The Real John McCain

Dr. LIC:

This is EXACTLY what the Spurs have been missing. Their most hated quality is that they try to pretend they're not assholes when they actually are (Bowen, Popovich). Horry is too old for that. He's been in the trenches. Horry IS the Straight Talk Express. [...] (to take the McCain/Horry analogy one step further, dude is on the darkside but kind of knows what the fuck is up.)

Funny, but I don't really think McCain comes through in the clutch. My all-time favorite Bill Walton moment, however, was Horry-related. Back during, I think, the 2003 Spurs-Lakers series Horry made a good defensive play and Walton remarked "Robbert Horry -- one of the top five defensive players in the game" and his co-broadcaster responds, "Bill, I'm not sure he's even one of the top five defensive players on the floor right now." McCain is kind of like that; full of undeserved reputations.

Comments

Another reason this comparison is pretty silly: I don't think McCain could lift his arms high enough to hit that game winning three vs sacto in game four of the 02' western conference finals.

Posted by matt z | May 19, 2007 5:56 PM

If any of you ended up at Matt's site by accident, feel free to check out mine: EnriqueIglesias.com

Posted by Enrique | May 19, 2007 8:00 PM

I don't think Horry has a reputation as one of the top five defensive players in the game at all. Instead, I think Bill Walton is completely full of shit. A more apt analogy would be Bill Walton with Thomas Friedman.

Posted by stephen judkins | May 19, 2007 8:01 PM

I don't think McCain could lift his arms high enough to hit that game winning three vs sacto in game four of the 02' western conference finals.

The three that had the most impact in that series came after the buzzer. Just wanted to point that out.

Posted by Kurt Montandon | May 19, 2007 8:07 PM

Kurt, you are talking about a different 3 then the one matt z refers to right, as that one most certainly was not after the buzzer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=769f_gjkDaA

Posted by Hundred-Dollar Bill | May 19, 2007 8:43 PM

I think Bill Walton is completely full of shit.

No no no. The key to understanding and appreciating Bill Walton is that he only remembers things that happened many years ago or what happened in the last ten seconds. So when Walton appears to make generalized comments of evaluation, like "Robert Horry is one the five best defensive players in the game," just understand that as "Robert Horry is one of the five best defensive players I've seen in the last ten seconds," which was probably true. This is how in the space of two minutes the same player can be both "invisible" and "imposing his will on the game," which I swear I've seen Walton claim on more than one occasion.

Posted by Quarterican | May 19, 2007 9:03 PM

McCain as Big Shot Bob? Tosh! Everyone knows Republicans can't jump.

Posted by The Next to Last Pope | May 19, 2007 10:24 PM

also the key to walton is that he is inherently exaggerating for effect, probably out of enthusiasm (although who knows?) just look up the time he compared boris diaw to beethoven as men of genius; he clearly doesn't take himself seriously, so neither should you.

Posted by dtah | May 19, 2007 10:32 PM

Cherokee Parks is gonna be a *great* center.

Posted by Bill Walton | May 19, 2007 10:35 PM

i've always had a difficult time forgetting about cheap-shot bob throwing the towel in coach ainge's face. some said it wasn't that big of a deal but cheap-shot was traded shortly after. this last incident, when he could have easily reached out and grabbed nash to draw a foul tells a lot about the venerable old pro:
cheap-shot bob.

Posted by conbrio | May 19, 2007 10:56 PM

"The key to understanding and appreciating Bill Walton is that he only remembers things that happened many years ago or what happened in the last ten seconds. So when Walton appears to make generalized comments of evaluation, like "Robert Horry is one the five best defensive players in the game," just understand that as "Robert Horry is one of the five best defensive players I've seen in the last ten seconds," which was probably true."

Exactamundo.

Bill Walton is actually a pretty good broadcaster if you remember to never take anything he says literally.

Posted by Petey | May 20, 2007 12:07 AM

An evaluation of Bill Walton based on quotes from his broadcast would be pretty unfair. He brings a lot of energy, enthusiasm and even insight to his broadcasts. But he is a little crazy and constantly overstating his case.

Posted by mpowell | May 20, 2007 12:44 AM

i've always had a difficult time forgetting about cheap-shot bob throwing the towel in coach ainge's face

You're obviously not a Celtics fan. Most of us have not only forgiven him, we empathize.

Posted by michesmith | May 20, 2007 12:53 AM

Say whatever you like about Horry. But at the end of the day, he's the reason the Spurs are advancing to the conference finals when they likely weren't the best team in the series just completed.

It may have been a cheap shot, but it worked. I'd want him on my team.

Posted by Petey | May 20, 2007 12:59 AM

I actually prefer Walton to most other broadcasters. Most broadcasters are full of it but try to pretend they're not; Walton doesn't even pretend.

Posted by eriks | May 20, 2007 1:24 AM

Walton is pompous, over-excitable, often obviously wrong, and yet still wierdly entertaining. He's the Andrew Sullivan of basketball.

Posted by RC | May 20, 2007 11:50 AM

"this last incident, when he could have easily reached out and grabbed nash to draw a foul tells a lot about the venerable old pro:
cheap-shot bob."

Right. And when Nash would have gone flying into the scorers table after that (as he was always going to do since he saw the foul coming and exaggerated the contact) you would have been screaming about how Horry closelined him and should be banned for life.

I'm tired of how overblown this whole incedent has become.

Posted by Sigh | May 20, 2007 11:54 AM

"I'm tired of how overblown this whole incedent has become."

Overblown?!?!?

L'Affair Horry marks the precise moment where the Spurs assassinated the Suns. When the playoffs are over and done with, it's very likely to be the most significant moment of the entire post-season.

How the hell can that get overblown?

Posted by Petey | May 20, 2007 12:08 PM

Robert Horry is a good shooter who is is almost always going to be able to get off a shot because of his height. He's also usually being guarded by a less agile PF so that makes him even more likely to get a shot off.

Horry isn't nearly as clutch as Steve Kerr or Danny Ainge if you look at the numbers but you can't guarantee you can get the ball to the guards like Kerr or Ainge in most set plays. Because Horry has always played with elite big men (Olajawon, Shaq, Duncan) and good-to-great driving players (Kenny Smith, Sam Cassell, Kobe, Tony Parker) the dude is ALWAYS open. The opposing D has to sag on the bigs and respect the drive to the hoop so Horry can hang like a vulture outside.

6'10 players who can shoot are great complimentary players. Look at 'Sheed thriving in Detroit. He blossomed when he didn't have to star. But you can't build around bigs who shoot, look at Dirk's playoff woes and all the championships won by Patrick Ewing's jump shooting.

That said Horry was freaky good in the 90s. You should extend retro 90s to finding video clips of old 90s ballers throughout the NBA playoffs.

Posted by joejoejoe | May 20, 2007 1:52 PM

"you can't build around bigs who shoot"

Tell that to me after the Raptors win their 3rd straight championship in 2012 with a core of Bosh-Bargnani-Ford.

Posted by Jdel | May 20, 2007 6:53 PM

defensive online driving

Posted by driving defensive online | May 27, 2007 9:09 PM