life lessons.  After watching two specific and very different sporting events and outcomes Saturday night (03/28), I began to ponder the life lessons that flowed from each.

As someone seven years his elder, I don't personally know Teddy Holder, but we share a number of mutual friends.  We also share a rural West Tennessee hometown of roughly 6,000 residents - Henderson.  When anyone from or associated with Henderson is under the spotlight, you can guarantee I'll be cheering them on.  I feel a connection whether it's Kings of Leon selling out stadiums playing their tunes, Kid President teaching us adults how to act, Freed-Hardeman Lady Lions competing in the NAIA Fab Four, Chris Vernon analyzing the Grizzlies post game on SportsSouth, Jasper Hollis twangin' in the Toyota Star Maker Finals, Justin Woods coaching up his Rossview basketball team in the TSSAA State Tournament, Blue Tears Rockin' With the Radio, Eric Jones serving as the key note speaker at an academic conference or Abbie Bayless singing on X Factor (Whew, what a list, and I even left out quite a few.  Henderson, whether by way of residents or FHU, churns out some talented folks).

This connection was felt Saturday night as I tuned into NBCSN (broadcasting live from Phoenix, AZ) to watch former Chester County Eagles football stalwart and now MMA fighter Teddy Holder touch gloves and battle as part of the WSOF 19 undercard.  Only a mere hours before the fight card was to begin, one of the co-main event fighters, Matt Hamill, had to withdraw with what was described as a "severe stomach virus."  One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, and opportunity shined upon Holder.  After accepting the challenge, he was thrust into the co-main event versus former UFC contender Thiago Silva.

The Brazilian Silva would still be in the UFC if not for widely documented legal issues.  His being jettisoned to the World Series of Fighting was not due to any slippage in skills.  Thus, Holder was an instant, heavy underdog who had not fought professionally in a long 19 months.

Sometimes in life, a person may get a job opportunity that is several levels up the corporate ladder, or perhaps a fella lands a date with a lady perceived to be out of his league.  In such instances, it's all about how you react to the situation and capitalize upon it.  That's the life lesson that Holder personified Saturday night.

Our living room was HYPED as first Holder walked out and was followed by Silva.  As the fight began, the fighters looked evenly matched.  Silva moved fluidly, but Holder's power was evident with every heavy-handed punch that he fired at Silva.  A bit into the first round, Silva tagged Holder with a right hand that knocked the Chester County native back a few feet and seemingly had him in trouble.  Unbeknownst to Silva, Holder was not in trouble, but rather, he was in wounded bear mode.  Holder gathered himself and connected with a quick right hook behind the left ear of Silva that crumpled the Brazilian.  He then pounced upon Silva and quickly ended the affair with punches and hammer fists to improve to 9-1 and put himself on the MMA map.

Not only did Holder earn some street cred, he improved his payday by taking the fight with Silva.  Also, the fight was a semifinal of the WSOF's light heavyweight tournament so Holder now finds himself in the final awaiting the winner of the Ronny Markes versus David Branch fight.  Holder stands a very good chance of becoming the WSOF's inaugural 205 pound champion.  Had he not boldly accepted the opportunity to mix it up with Silva on three hours notice, he would not be in this position.  As the Latin proverb says, "Fortune favors the bold."  (Here's a link to a post fight article and interview with Holder.)

After watching the Holder upset, there was no time to decompress as we flipped the TV over to the final 12 minutes of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Final as the unblemished University of Kentucky Wildcats (37-0 going into the game) were nip and tuck with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.   The Cats have blown many teams out of the water this season, but they have also been in some down-to-the-wire affairs with Ole Miss and at LSU.  With all due respect to those contests, Kentucky found themselves in their tightest spot yet versus the best team they've played all season Saturday night.

The Cats trailed for much of the second half versus Notre Dame.  The pressure was squarely upon Kentucky as they are striving to go 40-0 and ride off into the sunset as possibly the best college basketball team of all-time.

High achievers often face high expectations and pressures.  Maybe it's a high level sales professional who is given a daunting quota based on his or her performance from the previous quarter.  Or perhaps, a kitchen manager at a high volume restaurant is down in staff on a busy Saturday night and has 30 tickets scattered before him.  Another example is a product development or engineering team that is trying to get an innovative product to market and beat out a competitor.  In these examples, can the stakeholders muffle the distractions, self-doubts and team strife that can derail their goals?  Can they dig deep and calmly deliver under pressure?

