The Chat House

Sports News

Welcome to another edition of The Chat House where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, May 19 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions and comments about the latest sports news and his recent columns.

The transcript follows.

Discussion Archive

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Annandale: Mike,

How does working with a former pro like Jon Barry add to your appreciation and understanding of what is happening during a game? Do you ever find yourself deferring to professional athletes when you are on air with them because they have been "in the action?"

Michael Wilbon: Hi everybody...just walking in and we'll start in 7-10 minutes...with this question about working with Jon Barry, my TV partner on ABC/ESPN...

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McLean, Va.: Is it just me or do referees allow Lebron James take 4 or more steps every time he drives to the basket?

Michael Wilbon: Okay, rock and roll time...Hi everybody...I'm back in D.C. for one rare day as we hit the road for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs. That's nothing new for me, seeing as I've hit the road for the playoffs since 1986 when my sports editor of many years, George Solomon, sent me to cover the Celtics and Bulls in the first round, Jordan vs. Bird, and I've been on the road from April 'til June ever since. I hope that the relationship between Jon Barry, Stuard Scott and I comes across...We have become friends...We talk and text all the time, during the week while games are being played, about golf, silly guy junk...JB played for 14 years in the NBA and he grew up in it because his father is Hall of Famer Rick. Anybody who's spent his entire life around the game knows it like few other people...Jon has all the stuff I like in an analyst, the practical experience of playing, insight, a sense of humor, self-deprecation...and he knows how to tell a good story. You'd have to be a moron not to learn from guys like Barry, Bill Walton, Mark Jackson (my partners in my three years on ABC/ESPN hoops coverage), Jeff Van Gundy, Greg Anthony, Tim Legler, Rick Carlisle...It's a smart group of people who make a living in basketball. They never describe themselves as ex-jocks, though that's clearly part of who they are. And all those guys, especially JB, hate when you defer to them. I've never had one moment of, "Who are you...I played the game." Not once. And they could. I defer on the subject of what a locker room is like or what a Game 7 feels like. I'd be a damn fool not to defer to them on that. I've enjoyed working with all of them...We're together a lot. A whole lot. JB is a wonderful golfer...It's sick he has that much talent in two sports. I've played with him when he's shot in the 60s. Hits a 3-wood 290-300 yards. Sick...From his dad he got skills...from his mom he got a wonderful knowledge of food and wine. And like Barkley, JB is always trying to pick up the check on the road, of which there are many. You gotta like that about him...

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Ashburn, Va.: Wilbon, with my Flyers getting thumped out of the playoffs yesterday, it now makes 100 seasons of pro sports since Philly's last title. I know it's been 100 years since your beloved Cubbies won a Series, but doesn't 100 seasons, some excruciating, some just down right awful, make it just as bad if not worse than what the Cubs have gone through??

washingtonpost.com: I think the '82-'83 76ers disagree with your premise.

Michael Wilbon: That's about as dumb as it gets. So, you just want to ignore the 76ers championship team of Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Mo Cheeks, etc? What, they didn't exist? Please. Go away now and come back when your pity party is over. And didn't the Phillies beat the Royals in 1980? Anybody who believes Philly is somehow the most tortured sports town is an idiot. Please. We're not going to have that self-indulgence in this chat.

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Washington, DC: So Cheap Shot Bob knocks David West into a crumpled heap, and the fans chant "Horry!, Horry!" At what point did the Spurs become the flopping version of the Oakland Raiders? Can we please get rid of them tonight? The very thought of another Spurs-Pistons final is depressing.

Michael Wilbon: A whole lot of people agree with you. A lot. And the NBA playoff numbers on TV, which have soared this post-season, will plummet if it's Spurs-Pistons. But it might be. I think the Spurs will win tonight in New Orleans. But we'll see...Can't wait to see another Game 7.

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Washington, D.C.: Don't you think the fact that Tim Donaghy gambled on 100 games he happened to referee is FAR more worthy of a Senate investigation than Spygate? A lot of people already think the games are fixed.

