Welcome new readers (what PtR is all about)!
by sungo on Mar 9, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
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PrintAs some of you have noticed, PtR and the other SB Nation blogs are now loosely affiliated with Yahoo, via a link box on team specific pages. The powers that be have instructed me to write some sort of welcoming post for the flood of new users (all eight of them, though traffic has increased by about 25%). A little something that will explain the rules of the blog and give the newbs some idea of what PtR is all about.
So that's what this post is supposed to be. Except I only have 35 minutes to write it, meaning it will be woefully inadequate, and I am therefore relying on you, PtR brethren, to fill in the gaps via the comments, and I will eventually compile everything into a voluminous user guide: like a Dungeon Master's guide, but lamer.
1) We have rules. Actually, I have rules, and I force the "you" part of "we" to follow them. I'll put them at the end, because 95% of the people reading this already know (and are tired of hearing) them.
2) The first version of this blog was a solo effort by yours truly, located on blogger.com (back then there were maybe 15 NBA bloggers on the entirety of the internets). I moved over to SB Nation soon thereafter. Since the move PtR has added three main contributors, aaronstampler, AusTechSpur and LatinD. More on them later.
3) We love Manu Ginobili here. Our affection to this man goes beyond reason and normal human emotion. We joke that he is the son of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the sky (in other words, god), and that he has therefore been blessed with special abilities and worthy of all forms praise, except I'm not sure all of us are joking. We believe he is one of the fifteen to twenty best basketball players in the world. Aaronstampler claims to love him the most. I would claim otherwise, that maybe it's me who harbors the most affection towards The Sickness, but then stampler would point out the one time, years ago, I intimated it wouldn't be a bad idea to consider trading Manu straight up for Kevin Martin. He will never let me live this down. Nor should he; I blasphemed, and had it been anybody else we probably would have had them banned from the blog and / or bludgeoned.
4) We love nicknames here. We have oodles of them. More than we know what to do with. In item 3), "The Sickness" refers to Manu Ginobili. That was the first PtR nickname, coined before PtR was in existence. Every player has more than one, and we generally only use nicknames we come up with. Eventually I will dedicate entire posts to the history of PtR nicknames.
5) Jacque Vaughn sucks. HE SUCKS. THIS IS NOT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
6) Michael Finley also sucks. Some folks think this is open for discussion, and it is, for the sole reason I can't ban people for being wrong, else I'd be the only one here.
7) In general, we (excluding me), don't give Tony Parker enough credit. We just don't. For example, myself and some PtR folk were at the Wizards game a couple nights ago. Parker executed a flawless 1 on 2 fastbreak (as he is wont to do), and PtR member tomasito said "Should have passed to Manu; he was open." We laughed and nodded. Manu was on the bench. In street clothes.
8) Tim Duncan is named Tim. That's really all you need to know. This is an inside joke that I may have screwed up. We have lots of inside jokes, half of them of which I am probably totally unaware:
9) Like Argentines WRITE IN ALL CAPS. WHY? I DON'T KNOW, I JUST WORK HERE.
10) Like TWSS = "That's what she said." This would be the dumbest meme of this blog if it weren't for #12. This year we had an influx of women on the blog (read: two new female members in one week), and this somehow led to TWSS. It's puerile and silly, but generally doesn't involve into lewdness.
11) Like fish. Hipuks posts pictures of fish in our game threads. Why? Because I don't allow pictures of cheerleaders. I think that's why; I'm not even sure. We like Hipuks' pictures of fish. We need them. Apparently it's important for:
12) Mojo. People, excluding me, believe in mojo here. Wearing the lucky shirt, not shaving after a win, that sort of stuff. How strong is the belief? Allow me to demonstrate. "I think mojo is a crock, there's nothing any of us can do to influence the outcome of any sporting event. Fuck mojo in it's fucking ear." Now go down to the comment sections, and determine what percentage of the first 100 comments are dedicated to reversing the bad mojo I just introduced. I'm guessing about 75%.
