Top 5 Comic Writers

I've been on a roll lately devouring as many back issues of trades as I can from my local library.  This has led me to start to think through the question of what are the best comic book writers of all time.  As with anything, this is a very subjective exercise, but I highly recommend checking out anything you can find from these guys (and gals- not forgetting about you Gail Simone)

Honorable Mentions- Joss Whedon- His run on Astonishing X-Men was tremendous, Gail Simone- I liked her Birds of Prey stuff and I'm looking to find some of her Wonder Woman run collected somewhere, Geoff Johns-His DC Rebirth might be my favorite single issue ever, Greg Rucka- I weirdly loved his OMAC stuff leading up to Infinite Crisis, Brian Michael Bendis- I just read some of his Daredevil stuff, and I thought I was reading Frank Miller- which is high praise.

5. Jeph Loeb- Daredevil- Yellow, Batman- Long Halloween- Two spectacular books in a shorter career that was filled with spectacular books.  I'm always on the lookout for more of his stuff, since I liked these so much.  Hush is next on my reading list

4. Marv Wolfman- Crisis on Infinite Earths, New Teen Titans- A pioneer, Crisis on Infinite Earths may have had the highest degree of difficulty of any book, and he acquitted himself admirably. It had some flaws in my mind (not enough Batman and too much Superman), but it's a seminal work.

3. Stan Lee- Guy was a pioneer.  Sure Kirby probably deserves more credit than he gets, but without Stan, you're missing a big chunk of the Marvel universe.  In reading a lot of those old issues, some of it is comically dated, especially his treatment of women in comics, but it's dramatic, and above all exciting.  Without Stan, I'm probably not making this list right now.

2. Frank Miller- Comparing Frank Miller's Daredevil run to Stan Lee is like comparing Christian Bale's Batman to Adam West's- Both great, but SO different.  Miller took that character and reinvented it in ways that were awesome to read.  Born Again is an AMAZING book.  But then you also have Dark Knight Returns, which basically paved the way for Christian Bale's Batman.

1. Alan Moore- Watchmen- if he did nothing else, that's enough.  It is the most perfect graphic novel of all time, and I could not love it more.  Throw in the Killing Joke, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow (my favorite Superman story), and you have the clear undisputed number 1.

Nerdom Power Rankings

What group is able to call themselves king of the nerds?

Here at the Fastball Special, we were debating levels and types of nerd-dom.  Combined we discovered that we're basically one 20 sided dice and some homemade Konoha headbands from becoming Pokemon masters of Nerd-dom: having collected all the varieties.  This naturally led to a heated debate to the age old question: what type of nerd is best?  We figured that we're uniquely qualified to take it upon ourselves to sort through all of the different types of nerd-dom, and to crown the best type of nerd- once and for all.

The groundrules: The best nerd has to be separate from mainstream, but not completely socially isolated.  It also should involve an aura of intellectual superiority over the masses.  This is our ranking of how we view people who would refer to themselves as “nerds.” It’s not about how the outside world views us, or how they view themselves.

We're going to start from the bottom.  Things that, while certainly in the realm of nerd-dom, are a little more main stream and we’ll work our way up, each adding to the list until we are left with the ultimate nerd-dom at the top.

Nerd-Lite

14. Juv Fantasy (Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games/Maze Runner/Divergent)

• Like I said earlier, I consider these to be gateway nerd-dom.  Similar to candy cigarettes, their job is to get people in the door by being accessible, and by allowing you to see how acting like a nerd makes you feel.  Ultimately though, even though there are thousands of teen girls who think they are super nerds for wearing a scarlet and gold scarf, I’m not impressed, and I’m quite confident I could crush you in Harry Potter trivia without having to look up from the game of Magic: The Gathering I’m playing.

13. Comics TV/Movies (Marvel/DC)

• I waffled for a while on this one, I think the gap between 14 and 13 is pretty significant in this list.  However, the ubiquitous nature of comic book movies these days made it hard for me to push it any higher.  In the current world, I view comic book movies as a prerequisite for nerd-dom.  I love comic book movies, enough that even the “bad” comic book movies (Green Lantern, Superman Returns, etc) are movies I own and have watched multiple times, but the fact of the matter is, as I look down our list, I think every category of nerd that is left, will also be up on their comic book movies.

12.  Fantasy TV/Movies (LOTR/ Harry Potter/GOT)

• I feel like I’m being especially hard on the things that I love, but again, I think Fantasy TV and Movies are hurt a little bit by their own popularity.  While many people who watch GOT and LOTR and HP would refer to themselves as nerds, there are still a large number of people (possibly over 50%?) who have watched every movie and episode of all three and still wouldn’t consider themselves nerds.

11. Classic Gaming (Chess/Arcade/Cards)

o   Although less mainstream than others on this list, the fandom, by and large, isn’t as passionate.  Much of the classic gaming crowd straddles the border between hobbyists and nerds, and with that level of devotion, it’s hard to place them much higher on this list.

Basement Nerds
10. MMORPG (Warcraft/Starcraft/League of Legends)

o   The complete opposite end of the spectrum.  These fan bases are among the most passionate on the list.  Lives have LITERALLY been lost in devotion to these games.  This group conjures the image of the slightly overweight late-20s male playing online in lieu of a job in his parent's basement.  Admirable dedication to the guild, but perhaps a bit too extreme for real consideration for top nerd.

9. Live RPG (Dungeons & Dragons/LARP)

o   These nerds clearly have dedication to their craft even over many categories higher up on this list- which puts them in the top 10.  Admirable passion, and meeting together provides an in person level of social behavior that MMORPGs can’t replicate.  Still, all the dedication spent to play-acting fantasy worlds, tends towards more awkward interactions in the real world.  Society has come a long way on embracing nerdom, but this category still has something of an awkward reputation attached.

 Nerd is the Word
8. Art (Comic Covers/Art/Music/fan-fiction)

o   Similar to classic gaming, Art is broad category that covers a number of areas, but has a less passionate fan base that also crosses over with non-nerds.  Despite that, art gets this high because of the level of dedication and because it creates.  It’s one thing to watch or read or play something someone else made, it’s another category entirely to devote your time to creating nerdy items yourself.

7. Sci-Fi TV/Movies (Star Wars/Star Trek/Firefly)

o   And with that, we have moved into the Heart of Nerd-dom on Earth.   If I was on family feud and Steve Harvey asked me what nerds like, I would expect Star Wars/Trek to be the top answer with 94 points.  And they would list it that way, because Family Feud is old and out of touch and still thinks nerds are lame.

