Things We Used to Say

For the first time in years, last night around 8, I shut my laptop and said loudly to no one in particular, "I can't write about basketball anymore tonight." Which is a shame, since I have tons of things I want to put down in this space, including Dr. J's pre-career and nature of corrections; one final consideration of the Bron ad; and those Warriors, who filled my heart with love when I woke up this morning. If you're going to point out that the previous sentence sounded kind of homoerotic, well, religion does lots of time, too. Leave this site forever.

However, I would seriously advise you to listen to the latest FD Presents: The Disciples of Clyde NBA Podcast episode. Not only is it the first-ever one-on-one meeting between myself and Kenneth Paul Drews -- it's probably the most raw, uncensored, uncut, and potentially damning interview about the book I'll ever do. Fun fact: I first got in touch with Ken and Dan after I listened to their discussion of the Almanac, where Ken spent the whole time questioning whether or not FD wasn't just one big elaborate con. Now, we're having a cozy conversation about the new joint.

Because it must be said: if you listen to one really long podcast about the new FD book, it should probably be this one. LISTEN.

UPDATE: MORE MEDIA!

-Me + The Basketball Jones for only the second time in forever. What could go wrong?

-Q&A w/New York Magazine with lots of Knicks wisdom, and some very long sentences I apparently say out loud.

FreeDarko Player Rankings 2010-11 + BOOK TIME!

Today is a momentous day, so of course I slept three hours more than I meant to. The book is out! Starting today, FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History is available everywhere, and ready to ship from the web. Also pay a visit to our store, where we've just added the much-requested MJ "long shadow" print, and check out our Q&A on NYTimes.com (and in print last Sunday). Also, PLEASE LEAVE AMAZON REVIEWS. They help our cause tremendously.

But as much as I would love to dwell in the past -- the above photo of a 1969 Connie Hawkins basketball camp in Pittsburgh is boss -- the present is once again here! With the 2010-11 NBA season about to jump off and get all frisky in your lap, for the second time ever, we present our FD Player Power Rankings. These were last conducted in October 2006. My, how the world changes, and doesn't. Don't ask about the method, or who was involved. Just know that, based on a far-reaching survey of FD associates, you have this list to guide you.

1. Kevin Durant
2. Rajon Rondo
3. John Wall
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Amar’e Stoudemire
6. Brandon Jennings
7. Anthony Randolph
8. Carmelo Anthony
9. Kobe Bryant
10. DeMarcus Cousins
11. Josh Smith
12. LeBron James
13. Monta Ellis
14. Gerald Wallace
15. Serge Ibaka
16. Rodrigue Beaubois
17. Tyreke Evans
18. Ron Artest
19. Steve Nash
20. Gilbert Arenas
21. J.R. Smith
22. Nicolas Batum
23. Chris Paul
24. Blake Griffin
25. Lamar Odom
26. Andre Iguodala
27. Stephen Jackson
28. Pau Gasol
29. Dwyane Wade
30. Derrick Rose
31. Andray Blatche
32. Terrence Williams
33. Larry Sanders
34. JaVale McGee
35. Joakim Noah
36. Brandon Roy
37. Francisco Garcia
38. Kevin Garnett
39. Stephen Curry
40. Tyrus Thomas
41. Deron Williams
42. Jrue Holiday
43. Danny Granger
44. Trevor Ariza
45. Ersan Ilyasova
46. Thaddeus Young
47. Amir Johnson
48. Hassan Whiteside
49. J.J. Hickson
50. Paul George

Discuss. We love you!

P.S. Like many of you, I freaked out early over the new LeBron ad. Here's my multi-layered reading of it; ignore the AOL comments. However, since last night, I've wondered about the last line. To me, the genius of the ad is that it suggests that LeBron himself wasn't always sure, or at least acknowledges that after a point, this summer had become a mess that no one man could make sense of. I like my "defiantly rhetorical" description.

The last line, though, seems to chip away at that fine balance. Asking the audience "should I be what you want me to be" sets up a you/me binary, as if the only complexity came when everyone tried to tell LeBron what to do. The admission that LBJ himself found himself sucked into the pit of confusion -- that it wasn't just nasty fans and media telling him what to do -- is a far more subtle, and charitable, version of events. I guess it can still be read that way, if others try and define/own James by telling him what he should do from afar. Still, it totally removes him from the equation, and suddenly it feels like blame is being assigned. The problem becomes us, not the all-encompassing clusterfuck I describe in my post. If you go with that interpretation of the ending -- perhaps added as a hook -- the whole ad is weakened, I think.

The Book Has a Site; The Store Hath Returned

We're taking a break in the middle of Dream Week's, um, second week, to make a major announcement about the book that prompted this series in the first place. That would be The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History, our follow-up to the Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Alamanac. It drops on October 26, but as of today, it has a website, with excerpts, previews, images, wallpaper, event listings, and all sorts of other fun and games.

The excerpt widgets (like the Celtics one below) can be embedded and passed around like so much hard candy. They also get bigger and easier to read, if you click around enough. Pretend it's an iPhone.