Coach Cal and the UK players calmly delivered down the stretch Saturday night.  Karl-Anthony Towns scored a career high 25, and 17 of the points came in the second half.  With six ticks remaining on the clock, and the game tied, Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison calmly sank two free throws to ultimately win the game for the Cats.

Another life lesson the Cats have taught throughout this season is how ultra-talented performers can thrive together without any appearance of jealously or infighting.  Kentucky boasts a staggering nine McDonald's All-Americans on its 2014-2015 roster, and nobody on the team averages more than 11.0 points per game.  The Kentucky roster is chock full of players who could easily average 20 points per contest on a team in which they were one of a handful or the lone star player.  Instead, these talented players have set aside personal statistical achievements in search of shared, team glory.

Kentucky advanced to the Final Four to lock horns with the well-coached and seasoned Wisconsin Badgers, and Holder (as indicated previously) will be fighting later this year for the WSOF 205 light heavyweight championship.  If they win, life lessons can be gleaned, and if they lose, perhaps they'll show us how to deal with setbacks and move forward accordingly.  There are life lessons to be learned either way.

Baseball Hall of Fame and the Crime Dog

It's Election Eve for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, an annual event that brings together dissenting baseball fans, old school writers, new age metrics gurus, PED bashers, PED player supporters, Pete Rose bashers and Pete Rose fanboys like a smoldering pot of gumbo.  Unlike gumbo, however, these ingredients rarely compliment one another.  Instead, there is finger pointing, name calling and disagreement - basically all of the things that make sports great in America.

As a Braves fan, last year was a banner year for the HoF, and hopefully the run continues this year with Smoltz getting in as a first ballot guy.  I would also love to see Rock Raines somehow get in.  I have opinions on other guys too, but for this post, I want to focus on the Crime Dog, Fred McGriff.

McGriff has long been overlooked and undervalued in my humble opinion.  I checked Twitter earlier today and saw a tweet from a Tampa writer (see photo at top of post) that got my juices flowing.  Obviously, Mooney may be biased as McGriff is a Tampa, Florida product, but I too would vote for McGriff if I had a ballot.  Of course, his tweet incited multiple people to question Mooney's voting for McGriff over Bagwell.  I am not going to dive into the Crime Dog versus Bags comparison, but I do have something to offer in regards to McGriff as a standalone candidate.  I typed the following words on a Yahoo fantasy baseball message board back on August 8, 2014, and the words still ring true today:

Ok... Ok.... You guys making fun of Fred McGriff's tall, mesh-back cap and the kid throwing the ball in the trash can from center field has forced my hand. Here's the case for Fred McGriff:

Over a stellar 19 year career, the Crime Dog did the following:

• 2,490 hits for Fred. There are currently 18 HoF 1st basemen. 11 of them do not have as many hits as Fred McGriff. Notables include Harmon Killebrew - 2,086 and Willie McCovey - 2,211.
• 493 HR for Fred. I realize that 500 is the "magic number." He's only seven off that number so give me a break. McGriff hit 30 or more bombs in 10 of his 19 seasons and 20 or more in 15 of 19 seasons. He was a true model of consistency.
• 1,550 RBI for Fred. This is more than 10 of the current 18 HoF first basemen. Willie McCovey drove in 1,555 runs in his career, very comparable. Killebrew, a fabled HR hitter, drove in 1,584 for his career, again very comparable to McGriff.
• .284 BA for Fred. Harmon Killebrew hit the magic home run total with 573 dingers, but he hit a paltry .256 for his career. It's like he was an extra good Rob freakin' Deer.
• McGriff won 3 Silver Slugger Awards and was a 5 time All-Star. Had his contemporaries not been on the juice, these numbers would be enhanced.
• Fred McGriff played in 10 playoff series during his vaunted career (3 NLDS, 1 ALCS, 4 NLCS & 2 WS). His playoff totals are as follows: .303 BA, 10 HR, 37 RBI. In the 1995 NLCS, he hit a blistering .438 with 11 total bases in 19 plate appearances. He hit 2 HR in the WS that year as the Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians. He was a clutch performer.
• A 6+ WAR is considered to be a MVP candidate, and 5+ is considered to be a superstar (as rules of thumb). McGriff had two seasons of WAR above 6 and four seasons above 5. The two seasons above 6 are impressive. Anytime you have a 19 year career and are a MVP candidate (stats wise) in multiple seasons, it shows elite level play.