6.  Anime (Naruto/One Piece/Bleach/Kenshin)

o   I really wanted to put this one higher, but I don’t think Anime has gotten as much of a bump from the “Nerds are cool” crowd as the rest of nerdom has.  That being said, Anime is an entire category to itself, and in terms of output and followers, it is massive.  It has its own controversies and debates (Sub vs Dub) and its own art and movies and literature.  It truly is a behemoth.

5. Cosplay (Conventions/ Costumes)

o   The convention crowd, especially with the emphasis on costumes may have seemed weird several years ago, but it’s not as far out as it used to be.  These nerds pull elements from all throughout all of these groups, and are dedicated enough to plan vacations to dress up in character in the hopes of meeting their favorite characters.  Your comic-con nerd is oh-so-very close to the pinnacle of nerd-dom.  The only thing separating it from the top is a still lingering sentiment from years past that adults dressing up like its Halloween in July is somehow odd.  That and this.

Nerd Rushmore
4. Technology/ Engineering (computers/ gadgets/ RadioShack)

o   As much of Nerd culture becomes more mainstream, this category of nerd is becoming less.  20-30 years ago, this category likely reigned supreme as the pinnacle of nerdery.  Classic movies like ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ glorify the geeky computer type.  Even today, ‘Big Bang Theory’ ties the STEM subjects right into other, more modern aspects of comic/fantasy/sci-fi nerdom.  Glasses and suspenders, ala Urkle are still associated with what it means to be a nerd, but this element is definitely post-peak.  This category has the feeling of intellectual superiority over the masses, but it’s fallen off a bit from when being a nerd meant you probably built a computer from component parts in your garage.

3. Fantasy Literature (LOTR/Wheel of Time/GOT)

o   I’m a little surprised Fantasy Literature made it this high with how mainstream it has become.  Thanks to Game of Thrones and the Juv Lit books, sitting down in class with an 800 page book with a dragon on the cover doesn’t have quite the same stigma it used to have. When you really dig into it though, it’s pretty simple.  In the same way that we both rate speedsters as more powerful than people give them credit for, we also highly value reading.  Reading takes more effort, it takes a level of dedication that eliminates casual fans and, perhaps most importantly, it goes deeper.  When I made my screen name Ecthelion113 back in high school a few people quoted Boromir’s lines about the White Tower of Ecthelion gleaming in the morning sun to me.  And that was nice.  It showed they had watched and remembered the movies.  But when someone asked me if I liked the Unfinished Tales version of Ecthelion, Lord of the Fountain, Warden of 7^th gate (who was the namesake of the steward who was the namesake of the tower that Boromir mentions) and his battle with Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs or if I like the version published in the Simarilion, then I knew I was talking to a real fan.  

2.  Sci-Fi Lit (Star Wars/Star Trek/Asimov/Verne/Herbert)

o   Very similar to fantasy literature in that appreciating the literature takes more time, and dedication than watching (even admittedly long) movies.  The argument for sci-fi literature is that in addition to being amazing, it remains a little less mainstream than its fantasy counterpart.  All the literature groups look down on their dumbed- down movie counterparts, maintaining that the books were better.  But those in the sci- fi crowd have the additional comfort of knowing that their source material remains a little more obscure, and tends not to make best-seller lists or Oprah.  What’s great about sci-fi literature is that at its core it isn’t sci-fi.  Real sci-fi fans understand that great sci-fi is just human stories in fantastic settings.  A lot of people don’t get past the laser guns and spaceships to unwrap the wonders within, while those within hold the wonderful secret that even stories about robots often just ultimately reveal what it’s like to be human.  If someone knows the 3 laws of robotics, has a good understanding of psychohistory, and can discuss the real forces behind the political environment of Arrakis, you know that person is a first-class nerd.  Still, one category of nerd surpasses even this.

King of the Nerd-dom
1.  Comic Book Literature (Comics)

o   Which leaves us with Comic Book Literature, the undisputed heavy weight champion of the Nerd World.  Comics combine a VAST amount of source material, a nearly impossible maze of retcons and character evolutions, legendary writers, artists, inkers, with material that can make you laugh, cry, or anywhere in between.  Comics are fantastic and otherworldly, while reflecting what's deepest in the human heart.  Comic nerds understand all of that, all while  mentioning (off hand) that while Superman’s given date of birth is February 29^th (the day his ship landed) and Clark Kent’s is listed as June 18^th, on the Kryptonian calendar, Kal-El was actually born on the 35^th of Eorx in the year 9998.  When you run into one of these nerds you should stop talking and just learn at the feet of nerd royalty.   Now even within Comic book literature there are a few categories. Those who have read every comic book known to man over those who have just read certain comic books and those who have just read certain comic books over those who have gained most of their knowledge from Wikipedia pages.  But regardless of how the knowledge was gained, a deep understanding of comic literature is essential if you want to reach the top rung of Nerdom.   

West(brook) Side Story

Cain Marko: This is NBA Jam style heat.  Where you’re sure it’s going in as soon as you inbound the ball and just jack it up: http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/5/30/11816136/leandro-barbosa-stephen-curry-warriors-thunder?yptr=yahoo.

Also, it looks like you were correct about Westbrook.  He may just end up never winning the big one.  Although, it really looked like he was going to make you look foolish for a few days there.

Walter Kovacs: I have a confession: I was wrong.

Flashback to last Monday, you and I were discussing the finals, and I gave you my hot take- that Russell Westbrook and the Thunder will never win a title as currently constructed.  My premise was that what Westbrook brings to the table: scoring, confidence, speed set to Ludicrous- is also what keeps his team from winning: selfishness, irrational confidence, and out of control play.  I believe I compared him to a Greek tragic hero- that what makes him great is also his fatal flaw.  OKC then proceeded to make me look like an idiot by going up 3 games to 1 on what might be one of the best teams in NBA history. 

And even though the Thunder ultimately faltered, I don’t think I was right.  Sure Westbrook has limitations, but it wasn’t those limitations that cost them the series.  I don’t think it was anything that the Thunder did- they played great.  I think they ended up playing the role of the mid 90’s Utah Jazz.  Stockton and Malone are all-time greats, but they never won the big one.  They had limitations, but it wasn’t their inherent limitations that put a championship out of reach, it was Michael freakin’ Jordan.  They way Steph and Klay shot in games 6 and 7, I don’t know that any team could have done better than what the Thunder did.  Westbrook didn’t win, but I don’t think that makes me right.  In a year where they get a few breaks, or don’t go up against 2 of the best shooters in history, what Westbrook brings is enough for a ring.  This just wasn’t that year.