Other big news: THE STORE IS BACK. We've got prints from both books, limited and otherwise, as well as the shirts we've got left in stock. There are so many bargains to be had that you might break down and cry. We've got some new shirt ideas kicking around, so look for those soon, too. Oh, and there's a contest. Whoever creates the best Allen Iverson paper doll meme image collage gets a free print. For every end, there is a beginning. Tweet them, email them to us, stick them on Tumblr, just make sure we see them.

Good luck topping Big Baby's initial go at it:

BwB 2.0 and Fresh Clothing!!!

Before the explanation, the announcement. Oh, and read my lame, contrived punchline-fest from yesterday. It gets no deeper.

So the line-up for Blogs with Balls 2.0 is pretty much in place, and the trumpet hath been sounded. It'll be a part of Blog World Expo in Vegas, which will allow me to bask in, or court, that vital (if imagined) crossover demographic. Jesus there are a lot of speakers at this thing. I'm on a panel about resolving differences between bloggers and traditional media, and suspect Amy K. Nelson and I are supposed to pick up where we left off at BwB. Yes, I am talking this up like a pro wrestling event.

The video: USA vs. Brazil at the 1987 Pan-American Games. Pre-doom Danny Manning, the amazing young Mr. Robinson. But most of all, holy fuck Brazil's uniforms are amazing. They are at once futuristic and Naismith-esque, while nearly going so far in both directions that these two opposites collide. Innovative uni design—I'm talking design, not just engineering—is an untapped field of exploration.

Have a nice weekend, friends.

Help me Succeed

Good afternoon sportsfans,

As few of you know, I am a couple months away from completing my Ph.D. in psychology. Before I do so, however, I could really use your help with one of my research projects. I am conducting a 5-8 minute study online and I need as many people to participate as possible.

There IS a sports component to this study and I think that you will find it interesting. The only rules for participation are:

1. You cannot be a relative or close friend of mine (you will know too much about my research)
2. You must be 18 years of age or older and be fluent in English.
3. You can only take the study once. Only once.
4. You cannot discuss the study in the comments.

I will make the findings known once I get enough participants.

Oh, one more thing....you won't be asked to give any identifying information except for age and gender. Your identities will be completely confidential.

Eternally grateful for your help,
Dr. LIC

UPDATE: Response was overwhelming and so many people participated that the survey is now closed. Thank you so much for your help. Results coming soon.

Rational, Collaborative Commerce—>

First special thanks to a special someone for helping me figure all these new strategies out. They are far less demeaning for everyone involved.

First, the reborn donation box, up in the left-hand corner, looking terrible for the next few hours. This one's simple, if you remember and I remind you enough: If you have to buy books, or CDs, or text books, or staplers, or whatever, go through these links to buy them and we get a cut. It's that simple. I'm planning to some more equally logical choices, and some might disappear, but this is an easy way to make FD pay without extra cost or any kind of weird suspension of sound financial judgment. However, if you prefer the latter, please do hit up the Cafe Press outlet. Made up mostly of shit that makes us laugh. And there's always the shirts, prints and such.

Why should you do this? Because I'm now hunkering down to write about Don Nelson's latest lunacy, and its near-inevitable overlap with Randolph's rise. But you probably already knew that.

With These Hands

Yes, that's Kevin Pritchard and Mike Born, Portland's head of scouting, with the FD Book. Click to enlarge if you don't believe me. Thanks to Ben for passing along the photo, taken by Michael Tillery of the Portland Observer.

Between this and the upcoming Powell's shindig, I wish we had included more Blazers. And if this volume of ours is now being used as a scouting tool . . . I'll expect a call from someone's front office any day now.

Earlier: Three years of DIY All-Star anthems.

Happened Upon Innocently

In the latest ESPN Mag's Josh Smith feature.

A Sweet Ordeal For All of Us to Share

Since the book is now actually, finally done, I'll come forth and ask myself: Please feel free to pre-order from Amazon. There's some disinformation on that page, and the cover still might change, but the time has sort of come. So let me offer several compelling reasons for you to cop:

Because our sources told us who "Kaiser" is (see final graf).

Because there are drawings everywhere.

Because there are a ton of those Style Guides that everyone loved so much.

Because it's got some of our most cohesive writing about most of our favorite players' careers.

Because it has graphs that will change the universe.

Because if you think the site is too weird, or not weird enough, there's much for you in here.

Because your girl will like it.

Because longtime readers will recognize some themes, but be taken aback by others.

Because it has a glossary.

Because it's like the blog, but with illustrations, an editor, and lots of elaborate set-pieces we could never pull off on a web page.

Because I once told Dr. LIC that "this book makes our website look like an outhouse."

Because it explains my dip in output this past season.

Because Arenas wrote the foreword.

Because it's now going to be a hardcover, for the same price.

Because you save a bunch of money if you buy now.

Because these playoffs may be sour, but salvation is on the way.