13) Aaronstampler is the most talented writer on the site. Furthermore, his writing about the Spurs is the best you're going to find. Anywhere. He's also Turkish and has never been to Texas. He recaps every game, usually within 1 to 15 days of the game ending, except when he doesn't recap them at all.
14) AusTechSpur does about half the game threads. He is nice and old, but doesn't smell old, at all, so we keep him around.
15) LatinD is from Argentina. He does the other half of the game threads and likes dunks, cheerleaders and dunking cheerleaders.
16) I'm the killjoy.
17) Our most hated player? Chris Paul, by a considerable margin. We acknowledge his skill, but can't help but notice his tendency to flop around and whine incessantly. It's embarrassing, and that's saying a lot coming from a Spurs fan. At least Fabricio Oberto has an excuse for flopping: he sucks.
18) Rules? Any inappropriate language concerning any group of people will get you immediately banned. By groups I mean African-Americans, etc. (race), Muslims, etc. (religion), homosexuals (sexual orientation / identity), etc. and women. Derogatory terms, whether directed at a member of the group or not, will get you banned. Usings terms such as "faggot" or "bitch" IN ANY CONTEXT will get you banned. If you don't like it you can kiss my cracker ass.
19) More rules? Yep. No pictures of cheerleaders. No pictures of women. No links to pictures of cheerleaders or women. No talk about sex, about who you think is hot, about who you want to do what to. There about 7 hundred bazillion sites out there for that business. This is not one of them. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS OR ANY OTHER RULE.
20) We curse here. Not an egregious amount, but it happens.
21) This is not a professional blog. This is not a professional anything. We don't pander to players, to coaches or to other members of the media. What the fuck is the point of that? You can get that anywhere. We give honest, unfiltered opinions about the Spurs and the NBA, with a heavy dose of irreverence and self-loathing. And pictures of fish.
So welcome. Enjoy. Auf wiedersehen good night.
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I am...
…PtR. Not really, but I felt like saying that. I have enjoyed being here with other Spurs fans and I appreciate the writers and folks that make this a fun site. I also appreciate the rules, it’s nice to have a place to talk Spurs. By the way, thanks for ruining our mojo there Powell!
This was a great post, and I laughed at several points. How sad is it though that you can accurately describe my likings in a line? Ah, well. Oh, and there’s no way to ruin the mojo when you don’t really mean it, Matthew. And I know you don’t.
I think it’s interesting how the importance of fan blogs in the Net is suddenly noticed by the big corporations. ESPN first adds TrueHoop, then creates the TrueHoop network. Yahoo does this. What’s next?
The other day Romy from HHN asked me about the PTR nicknames… I can’t believe I forgot about “The Sickness”. Damn. In my defense, we haven’t used it much lately.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
LatinD, maybe you should re-read rule #19.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Mar 9, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
It's not an exception to the rule, I swear
His link is ok because it goes to his own blog, where the majority of the content would be PtR approved. It’s a judgment call I have to make. It’s possible the content of that site could veer in a direction I am not comfortable with, and then I would ask him to take the link out of his signature. I don’t foresee that happening.
I was referring to the links in comments to individual pictures, the discussions about which woman is hotter, that sort of thing. That stuff doesn’t belong here, and I hate seeing it. I don’t have the time to police every last comment, so I just have to hope that crap gets taken to email or one of the 400,000,000 different message boards dedicated solely to objectifying women.
Don’t worry, Matthew, it won’t ever get more risque than what it is now. And in any case, I appreciate the leniency.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
As for the pictures of women/cheerleaders, I know and you all know that Matthew edited my Wizards post to remove the cheerleader pictures. My cheerleader pictures were the LEAST unsexy set of cheerleader pictures you will ever see. Three of them were head shots. None were wearing skimpy outfits. Matthew banned them.
I figured it was about 50/50 he would do it. While I may not 100% agree with where Matthew draws the line — probably about 99.5, I more than 100 agree with the spirit of the rule. I don’t believe there is any animosity whatsoever between Matthew and myself over this issue. In a hurry, I went for the joke aspect. He saw it for what it was, the non-sexiest cheerleader pictures I could find that would make a joke at him, and decided no. He didn’t want that line blurred. Good for him.