CM: Wow.  A stunning turn of events.  

But I think you’re probably right. People are talking about how the Thunder choked this series away, but, at the end of the regular season, if you had told me that the Thunder would beat the Spurs and take the Warriors to game 7, I would have said it was a phenomenal job by Westbrook and Durant.  The Warriors are the defending champs, and just finished the best regular season in NBA history.  They have a the 2 time defending MVP, including the first unanimous MVP.  Blaming the Thunder for losing in 7, is like blaming my 3 year old niece for losing to me in basketball this weekend up at the cabin. 

WK: Ultimately, there are a lot of legacy questions for great players that will be decided in the next few years.  Westbrook and Durant may be this generation’s Stockton and Malone, unless they can win a title- together or separately depending on how free agency shakes out.  Lebron only has the 2 titles from his Miami years, and his title window is closer to the end than the beginning.  If he finishes with just 2, wouldn’t that be considered a huge disappointment given his talents?  Is Steph starting a dynasty or is it lightning in a bottle?  If Golden State repeats, and stays together, a lot of great players may not get rings.  If Golden State loses, Lebron’s legacy gets A LOT stronger.  Throw in free agency, a rising salary cap that gives everybody tons of money to throw at guys, and the trend towards superstar team-ups straight out of a Marvel cross-over event, and the next few years could be really interesting in the NBA- starting right now.  I for one am looking forward to how it all plays out.

MCU Chess Set

Here at the Fastball Special, we have a little bit of a weird obsession with the game of chess.  We're not particularly talented, but it's a very sophisticated game that elevates one's own level of sophistication just by participating.  In honor of Captain America: Civil War, we went through the thought process of designing our own Marvel Cinematic Universe Chess set.  Here's our rationale- now if only we could get our hands on a 3D printer to make this happen...

Heroes

Hero Pawn: James Buchannan “Bucky” Barnes- There were a lot of good pawn nominations, but Bucky is my favorite.  He’s THE key member of Cap’s original team, but is ultimately sacrificed in pursuit of the bigger goal.  In addition, like a pawn, he is able to potentially be reincarnated as a much more powerful piece. 

Hero Rook: Thor- He’s a straight ahead sort of guy.  It’s why Loki tricks him so easily.  He’s very strong, and is definitely one of the MCU’s biggest boppers, but he’s a little limited in his thinking.

Hero Knight: Ant-Man- He’s not the most powerful hero, but he’s also very difficult to get boxed in.  He’s only got one real move, and he relies heavily on attacking from unexpected angles.  Also, you could totally see him as a piece riding one of his pet ants like a horse.

Hero Bishop: Iron Man- Mostly because you can’t have an MCU chess set without him.  His superior intelligence and moderate power align him most closely with the Bishop.  Bishops are great for taking out large numbers of inferior pieces in succession, but often require help to take down the big guys.

Hero Queen: The Hulk-  He’s incredibly powerful, can attack all over, and there isn’t a single Hero or Villain that can take him one on one.  But, bringing him out early is incredibly risky.  Ideally, you keep him back as Banner until a key moment in the fight.

Hero King: Captain America – I may be biased given the recent release of the film.  Cap isn’t the most powerful, but he is the heart and soul of the MCU.  He’s versatile and dangerous in his own right, but ultimately, Cap falls, the heroes fall.

Villains

Villain Pawn: Obadiah Stane “Iron Monger”- Of all the MCU’s villains, the iron monger is probably the weakest.  And when Stane attacks, it comes sideways, not straight ahead.

Villain Rook: Ronan the Accuser- Ronan is one of the most powerful villains any of our heroes have come up against. He can trade punches with anyone, but he's not very devious. He sets his eyes on a goal and powers through to it. 

Villain Knight: Loki- The perfect counter to Thor’s Rook.  Loki isn’t as powerful, but he can’t get boxed in, he can move all over the board quickly, and he never attacks in a straight line.

Villain Bishop: Red Skull- Strong, but not overwhelmingly so.  He's smart and  doesn’t attack straight on.  Also, in the MCU he played his hand early, made an attack on the King (Cap) and was defeated. (which often happens in our games) but his death didn’t feel very final.  And I believe he is still out there waiting to strike again. (like the second bishop)

Villain Queen: Ultron- Incredibly powerful- especially in the technological world we live in, and very difficult to take down.  In addition, his special power is the same as the queen’s in chess- even things that might be originally considered pawns, can turn back into Ultron since he transfers his consciousness into anything technological so easily.

Villain King: Thanos- We know this guy is the big bad.  He’s out there, and the goal of the game is take him out.  There are other enemies, but if you can somehow stop Thanos- you win the MCU.  I briefly considered making him a piece that is a little more powerful, but ultimately, he hasn’t moved much in the MCU- the villains have been sending out lesser pieces- trying to get an advantage, while keeping him safe and out of reach- in the chess match of the MCU, Thanos’ involvement perfectly parallels the relative inactivity and supreme importance of the king.

May the 4th Be With Us

Walter Kovacs:  In honor of tomorrow’s national holiday (May the Fourth Be With You!) and NBA Playoffs, I propose a thought exercise. 

Recast the major characters from Star Wars using only players from the remaining Playoff teams.

Cain Marko:  I love it! This is so much tougher than I thought it’d be, though.   

I’ll start with one character from each era. 

Luke: Steph Curry.

People can love Leia and Han and Darth Vader and every other character all they want, ultimately Star Wars is Luke’s universe and they’re all just living in it.  The 2015-2016 NBA season is Steph’s and everyone knows it.  The similarities don’t stop there though.   If there is a bright center of the basketball universe, then Davidson is the campus that it’s farther from.  Curry made his name known at Davidson in the tournament, (Georgetown was his first Death Star) but everyone just kind of assumed it was luck, or a hot streak.  That it wouldn’t play with the big boys.  Then he joins the NBA, is good but not special, for a while. (Hoth era Skywalker)  But then he gets hurt, cries a little, rededicates himself to his craft, and he comes back, not just stronger than ever, but stronger than anyone has ever seen.   And now he has disappeared.  He’s barely been in the playoff and yet we’re still talking about him.  I’ve read more articles about when Curry is coming back, than I have words about the Heat/Raptors series.  He could come back for the last five minutes of the NBA Finals, stare meaningfully into Klay Thompson’s eyes after Klay just beat LeBron, and we’d still be talking about Curry.

