Grant Hill
Why is it that Grant Hill was just on CNN’s Late Edition being interviewed by John King? At first I thought maybe King had just realized that post-election politics is boring and he wanted to focus more on the NBA. And if so, fair enough. How does Hill feel about the Shaq trade? Doesn’t he think it would have made more sense to just tell Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire that they had to suck it up and learn to play alongside each other? With the Wizards off to an 0-5 start, wasn’t Matt Yglesias really smart to decline to renew his half-season Wizards ticket package? Yes we can.
But instead he was fielding questions about politics along with a BET reporter and a former member of the US Commission on Civil Rights. Did CNN not know how to find any African-American journalists or public officials? Feel that the black experience is most authentically lived by multi-millionaire professional athletes? I only caught the tail end of the segment so maybe it made more sense than what I saw. Anyone else out there catch it.
37 Responses to “Grant Hill”
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November 9th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
picayune? Is that the word?
Aren’t there are bigger things to post about? Like the
colors of the drapes at the Obama White House?
November 9th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Senate Republicans , for some reason, are suddenly showing a keen interest in Basketball’s “Shaq Attack” tactic.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
“Hack a Shaq,” I think you mean, although stumbling around like a blind behemoth and pushing everything out of your way would also apply.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Yeah, you’re right, Alan. “Hack a Shaq”.
How to hamstring an 8 foot black man who cleans your clock if you play fair.
Why would they be interested in that?
November 9th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
woah.
http://culturedecoded.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/gopandthepress/
November 9th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
And Larry King had Magic Johnson on, talking about Obama as well.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Because Grant Hill is not any ordinary NBA politico–he hosted a fundraiser for Obama, and is the son of a former Clintonite. BTW, the Suns are, according to HIll, one of the most progressive teams in the Association. Take that Arizona….
November 9th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
It’s all about the Love. Reggie Love, that is.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
what underwritten said.
though I will say that I do agree with you on some level. I have long been concerned that CNN prefers to seek commentary from blacks who are caricatures or stereotypes, rather than sober minded intellectuals. DL Hughley’s show and Roland Martin’s vernacular are prime examples.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
No, Don, “Hack A Shaq” is based on the premise that you can foul at will in the closing minutes as the big guy then won’t make what should be gimme foulshots. There’s a bill to pay but the other team is betting Shaq can’t collect at the line.
Among other things it’s classic insult (it’s done on the premise that Shaq will botch what should be rudinentary) to injury (the hack, which you wouldn’t pull on another player — be it an NBA pro or ten-year-old girl who could make her foulshots).
It’s not the hack — it’s the knowledge that the hacked can’t exploit the oppurtunity for greater compensation (he gets the points, the hacker gets gets the fouls.).
A shirt-grab, flop or knee-first drive to the basket (to name three classic 90s Utah Jazz gambits)is dirty – the player is trying to get away with something, something sneaky. ‘Hack A Shaq’ is out in the open and accepts that it’ll be acknowledged and penalized.
Yeah, this, too, might work as an extended metaphor for Republicans, but it’d be both dubious and rather convoluted.
Since you’re now 0 for 2 from this comment line maybe you should give it a break.
Um, I look forward to your numerous posts tomorrow.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Hasn’t Charles Barkley routinely been interviewed on these same types of things by CNN?
I think if we’re given a choice between Hill and Barkley, I’d go with Hill if you want anything resembling informed opinion. I like Charles, but Hill’s a much sharper dude. Look for him to run for office, but in a much more meaningful way than Barkley.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Why would Hill’s run be more meaningful? I think that Barkley would have a real shot at Alabama governor. He speaks like his state and has more recently become a Dem.
November 9th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Didn’t Grant Hill go to Duke? Shouldn’t he be capable of talking about more than basketball? I know it’s not Harvard, but just the same…….
November 9th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Grant did ok for himself but I expected more from CNN. Maybe I shouldn’t have, considering how terrible D.L. Hughley’s show is.
Why not Etan Thomas when you need some moderately thoughtful political analysis from the NBA? Actually, now that I think of it, a Larry King segment with Thomas and Brendan Haywood would be quite interesting.
November 9th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Kay, you really think a Black man (even Charles Barkley) could be elected governor of Alabama? He could probably become the Democratic nominee if he wanted to, but he’d lose the general election. If he wanted to run as a Republican, he’d not make it through the Primaries.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Aren’t we talking Pat Riley here?
Hit them every time down the floor, and pretty soon the impartial arbiters will get tired of whistling fouls.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Similarly, yesterday CNN had George Takei (Mr. Sulu from Star Trek) on to talk about Prop. 8. I guess Neil Patrick Harris wasn’t available.
If CNN does a segment on the Latin-American vote, I suppose we should suspect an interview with Erik Estrada.
November 9th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Err, that should say “expect” rather than “suspect”. Time for more coffee.
November 9th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Why not Shane Battier? He’s politically astute and says smart things (by NBA standards) and maxed out to Obama.
November 9th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Adjust your toupee, Marv. I think Don’s point was that the Republicans are attacking Obama and the Democratic program before he has a chance to get a shot off, and assuming the Democrats won’t make them pay by converting their figurative free throws. Can’t argue with the percentages on that one, unless the party has, in the off-season, learned to figuratively bend its knees (in a good way) and follow through.
November 9th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Re MarvA’s comment “No, Don, “Hack A Shaq” is based on the premise that you can foul at will in the closing minutes as the big guy then won’t make what should be gimme foulshots. ”
——–
Hack A Shaq started originally as a way to stop the clock and regain possession of the ball. But didn’t they change the rules to give possession of the ball back to the fouled team if it is done in the last two minutes of the game?
Certainly it’s occurring through the game now — one team the other day did it a few seconds after the game had started.
I think it is dirty because Shaq is too valuable to take out normally but he can’t make foul shots. So statistically, you cut his team scoring from 1+ points per possession to less than that.
Similarly, I think the Republicans will seek to kneecap every initiative the Democrats try to make via any disruptive tactic available –rather than try to debate Democratic proposals honestly in the public forums.
It may be legal (for the moment) –but is it basketball?
November 9th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Obviously, the Republicans do not lack for people who will committ excessive fouls — because they are mediocrities who no one will miss if they are taken out of the game.
November 9th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
PS and the entire strategy of the Republican propaganda machine for the last 16 years has been that there are NO referees in the public forums to enforce fair play. That anything goes.
November 9th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
No sport should tolerate abuse of intentional fouls.
If you want to go that route, then Shaq’s teamsmates should have the right to shank any fouling player in the kidney –without fear of prosecution in the criminal or civil courts.
Make all the players sign waivers giving up the right to sue and have Obama issue a blanket pardon at the start of each season.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:25 am
As an African/black/Negro/colored-American, I have always sighed and shook my head when the media brings on black athletes or entertainers to discuss significant policy issues. I remember after the riots/uprisings post-Rodney King that Chuck D of Public Enemy was on Meet the Press (or a similar show) … no disrespect to Chuck, but they don’t roll Brad Pit or Lou Reed to discuss what should be done about global warming. Sure, celebs might have their opinions and b/c they’re celebs the media might given them a few minutes … but why, out of all the people in all the juke joints in the world, would you pull in Grant Hill? And people, some people, act as if Charles Barkley is bleepin’ H. L. Mencken (sp?) … anyway, on a final important point: yes, the Wizards grossly overpaid for Arenas.
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