The PtR road trip recap will be coming some time. Don’t expect it until at least Saturday though. So much happened. So many pictures were taken by different people. A little that can’t be put in a blog.
We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Mar 9, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions
Animosity.
There was / is absolutely no animosity. I laughed when I saw the lead in and the pictures, and then I laughed some more when I realized they were most sterile cheerleader pictures known to man. I never seriously considered leaving them because that would just open up a huge can of worms for me. I wanted to put something humorous in their place, but I didn’t have time because Wayne was on his way to pick me up.
Friday was surreal. I’m still waiting on an update, but apparently someone is too busy to send me an effing text message.
Sure it can. Just look for the right blog, and give us the full monty.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
By the way, Wayne, you’re a total pushover.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
As much as we tease Powell about guidelines number 18 and 19, I can’t tell you how much I agree with the spirit of the rule (but I refuse to go for the “more than 100%” figure of speech, because unlike ATS, I did not attend Texas A&M, and so I am aware that there is no “more than 100%” in this context). I used to hang out at sites like Deadspin and KSK. Some of the writing and commenting there is funny—very funny—but after a while it simply couldn’t outweigh the depressing, overwhelming, and fucking constant stream of stupid remarks about women and sexuality. You can’t post a photograph of a female there without 25 guys immediately jumping on it to let you know whether they find her hot or disgusting. Because, you know, that’s what really matters when it comes to women. And if a story allows even the slightest possibility of both making a fag “joke” and simultaneously letting the world know that gay sex is the worst fate that could befall a man, the commenters there would be sure to jump all over it. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” she added ironically.
What’s especially cool about Mr. Powell here is that he recognizes the lines and subtleties that differentiate good-natured meta-joking, as it were, and the real (bad) thing when it comes to such matters. So thanks, Powell, and thanks to everyone here for honoring the notion that a love of sports doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with idiocy. I’m not exactly a delicate flower, and I stray past the edges of good taste often enough to run the risk of hypocrisy in posting this, but thanks anyway. It is, as Lily von Schtupp from Blazing Saddles might say, “Wefweshing.”
I hope more people take note of the quality shit merde you and Stampler and ATS and LatinD produce. It’s a nice place you have here.
Ditto. It’s nice to find a place with knowledgeable fans that doesn’t take itself to seriously that also puts up with women (except for ATS, the old fart). But now, I have to go find a chicken to sacrifice to reverse the bad mojo, and I don’t think a bucket of KFC is going cut it! And blood is hard to get out of the carpet/clothes.
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson
Ah, the trifecta once again in agreement. Great, great site… and I love that there are truly no misogynistic overtones by any one of our brethren. It’s like a breathe of fresh air.
I’m with LD on this… Matthew doesn’t believe in the Mojo… therefore Matthew’s bad mojo vibe should not affect our Spurs. However to be on the safe side, I do believe we need to do a cleansing of the PtR site. Does anyone know a curandera? Someone needs to rub Matthew down with a raw egg. Anyone? ATS?
I am happy. I am proud. - Manu Ginobili
LatinD or other people with the ability to speak//read the spanish
K i was reading this piece on the Latino and Spanish players in the NBA, and apparently Manu has a nickname I haven’t seen before, El Contusion. Translation?
What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)
the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post
Here's the link if you want to read the article by the way
http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/art_garcia/03/03/garcia.noche.20090303/index.html
What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)
the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post
by Hamer_SpursFan on Mar 9, 2009 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Not sure if you’re joking, but “El Contusion” was a nickname given to him by our much-missed Brent “Bones” Barry. It’s a joke about how Manu picks up a lot of bruises (also called "contusions"), and that he is from a Spanish-speaking country. Contusion kind of looks like a Spanish word, and can be pronounced with a Spanish accent, Hence, “El Contusion.”
nah i wasn’t joking. I wasn’t sure if contusion meant something else in spanish. It did cross my mind that he gets banged up alot and that could be it, but “assuming things makes an ass out of you and me”, as my mother always says
What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)
the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post
by Hamer_SpursFan on Mar 9, 2009 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions
I went through a stretch where my sarcasmometer was way off and I kept answering questions that were clearly jokes (as in "Where did George Hill go to college?). Now I don’t know what to think about any given question.
