Sports Myths
Just finished reading an article (no link) saying Michigan is one-dimensional offensively if 3's aren't falling. Haven't they proved over the last few years that's a myth? And with March coming up, brace yourself for the national media hype of Michigan's 1-3-1 zone.
What other teams have myths about them? Or specfic players or positions (white wide receiver = slow but good hands and fundamentally sound)?
January 27th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
Michael Jordan had the flu.
January 27th, 2014 at 10:21 AM ^
That in 1993, at age 29, at the height of his basketball playing power and with the Bulls coming off back-to back-to back NBA Championships, Michael Jordan voluntarily retired to play minor league baseball for two years.
January 27th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^
That is the greatest myth / question of any sports story of my generation, no doubt.
January 27th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
That he was quietly suspended for two years by Stern for his gambling problem and known association with individuals associated with gambling.
January 27th, 2014 at 11:24 AM ^
The more you know.gif
January 27th, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^
Huh, I had never heard that (not one to follow the NBA much). Interesting.
January 27th, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
I know it's Bleacher Report, but you can find other similar articles out there.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/131997-mjs-1st-retirement-was-it-a-s…
January 27th, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^
Bill Simmons popularized it through tweets, mailbags, etc. Not sure if any other 'major' sportswriter has ever publicized a similar opinion multiple times.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^
I've heard this rumor before, and laugh everytime I hear it.
First, to assume that Stern would suspend MJ with the insane amount of money he was bringing into the league is ridiculous. That would not happen in the real world... period. It doesn't matter what MJ was doing or who he was doing it with... he was bringing in wayyy too much money and bringing wayyy too much attention to the league at the time.
But lets live in a fanttasy world where that did happen, to assume that MJ would take the suspension and not fight it is also laughable. MJ is a very stubborn, vengeful and bitter man (Don't really need to look much further than his Hall of Fame acceptance speech for evidence of that.) There is not a chance in hell he would bow out for two years without fighitng back.
To me, I take what happened at pretty much face value. His father dying probably had a pretty big impact on him, throw that in with where he was at in his NBA career (Killing it) I completely believe that he was growing tired of Basketball, and believed he would be successful at baseball. Occam's Razor and all that jazz.
January 27th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
Yeah, I think the suspension story is pretty far-fetched.
What is more plausible is the claim that his father was murdered by people connected to gambling interests.
January 27th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team:
Wrong!!! He just didn't make the varsity team...his sophomore year. Big whoop. Not as big of a deal or as pivotal of a start to an "underdog" story as everyone makes it out to be.
January 27th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:10 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
How will the new defensive rules on contact affect the tournament? I constantly debate Sparties regarding the idea that MSU and Wiscys clutch and grab/mug defense that B1G refs tolerate hurts them in March.
January 27th, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
on contact will have no effect on the tournament because officials will not consistently enforce them in tournament games.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^
Trey Burke nailed that ridiculous long 3 to force OT against Kansas! One Dimensional!
Stauskas nailed all those 3's to down Florida in the Elite 8! Over-reliance on the 3!
Albrecht hit critical 3's to beat Syracuse! Same ol' same ol'
January 27th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ^
That athletes nowadays are "less tough." That goes for Americans too.
January 27th, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^
Wait, so what's this "wussification of America" I keep hearing about? Are you saying that it's somehow not true?
January 27th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^
Goes hand in hand with "there's no hope for the human race, oh how I yearn for the old days" that's been a staple of literally every generation for the past four thousand years.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
I fully believe in the ''pussification of america'' as george carlin called it. My generation is exibit a of it.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
So I guess being less racist and sexist and preferring intellectual problem-solving over stubborn dick-sizing makes you a "pussy."
Every generation complains about the one after. The generation before us is rather miserable. We're determined to be less miserable. So they complain.
January 27th, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^
yes but what about a guy like myself, 22 years old, complaining that the parents of kids now playing sports are the ones ruining it? wording is horrible my apologies...
i keep hearing stories about certain games being banned from the schoolyard because one kid hurt him/herself. i'm not complaining about the younger kids i'm complaining about their parents who are in that middle ground between my generation and my parents generation....
January 27th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
Has nothing to do with anything you mentioned at all. It has to do with everything being deemed unsafe and everyone getting a trophy because we can't hurt people's feelings. And how kids parents almost always side with their kid and not the teacher anymore. Parents think their kids can do no wrong.
January 27th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
I thought now he isn't just a shooter and scorer?
I know he isn't going to stay four years, but it would be sorta fun to hear announcers say in two years: "Nik Stauskas isn't just a shooter, scorer, rebounder, distributor, defender, leader, gentleman..."
January 27th, 2014 at 10:16 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^
Mentally, for the holder and the kicker, it matters. Not sure if anything has ever been proven that it makes a single iota of difference though.
January 27th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
Myth: the Lions will someday compete for a Super Bowl
January 27th, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^
Is it even worth mentioning if nobody believes it?
January 27th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
That reasoning reminds me of Yogi Berra's famous self-contradictory saying "it's so crowded no one goes there anymore."
"Nik's so reliant in the three that he has to develop additional skills."
January 27th, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
The Duke game that he sprained his ankle 10 days prior to? If anyone took away his ability to get off a shot in that game it was Charlotte. Ask anyone who has had a sprained ankle and tried to play basketball within 10 days of it. You can play, but it hurts like hell and you can't make many of the movements you would otherwise be able to make. Also every movement is slower generally and any super quick twitch movements are not even possible.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^
Michigan is no more reliant on the three ball than MSU is. The numbers seem to support it:
Three point makes/attempts
MSU - 59/150
UM - 54/135
January 27th, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
The myth is not whether Michigan recruits and has good 3-point shooters. It's whether Michigan is dependent on hitting threes. Every team's offense runs better when they are hitting threes and I've yet to see one that doesn't incorporate that into their system. The fact we just won at Wisconsin while only hitting three triples and that we don't take a particularly high number shows that we actually run a varied offense.
January 27th, 2014 at 12:44 PM ^
January 27th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^
just not as much as before when we had less talent with Zack and Stu but they where great from 3. While we have improved that with guys like GR3 who are much better inside, Nik, Caris, Zak, Spike all are 3 point shooters. NIk and Caris just go inside more often. Like the game this past saturday, 11/19 on 3's and 11/31 on 2's.