Michael Wilbon: Very, very, very good question. And yes, I think the Donaghy situation is worth a further look. Yes. But once again, I don't mind somebody shining a light on the NFL, which thinks it shoud be beyond question.

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Matthew (D.C.): Michael -- First things first, hope you are enjoying all the blessings of fatherhood and that Matthew is doing well (great job on the name by the way). My question is regarding your "Five Good Minutes" segment with Mike D'Antonio last week on PTI. Talk about a "wow" interview. Were you suprised at how candidly and publicly he discussed his feelings and what exactly transpired with him leaving Phoenix? I thought it was an absolutely fantastic interview...an all-timer for PTI fans.

Keep up the good work and thanks for taking my question

Michael Wilbon: Thank you, and yes I'm enjoying fatherhood, and little Matthew. (His mother is calling him Matty, and that has to stop before he turns 5!) His internal clock is being manipulated by his father in that he has to stay with me in front of the TV for playoff games until the final game goes off or until his mother drags him away. The fact that he will not go to sleep until 1 a.m. at 7 weeks old is already a source of misguided pride that will come back to haunt me, surely...Anyway, yes, I was stunned at D'Antoni's candor...And Tony and I, off camera, were looking at each other going, "Wow...he said that?" It's one of the reasons I've come to like D'Antoni so, so much over the last five years. Spending as much time as I do in Arizona, I've had the pleasure of spending a number of hours in his office and at Suns practices...He's a terrific coach and simply a nice man...I fear for him professionally in New York because Arizona seemed to be a perfect fit. Can a man for whom Arizona is a perfect fit find happiness in New York? I don't know. I hope he does because he's one of my favorite coaches and people in any sport...

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NY, NY: Mike -

I think the Ashburn poster confused you and wpost,com with a little math. Since the Sixers win in '83, its been 25 years with 4 professional teams - all failing to win a championship. I could care less, as I hope they all go another 25 years without winning anything, but just wanted to point out how the poster got to 100 seasons.

Keep up the good work!

Michael Wilbon: Oh, I know how they got to 100 seasons...My point, like yours, is SHUT UP with the Philly pity party.

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New York, NY: Do you think the press and fans have absolved Kobe of his situation from a couple years ago in Denver?

Michael Wilbon: Well, I thought the legal system did that to the degree it does such things.

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Detroit: Michael, why do so many fans feel the need to "prove" LeBron is better than Kobe or vice versa? Why can't people just appreciate two great players?

Michael Wilbon: It's just fun to compare. I certainly appreciate both of them and understand your point.

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Houston: I saw your discussion on race with Bob Costas and appreciated it very much. Will there be any follow-up in one of your columns?

Michael Wilbon: No...I don't want to write about things I appeared in. We're all too self-indulgent already (me too)...But I hope there are similar programs by HBO, which does THE best job with serious issues related to sports.

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Richmond, Va.: I don't know if you'll respond to this, but as you may have heard, there's been some chatter related to Norman Chad's comments regarding Tony and his displeasure over seemingly being banned from PTI. I just wanted to say that I always loved when Norman was on the show, either as a guest co-host or as part of Five Good Minutes. If there's anyway to repair the burned bridge, I would hope you guys would do it. If it's the higher-ups at ESPN who made the call not to have him on, they are stupid.

Michael Wilbon: I haven't read what you're refering to yet...But I know this. Norman Chad has not been banned from PTI. Trust me. I'd know. You don't need to hear it from a source or a blogger or anywhere else. I just told you. Now, Norman has so many duties, most of them Poker related, that he has no more time for hosting PTI anymore than I have for Poker. If you read Norman, you know he's NEVER serious about anything. Look, Norman Chad isn't just a colleague or some professional associate; he's our friend. How else do you think I got introduced to the wonder of "Uncle Bill's Pancake House" in Manhattan Beach, California? Norman, that's how. We both love him, we trash him, he trashes us...That's what friends do. And when I go to the NBA Finals in Los Angeles, Norman is treating...Oh wait, I'm not supposed to have pancakes and syrup anymore, now that I'm diabetic...Well, maybe I can bring my all-natural syrup from Whole Foods.