“contusión” is a word. I means “bruise”.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
Non-english speaking Snob. Meh.
"If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on." -SiMA
by SgtinManusArmy on Mar 9, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
I would translate it as “contusion” :-)
What I meant is that it looks like it might be a Spanish word to someone who doesn’t speak Spanish, which is the key. I heard Barry talk about it in an interview and he pronounced it “El Con-too-zhun” (English pronunciation) rather than “cohn-tu-si-Ohn.” If it didn’t look like a Spanish word, the joke wouldn’t work, even if it were (which it is).
What am I even talking about? Never mind.
The Bruise?
I’m no Spanish expert…or even speaker, but I don’t think “Contusion” is a Spanish word. Neither does Google, by the way.
You should of included why this blog is called Pounding the Rock…
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
For new readers out there...
Pop has this Jacob Riis quote displayed prominently at Spurs HQ:
"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter 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 that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."
That’s Pop’s philosophy, that it’s the accumulation of doing hundreds of little things right (making the extra pass, rotating on D, etc.) that adds up to success on the court.
I am truly thankful to have discovered PTR.
It is easily my most surfed website, both at work and at home. I love basketball and the Spurs more than most things in life. I gain more knowledge about basketball (now) and the Spurs from this sight, and get a better perspective from here, than anywhere else on the web, or on TV.
The fans on this site are diehard, dedicated, and truly have a passion for the game and the team – you will not find better fans anywhere else.
P.S. I wonder if the partnering with Y! Sports will bring a Lakers blog over to SBN?
"Nothing can stop the man with the right attitude from achieving his goal, but nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong attitude." -Thomas Jefferson
http://myspace.com/eme0916
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=569220294&ref=profile
AHHHHHHH THE PTR RULES; LOVE THEM
"It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what."
I BET FANGIO WOULD LOVE THE RULES, EVEN IF HE IS NOT APPRECIATED IN USA AS THE BEST F1 DRIVER NOT SCHUMACHER BECAUSE HE IS FROM ARGENTINA.
first post
I agree JV sucks, but….
He is safe. He can waste a 24 second clock like, well, a safe. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He just misses shots at the end of shot clocks. See. He’s 16th in the league in assists per 48 minutes and the only player above him with a better ast/to ratio is Jose Calderon. I also believe he holds the record for most assists without a field goal attempt with 11. Isn’t that someone you need in a locker room with Tony? I wanted them to buy him out and keep Pops but I knew it wouldn’t happen. At least a team player is stealing our team’s money.
No rules or mentions of ESPN.com or Adande was surprising.
Sports mojo is for real.
Don’t confuse us with stats, heathen.
…And welcome.
Straight from the No-Stat Zone to your computer!
Dunkin' Cheerleaders
I Loves Me Some Findog
Not to beat a dead horse but……
And yeah, I know he shouldn’t start but coming off the bench for 20-25 minutes would be good.
As for the JV….he definitely has an accute case of SUCKITUS
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius
((Loser thread for tonight's games, anyone?))
I’d make one, but I’m at the job and can’t open 2 pages at once to see all the games and do a proper intro!
"Nothing can stop the man with the right attitude from achieving his goal, but nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong attitude." -Thomas Jefferson
http://myspace.com/eme0916
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=569220294&ref=profile
ATL beating New Orleans by 9 with 3:29 to go in the 4th.
We need that one.
"Nothing can stop the man with the right attitude from achieving his goal, but nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong attitude." -Thomas Jefferson
http://myspace.com/eme0916
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=569220294&ref=profile
mojo is a crock.
(says the person who refuses to predict winners pre-game)
by sleep research facility on Mar 9, 2009 8:51 PM CDT reply actions
Pre-game is okay – during the game is a true mojo killer.
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson
i refuse to do it even pre-game, for fear of jinxing (even against a team like the bulletswizards)
by sleep research facility on Mar 9, 2009 10:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Wait, do the rules mean I can’t talk about Kate Winslet’s hotness anymore?