It's a shame that such a stellar player was overshadowed by the muscled up players from his era to a point that he's not even considered for the HoF in a serious manner.

I'm sure tomorrow will come and go without Fred McGriff gaining entry into Cooperstown.  I'll still be beating the McGriff drum just like that day the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium press box caught on fire.  

It's time for Butch Jones to pull a Derek Dooley

I feel a bit like a New York Post headline writer seeking page clicks with the sensational title of this blog post.  On the surface, the title/headline of "It's time for Butch Jones to pull a Derek Dooley" makes absolutely no sense, but it has an element of truth and validity that I plan on justifying in the next few paragraphs.

All University of Tennessee Volunteer fans know that the Derek Dooley era was an unmitigated disaster.  In fact, it has been mused by many pundits, fans and talking heads that Derek Dooley was perhaps the worst SEC head coaching hire in the history of the storied conference.  That notwithstanding, there were a handful of positive blips within the otherwise dreadful Dooley era.

Dooley's first season in 2010 was a tale of ebbs and flows within the season.  The Vols opened the season with a 50-0 blanking of the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks before before losing two games in Neyland to Oregon and Florida.  The Vols then defeated UAB before dropping four straight at LSU, at Georgia, home versus Alabama and at South Carolina.  Those four games, three of which were on the road, were quite the gauntlet.  I don't need to remind any Volunteer fans about the misery of the chaotic ending in Baton Rouge; it was what would come to be known as "Dooley-esque."

After the gauntlet of four oppressive games, the Vols stood at 2-6 going into the stretch run of the season.  The University of Tennessee HAS NEVER won fewer than five football games in a season so obviously that streak was in jeopardy.  The final four games of at Memphis, home versus Ole Miss, at Vanderbilt and home versus Kentucky were just what the doctor ordered.  UT blasted a pitiful Memphis bunch 50-14 before defeating Ole Miss 52-14.  The Vols then won two competitive games against Vandy and Kentucky to reach 6-6 and a Music City Bowl berth.  I was at that Music City Bowl game with my lovely wife and a buddy.  I need not remind them or any Volunteer fan reading this post that the ending was reminiscent of the LSU game - very "Dooley-esque."

Even though the Dooley era was a horrendous period in Volunteer football history, those four games against Memphis, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky were a bright spot.  Obviously, all four Volunteer opponents were bottom-feeder type teams and programs (at the time), but when a football team is 2-6, four wins in succession are impressive and inspiring no matter the opponents.

That leads me to the 2014 Butch Jones led University of Tennessee Volunteers who currently sit at 3-5 on the season (winless in SEC play).  Just like the 2010 Vols, the 2014 Vols have played a tremendously challenging schedule versus stalwarts teams such as Oklahoma, Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama.  That being said, the gauntlet is over.  The Vols next four games are at South Carolina, home versus Kentucky and Missouri and at Vanderbilt which will be a virtual home game with more orange and white in the stands than black and gold.  Butch Jones needs to pull a 2010 Derek Dooley by winning the last four games of the regular season to springboard into a bowl game.  The Vols have not played in a bowl game since that Music City Bowl against North Carolina.  Thus, virtually this entire roster has never been to a bowl game.  Think about that; there's a possibility that A.J. Johnson may never play in a bowl game while donning the Big Orange.  For such an elite defensive talent, that is a sad possibility to consider.

