A Maverick Enters the Ring

Are…. you…. ready?  Let’s break it down.  The night before the Dallas Mavericks were to host a game against the Phoenix Suns, the American Airlines Center in Dallas opened its doors to the WWE Universe.  Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took his place in the center of the ring this week on Monday Night Raw as its guest host.

With Cuban clearly having a blast inside the ropes, it made me wonder if the WWE is more entertaining than the NBA?  If Cuban himself enjoys back breakers more than behind the back passes?  If Cuban would prefer to be the commissioner of the WWE than the owner of the Dallas Mavericks?  If you asked the 13,552 fans who sold out the arena that night, it’s my guess that they would tell you that they are more entertained by the WWE.

Think about it.  The WWE has athletes jumping off the ropes, doing back flips in mid air, and then body slamming opponents.  The WWE has John Cena flashing “You can’t see me” then lifting 300 pound plus men over his head and dropping them to the mat. The WWE has athletes hurling themselves off of ladders and then crash landing onto a table. The WWE has perennial teammates and iconic characters the likes of Degeneration X.

What does the NBA have?  Once a year, the NBA shows the audience a few athletic jumps and spin moves in the slam dunk contest.  The NBA highlights Lebron throwing some powder into the air. The NBA had Jordan and Pippen (okay, maybe this pairing is better than DX).  And arguably, the most intriguing character that the NBA has recently produced is Mark Cuban himself.

I know I was more entertained watching two hours of wrestling than I would have been watching the Mavericks take on the Suns.  Admittedly, however, maybe it was just because I got to see Randy Orton covered in baby oil wearing nothing but a tiny pair of briefs and the loud-mouthed Mark Cuban being crushed through a folding table.  If the NBA wants to catch my attention, maybe they should reconsider the team uniforms and their policy on fighting.   On second thought, the NBA tried the skimpy uniforms and I don’t think it helped.   The NBA needs an attitude adjustment or else the WWE is taking over.   And if you’re not down with that, I got 2 words for you…