Sonics vs. Bulls - A Metaphor

Tonight's game was a slaughter. The Seattle Supersonics fell behind the Chicago Bulls early in the first quarter and the Bulls never looked back. But although the Sonics are not the greatest team in the NBA, this loss was not their fault.

It is said never to blame the coach - That it's easy to coach when you're a spectator, because hindsight is 20/20. That is why it is taboo, especially when you are the announcer or player on the home team, to challenge or blame the coach.

Sometimes, however, the coach is wrong. Very wrong. Rashard Lewis, arguably the best player on the team, was shooting 4 for 6 with no fouls when they took him out for over 6 minutes (For those of you who do not know basketball, that's a long time for a starting player). Already down by 16 in the 2nd quarter, instead of giving the ball to the best player, they put in reserves who could barely hold on to the ball. Rookies who double dribbled and travelled almost as often as they missed their shots. Three solid starters sat on the bench as the Bulls' lead continued to increase. Finally the coach puts Lewis back in (neglecting the other two starters - for no apparent reason) and what do they do? Continue to give the ball to the two remaining rookies on the court, players who in that very same game actually managed to score a point for the other team (by going up for a rebound and hitting it into the basket) and spiked a ball with one hand out of bounds, even though there was no one around him. Despite the poor offense, the coach never changed his strategy until the Sonics were ultimately defeated, 99 to 84.

No one watching that game had any doubts. In every household in Seattle, some fan was screaming at the TV "What are you doing?! What the hell?! Take them out already! You idiot!!" over and over and over, but the coach of the Sonics, some 1,735 miles away, didn't listen. Sometimes it is the people watching the game who can see the answer. Sometimes the coach is not the objective playmaker he tries to be. Sometimes the coach needs to listen to the fans because despite him trying his best to win the basketball game, his current strategy isn't working. There won't be any victories unless he starts listening to everyone else and changes the course. Otherwise, the only thing left for us fans to do will be to get him impeached.

Fired. I meant fired.