When you look like I do it's hard to get a table for one at Chuck E. Cheese- Zach Galifianakis
No, you probably shouldn’t do that.
BTW- Did you know Matthew doesn’t read the threads? ;-)
I am happy. I am proud. - Manu Ginobili
I replied in a game thread and I will 2 things now:
1-you cannot talk about women’s hotness (rules are rules)
2-you are a) retarded or b) blind….. seriously? kate winslet?
"It's a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what."
All I’m gonna say Chilai is….Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We would accept you as we did before.
When you look like I do it's hard to get a table for one at Chuck E. Cheese- Zach Galifianakis
It’s okay Hipuks, as long as it’s in the game threads. I mentioned my “admiration” for ScarJo several times here already and have gotten away with murder. I will probably get banned if Mr. Powell catches me but I’ll just respawn again with a different i.d., probably something that will irritate Matthew more.
"Upon the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of countless millions, who, on the threshold of victory sat down to wait, and in waiting they died." --- Anonymous
by silverandblack_davis on Mar 10, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Correction
15) LatinD is from Argentina Brazil.
"Well if I am truly crazy, don't you know I like my life that way"
MATTHEW PROBABLY DOESN’T REALIZE THAT ALL THE GREAT TEAMS AND PLAYERS ARE FROM BRAZIL NOT ARGENTINA. FAGIO AND FORMULA ONE RULE. MANU RULES ARGENTINA AND HE’S THE NEXT PRESIDENT. ARGENTINA ROCKS AND BOCA AND ALL OTHER ARGENTINE TEAMS AND SPORTSMEN ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
I am happy. I am proud. - Manu Ginobili
Watch it Bella, that little misspelling of FANGIO will get you BANNED.
See above ^
"Well if I am truly crazy, don't you know I like my life that way"
Sorry, i didn’t even realize that was a word. i just couldn’t remember the dude’s correct name. that’s for watching out for me, SCS!
I am happy. I am proud. - Manu Ginobili
Speaking of #4, is that all-encompassing post of nicknames coming anytime soon? I feel uneducated, plus I think we need some agreement on some of the new guys (Hairston?).
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson
13) Aaronstampler is the most talented writer on the site. Furthermore, his writing about the Spurs is the best you’re going to find. Anywhere. He’s also Turkish and has never been to Texas. He recaps every game, usually within 1 to 15 days of the game ending, except when he doesn’t recap them at all.
That made me laugh out loud. Not the complimentary stuff because that’s all true, but the last part. Sadly, I can’t even say it was a cheap shot. I guess I’ll start my Suns recap now. You know, the ‘08-09 season opener. Feels just like yesterday. The hell difference does it make? Manu didn’t play in that one either.
"Like feel or follow or fuck" she said...
technically, I’ve been to Texas. I think I’ve been in the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport a couple of times on my way to somewhere else. Space camp maybe?
"Like feel or follow or fuck" she said...
by Aaronstampler on Mar 10, 2009 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for reminding us again Matthew. I’ve been secretly hovering the PtR kingdom ever since it was in blogger (only to finally give in and join the threads this season), and I just realized how far this site has gone and has become a staple for me whenever I visit the internets. Although on the surface the comments here overflow of sarcasm and unabashed love for Manu, there’s actually terrific writing and posts on the site. Kudos to Powell, our magnificent writers, and our equally magnificent members.
By the way, having some sort of link to PtR-owned player nicknames would be cool, or maybe some sort of dictionary for the PtR illiterate newb.
"Upon the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of countless millions, who, on the threshold of victory sat down to wait, and in waiting they died." --- Anonymous
by silverandblack_davis on Mar 10, 2009 12:47 PM CDT reply actions
This one by stampler will get most of you up to speed (on last year’s roster)
56 new synonyms for boring
otherwise just use the search thingy at the top right
/eyes look suggestively to the upper left …cuz he is behind the screen?
search results for ‘nicknames’
who are you who can summon fire without flint or tinder? there are some who call me ... tim.
Awesome. If I was the kind of guy who posted a signature line, this would be it from now on. -SiMA
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