tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326369852741451028.post3587491488092274956..comments2010-05-28T03:40:50.664-04:00Comments on Third Quarter Collapse: An Orlando Magic Blog - Now at www.ThirdQuarterCollapse.com: Bill Simmons and his Fans take Shots at the MagicBen Q. Rockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12451831236977005116noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326369852741451028.post-55148687006662601202007-07-12T19:51:00.000-04:002007-07-12T19:51:00.000-04:00You make an excellent point about the town being s...You make an excellent point about the town being spoiled. I doubt expectations for the franchise would be so high if it weren't for it's almost-immediate success. We reached the finals in our sixth year of existence, right? That's pretty remarkable, and it was exciting for the city, but it probably hurt the team long-term. There aren't too many Magic fans left, and I fear that the ones who will support us after this coming season will mostly be bandwagon-jumpers.<BR/><BR/>Frustration with other teams may also come into play. The D-Rays are futile, and UCF hasn't been competitive since Daunte left. The few sports fans left in Central Florida seem to have all their hopes pinned on the Magic, so the magnitude of each defeat is that much greater. <BR/><BR/>Something to chew on.Ben Q. Rockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12451831236977005116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326369852741451028.post-3069769472994512422007-07-12T04:05:00.000-04:002007-07-12T04:05:00.000-04:00I listened to the conversation on 740. However, i...I listened to the conversation on 740. However, it was hard to understand Otis. Can someone tell the guy not to mumble! The question that pissed me off, was when Jerry asked him about the ton of extra money that they paid Lewis for the sign and trade. Otis's first response was, what extra money? He pretty much followed through by saying they wanted to sign Lewis for 6 years, not 5. Whatever... Sometimes it gets old hearing these guys saying it's not about money. Come on... <BR/><BR/>On a positive, Rashard said some great things. The guy obviously has a good head on his shoulders, which is awesome for the Magic and its fans. The negative, is this not the largest contract we've ever given a player? I mean really, we've had players like Shaq, Penny, GHill, TMac, and Lewis is the one that easily earns the biggest? O-K... When it's all said and done, I'm sure Dwight will be signing a contract around the same amount.<BR/><BR/>Anyway... Whatever... <BR/><BR/>Recently I read a column on Wit Watsons blog. He made a statement, that most Central Florida sports fans are really naive. I couldn't agree more. The average sports fan in this area doesn't know much, especially in regards to NBA basketball. It's a sad thing, especially for that fact that this town only has 1 professional team. Then when you take a look at that professional team, you realize that we have a major star in the making in Dwight Howard. But that has never mattered to this town... We had a major star in T-Mac. I remember watching T-Mac drop 60 in 3 QUARTERS and he could do that on any given night, yet the Magic couldn’t get close to selling out the arena. When it's all said and done, this little town was spoiled from the beginning; within the first 5 years of the franchise, we landed Shaq and Penny. Everyone in town was totally spoiled, and they haven't recovered since. The only thing that can happen is for Dwight, Lewis, and company to start winning some games, put us at the top of the East, and our "bandwagon" fans will start to jump back on.<BR/><BR/>I mean really... This has been really frustrating for me. In the past year, regular season, or playoffs, if I go to any local bar or restaurant, and they have a ton of TV's, if I just walk in on a night a Magic game is on, odds are, the Magic game will not be on. For a town that only has 1 professional sports team; that's depressing.OVERWADEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05622480986286528477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326369852741451028.post-72026472820171795372007-07-11T20:38:00.000-04:002007-07-11T20:38:00.000-04:00I don't think this signing would have had such neg...I don't think this signing would have had such negative publicity if it had been in any other city. We just have a terrible reputation: letting Shaq go, signing Grant Hill, trading T-Mac for peanuts, etc. <BR/><BR/>Otis said on the radio this afternoon that the purpose of the six-year was to have Rashard and Dwight come off the books at the same time. I'm not sure why that's preferable to Lewis coming off a year earlier, but that's what Otis said.Ben Q. Rockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12451831236977005116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6326369852741451028.post-18294764971763633262007-07-11T19:34:00.000-04:002007-07-11T19:34:00.000-04:00That's the first I've read or heard anything like ...That's the first I've read or heard anything like that in regards to the Magic and Lewis. While I agree that we paid a little too much, I wouldn't go as far as Simmons and his fans are. I wish we would have just signed him to the max 5 year deal, rather than a sign and trade max 6 year deal. The only way I wanted that deal to happen was if it was for the purpose of resigning Darko, and that obviously isn't going to happen.OVERWADEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05622480986286528477noreply@blogger.com