Bong Hits for Jesus, Round 1

We’re running through my Itunes, reader. The party just rocked through the new Black Keys, and we’re on to “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath. It’s a party folks. The beer is running and it’s time for the first edition of “Bong Hits for Jesus.”

In tonight’s edition I would like to tell you how much I like Mark Cuban.
That’s right. A Spurs fan loves the Cubester.
Mark Cuban is exactly the kind of owner that any fan would be, and that’s exactly why you should like him too.
Several years ago there was a great piece in Sports Illustrated about Mark Cuban after he’d owned the Mavericks for a few years. Highlights of the article include:

-He lived in a huge mansion that had almost no furnishing in the entire thing.

-One of his main recruiting tools for players was providing them with incredibly plush towels.

*Tony Iomi is destroying on a solo right now.

-Cuban said that he always remembered a place with nice towels, so he figured the presence of nice towels, along with offers to exorbitantly over pay to get talent, would convince people to play in Big D.

-Dallas was also the first place (I believe) to put PS2’s (this is several years ago) and flat screen TVs in the lockers for every player.

*Planet Caravan might be one of the greatest pieces to put an album together, ever.

Mark Cuban would appear to be the kind of guy who wants to run his team like a successful business and a great hometown team.

I know what you’ll say. “Dallas fans suck. They’re all bandwagon, it’s not a loyal town.” You would not be totally wrong. I have to point out that some of the most die hard, knowledgeable fans I’ve ever met were Mavericks fans, but you would be generally true with your opinion. Now, Freeballin’ will never be a forum for the advanced kind of sociological research necessary to try and explain the typical Dallas-wish-wash fan. Today I am simply trying to convince you that Mark Cuban is the right kind of owner for any sports team, and his methods are risky (business background) or stupid (might be due to living in Dallas, did I say that out loud? Whoops.) but they show a degree of concern for the team and city that I admire.

Spurs fans were irate when Cuban went on the air during the playoffs and insulted the great city of San Antonio by calling the Riverwalk “muddy” and gross or something to that effect. He railed on the city, and I loved every second of it. What the hell does Mark Cuban care about the Riverwalk one way or another? Hell, what do the citizens of SA care about the Riverwalk? It’s just for the tourists. The Riverwalk may be an important part of the economy in SA (big tourist site), but it’s not an insult to city pride. I mean it’s not like he knocked on Taco Cabana.
Mark Cuban was simply trying to rile up fan support and intensity. He was just trying to get everyone amped and excited. That is awesome, folks. Rivalries are what make sports great, so if someone is encouraging the citizenry (without going too far below the belt, leave my bean and cheese alone), then I cannot condemn that person. I’ll say it. God bless you, Mark Cuban.

I want rivalries! I want vengeance! I want bean and cheese! And you should too.

Mark Cuban does.

-Dusty