Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
In today's edition of the Orlando Sentinel, columnist Mike Bianchi quotes three writers bashing Dwight Howard -- Bill Simmons, CBS Sportsline's Mike Freeman and fellow Sentinel columnist George Diaz -- and takes them to task for not mentioning him more in the MVP chase.
Seriously, you know what's amazing? That three columnists all criticized Howard within days of each other - during the same time frame when the Magic's magnificent big man was named the NBA's Player of the Week.
It's mystifying.
It's logic-defying.
In response, Simmons called the column the "dumbest sports column of 2010." Clearly, Simmons is a man of hyperbole, so maybe we're overreacting. But dumbest sports column of 2010?
Here's my question: what's so bad about suggesting we don't appreciate Dwight Howard enough? As Bianchi writes, he's about to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounding and blocked shots more than once. Against Houston, he scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds ... on just 11 shots! If you're paying attention, his formerly robotic post game is making a lot of progress, as is his formerly suspect free throw shooting.
Was the headline a little ridiculous? Probably. Were the digs at media members for pumping LeBron James unnecessary? Probably, because LeBron's clearly the MVP. But is Bianchi right that we don't appreciate the things Dwight Howard is doing? Absolutely. There's no question about it.
So I ask again: what's the big deal?
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