If the Vols can win the next four, they will ASSURE themselves a winning record of at least 7-6 with a bowl loss or 8-5 with a bowl win.  That would be huge for recruiting and huge for this current group of Vols with the extra weeks of bowl practice and camaraderie that comes from the bonding experience of a bowl game.  Also, as I have gotten older and more seasoned in life experiences, I have learned that finishing strong is the lifeblood of success.  For instance, August college classes are brimming with eager students with visions of 4.0 GPAs dancing in their heads.  However, as the semester begins to age, the days become colder and those initial feelings of excitement subside, class attendance begins to suffer.  Those who fall to the wayside either drop classes or simply fail them.  However, those who are steadfast and "work like heck" (Fulmer-ism) are the ones who taste the glory of good grades in the end.  Another example is the Atlanta Braves during their 14 division title run.  They only finished strong ONCE during that 14 division title run; thus, they only nabbed a single WS title during that time period.  The Yankees were the ones who finished strong during that era, and they have the WS rings to show for it.  This is not the first time I have written about the virtues and positive effects of "finishing strong."  (I would link one of those old stories, but the old Checkerboard Chatter links are hard to find).  Finishing strong is what the 2014 Vols need to do!

There are differences between the 2010 stretch run and the 2014 stretch run.  For openers, the final four teams are more quality opponents than the final four from 2010.  South Carolina has had a very disappointing 2014, but they are capable of playing a great ballgame.  Missouri is not an excellent team, but they are capable of winning ballgames; just ask the Gators.  Kentucky is much improved as well.  Hence, these four games are not automatic (other than Vanderbilt; they suck).  All of this being said, if Butch Jones is the real deal (as I believe him to be), the Vols must win all four of these games or at a bare minimum three of four.  Anything less is unacceptable at this point.  The Vols have heavily documented depth problems, but they also have a hard-nosed, athletic defense; great crop of skill guys and an emerging dual-threat quarterback in Joshua Dobbs.  Dobbs provided a spark against the Crimson Tide, and I personally believe he HAS to be the guy in these last four games, no matter Worley's health situation.  I am eager to watch the Vols play against opponents that aren't world beaters to see how they respond.  While the 4-0 stretch run in 2010 under Dooley did not lead to bigger and better things under his watch, I truly believe a 4-0 run under Jones in 2014 would catapult the Vols to much more than a winning overall record in 2014, it would springboard them into being in the mix for the SEC East in 2015.  After the last few years of wandering in the wilderness like the Israelites, I believe all UT fans would welcome being relevant as a SEC contender.  So here's to Butch Jones pulling a Derek Dooley and winning these next four games.

Go Vols!

- Eric L. Taylor

Coach Derek Mason and the Peter Principle

Early September or late summer (yes, I typed summer; it's not officially fall yet) is my favorite time time of the year for sports.  It's like an explosion of goodness: U.S. Open tennis, college football, NFL, MLB playoffs looming and almost time for NBA and NHL training camps to begin.  It's a true horn of plenty!  This cornucopia of sporting goodness always gets my juices flowing and hence, I am motivated to dust off my personal blog.

Over the past year and a half, the different faces of manhood/adulthood have eroded almost all of my personal blogging time.  As a husband and father with busy career and school (MBA) endeavors, my personal blogging time has been almost zilch.  That being said, there's nothing like this time of year to change all of that, albeit for only a respite.

My favorite team, the University of Tennessee Volunteers, features a very young roster under second year head coach Butch Jones.  The youthful Vols are incredibly athletic, confident and really fun to watch. Their upcoming schedule is brutal (next game is in Norman, Oklahoma), but it's nice to see them beat two genuinely quality opponents in Utah State and Arkansas State to kickoff the season.

While I have been pleased with my Volunteers, I have been utterly stunned by the level of ineptitude exhibited by the Vanderbilt Commodores.  The previous three seasons under now-departed head coach James Franklin were historically excellent for the Dores.  A 6-7 season and two 9-4 seasons culminated with two bowl wins in two seasons had Vanderbilt fans believing that the days of being a SEC doormat were over.

Over the past week in my MBA studies, I read numerous academic articles about the Peter Principle (and subsequently wrote about it).  The principle is named after Laurence J. Peter, and it basically states that managers/candidates/employees are promoted on the merits of what they have accomplished in their current role(s) instead of valid and accurate projections of how they will fare in their new and advanced roles.  The principle sadly concludes that managers often rise to a level of incompetence.  Typically, the principle applies to managers who work and subsequently rise to their new perches all within the same organization.  For the purposes of this blog post, I am applying the principle to coaches being promoted from coordinator at one school to head coach at a different school.

