Wade last night

[Wade for President]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  There is NOTHING (outside of murder or any other serious criminal act) that would encourage me to say something negative about #3.

What he has done and continues to do for this University (#BringWadeToMadness ring a bell?), his community work with the Boys & Girls Club (OF THREE DIFFERENT CITIES), the support and contributions he makes to his mother and her church, and the countless other service projects that Wade's World Foundation sponsors, put DWade in the brightest light.

http://www.wadesworldfoundation.org/

I've had a couple of chances to interact with Dwyane (once when I fictitiously posed as a member of the media to ask a question at a press conference, and then sharing a bowling lane with DWade for a few hours during a charity event in Chicago) and he went out of his way to be sincere/personable with everyone.

I cussed the tv when I saw LeBron's announcement, fore I saw the scrutiny that would follow.  The book is far from finished on the pairing of LBJ and DWade, but I don't like what I see thus far.

I'll be at Game 3 tonight cheering for DWade to score 60............in a Pacers win.


*With Bosh out and the mere thought of the Heat not advancing to the Eastern Conf Finals, there was no chance that Stern would've signed off on a suspension for Wade's shove on Collison.

[MU82]

Really like Wade as a player and appreciate everything he did while at MU. I root for him to excel in the NBA, and he usually does.

I have no idea if he is a "good guy" or a "jerk" because I don't know him well enough. He's probably something in between -- nice much of the time but sometimes a jerk, as is the case with most humans. I doubt most people here know him well enough, either. (Maybe a couple of you do; I said most.)

Having said all that, his foul had nothing to do with basketball, it was egregious and it should have drawn a suspension. I'd be willing to be that if Haslem or Miller had committed the exact same foul, that player would have been suspended. I'm not a conspiracy-theory guy, but this smacks of the NBA protecting one of its chosen players as well as the team it desperately wants to reach the Finals.

[frozena pizza]

Overall I really like Wade and most of the reports I've heard from people who have met him or spent time with him have been very positive.  I don't know what he is really like.  But he definitely plays with an edge and sometimes it comes out in ugly ways.  The shot he gave Kobe in All-Star game was uncalled for.  Blind siding Collison like that just because he didn't get a call on the other end was childish and flagrant.  Not surprised the league isn't doing anything about it though.

[LON]

I kind of felt obligated to write a big defense of D-Wade, but then I realized that the vast majority of the "MU fan" hate for Wade comes from Bulls fans who are pissed that the Heat knocked the Bulls out of the play-offs last year and that the Heat lasted longer in the play-offs this year.  Don't worry guys, keep complaining about the refs and eventually maybe the Bulls could beat the Heat.

SO.MUCH.BUTT-HURT.

Jordan and Pippen were the NICEST GUYS EVAH!!!

[Hards Alumni]

While I have no problem with the edge he is showing (the best players have an edge... Larry Bird got his face punched in), he probably should have gotten the flagrant 2 and headed to the locker room on that one.

I'm really surprised that he didn't get fined and suspended for a game for it as well.

[TribalRage]

His ex-wife was/is a complete nut job.

Still, he shoulda kept his jockeys on until he legally separated from her. He was unwilling to say no. Worst thing that happened to his marriage was Shaq showing up in Miami.

[Skatastrophy]

Still, he shoulda kept his jockeys on until he legally separated from her. He was unwilling to say no. Worst thing that happened to his marriage was Shaq showing up in Miami.

Legally separated or not, their relationship was over.  Stop trying to impose your morals on other people.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Still, he shoulda kept his jockeys on until he legally separated from her. He was unwilling to say no. Worst thing that happened to his marriage was Shaq showing up in Miami.

The worst thing that happened to his marriage is that he became a multi-millionaire, global superstar and got drafted by Miami.  Young people with unlimited money in a town like Miami live a lifestyle that's hard to comprehend for the rest of us.  

[MerrittsMustache]

The combination of Stern's fear of Miami losing the series and Bosh being out made this a no-brainer not to suspend him. Which is wrong.

Exactly right. If Collison did that same move to Wade (or anyone else), he'd be sitting Game 3.

The league needs to protect their $uper$tar$.

[DJO's Pump Fake]

I am appalled at these viewpoints.

I guess I am one of the FEW that still value Wade and everything he did for MU, and continues to do.  No one said he had to come to a game last year with the most popular player on the planet.

