What's Gotten Into Manu?

by sungo on Nov 7, 2007 10:43 PM CST in Game Previews

Tonight while watching (OMG I GOT TO WATCH THE GAME 1!111!!!!1) my second Spurs game of the season I saw something from Manu Ginobili that I had never seen before. Early on in the third quarter (Pop had inserted him into the second half starting lineup) he drove the lane and got fouled my Jason Williams who added an unprovoked elbow into Manu's back well after the ball had left his hands.

The Sickness took offense and got into his face a little. This is the same guy who never opened his mouth while playing two consecutive series in the 2005 playoffs against teams who were basically trying to hurt him.

Later in the same quarter he canned a three from the wing and had some choice words for Ricky Davis (according to Jon Barry, Davis gave Manu an elbow during the first half). Manu's talking crap now, too? What the hell is going on?

He's always been one of the most competitive guys in the league, but he never participated in any of the extracurricular stuff. Did something change in him? Is this going to continue? He's got at least 3 dunks in 5 games...

ok, so I'm a little aroused right now

There's much more that could be said about this game but I don't want to steal stampler's thunder. Plus I'm tired and I want to go to sleep. There were three quality predictions of the Miami score, with guille's (92-82) coming out on top.

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Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

I'm with you, Matthew.

Having read Aaronstampler's reviews for over a year now, I'm sure he's hugging a stranger wherever he is and thinking of new nicknames for Gino.

Now I'm going to bed thinking of Gino dunking on Yao's ugly mug. Boy, I would've loved to hear the Chinese announcers rationalize that one.

Well, if I could understand Chinese, that is. Wonder what's Chinese for posterized.

For the record, I suck at guessing scores. Thankewverymuch.

by LatinD on Nov 7, 2007 11:14 PM CST reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

Could it be?...Couldn't it be that something has stoked the internal fire that drives Manu Ginobili? That something has awakened the hidden beast? Like Fangio driving in the German Grand Prix of 1957, when working on a two pit strategy, his 30 second lead was squandered when his mechanics had trouble changing one of the wheels, and thus when he came out of the pits he was in third place and a full 45 seconds behind the leaders. Fangio, a driver known not to take too many risks and who would drive only as fast as he needed to win, then proceeded to set fast lap after fast lap, taking extremely risky lines around the track and absolutely smashing track lap records. His lost lead had pissed him off so much that he absolutely let the inner tiger lose and proceeded to have one of the greatest drives in Formula One history and take the first spot in the penultimate lap, cementing his position as one of the greatest drivers to have ever set foot on this earth. Could it be that something similar has happened to Manu? Only time will tell. And why the obscure reference to Fangio you ask? Because that's where the money is. Oh wait, that's another quote...

by Hipuks on Nov 7, 2007 11:44 PM CST reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

That dunk on Yao was awesome, the Sickness is back indeed...

"The road to success is always under construction."

by DennardC on Nov 8, 2007 12:20 AM CST reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

I did not see that game the other night, and i'm glad i didn't until now. I just watched that replay like 6x. I think every spur besides Manu is content to lose the maximum number of games you can and still squeeze in as the 8th seed. Manu has single handedly beat every team this season with help from Timmy in only the first game and minimal help from Frenchie. So its basically been 1 on 5 and Manu is winning. This is exciting.

by staves27 on Nov 8, 2007 7:59 AM CST reply actions

At the right hand of Ice....err maybe the left

THANK GOD THAT POP FINALLY SAW THE LIGHT AND PUT MANU BACK ON THE FLOOR TO START THE SECOND HALF!!!!!!

maybe he was pissed off at being the best player on the team this year and still having to come off the bench. maybe he's just getting tired of playing too many minutes with super bon bon and bones barry. (translation: super bon bon is my new/old nickname for matt bonner based on a soul coughing song with the same title).

or, maybe manu's just getting tired of mouthy, jealous, no talent, tatooed punks trying to pick him off with cheap shots.

as high and i jumped after the ball imprint on yao's head, i think that a couple of manu's finishes last night were better. two finger rolls over fat boy and a wild one over everyone.

its been timmy's team for so long, but we saw mr. longoria make his mark on the finals and now, its gino's turn.

by bones on Nov 8, 2007 8:27 AM CST reply actions

Sorry if this has already been addressed.

Is it strange that the Spurs motto last year was about a stone cutter "pounding on a rock." Did they pay you for that? Their rings too? You should be allowed to use their logo now.

That is all.

by efantich on Nov 8, 2007 8:31 AM CST reply actions

Re: Sorry if this has already been addressed.

The name of this blog is based on a quote by the philosopher Jacob Riis:

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.

This quote has for years been posted in multiple languages at the Spurs facilities. Because of this, and it's relevance to pounding the ball inside, I chose it as the title of this blog.

by sungo on Nov 8, 2007 5:00 PM CST up reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

Manu was easily the biggest story of the night: his performance, his putting the team on his shoulders and simply refusing to let us lose (he tried to do the same against the Rockets, but had no help) AND his actually getting in Davis' and Williams' face about their cheap shots. HE NEVER DOES THAT! Shit, he showed no emotion when he ran into the Shaq brick wall on an earlier layup attempt. Yet, the SA Express had only the slightest mention (on the courtside blog), none in its game review and no interview with him. WTF!

by agutierrez on Nov 8, 2007 10:59 AM CST reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

Manu is tired of all the flopping references, and he is gonna kick ass all year.

"The road to success is always under construction."

by DennardC on Nov 8, 2007 12:49 PM CST reply actions

Re: What's Gotten Into Manu?

saw the rockets game on league pass. it was the local houston team coverage. whenever a foul got called on the rockets, there was a flop or a blatant missed call involved accoridng to these guys. naturally, you would expect some homer-ism, but this was ridiculous. they were all over manu nearly every time down. drexler and whoever that guy was with him were worse than the golden state and sacremento guys - and that is saying something. they werent quite as bad as heinsohn and the celtics coverage was though.....

come to think of it, league pass hasnt carried the spurs local announcer team yet this season.

by bones on Nov 8, 2007 1:22 PM CST reply actions