7th Inning Stretch with Scott Fragale - Not So Deep Thoughts: The National and L.A.'s other team

Not So Deep Thoughts: The National and L.A.'s other team
Posted by Tuff Stuff

Just chiming in with some hobby news and some thoughts from around the sports world. First off, we're inching closer to this year's National Convention in Cleveland at the end of July. There's a pretty solid autograph lineup as of now and there has been some mention of trying to get LeBron James to make an appearance, but I'll believe that one when I see it.

As for us, F&W Media is busy putting together a gameplan for the big

show and although our plans have yet to be finalized, I can tell you that we will be giving away tons of great items at our booth that week so make sure you stop by. In addition to offering the lowest possible prices on Tuff Stuff and SCD subscriptions, we'll also be raffling off

a new batch of signed 8-by-10 color photos, giving away free subscriptions, DVDs, and it appears as though we'll also be having a drawing for that now-famous Chipper Jones signed jersey. So if you can make your way down to Cleveland for the National, you should plan on stopping by the F&W Media booth and checking out all the great deals we'll have for you not to mention all the free stuff you can take home.

I checked out the NBA Draft Lottery last night and couldn't feel more sorry for Blake Griffin. The reason I feel bad for him is because the Clippers won the lottery and the right to draft Griffin in the NBA Draft. Although Griffin has been saying all of the right things since hearing of his impending career with L.A.'s "other" team, deep down you know he wishes last night's proceedings would have worked out differently. Sure the Clippers have a solid nucleus with Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Zach Randolph, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby, but the team hasn't produced a winner in well, ever, and the team is widely considered the worst franchise in professional sports so welcome to NBA purgatory Mr. Griffin.

Could it be that when players get drafted by the Clippers they go in with much lowered expectations than they would if they were drafted by the Lakers or Celtics? My belief is that because of their poor history, players head to L.A. with their sights set on the buzzing nightlife, the beautiful babies on the beaches and the star-power in the seats every night and they lose their focus on why they're actually there which is to play basketball. Because they play for L.A.'s other team, new arrivals to the Clippers see it as an opportunity to enjoy all of the spoils of L.A. without the responsibilities that come when you're drafted by a historic and proven franchise. Why? Because the bar has been lowered so far it's scraping the ground and the expectations of producing a winner aren't in place like they are in other cities.

While it will only take a season or two of success to turn that around in Clipperland, that's obviously easier said than done or the team would have pulled the 180 years ago. Perhaps the workmanlike Griffin will break the spell and not get caught up in the lure of L.A.-L.A. Land. My prediction is that he will avoid the many temptations, produce on the court and the Clippers will end the decades of futility and make the playoffs. Then again, I think I said the same thing in 1988 when the Clips drafted Danny Manning and then again in 1998 when then took Michael Olowokandi.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:32:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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