Kylo Ren:  LeBron James. 

This may sound harsh because, as you well know, I have become a LeBron apologist in my old age, but I think it’s correct.  I struggled with where to put LeBron. He’s too important to the NBA to leave out, but I had a hard time nailing him down.  I considered Princess Leia (because to me, he’s royalty) I considered Darth Vader (for the Dark/Light comparison with Steph in the Finals) but ultimately the fractured nature of his personality fit in perfectly with Kylo.  Kylo is also royalty of a sort, as a Skywalker.  LeBron was known from a very young age, there was always pressure on him.  Early is his career he wanted to be the good guy, but then he turned his back on the Light.  He formed the Knights of Miami, betrayed Cleveland and embraced his dark side. Now he wants to come back to the light, but he’s finding people haven’t accepted him, because there are some things you just can’t come back from. (Like killing your own father)   I think it also fits because I like Kylo Ren the best when his mask is on, and he’s crushing people, and LeBron is no different. 

Jengo Fett: Damian Lillard. 

Lillard is someone I want to like.  He looks cool, he’s got a fun style of play, and he’s good looking.  But, no matter how badly I want to like him, he’s just not actually that good.  I don’t trust him to win a big series.  He is the best of the “normal” NBA players, but when the stars (Jedi) come to town, he’s going to be looking at an early exit, which is surprisingly unsurprising. Putting up points and looking good with the ball in your hands against the Spurs, is the NBA equivalent of having a flame thrower and a jet pack when fighting Mace Windu. 

WK: LOVE THESE!

I’m not nearly as well versed in Star Wars as you, but I took a stab at a few anyway.

Mace Windu: Kevin Durant. 

Mace has achieved the rank of Jedi Master- the elite of the elite, but there are have been some questions as to if he’s even the most powerful force user on his team!  Like Mace, we know Durant is a good guy- he’s never going over to the dark side.  This season, like the Star Wars saga, is all about the Skywalker family, and Mace is on the outside looking in.  Durant and Mace are both capable leaders with powerful skills, but they both are role players in someone else’s story, and ultimately, as powerful as they are, you know from the start that they’re not going to make all the way- to either a championship or to the original trilogy.

Princess Leia: Klay Thompson. 

If Luke is Steph, then his sibling is for sure Klay.  Like Leia, Klay has a similar if slightly underdeveloped skill set to his splash brother.  Even though, Leia isn’t a full Jedi, her force skills and sensitivity is Sky(walker)- high.  Leia royalty twice over in terms of the richness of her Jedi heritage the adopted daughter of an imperial senator- a legitimate princess.  Klay also comes from noble stock through his father’s line- the basketball equivalent of a prince.  Leia and Klay may not be the strongest in the Star Wars universe or in the NBA, but they are a perfect fit within their system, doing whatever it takes to get the rebellion a W.

CM: Nice work.  I waffled for a while on who to choose for Leia, but Klay as a Leia is a very good choice.

Now for the big one.

Darth Vader: Tim Duncan. 

Duncan has been the chosen one since day one. And we liked him, and we rooted for him.  He was squeaky clean and incredibly boring.  But then he teamed up with Pop (The Emperor) to form the First Galactic Empire.  Pop runs the Empire, but it is Duncan out there doing his dirty work. The change from good to evil came when Duncan didn’t age. (die) He had been left for dead, it was supposed to move on to the next generation.  Durant and LeBron.  But Pop wouldn’t let that happen.  Using the most advanced medical technology (rest) he brought Duncan back and now the two of them are dominating the NBA long after their time has passed.  Also, Duncan seems nice, but that’s only because he doesn’t say much, inside he’s as competitive as they come.  When I thought through everyone left in the play offs and decided, who might be willing to kill a room full of children to win the title, he’s the only one.  LeBron and Durant care too much about their image and their sneaker deals.  Curry has too many morals. If Kobe was still around, he’d be the obvious choice, but he died.  A while ago.

WK: This is the Best. Thing. Ever.  I literally just did a spit take of my water when I saw Darth Duncan!  I’d also like to nominate a few quick hits to close us out:

Stormtrooper: Kyle Lowry.

The whole playoffs- it’s like he forgot how to shoot.

Chewbacca: Steven Adams.

He’s tall. He’s furry.  Occasionally roars- if you’re playing a version of chess- best to let him win. 

Young Yoda: Russell Westbrook.

He’s a tiny, fearless little dude, able to flip and contort his body at will.  Only lacks the hundreds of years of Jedi patience and control.

Old Yoda: Dwayne Wade.

Also a fearless smaller player capable of amazing feats, but saves them up for when they’re really needed.  Wise, and capable- he’s been to the mountaintop, but ultimately it’s the next generation’s turn.

CM: I couldn’t agree more.  Let’s get more into depth with this during our annual Star Wars Day marathon.

Comic Book Bracket

The Proposition

Given our usual failings when it comes to picking a winning bracket for March Madness, would we have better luck using our knowledge of comic book characters and general nerdom to project out a bracket.

The Rules

To do this we first needed to assign a character to each team in the field based on either their mascot, their name or any other connection we felt spoke to us.  We divided the regions equally between us, Walter Kovacs taking the SOUTH and the WEST and Cain Marko taking the EAST and the MIDWEST.  After we had each finished we compared notes and made some changes. (Bulldog teams in particular were tricky because after Lockjaw the pickings get thin.) Both of us had to dig pretty deep into characters we’d never heard of before to fill some of the slots, but after a quick Wikipedia search we felt confident in our understanding of each character.

Once the teams we assigned we had to decide what the rules of the fight were.  After agreeing that it was a no holds barred dual, we decided that the higher seeded team would get to choose the battlefield.  This was a good decision as it produced a bit of a leveling effect and helped to keep us from choosing too many upsets (although, often times the power levels were so disparate that no choice of location would matter)

After the rules of the fight had been hashed out, we decided to split up each round.  With Kovacs playing out the first round (There are only 64 teams to us. No “First Four” games.  We’re both traditionalists at heart) and then Marko playing out the 2^nd round, ect.  We each reserved the right to Veto any match where we didn’t agree with the outcome, but neither of us ever used that power.  It’s important to remember that it doesn’t matter if George Mason would lose to North Carolina 9 times out of 10; all that matters is that on March 19^th, 2006 George Mason was better.  It is the same with our bracket.