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Joe (NYC): Will David Stern be fixing the lottery for the Knicks this year like in 1985?

Michael Wilbon: Ha! I just asked Tony that the other day. I would hate to see a Chicago born and raised kid (Derrick Rose) go to play for the Knicks. I really and truly would hate it. I know he's not going to play for the Bulls, but please, not for New York City.

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Maryland: I know the Cavs lost but you have to love Lebron after watching him for 7 games. What does he need on his team to get them a championship?

Michael Wilbon: More shooters...shooters. Did you see Wally Szczerbiak yesterday, go 0-fer? Pathetic. I love Wally, but he can't take a bagel in that game. Damon Jones? Didn't get that three in the cylinder. If anything LeBron proved his greatness by nearly winning a Game 7 in Boston with only Joe Smith and Delonte West having his back...So, so disapopinting...

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Boston: Can you explain to me why-- given all the money invested in player salaries, tickets, television contracts, etc. -- it seems as though 24-second clocks are still being operated by someone's nephew for $20 a game?

At least once a game it seems as though there is a stupid screwup involving the 24 second clock, and once in a while it really affects the game. Why can't they get that right?

Michael Wilbon: Great question/comment. Thank you. They don't get it right because they don't care enough to do so. What other reason could there be?

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Fairfax, Va.: Mr. Wilbon which sport do you wish you had more time to follow or if you could get into a sport, which one you would like to become a fan of?

Michael Wilbon: Hmmmm...Good question. Well, I've covered them all, pretty much. I guess the answer would be international soccer. Yep, that's the sport. International soccer...It's fascinating and I would love the travel, love the personalities, and it matters more than anything in the world...except here.

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Akron, Ohio: Cleveland has not won a professional championship in any sport since 1965!

Michael Wilbon: It's not close, Philly and Cleveland. And Cleveland doesn't whine nearly as much, which is why I like their fans so, so much more.

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Phoenix: Given Nash's time-tested ability of leading (superbly, I might add) offensive minded teams and inability of playing lock-down defense, does his presence in Phoenix next season depend on the coach hired? Could he be attractive trade bait for a few teams out there? (I never thought he was awful defensively, simply below average for a PG)

Michael Wilbon: I know what you're asking, but I don't know if whoever comes in will give up on Steve Nash yet, even though he's now just past his MVP prime and can't be the No. 1 player on a championship team, he's still a great, great player any coach would want unless he had Chris Paul or Deron Williams...Phoenix needs to get him another shooter or two to replace the ones (Joe Johnson, Eddie House, Q. Richardson, etc) who have left that lineup over the years.

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Union Station, D.C.: Hi Mike. I hope you are NOT following in the footsteps of Tony by taking The Post's buyout! Please confirm this before I swear off reading The Post. All the best!

Michael Wilbon: Chill, chill...I appreciate the sentiment, thank you much. And I'm not leaving voluntarily, no. No buyout for me. I think the powers that be still want me to write my column adn chat and do the podcast Tony and I now do 4 days a week. And I love doing it. It's approaching 28 full years (on June 21) and I've loved every day of it. As for Tony, remember, he hasn't written a column in what, two years? He doesn't write anymore. He does the podcast 4 days a week, but he's not a columnist anymore and hasn't been one for awhile. So, taking the buyout was probably the way for him to go...And there are still a million reasons to read The Post, even with many of the familiar names and mega talents reducing their roles or bowing out...

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How about some love to the kickoff of the WNBA season...: I'll admit my viewing of WNBA games have dropped off in recent seasons, but what a debut performance by Candace Parker. She just won a NCAA championship like less than 2 months ago then puts on a show in her first game with the LA Sparks.

Michael Wilbon: What a debut. Wow. I've been saying for three years Parker is the best player in women's basketball, college or pro. She's fabulous. She's like Magic Johnson in the regard that she was a huge hit in the NCAA, then a champ right away in the pros. People are asking if she'll bring all kinds of new attention to the WNBA...I don't know about that. But I think the people inclined already to pay attention to women's pro basketball will take an even closer look...

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Washington, DC: So I'm one of those guys that has lost interest in the NBA since, oh, about 1998 or so and said all the typical stuff about why I don't like it.