You guys are insane.  He may be the best player in our school's history, and some "fans" want to rip him?

I became a Heat fan the second he got drafted, and will remain until he hangs it up or moves on. 

He can do no wrong.  (except maybe the IU shorts)

[wadesworld]

I am appalled at these viewpoints.

I guess I am one of the FEW that still value Wade and everything he did for MU, and continues to do.  No one said he had to come to a game last year with the most popular player on the planet.

You guys are insane.  He may be the best player in our school's history, and some "fans" want to rip him?

I became a Heat fan the second he got drafted, and will remain until he hangs it up or moves on.  

He can do no wrong.  (except maybe the IU shorts)

I agree that some of the statements made in this thread are ridiculous.  I disagree with the idea that he can do no wrong.  He's a human being and makes errors.  His play was a semi-dirty play and he shouldn't have done it, but that doesn't lead me to believe he is a bad person, a dirty player (I don't think Robert Horry was a dirty player but look what he did to Steve Nash...that was 100x as dirty), or someone who thinks he has become entitled to things.  The NBA refs are the ones giving him the calls that he gets.  If he's used to getting the call that wasn't called, I can't blame him for being upset.  Could he have shown his frustration in a different way?  Definitely.  But he's not a bad human being because he made a play that 10 years ago was made just about every game.

I still love Dwyane Wade and will continue to for forever (unless he does something that actually does make him a bad person).  He lives the life of a superstar.  When the lights are always on you, media can portray you as a "bad" person because they can highlight any part of your life.  If every dumb thing you did from the time you were 21 until the time you were 38 was put in every newspaper, sports magazine, etc. my guess is most people here would look like pretty "bad" people, when in reality they were stupid decisions spread out over 17 years.  That's what happens when the spotlight is constantly on you, trying to get into your personal life.

[JD]

I guess I am one of the FEW that still value Wade and everything he did for MU, and continues to do.  No one said he had to come to a game last year with the most popular player on the planet.

They were playing the Milwaukee Bucks the following night, was it really that big of a deal?

[wadesworld]

They were playing the Milwaukee Bucks the following night, was it really that big of a deal?

It was a pretty big deal considering the publicity they got for doing it.  How many college games show the celebrities in the crowd on ESPN?  Teams like UNC and Duke do.  Other than that it very rarely happens.  Vander Blue's top 10 dunk followed by Wade's and LeBron's reaction was some pretty big time publicity for MU.

[LON]

It was a pretty big deal considering the publicity they got for doing it.  How many college games show the celebrities in the crowd on ESPN?  Teams like UNC and Duke do.  Other than that it very rarely happens.  Vander Blue's top 10 dunk followed by Wade's and LeBron's reaction was some pretty big time publicity for MU.

But, he chose not to play for the team of which I'm a fan.  So, he sucks now.

/Bulls fan'd
//piling on

[JD]

It was a pretty big deal considering the publicity they got for doing it.  How many college games show the celebrities in the crowd on ESPN?  Teams like UNC and Duke do.  Other than that it very rarely happens.  Vander Blue's top 10 dunk followed by Wade's and LeBron's reaction was some pretty big time publicity for MU.

Sorry, I should have clarified.  My point is that in January/February is there much to do at 7pm in milwaukee?  Maybe take Lebron to Real Chilli, but other than that, i'd say going to a Marquette game is the next option.  (Choices were limited, not seeing the huge deal)

[frozena pizza]

Sorry, I should have clarified.  My point is that in January/February is there much to do at 7pm in milwaukee?  Maybe take Lebron to Real Chilli, but other than that, i'd say going to a Marquette game is the next option.  (Choices were limited, not seeing the huge deal)

Whether there are other things to do in town is not the point.  The point is that he is one of the biggest sports stars on the planet and is on TV any time he attends an event, whether it's a Yankee game or the LSU / Alabama football game.  The fact that he shows up at a Marquette game with arguably the BIGGEST sports star on the planet and it's all over ESPN the next day to remind people of that connection makes MU basketball that much more relevant and important in people's (ahem, recruits) minds.  Maybe it's not a major inconvenience to him but no amount of advertising can help the Marquette brand name as much as he can just by showing up.