The Teams

CM:

EAST

NC- Clayface

FGCU- American Eagle

USC- AJAX

Providence – Friar Tuck

Indiana – Clark Kent without his powers

Chattanooga- Steampunk Iron Man

Kentucky – Dr. Manhattan

Stony Brook – Teen Wolf

Notre Dame – Shamrock

Michigan – Guy Gardner

Tulsa – Hurricane (Dark Riders-mutant)

West Virginia – Sabertooth

SF Austin – Paul Bunyan  

Wisconsin – Badger

Pittsburg – Black Panther

Xavier – Professor X

Weber St. – Wildcat

MIDWEST

Virginia – Scott Summers

Hampton – Hector Barbosa Pirates of the Caribbean

Texas Tech – Lara Croft Tomb Raider

Butler – Alfred

Purdue –Jonah Hex

Little Rock - Queen Hippolyta

Iowa State – Red Tornado

Iona – Proteus (Kevin Mactaggart X-Men because he’s Scottish)

Seton Hall –Corsair

Gonzaga – Spike (From Tom and Jerry)

Utah – Apache Chief (I know they’re different tribes, but he’s cool and I like him)

Fresno State – Lock Jaw

Dayton – Angel (because all he can do is fly until Apocalypse shows up)

Syracuse – Aquaman

Michigan State – Wonder Woman

Middle Tennessee - Static Shock

WK:

SOUTH

Kansas- Jay Garrick

Austin Peay- The Governor (walking dead)

Colorado- Bison

UConn- Wolf  (young justice)

Maryland- Donatello Ninja Turtles

South Dakota- White Rabbit

Cal- Ursa Major

Hawaii- Rainbow Raider

Arizona - Tiger from Fievel Goes West

Wichita St- Shocker

Miami- Hurricane (Makkari)

Buffalo- Bullseye

Iowa- Hawkeye

Temple- Nite Owl

Villanova- Nova

UNC Asheville- Ash Ketchum

WEST

Oregon- Darkwing Duck

Southern University- Jaguar (DC)

Cincinnati- Black Cat

Baylor- Big Bear

Yale- Krypto

Duke- Nightcrawler

UNC Wilmington- Hawk of (Hawk and Dove)

Texas- Hellcow

Northern Iowa- Black Panther

Texas A&M- Poison Ivy

UW Green Bay- Phoenix

Oregon St. - Beavis

VCU- Aries

Oklahoma- Cable

CSU Bakersfield- Roadrunner

The First Round (because 64 teams is good enough)

Walter Kovacs:

EAST

NC- Clayface v FGCU- American Eagle- This could actually prove to be a close matchup, but with Clayface getting home court advantage, and choosing some sort of bog where he has access to overwhelming amount of malleable clay, American Eagle goes down.  Clayface Advances.

USC- AJAX v.Providence – Friar Tuck AJAX- and it’s not even close.  The Friar’s belly bump attack doesn’t even make a dent, even after AJAX chooses Sherwood Forrest just so that the kindly Friar feels at home while he gets thrashed.

Indiana – Clark Kent without his powers v. Chattanooga- Steampunk Iron Man- Clark Kent with no powers is still formidable due to his battle experience, and he’s smarter than he looks, and Steampunk Iron Man has definite limitations.  Clark chooses water-based environment to try to rust or limit Iron Man, but underneath the armor is still Tony Stark, and sans powers- Clark goes down.  SIM wins.

Kentucky – Dr. Manhattan v. Stony Brook – Teen Wolf- Dr. Manhattan understand matter down to a molecular level and has godlike powers.  Teen wolf can jump high and is prone to selfish behavior.  Dr. Manhattan wins instantly.

Notre Dame – Shamrock v. Michigan – Guy Gardner Shamrock would definitely need to get lucky to defeat Guy Gardner, but no matter the venue, and no matter how clever she is, the probability of her winning = 0.  Guy Gardner.

West Virginia – Sabretooth v. SF Austin- Paul Bunyan – This would be tough.  Paul is big and strong, and not unfamiliar in the wild, but Sabretooth would pick an environment that would maximize his ability to hide and use his other heightened senses.  Paul wouldn’t see him coming.  Sabretooth moves on.

Wisconsin – Badger v. Pittsburg – Black Panther- Not much Badger could do against the overwhelmingly more powerful Panther.  Black Panther moves on

Xavier – Professor X v. Weber St. – Wildcat- A real brains vs. brawns matchup.  As great a fighter Wildcat is, he wouldn’t be able to lay a glove on the Professor.

MIDWEST

Virginia – Scott Summers v. Hampton – Hector Barbosa Pirates of the Caribbean – Hector asks for it raw, and Scott gives it to him, destroying the pirate and a good chuck of the landscape as well.  Cyclops moves on.

Texas Tech – Lara Croft Tomb Raider v. Butler – Alfred- This would be a match for the ages.  Alfred’s got fighting experience, and guile.  Lara is very similar.  Ultimately, home court advantage, and Alfred’s chivalry and weakness for the ladies probably swing this Lara’s way.

Purdue –Jonah Hex v. Little Rock - Queen Hippolyta Hex would probably pick somewhere close to home, but none of his desert tracking/gun slinging ways will be able to bring down Hippolyta.

Iowa State – Red Tornado v. Iona – Proteus (Kevin Mactaggart X-Men because he’s Scottish)- It’s tough to imagine a 1^st round exit for a mutant as powerful as Proteus, but he gets a REALLY bad draw here with Red Tornado.  Since Tornado is an android, he’d be resistant to getting his body taken over by Proteus, and Proteus is weak against metal in his psionic form.  Red Tornado has home field, and picks an environment to further limit Proteus’ abilities, and the Android wins the day.

Seton Hall –Corsair v. Gonzaga – Spike (From Tom and Jerry) – Sorry Spike, Corsair moves on.

Utah – Apache Chief (I know they’re different tribes, but he’s cool and I like him) v. Fresno State – Lock Jaw- Even with Apache Chief selecting the environs, Lock Jaw’s teleportation would make him too tough to stop.  Lock Jaw moves on.

Dayton – Angel (because all he can do is fly until Apocalypse shows up) v. Syracuse – Aquaman- This battle is the one most affected by the environment.  If Angel selects a tiny area with lots of open skies, and NO water, Aquaman loses a huge portion of his strength, and Angel has a fighting chance.  I’m giving to Angel by split decision.