There were many elements, but my biggest reason is I've always preferred the team game that college tends to play versus the isolation game the NBA seems to favor.

Enter LeBron James. I sat down and found myself just marvelling at the things he does that make basketball worth watching. Yes there are small annoyances like the several extra steps he takes and his crazy mother trying to get into a fight on the court, but the guy simply makes basketball worth watching all by himself.

For the first time since your boy Legs was bangin' threes for the Bullets I enjoyed an NBA basketball game yesterday afternoon.

And my goodness is Paul Pierce good. I'm going to have to root for the Celtics just to see him have a shot at a championship after all those horrid teams in Boston he had to play on but stuck it out playing hard and keeping his mouth shut.

Anyways, you get a lot of NBA-haters but you are right on by constantly telling them to watch the game and the players and if you appreciate sport you will find yourself enthralled.

Michael Wilbon: Thanks for the comment. Just watch the playoffs. Watch Chris Paul and Tony Parker tonight in Game 7...Put the baggage away and just watch.

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Anonymous:"Oh, I know how they got to 100 seasons...My point, like yours, is SHUT UP with the Philly pity party."

No, you obviously didn't, because you claimed that they weren't counting the Phillies 80' championship or the Sixers one in 83', both occurring BEFORE the 100 season drought. And name me just ONE other city that can claim such a long period between championships.

washingtonpost.com: Cleveland.

Michael Wilbon: When I said "not counting" what I mean is they're ignoring the fact that these championships were won in the lifetimes of most Philadelphians, therefore making the 100 years issue a made up piece of junk. If you live in a place where two championships were won in less than 30 years, shut up. Now, did I clear that up.

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Washington, D.C.: Mike, reading Peter King's MMQB column, I saw that Tony Kornheiser has accepted a buyout from The Post. Tony is an excellent writer and I have enjoyed reading both of your columns. Can you speak on how he has helped you out in your career, and your personal thoughts on him no longer working for The Post. Thanks.

Michael Wilbon: This is a good place to end this week's chat...I was 21 years old when I got to The Post. It was the same summer Tony arrived. In my early and mid-20s I was very, very fortunate to have some terrific mentors, including Tony, Tom Boswell, Ken Denlinger, Dave Kindred, David Dupree, and of course Shirley Povich (working for George Solomon)...Tony, because he was in the office every day and rarely on the road, was there to teach me first and foremost to figure out what the right story was that day...whether I was the beat writer covering Maryland or Georgetown or the NFL, or a columnist. He'd tell me to sit down and figure out, what's the most fascinating thing coming out of here today...and I got better at it because of that advice. Tony would also make sure that young writers, like David Aldridge, J.A. Adande, John Feinstein (yeah, Junior was once young) did things like show up in the locker room the next day after writing a critical piece about a player or coach. Accountability was a big thing. I was very, very fortuante to have essentially a grad school course taught by the top sportswriters of the 1980s and 1990s and beyond.

Okay, gotta run to do PTI...See you guys next Tuesday from Detroit. Oh, I'm guessing the Spurs will win tonight because I just can't bet against the 4-time champs...

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Florida: Why do you think the Spurs will win tonight? Experience? a questionable David West?

Michael Wilbon: Both.

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DC by way of SD: Well San Diego hasn't won a championship in ever; but you don't see us complaining, do you?

Then again, the weather could have SOMEthing to do with it.

Michael Wilbon: Yeah, everything.

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Virginia...: Has Seattle EVER won anything? I can't remember if the Sonics won back in the 70s (before my time)... They're about to lose their team. Shut up, Philly.

Michael Wilbon: Thank you again.

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Cambridge, U.K.: I moved from DC to England last year but, thanks to a my VCR, I have watched every Red Wings playoff game (on NASN, where PTI airs!). I also can watch my Tigers, Lions and even March Madness online. But NBA playoffs? My Pistons? Celctics-Cavs Game 7? Nope. Is this the way David Stern is making the NBA a world game? NBA needs to get its overseas act together.

Michael Wilbon: Good point, and thank you.

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