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Written by Supply and Demand
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009 18:42 |
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Whether the Magic win the NBA championship this year is yet to be determined, but this team has already won something it had lost. Myself and other diehard Magic fans remember the expansion year team, Nick Anderson’s steal of Michael Jordan and his painful missed free throws in the Finals. We stayed true to our team even as our numbers thinned as player defections, devastating injuries and poor management decisions tested our loyalty and discouraged others from joining us.
Last night I took my son to his first Finals game, he has been going to games since before he was able to walk and like his father is the definition of a “Fanatic” Magic fan. I picked him up from Summer Camp before game time only to be assailed with stories of how all the kids where talking about the Magic. The one kid who announced his loyalty to the Celtics was quickly ostracized like he had a full blown “Cooties” infestation. This may not seem odd except for the fact that in years past the playground stories related to me usually left Magic fans like my son in the minority. The other kids would proudly wear their Kobe, Lebron and Dwayne Wade jerseys to school having fully bought into the media hype. Blame whoever you want but the Magic let this invasion of their fan base happen, when the community became disinterested so did many of the kids.
Dedicated fans like those who write on this site have been following the Magic’s turnaround since the drafting of Dwight and Jameer along with the hiring of Otis and Stan. We watched in anguish and later exuberance at the successful vote for a new Arena to keep our only major sports team. Like my son’s playground we have welcomed back fans old and new who have come to the conclusion that the Magic are for real and will be a force to be reckoned with for many years. This has been a banner year for bringing back the kids and adults of Orlando. We can now look forward to future years of other cities seeing their kids walking around in Dwight Howard jerseys.
After exiting the Amway Arena from our team’s first Finals win in franchise history and the dream of many more likely in the near future and beyond. My son celebrating by high fiving every fan large and small within his reach, he took a break to turn and ask “Is it possible to love the Magic too much?” I could only smile and shake my head “No” with swelling pride as we headed home.
Whether this team wins or loses the Finals this year is yet to be determined, but they have without a doubt already won off the court. As this community and the fans large and small return to the only major league team it can call their own.
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Written by The Big Train
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009 14:30 |
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Game 4 couldn't come soon enough.
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Written by The Big Train
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009 08:48 |
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As Zoolander would say, the Magic can turn left. Last night Orlando improved to 1-6 all time in the NBA Finals with a 108-104 win against Kobe and the Lakers. Here are our reactions:
The Big Train:
You could say that there is no way Orlando will shoot 62.5% from the field again, much less over 70% in a half. You could say there is no way Rafer will play as well as he did, and Pietrus will hit some of the shots that he did. You could also say that there is no way that Kobe will miss 5 of 10 free throws and turns the ball over in the final minute. I'd even allow you to say that there is no way the Magic will have 5 guys score at least 18 points. But you can't say the Magic will be swept. You can't say that this team doesn't have heart. You can't say that we don't have a hell of a coach. And finally, you can't say that we have players that don't want it as much as the other team. Even Hedo Turkoglu.
I 3 Freely:
Let me tell you about a man named Courtney "I Got Kobe" Lee. If someone asked me to choose between Lee playing in your face defense on the best one-on-one player in the game for the entire series, or making one game winning shot, it would be a tough decision. Lee may have been the one starter that didn't fill up the box score last night, but the defense he played on Kobe in his 20 minutes of play (especially a brilliant stretch in the 3rd quarter) is what really stick out for me. In the locker room afterward, Lee was almost nonchalant about it. He acknowledged that his matchup with Kobe was intense and heated and that this is exactly what is expected. I still can't believe this guy is a rookie. Otis, thanks very much for Mr. Courtney Lee.
Maxwell Effort:
Yesterday I asked Rafer Alston to arrive to the Finals and he arrived in grand fashion. His numbers and leadership were extremely impressive as the Magic finally got big games from their backcourt. The way the game was going the Magic had to play an absolutely flawless game on offense and that is what they did. Not only did the Magic set a NBA record for field goal percentage but they shot a ridiculous 70% on two point attempts. Logic tells you this will not happen again but for this one night we can revel in what was a great effort from a great team and enjoy the first Finals win in team history.