Michigan State – Wonder Woman v. Middle Tennessee -  Static Shock This would be a GREAT round one battle.  But WW is great anywhere.  Static’s elemental attacks could have trouble in a rubber room or on the water.   WW takes the victory.

SOUTH

Kansas- Jay Garrick v. Austin Peay- The Governor (walking dead) The governor is evil, but the first flash is fast.  Jay moves on quickly.

Colorado- Bison v. UConn- Wolf  (young justice)- Wolf, although stronger and bigger than a normal wolf, wouldn’t be able to take down Bison, whose superhuman strength and environmental advantage give him the edge.

Maryland- Donatello Ninja Turtles v. South Dakota- White Rabbit- White rabbit is a minor character who uses rabbit gimmicks to try to take down opponents.  Donatello is the smartest of highly trained ninja turtles.  Donatello would pick a place that neutralizes her tech advantage, and then use his slight advantage in hand to hand combat to take her down- Pizza time!

Cal- Ursa Major v. Hawaii- Rainbow Raider – Ursa Major wins this.  With home cave advantage, Ursa minimizes the light that Rainbow Rider can use, and the strength advantage goes to the huge soviet bear.

Arizona - Tiger from Fievel Goes West v. Wichita St- Shocker- Sorry Tiger, but Shocker moves on.

Miami- Hurricane (Makkari) v. Buffalo- Bullseye- Technically immortal, Bullseye has his work cut out for him.  On the right playing field, Bullseye could probably use the things around him as deadly weapons to slow down the speedster, but Makkari moves too fast for Bullseye to take him out, and into the round of 32

Iowa- Hawkeye v. Temple- Nite Owl – This is a great matchup. Nite Owl has all the gadgets you could want, and Hawkeye is deadly with his bow.  Hawkeye would pick an environment where he would try to keep the fight at a distance, but Nite Owl brings Archie along, and ultimately takes down the Archer- Nite Owl moves on.

Villanova- Nova v. UNC Asheville- Ash Ketchum- Ash has all the elemental powers of the Pokémon he can call upon.  Nova has the stupid power of the Nova Corps.  Unfortunately, Nova gets to pick the venue.  In a sky battle, Nova fights off thunderbolts from Zappdos, and all of Ash’s Pokémon faint.  Nova moves on.

WEST

Oregon- Darkwing Duck v. Southern University- Jaguar (DC)- even though he is the shadow that lurks in the night, Jaguar’s heightened senses would make short work of Darkwing Duck.

Cincinnati- Black Cat v. St. Joe’s- GI Joe- Black Cat and her super soldier powers move her past even the best regular soldiers.

Baylor- Big Bear v. Yale- Krypto- Big Bear can alter the density of objects and Krypto is a dog with most of Superman’s powers.  Big Bear chooses a cave of Kryptonite, and takes the super dog down.

Duke- Nightcrawler v. UNC Wilmington- Hawk of (Hawk and Dove)- Nightcrawler’s teleportation and home field advantage send hawk back to Dove, and Nightcrawler moves on.

Texas- Hellcow v. Northern Iowa- White Tiger- Ava wears an amulet that gives her enhanced abilities, and allows her to take down the crazy cow.

Texas A&M- Poison Ivy v. UW Green Bay- Phoenix- Poison Ivy in a super garden of her choosing is NO match for even the weakest versions of the Phoenix force.  Phoenix moves on.

Oregon St.- Beavis v. VCU- Aries- Sorry Beavis, but Aries wins.

Oklahoma- Cable V. CSU Bakersfield- Roadrunner Meep. Meep.  Cable does what the Coyote never could and takes down the roadrunner.

The round of 32

Cain Marko:

NC- Clayface v  USC- AJAX After surviving a first round scare Clay face comes back strong and reminds everyone why he deserves a #1 seed.  Ajax throws everything he has at Clayface, but ultimately it doesn’t matter.

Chattanooga- Steampunk Iron Man v Kentucky – Dr. Manhattan Steampunk Iron Man is clever and resourceful, but as soon as Dr. Manhattan grows tired of Tony’s talk, this one is over.

Michigan – Guy Gardner v West Virginia – Sabretooth Sabertooth chooses they same location that served him so well last time, and he gets in a number of good hits on Guy, but after being shamed a couple times Guy levels the forest/mountain lights the whole field up in a bright green light and cages Sabertooth

Pittsburg – Black Panther v Xavier – Professor X Black Panther is smart enough to give Professor X a scare, but Professor X has chose the Mansion as his location and with Cerbro on it takes him only a moment to find and immobilize Panther.

Virginia – Scott Summers v Texas Tech – Lara Croft Tomb Raider In terms of power, Cyclops is clearly in the lead, but I don’t know of any location he could chose that Lara couldn’t turn to her advantage. Even if he chooses a flat field where he can use his range, I don’t think he could pull the trigger and hit a girl. Lara has no such compunctions.  The Tomb Raider advances.

Little Rock - Queen Hippolyta v Iowa State – Red Tornado Hippolyta’s magic is powerful, but once again Red Tornado lucks out with an ideal match up. Hippolyta’s Magic Girdle is useless. And Red Tornado advances again.   

Seton Hall –Corsair v Fresno State – Lock Jaw This is a tough one.  Close up Lockjaw wins hands down.  But Corsair chooses the environment and takes Lockjaw out to space where his advanced alien technology can be brought to bear. Lockjaw’s teleportation keeps in it up to the end, but ultimately Corsair is able to trick the beast and win the match.

Dayton – Angel v Michigan State – Wonder Woman Angel’s dream run comes to a sudden and painful end as Wonder Woman punches him through a sky scraper.

Kansas- Jay Garrick v Colorado- Bison Bison has the strength but Garrick has the speed and the experience to keep this one out of reach.

Maryland- Donatello Ninja Turtles v Cal- Ursa Major Ursa gets to choose the location, but even in the cold Donatello is too smart and too well trained for the Soviet Bear to really be a threat. 

Wichita St- Shocker v Miami- Hurricane (Makkari) Shocker has been a nice story so far but, in what we’ve come to expect from the most boring region, speed kills and Hurricane wins quickly.

Temple- Nite Owl v Villanova- Nova  The advantage in firepower and location clearly go to Nova, but he can’t overcome his arrogance and stupidity, Nite Owl catches him in a simple trap early and this one is over.