When the Peter Principle is framed in a college football coaching context, it sometimes comes to fruition, and sometimes it doesn't.  When a coach spends his years working his way up the ranks as a position coach and coordinator, many of the attributes are transferable to the role of head coach.  However, there are a myriad of tasks a HC much execute and hats he must wear that are not measurable until the coach is thrown into the fire.  Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, it appears the Peter Principle is being played out in the Derek Mason era.

Mason played his college football as a defensive back at Northern Arizona from 1989-1992.  He has been coaching since 1994 at a number of stops and in a wide range of capacities.  He has coached wide receivers, defensive backs and running backs.  He has worked for small colleges, big-time programs and even in the NFL (Vikings DB coach 2007-2009).  Most recently, Mason was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Stanford where he had a bevy of successes.  Vanderbilt hired Mason due to his successes at Stanford as a coordinator and associate head coach, and thus far, it has not translated to successes as a head coach.  Vanderbilt has been throttled by Temple and Ole Miss by an overall tally of 78-10 AT HOME!  Through two dreadful games, Vanderbilt has played an assortment of quarterbacks, and they have not scored a single offensive touchdown.  It's been turrible (Sir Charles).

The Peter Principle is not a hard and fast rule.  The fact that someone is given a chance to be successful in his or her chosen field is what makes American elitism possible.  Conversely, in many nations, blue collar workers are stuck at that level for their entire working lives without much hope for upward mobility.  In the United States, there certainly exists roadblocks and glass ceilings (in some instances), but in theory, upward mobility is possible for everyone who works hard and makes their own breaks.  That's exactly what James Franklin did.  Franklin has a similar coaching background as Mason, and Franklin's first head coaching opportunity was at Vanderbilt.  Unlike Mason, Franklin was not promoted to a level of incompetence.  Rather, he was promoted to a role in which he thrived, and he will continue to thrive at Penn State.  Sure, he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way while at Vandy (UT fans and Todd Grantham), but he was highly successful at a place that hasn't experienced a ton of wins over the years.  Franklin is the antithesis of the Peter Principle.

Coach Mason seems like a real stand up guy, and he has been very successful in his past roles.  I don't doubt whatsoever that is a quality man, but it seems he has been promoted way over his head in a Derek Dooley-esque fashion.  It's only been two games; maybe he can turn it around.  Vandy just looks so putrid, and their fan base seems to have been zapped of all the positive energy that Franklin infused into the program.  It's hard to believe it has fallen so fast.

Knicks take a flier on Derek Fisher

My first exposure to newly minted New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher came in the summer of 1996.  I was hanging out at the home of my best friend and classmate, Justin Woods.  Justin, who now coaches Rossview HS girls basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee, was a prolific high school basketball scorer.  As we were hanging out in the kitchen (a common occurrence due to its obvious close proximity to food), he handed me a letter he had gotten that day in the mail.  As I opened the envelope, I noticed the letter was on high quality paper with an official letterhead adorning the top of the page.  It was an official recruitment letter from the basketball program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Obviously Justin was excited to be receiving a recruiting letter, and after reading the letter, I noticed there was a flier included as well.  "Oh yeah, they just had a point guard get drafted by the Lakers," chimed Justin.  "Oh really, that's nice," I responded.  The flier wasn't on the same letterhead, and it seemed to be something the SID hurriedly put together.  I recall a grainy image of a player named Derek Fisher who enjoyed a stellar yet under the national radar career at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.  Derek Fisher was the 24th player taken in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.  The flier noted his draft achievement, his college stats and the fact he was Sun Belt Conference player of the year in 1996 in brief paragraph form.  The flier underscored that the Trojans now had a very enticing nugget to utilize when trying to lure talented young men to Little Rock to play college hoops.  I recall thinking, "That's cool this small college point guard is getting a shot.  Maybe he'll stick around a couple of years in the NBA."

Fast forward from 1996 to 2014, and Fisher's resume boasts 18 years as a NBA player, 5 NBA championships, a players' union presidency, a bevy of big shots and the most playoff games played in NBA history.  Now roughly 10 days after participating in his last playoff game as a player in the Western Conference Finals, he has inked a 5 year $25 million dollar deal to coach one of the highest profile teams in the NBA.  If someone had told me on that summer day back in 1996 that Derek Fisher would generate such longevity and excellence, I would haven't believed it.