[MUMac]

Sorry, I should have clarified.  My point is that in January/February is there much to do at 7pm in milwaukee?  Maybe take Lebron to Real Chilli, but other than that, i'd say going to a Marquette game is the next option.  (Choices were limited, not seeing the huge deal)

He brought most of the team with him.  I agree, good pub for MU.  Did he have to?  No.  Should he have, under the circumstances?  Yes - at least DWade.  Everyone else, though, was a nice touch.

[JD]

Whether there are other things to do in town is not the point.  The point is that he is one of the biggest sports stars on the planet and is on TV any time he attends an event, whether it's a Yankee game or the LSU / Alabama football game.  The fact that he shows up at a Marquette game with arguably the BIGGEST sports star on the planet and it's all over ESPN the next day to remind people of that connection makes MU basketball that much more relevant and important in people's (ahem, recruits) minds.  Maybe it's not a major inconvenience to him but no amount of advertising can help the Marquette brand name as much as he can just by showing up.

You think the majority of recruits don't know where Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, came from?  Guess i just don't see the huge deal.  It shows he still has a connection with Marquette, yes.  But to suggest a recruit will pick Marquette because he brought Lebron to a game is just silly to me.

[Pakuni]

But, he chose not to play for the team of which I'm a fan.  So, he sucks now.

/Bulls fan'd
//piling on

Apparently the writers of Yahoo!'s NBA blogs are also butt hurt Bulls fans:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/david-west-hustles-pacers-off-court-game-2-132352807.html;_ylt=At_VWyfXw8PHr32Xg6YGIUw5nYcB

As well as the people behind NBC's Pro Basketball Talk:

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/16/ironically-wade-thinks-pacers-celebration-was-excessive/

CBS Sports also:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/19064473/pacers-heat-game-2-ironically-the-heat-think-the-pacers-celebrated-too-much

And Slam

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2012/05/dwyane-wade-unhappy-with-indianas-little-celebration-after-game-2/

[LON]

Relax.  I was just needling the strong contingent of Bulls fans on this board whose opinions of Wade took a complete 180 degree turn when he had the audacity to not sign with Chicago and possibly use them in his negotiations with Miami.  Go figure, a pro athelete being a mercenary.  Color me shocked.

[AZWarrior]

You think the majority of recruits don't know where Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, came from?  Guess i just don't see the huge deal.  It shows he still has a connection with Marquette, yes.  But to suggest a recruit will pick Marquette because he brought Lebron to a game is just silly to me.

I'll wager you are not in marketing.  Frozena pizza is right - its all about MU's "brand", and having D-Wade, etc on ESPN...well, Frozena is spot on.

[JD]

I'll wager you are not in marketing.  Frozena pizza is right - its all about MU's "brand", and having D-Wade, etc on ESPN...well, Frozena is spot on.

Why wouldn't a top 100 recruit think to themselves "Hey i saw Dwyane and Lebron watching a Marquette game, I should go there so I can be as good as them"  Maybe to UWGB recruits it might be a big deal, but to a perennial top 25 program (or trying to be), I don't think that's a deciding factor in a prospects mind. Agree to disagree.

So if I see Chuck Norris on his total gym machine, and then go buy one,does that mean I'm going to kick as many asses as he has in his lifetime?

[Dawson Rental]

I kind of felt obligated to write a big defense of D-Wade, but then I realized that the vast majority of the "MU fan" hate for Wade comes from Bulls fans who are pissed that the Heat knocked the Bulls out of the play-offs last year and that the Heat lasted longer in the play-offs this year.  Don't worry guys, keep complaining about the refs and eventually maybe the Bulls could beat the Heat.

Let's see, you thought about writing a positive piece to defend Dwyane, but that was going to be too hard or time consuming, so you went with an attack on Bulls fans.  I don't really see how your being a fan of Dwyane's helps his cause.

[Dawson Rental]

Sorry, I should have clarified.  My point is that in January/February is there much to do at 7pm in milwaukee?  Maybe take Lebron to Real Chilli, but other than that, i'd say going to a Marquette game is the next option.  (Choices were limited, not seeing the huge deal)

Maybe not a huge deal for Dwyane, but it was a very huge deal for Marquette.

[🏀]

So if I see Chuck Norris on his total gym machine, and then go buy one,does that mean I'm going to kick as many asses as he has in his lifetime?

You don't own a Total Gym already?