Southern University- Jaguar (DC) v Cincinnati- Black Cat  Jaguar can’t get past his golden age sensibilities and Black Cat uses her femininity like a scalpel to distract Jaguar and take the win.

Baylor- Big Bear v Duke- Nightcrawler Big Bear loses his home court advantage and Nightcrawler can just teleport through anything he doesn’t like.  It’s a match up nightmare for Big Bear and though the fight lasts a while, the outcome is never in doubt.  

Northern Iowa- White Tiger v UW Green Bay- Phoenix Once again, the sheer power of Phoenix is irresistible and White Tiger is lucky to be going home in one piece.

VCU- Aries v Oklahoma- Cable Aries is no match for Cable. The ultimate survivor waltzes into the Sweet 16 and a matchup with his mother (sort of?) without having been tested.

The Sweet 16

WK:

UNC- Clayface v. Kentucky- Dr. Manhattan- Clayface is powerful, and he continues to select his home court swamp as the fighting ground.  Dr. Manhattan looks around and vaporizes Clayface and the swamp in its entirety, and replaces it with a rose garden as he ponders the purpose of this competition and the meaninglessness of it all.

Michigan – Guy Gardner v. Xavier- Professor X- Guy has put up some remarkable fights to date, but no matter how much willpower he has- his strength matches up poorly against the world’s most powerful psychic.  Professor X convinces Guy to remove his own ring and hand it over.  He then makes Guy forfeit the match without a single punch being thrown.

Texas Tech- Lara Croft v. Iowa St- Red Tornado- Lara Croft’s run of miraculous luck continues here with what might be the closest battle in the round.  The android has a significant power advantage, and gets to choose the location.  He chooses a wide open plain where his powers will be most effective.  His weakness of trying to be human make him hesitate slightly to finish it quickly, and his logical, by the book style leaves him open to some clever, creative tricks and traps set by Lara.  In the end, it’s Lara’s mind, and determination that lead to the upset.

Seton Hall- Corsair v. MSU- Wonder Woman- Corsair is slick, but he loses the location advantage, and stuck fighting in Themescara, distracted by the other amazons, he’s quickly overpowered and outclassed. 

Kansas- Jay Garrick v. Maryland- Donatello- Jay Garrick forces Donatello above ground and out in the open.  Donatello’s prodigious ninja dexterity is no match for the speed and experience the first flash brings to the table.  Donatello gets shell shocked.

Miami- Hurricane (Makkari) v. Temple- Nite Owl- This was another battle that was extremely close.  Nite owl is clever, and if he got to choose a location that benefited him, that in and of itself would give him the victory, but fighting on Hurricane’s turf, Nite Owl reaches into his utility belt and doesn’t have anything that can help him call the name of the wind.  Setting up an all speedster elite 8 matchup.

Cincinnati- Black Cat v. Duke- Nightcrawler- Back to back nail biters… Black Cat is stronger and a better fighter.  Nightcrawler can teleport, and gets to pick the location.  In this instance, that matters.  Nightcrawler picks a dark area where Cat can’t even see him.  He pops in and out, and despite her physical superiority, Nightcrawler’s teleportation wins the day.

UW Green Bay- Phoenix v. Oklahoma- Cable- This is the ultimate match-up.  The Phoenix against her genetic offspring from the future.  Cable knows his power pales in comparison to the limitless energy the Phoenix possesses.  He also knows he has home court.  Using his time travel abilities, Cable sets the fight in the middle of the past showing the day a version of Jean Grey (Madalyn Pryor) gave birth to Nathan. Phoenix cries, and reverts back to her Jean Grey form where she surrenders, allowing her son to move on- unable to strike him due to (sort of) motherly instinct.

The Elite 8

CM:

Kentucky- Dr. Manhattan v Xavier- Professor X In the Elite 8 we finally get a matchup of true blue chip heroes. Every member of the original field of 64 crowds around to watch the big boys pound it out.  Professor X stays at the Mansion and Dr. Manhattan barely notices.  Dr. Manhattan has a formidable intellect, but it is only the work of a moment for Xavier to tap into Dr. Manhattan’s natural apathy.  The crowd is stunned when, just seconds after the match begins, Dr. Manhattan gets up and flies to Mars abandoning the field.  Professor X is named the victor and leaves the field before anyone even thinks to applaud.   

Texas Tech- Lara Croft v MSU- Wonder Woman The Tomb Raider has had a good run, but before the match Wonder Woman found out that Lara had desecrated the tomb of one of her Aunts.  After beating Croft up and down the field Wonder Woman catches Lara in the Lasso of Truth. Lara quickly taps before she is humiliated further.

Kansas- Jay Garrick v Miami- Hurricane (Makkari) In the battle of speedsters Garrick knows he’s out classed but he’s hoping to use his “old man” wits to keep it close and win at the end.  It’s doesn’t work.  Makkari blitzes him from start to finish.  Garrick is just fast enough to prolong the fight, but eventually Makkari closes the gap and ends it.

Duke- Nightcrawler v Oklahoma- Cable In a match up that has the X-Men Conference (XMC) commissioner parked in a luxury box smoking cigars, Cable chooses the desolate waste lands of his future as the battle ground.  Nightcrawler hits Cable over and over again taking advantage of his superior speed and teleportation to wear Cable down.  Cable keeps fighting though and never lets Nightcrawler take a break.  Over time the gaps between Nightcrawler’s teleportation’s begin to lengthen.  Sensing that Nightcrawler is weakening Cable steps up his attack.  Nightcrawler fights on gamely but once Cable has the edge it is only a matter of time.  After the longest battle of the tourney Cable finally gets a clean shot in on Nightcrawler and (as he should) stands alone on the field of battle.

The Final 4

WK:

Xavier- Professor X v. MSU- Wonder Woman - What a matchup, the leader of the X-men vs. one of the founding members of the justice league.  Professor X’s mental prowess has been on display throughout the tourney, but Wonder Woman has him outclassed in every single physical skill.  Finally away from his mansion and Cerebro boosting his powers- professor has to fight on a neutral field.  Still, his psychic powers are an absolute trump card.  Diana immediately falls to her knees beneath the psychic onslaught.  Out of desperation, she throws up her gauntlets- combined with the slight mental protection from her tiara, it’s just enough for her to throw her lasso of truth grabbing the professor, distracting him, and causing him to let his guard down for one second, as she pulls him towards her, and ends the fight in a viscous one-punch knock-out.