Was it wise for Phil Jackson to hire his former point guard who has no coaching experience?  Will my favorite NBA team finally win a championship during my lifetime?  Those questions can't be answered at this juncture, but we do know that Derek Fisher is well respected, smart and a leader among men.  His playing career far exceeded expectations, and here's hoping his coaching career reaches similar mountaintops.

Here are some good reads on Fisher the man and on his marriage to Jackson and the Knicks:

Derek Fisher, Knicks Agree to Deal

A Veteran Becomes a Rookie

Knicks' Hiring Fisher a Calculated Risk

In NBA boom times, Derek Fisher knows how to follow the money

Derek Fisher: Faith, Family and Hard Work

In closing, I wonder what ever happened to that recruitment letter and Derek Fisher flier.  Since Justin isn't a hoarder by any stretch, it likely found its way to a trash can many years ago.  Maybe, however, it's stashed away with his Cindy Crawford and Alonzo Mourning posters or in his Paula Abdul Trapper Keeper.

Go Knicks!

"Herb"

Tim Duncan has aged like a Prime ribeye

**UPDATE: I am updating this post on 06/05 at 5:25 PM CST prior to game one of The Finals tipping off.  When I initially authored this post, I was all fired up about the Spurs due to Tim Duncan nostalgia.  I picked them in seven.  After pondering this series over the last two days, I am changing my pick to Heat in six for a myriad of reasons.  The most glaring reason is LeBron James being in the peak of his prime.  He won't be denied.

My last update thought is in regards to Charles Barkley.  By retiring at 36, he didn't hold onto his playing career to the point of not being able to go out on his own terms.  He certainly had diminished skills when he hung it up, but his numbers in his last season were respectable.

Original post:

If you've ever eaten USDA Prime beef, you know the supreme taste and tenderness components of Prime versus Choice or Select.  USDA Prime beef has the highest percentage of fat marbling, and such beef is typically available at high-end steakhouses from sea to shining sea.  According to meat purveyors such as Pat La Frieda, fresh beef is roughly 72 percent water.  Dry-aging Prime beef allows much of the water to evaporate, enabling enzymes to partially break down the proteins.  The process bolsters the flavor and leads to a tenderness that makes grown men cry.  It is common for Prime beef to age 30, 50 or even 70 days.

During the Spurs clinching win over the OKC Thunder last Saturday, I tweeted out "Tim Duncan has aged like a Prime ribeye."  The 38 year old future first ballot Hall-of-Fame power forward/center played 39 minutes, pouring in 19 points and snaring 15 rebounds.  With Tony Parker out of the second half lineup with a hobbled ankle, "Old Man River Walk" (as Reggie Miller referred to Duncan on TNT) took a trip down memory lane by putting his beloved Spurs on his back and leading them back to The Finals a full 15 years after he led them there for the first time in 1999.

Tim Duncan's greatness and consistency at an advanced age with diminished athleticism is astonishing.  I have always felt that guards and small forwards have the ability to age gracefully on a basketball court.  Their skills may decline, but it is a gradual process.  For instance, Ray Allen is not nearly the all-around player he once was in his youth, but he is a major contributor for the Miami Heat.  In fact, without Allen's deft shooting touch, Tim Duncan would have won his fifth ring last postseason.  Allen is an older player, but he doesn't look hobbled or out of sorts on the court.  Another example is Derek Fisher.  Fish just completed his 18th season in the NBA, and he found himself playing down the stretch versus the Spurs last Saturday.  Again, he's not the player he once was in Los Angeles, but he is certainly not embarrassing himself by playing.

It doesn't always work out so well for post guys.  I have always contended that power forwards and centers get to a certain age, and it is if their production just falls off a cliff.  During this free fall, all-time greats can look as if they don't even belong on a NBA court.  Think Hakeem Olajuwon in Toronto or Patrick Ewing in Orlando.  Maybe it's their size or the position itself.  Who knows?  I really don't have anything to back up my theory other than the eye test.

