It's clear the sports world is made up of critics.
It takes a critic to know a critic.
However, perhaps we need to recognize there are good critics and then there are the other approximate 85 percent of them.
OK, I just threw out that number. It could be 75 percent or it could be 95 percent. That's what makes it an approximation.
What brought that to mind was hearing folks criticizing Boston's Glen (Big Baby) Davis and Nate Robinson's activities in Game Four of the NBA Finals.
Robinson jumped on Davis' back in celebration following the big boy's conversion of a put-back basket. Davis screamed and drooled simultaneously as he helped lead the Celtics into a 2-2 tie of the best-of-seven.
Robinson, a former defensive back at the University of Washington, basically had his legs taken out from him by Lakers' forward Lamar Odom as he attempted to trap a high pick-and-roll. Robinson, 5-foot-9 on a good day, got off the court and got into Odom's chest.
What the always feisty Robinson said, I have no idea. I do know referee Greg Willard immediately whistled him for a technical foul. Now this is the same Willard, who should have had to pay his way in to see the game or at least watch it on television.
The same guy who called a three-second violation on Kevin Garnett with four seconds elapsed on the 24-second clock. The same guy whom I believe has gotten more and more attitude as the years have passed.
Willard may have heard the words coming out of Robinson's mouth and those justified a taunting technical. However, after basically being tripped by a dude a foot taller during a heated contest for the NBA championship, as one of those little dudes, I can understand Robinson being hot and having a little something, something to say.
Commentators say he's got to stay under control just after they say, "a guy coming off the bench has to bring the intensity and energy."
C'mon! Make up your mind. Yes, both can be accomplished, but we're talking about two young players attempting to make their respective marks in the game.
Davis' power and strength come with his intensity. This is the same guy who took an elbow on the jaw from Orlando's Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals, went down and then scrambled to his feet and staggered down court to get back into the play.
That effort alone should be enough to overlook a couple of primal screams and/or flex positions when they accompany superior and potentially series-saving plays.
Other critics say these Finals have too much defense. Not I.
Other some of the ridiculous officials calls, this has been a strong series. Two teams playing their hearts out battling to the end.
Sometimes it's difficult to figure what critics want. Defense win championships, so they say. Now, we have teams generally playing lockdown defense and resultant offensive woes draw complaints.
C'mon! Make up your minds.
World cup only has one way to go
One day and 180 minutes worth of viewing into the 2010 World Cup and I need more.
Two combined goals from four teams. Each team put three shots on goal.
Now, I'm not new to soccer.
I'm old enough to have covered Pele (Brazil's Michael Jordan) and Giorgio Chinaglia (an Italian star) when they were with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.
My favorite player was Pato Margetic, an Argentine star who did such amazing things with the ball he reminded me of soccer's Earl Monroe. The boy was sweet.
Granted, my expectations are high because these players were some of soccer's all-time greats.
The teamwork utilized in soccer often times is so subtle, a relative novice as myself doesn't see the entire scenario until the deed is done. It truly can be beautiful.
However, can a brother get a couple of scores.
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