Miami- Hurricane (Makkari) v. Oklahoma- Cable- Cable’s a survivor as he’s shown throughout the competition, and he’s already taken down one supreme power, what’s one more.  Cable chooses the place for this throw down, and this time it’s a futuristic space ship engine room- the whole environment is set up to trap Makkari in a disintegration field while keeping him in confined space to minimize his ability to get up to speed.  Cable takes a beating, but ends up springing the trap, and winning the day.

The Championship

CM:

Oklahoma- Cable v MSU- Wonder Woman In this battle of 2 seeds Wonder Woman gets the first advantage of a neutral court.  Cable has survived this long on a combination of luck, planning and unwavering determination.  But in the finals it looks like the first two have finally run out.  Cable uses every trick he has to try to get an edge on Wonder Woman, but she’s trained as a warrior longer than he has and she’s already seen everything he has to offer.  Cable’s hanging with Wonder Woman but it’s looking more like Rocky v Apollo I.  Cable’s doing everything he can to stay on his feet and the crowd loves it.  Slowly the inevitable becomes obvious.  Wonder Woman, becoming more and more enraged my Cable’s refusal to quit and what she sees as his “male pride,” destroys most of Cable’s cybernetics.  In a final attempt to force his submission Wonder Woman grabs Cable’s left arm and rips it from its socket.  A hush falls over the crowd as Cable drops to his knees trying to stop the bleeding with his right hand.  Wonder Woman flies up preparing for one final punch.  Just inches from Cables head her whole body stops instantly.  By ripping off his arm Wonder Woman removed the Techno Virus from Cables body. Without the Techno Virus to fight Cable’s telekinetic powers were finally released.  Standing up slowly Cable draws his gun with his remaining hand, puts the barrel to Wonder Woman’s head and fires a single shot.  Cable wobbles but remains standing long enough to be declared the victor. Scott and Jean run out of the audience and catch Cable between them before he can fall. 

Okhlahoma - Cable

The Evolution of Steph Curry

Cain Marko:  I’m not here to discuss his great handle, his court vision, his ability to finish at the hoop, or any of that.  I’m here to discuss what makes Steph Curry tick.

It’s shooting.

We’ve talked about this before, but if shooting is just a combination of muscle memory and hand eye coordination, then it’s surprising that no one has mastered the half court shot.  In this era of spacing you’d think some Blake Hoffarber-esk guy who can’t jump would spend a year of his life, practicing and practicing until he can hit 37% from half court.  You can’t tell me there isn’t room and a couple million dollars on an NBA bench for that. 

And then we come to Steph Curry, I don’t know the stats on his half court heaves, but he’s hitting one just about every other game. At some point it stops being a novelty and starts being a true weapon.  We’ve already seen this year that he’s as good from 3 or 4 feet behind the line as anyone else in the league is from three.  You have to go over every screen.  What happens when the start setting screens out on the logo?  Do you still have to go over the screen? 

Walter Kovacs:  You’re absolutely right.  He’s on a whole different level, and the implications are staggering.  What he’s doing right now is Ruthian.  Back in the 1920’s, everyone was hitting for singles, and the Babe was like, nah- I think I’ll go all the bases at once.  In 1920 Ruth hit 54 homers to lead the American league, and Cy Williams led the NL with 15.  In 1927- Ruth smacked 60, and Williams and Hack Wilson led the NL with 30. 

Right now Steph is just playing a different game.  I think we’ll remember him as someone who kicked off a new era of basketball- nodding their heads are all the AAU kids who are switching from practicing dunks to practicing shooting from long-range.  To me the real question is what happens to the game as a whole.  3 point attempts continue to go up, and Steph is the poster child.  As players like Steph make the 3 a higher percentage shot that’s also worth more- does the game shift to one that’s played mostly between the arcs?  Does the league take steps to counter it? 

Right now, Steph and Golden State have something unique going on.  To your point, last night he was BEING GUARDED out at the half court line, and still made the buzzer beater.  Everything about that is insane, and with range like that, you basically have to play him like that.  And that also opens things up for the team because of that fear.  I’m content to just watch and enjoy for now, but imagine if there were 6 Stephs in the league with unlimited range, or 20- which might not be unheard of since shooting is a skill that is more or less egalitarian (not everyone is able to fly like MJ, or be huge like Shaq, but anyone can practice shooting).  What would be the broader future implications?

CM: I absolutely agree.  After a season of 5^th grade basketball, in which I fouled out of most games, my father, pulled me aside and said, “I know this is hard to hear, but there is a reason you come from a family of wrestlers.  You will never be Michael Jordan.”  And he was right.  But if Curry had existed then, who knows?  That dream would have been much more attainable.

Another thought I had.  Do you think anyone has calculated the defensive value of being a good three point shooting team?

Picture two scenarios: 

LeBron breaks into the paint, rises up avoiding contact, slams the ball in to the hoop, and then falls and skids to a stop against the padded back of the hoop. Warriors grab the ball and have it headed back down the court while LeBron is still on his back.  LeBron then has to get up and sprint back down to get into position. 

Conversely, the Warriors are kicking the ball around with 4 behind the arc and Bogut just standing there trying not to get in the way. Green sets a screen for Curry out beyond the 3 point line.  Curry rises up, shoots the ball and starts walking backward.  He’s at the top of the key before the ball even goes in the net.  And the whole team, except Bogut, are already back on the defensive side of the court, without even having to run.

Now Curry is nowhere near the defensive player LeBron is (or any of the top slashing wings) but a Curry who is already back in position without having to use any energy and with the defense already set up behind him is probably going to give up less points then a LeBron who is on the run. 

We see it time and time again.  Half court offense is hard.  Transition points are easy.  The longer 3s you can make, and the more people who are a threat to make them, the better your defense is.

That’s my theory at least.

I came up with it after watching this video of Curry’s 3 pointers against the Thunder. First, just watch how far back and how well covered he is when he shoots.  But then go back a second time and watch where Curry is when the ball goes in the hoop and watch where the rest of the Warriors are by the time the ball gets inbounded.

WK:  This is a very strong point.  I read/listen to a lot of Zach Lowe, and he has recently done some investigating into the lost art of offensive rebounding- teams are ignoring potential offensive boards to minimize transition points.  Yet another benefit of the 3 is longer rebounds that favor incidental offensive boards, and if not, assists transition D.  They’re probably presenting a paper on this at the Sloan Conference right now.