After watching Duncan dismantle the Kevin Durant-led Thunder last Saturday, I began to wonder how Duncan's stats as a 37/38 year old (he was 37 during the season, turned 38 on April 25th) stack up against other HOF caliber power forwards and centers.  I have no desire to compare his numbers to guys like Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell because that was a different era.  I want to keep the comparison to guys of Duncan's era or guys he at least caught at the end of their careers (Malone, Barkley, Ewing, Dream).  I believe it is proper to include both power forwards and centers in this study because Duncan is truly both, a hybrid depending on the lineup Pop rolls out there.

Player	Age	Year	MP	PPG	RPG	PER
Tim Duncan	37	17	29.2	15.1	9.7	21.3
Kevin Garnett	37	19	20.5	6.5	6.6	13.3
Shaq	37	18	23.4	12	6.7	17.9
David Robinson	37	14	26.2	8.5	7.9	17.8
Karl Malone	37	16	35.7	23.2	8.3	24.7
Charles Barkley	36	16	31	14.5	10.5	19.8
Patrick Ewing	37	15	32.8	15	9.7	16.9
Hakeem Olajuwon	37	16	23.8	10.3	6.2	16.7

I decided to go with minutes per game, points per game, rebounds per game and PER (player efficiency rating) for the regular season only.  The year category is the number of years in the league in the season in which the player was 37 years old.  Charles Barkley's last season came when he was 36.  Here are some observations on the numbers (not in order of how players are listed above):

• Karl Malone was an absolute freak!  The Mailman was well over 20 PPG and posted a 24.7 PER at the ripe old age of 37.  Malone remained a 20 PPG plus scorer for two more seasons at ages 38 and 39.  He "fell off the cliff" during year 19 in the league at age 40 in Los Angeles when his PER dipped to 17.8.  Malone was known for his intense training regiment during his playing days.  It obviously helped lengthen his career.
• Kevin Garnett's production plummeted this season, his 19th in the league.  KG put up only 6.5 PPG and 6.6 RPG and a PER of 13.3.  He is statistically the worst age 37 player on the chart.
• Shaq only played one more season after the age of 37, an injury-plagued year with the Celtics in which he averaged only 9.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG with a PER of 17.4.
• David Robinson retired a two-time champion after his 14th season in the league.  The Spurs won the NBA championship in 2002-03.  D-Rob averaged 7.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG in the playoffs with a PER of 17.7.  Tim Duncan was the primary player for the Spurs during that postseason averaging 24.7 PPG, 15.4 RPG with a 28.4 PER.
• Patrick Ewing was 37 during his last season with the New York Knicks.  He was a productive player that season, but it went downhill from there.  He spent year 16 (age 38) of his career in Seattle averaging 9.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG with a lowly 12.9 PER.  His last season was spent in Orlando averaging 6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG with a slightly improved PER (from the previous season) of 14.4.
• Hakeem Olajuwon played two more seasons after the age of 37, one in Houston and his final year in Toronto.  He closed out his career averaging 7.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG and a 14.4 PER, the same PER as Ewing during Pat's last stanza.  
• The PPG, RPG and PER show that Tim Duncan is the second best player statistically at age 37 on this list behind only Karl Malone.  That being said, Karl Malone didn't have the stellar post season that Tim Duncan is enjoying this year.  The 2000-01 Jazz went up two games to none versus the Mavs in the first round (best of five) before the Mavs came roaring back to win three straight, taking the series.  

My statistical analysis shows that Tim Duncan, while still great, is on borrowed time.  His check engine light is due to come on, but he is still plugging away as a very effective player.  The Hall-of-Fame caliber players listed in this exercise show that Duncan likely has one more productive season left in the tank (if any).  If Parker's ankle is healthy and the Spurs find a way to upend Miami in The Finals, I wouldn't be shocked if Old Man River Walk waltzes off into the sunset.  Prime beef can hit what is called in the steakhouse world "its aging threshold" in which the meat is aged to a point that most palates find it to be too rich and not appetizing.  At some point very soon, Duncan will hit his aging threshold and "fall off a cliff" production wise.  Until then, let's all enjoy Mr. Fundamental even when he cries to the officials.  I'm taking the Spurs in seven.

Eric L. Taylor