Supply and Demand:
Was that Kobe the player and puppet I saw cracking under the pressure last night? It took the Magic a record 62% shooting night to break through and get their first franchise Finals win, but my guess is we will be seeing a couple more before Monday. Orlando has the talent to beat this Laker team and now appears to have shaken off the Finals stage fright that had them playing out of character. As long as the Refs keep the Kobe “star calls” to a minimum, this is going to be the hard fought series we all expected. We are only a missed lay-up from being up 2-1!
El Fantasma:
Wow, what a night. I mean I tried to get tickets and got screwed by Ticketmaster and their lottery system. Tried the Ticket exchange and "fans" where charging $250 for $50 tickets. Scalpers out in the arena wanted $400 for row T tickets, yeah the $10 tickets(during the regular season). But its all good. The Magic is back in Orlando. Stuff The Magic Dragon is much funner while drunk. Everyone is excited, the city hasn't been like this since...well never. Its not over. We will not be swept. We will fight hard every night. The Lakers are an amazing team. Phil Jackson is arguably the best basketball coach ever. Kobe Bryant has to be in the top 10 best players ever. We are living at this time. We are watching NBA Legends at their best. We will tell stories to our grand kids about this, how good Kobe was. How great were Jackson and Stan Van Gundy. How Dwight Howard became and even bigger superstar in this league. How Rashard's contract suddenly doesn't seem so big. Heck even how Hedo Turkoglu might be worth signing back on this offseason. The Magic might not win this series. Odds are they will lose. But they sure are making it exciting. Ladies and Gentlemen we have a great series in town. Enjoy the Magic.
Paul Ego:
At the end of the night, premature confetti and all, Dwight has given us something Shaq never could, a win in the Finals. |
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Written by I 3 Freely
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Wednesday, 10 June 2009 08:19 |
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Written by The Big Train
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Tuesday, 09 June 2009 13:28 |
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America's finest news source, The Onion, has published their keys to the Lakers/Magic matchup. Interesting if you ask me...
For more, visit The Onion. |
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Written by Maxwell Effort
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Tuesday, 09 June 2009 09:52 |
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Hello Rafer. I just wanted to welcome you back to Orlando and tell you how much we need you if we are going to do the impossible and win 4 out of 5 from Los Angeles. We know your shooting has been abysmal and your playmaking has been non-existent. We know Jameer getting your minutes may have messed with your mental stability and maybe you do not feel like the leader of this team anymore. Well it is time to get over that stuff and lead this team to victory tonight.
You see your inability to do anything positive on the basketball court allows Derek Fisher to play off of you and try to strip Dwight and basically play a rover on the court to try and get steals. Your lack of offensive execution means we are playing 4 on 5 against a very good defensive Lakers team.
You are of the utmost importance if we are going to climb out of this hole and I for one will be awaiting your arrival into the Finals.
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Page 11 of 25 |
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Image of the day: Via Orlando Sentinel
The Mission. The Statement.
We are Terry and The Pump Fakes, Jareth Cutestory, Vile Feminista, Maxwell Effort, I 3 Freely, Paul Ego, Supply and Demand, El Fantasma de Carlos, The Big Train, The Nickel Steak, Ayo!, and Tyson J. Perfect. Together, we are Magic fans. We remember Nick’s steal against Jordan, Billy Donovan, Scott Skiles, Jerryl Sasser and Reece Gaines, The Mac Attacks, the NBA on NBC, and Grant Hill’s ankle. We also watch TV and read the internet, thus noticing the endless flow of unoriginal Orlando Magic related puns. We have combined to discuss the Magic, the NBA, and from time to time supply side economics and the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Together we are The Puns Are Starting to Bore Me.
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