Hey JR!

[kepdawg]

Last night I heard a guy on the radio comparing ARod and Kobe. He said the Yankees shouldn't have to surround ARod with HOF talent because they're paying him all that money to be the leader and deliver a championship. The radio man then said Kobe Bryant's going to win a championship. And he's going to win a championship with Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, and Luke Walton.

[JR2004]

Well both are fairly odd personality-wise. Both have been paid a lot of money to deliver a title (Arod may never fulfill that one and Bryant still has to win one without Shaq) and the jury is still out on that. I will say that Bryant actually has become a leader this year while Arod probably never will be considered a leader.

If I were the radio guy who made the statement about the Laker role players, I don't know that I would've been real dismissive about Ariza. That dude is going to eventually make several all-defensive teams over the course of his career. He's just a relative unknown to most folks.

I also believe the dynamics of the two sports are very different. Bryant can have more of an impact upon his team than Arod can on the Yankees. Eight other guys have to do their job in the field as well as at the plate and you have to get good pitching too. It's very hard for me to draw too many specific comparisons other than neither are all that well liked by the majority of fans of each sport. Arod doesn't even seem to be liked by the home fans though!

[Bull's-eye]

Don't forget Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Fisher & the machine. :)

[Bull's-eye]

Lakers lose to Charlotte, making that the 5th time in the last 6 games. Does the Bobcats know something that the other NBA teams don't?