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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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1.)"We already nailed an inordinate amount of Barryisms throughout the book"(465).
-Inordinate(ADJ): Unusually large
-He created an inordinate amount of bubbles in his reaction, so the teacher helped him stop the lab.
2.) "Increase your repertoire of moves slightly , and the man playing you will turn into him on the defensive end, that bad"(494).
-Repertoire(Noun): A stock of habitually used skills
-His incredible work ethic allowed him to obtain a repertoire of strategies to ultimately win.
3.)"He played basketball with a singular mentality, trusting his own exploits would lift his teammates but only intermittently bothering to make them better in a conventional way"(528).
-Intermittent(ADJ): Stopping or ceasing for a time
-His pain was intermittent, and he did not know if it was a random spasm or a serious injury.
4.) Older Oscar looks like he is smoldering, like he's barely happy enough to fake a smile for the photographer"(560).
-Smolder(Verb): To burn without flame
-His face was smoldering as he listened to the false accusations of his best friend.

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.) "You can't overstate it. From a comedy standpoint, it would be like Eddie Murphy releasing 48 Hours and trading Places, disappearing, coming back for Beverley Hills Cop, and leaving again"(462).
- While not all rhetorical pieces can make use of pop culture references, I appreciated the attempt by Simmons in this passage and really throughout this book. Knowing his audience, he likely realized that these references will be effective in appealing to humor and grasping his readers attention. Personally, as a fan of these Eddie Murphy movies and being the son of a fan of these movies, this particular reference stood out.
2.) " He has speed. He has quickness. He has smarts. He can finish. He shows up in big moments. He can do it all"(494).
- Simmons uses repetitive sentence structure in this passage in order to emphasize his description of the abilities of a certain player. Although it may seem simple, this technique, rather than simply listing all of the attributes in a single sentence, resonates in a much stronger fashion with the reader. Simmons has proven to be a master in manipulating organization and syntax to further prove his claims, or maybe I just agree with every opinion he has...
3.) "We got what we wanted: Shaq and Kobe have their own teams. Maybe we needed a rape charge, multiple backstabbings and a controversial police interview, but it did happen"(523).
- Here, Simmons and his usually effective implementation of humor and subtle shots seem to backfire. Not many basketball fans nowadays will appreciate the shots at the Lakers organization, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal. Despite an obvious attempt at a joke, Simmons should have known that this will create anger over laughter. I find it intriguing that Simmons actually has multiple examples where he goes above and beyond with his jokes, and maybe he does this on purpose. If he does, I can't quite understand why(in terms of rhetorical effect).
4.)"Nobody ever rooted for Goliath(Wilt) when he was alive, but I feel for him now that he's dead. He was the archetype for the perfect athlete"(579).
- Here, Simmons describes Wilt Chamberlain. Opening his description, he uses a powerful one-liner which caught my attention and was an elegant way to phrase the situation. By introducing Wilt as "Goliath", and creating sympathy for his death(1999), he is able to gain some of the audiences feelings and convince more people of his stance. Being a Celtics and Bill Russell fan, I find it even more interesting that Simmons took the time to writ this passage. Many readers familiar with Simmons are likely still in shock that he wrote this, which ultimately adds to his plan of capturing their attention and gaining their sympathy and trust.

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October 26, 2016

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.) "One of my favorite random moments writing this book: spending a solid hour picking between Cliff Hagan and Twyman for the 'white forward from the fifties and sixties' cutoff spot"(356).
- I highly doubt that many readers recognized these two names, but, regardless, this passage was extremely humorous. In between a list of the best ONE HUNDRED players ever, or a similarly extensive argument requiring the full attention of the audience, it is important to keep a light mood. Boredom is a huge source of error during long pieces of rhetoric-at least form my experience- and humor is a fantastic method to counteract this potential failure.
2.) " So what happened? You wouldn't say he was a bad player?"(405).
- This was not much of a "passage", but the way Simmons incorporated these two questions stuck out to me. Targeting the older audience, he reminds them of players who everyone loved in their times. He challenges their beliefs, which is a risky but effective technique because it forces the audience to think about WHY they believe the things they do and why they restrain from saying "he" as a bad player. I pictured Simmons in real life-sitting on his podium, hosting his podcast- saying this to someone, and it comes off as a sort of demand, not exactly a question. This was an interesting set of lines, and I wonder why he lacked many other rhetorical questions.
3.) "If you're from Indiana, take a deep breath before we proceed. Then take another one. And another. Think happy thoughts. Get yourself into a good place. I'll wait for you"(433).
- This was a humorous but almost deceptive way for Simmons to prepare Indiana fans for his ranking of legendary shooting guard Reggie Miller, often thought of as a top 50 player of all time, at number 62 on his all time list. Of course, this comes across as a bit of a joke, but it serves a deeper purpose. By prefacing his analysis of Miller with this short set of instructions for potentially angered fans, he lets them know that he KNOWS they will be mad, and he knows that he has taken a controversial stand and wants to explain himself. I feel that this alone likely engaged many more readers, and without this passage most Indiana fans would close the book after seeing Miller at 62

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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1.) "On the other hand, no point guard brazenly attacked to the basket quite like he did,"(358).
-Brazenly(ADJ): Shameless or impudent
-He brazenly revealed the truth to his teacher, not covering for his friend who he said he would protect, and the friendship was broken as a result.
2.) "They all jump like kangaroos and possess the innate ability to compete"(385).
-Innate(ADJ): Existing in one from birth
-He did not always study very hard, he seemed to always have an innate ability to reason his way through assessments.
3.) "If your point guard sets a dubious record like that, you probably didn't win that many games"(421).
-Dubious(ADJ): Doubtful
-When he was called on in class, he provided a dubious reply as he had not been paying attention.

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October 19, 2016

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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1.) " The vote for him in just 57 games was particularly appalling"(273).
-Appalling(ADJ): Causing Dismay or Horror
- As a result of his intoxication, he suffered an appalling accident.
2.) "With Russell retired and the Celtics floundering, the Knicks took command of the east, won a league high 60 games, ignited Manhattan and became the media darlings of the '70 season"(336).
-Floundering(Verb): TO struggle with clumsily
- He was wearing the goggles too high over both of his eyes, so he ended up floundering around the room until his peers helped him take them off.

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.) "The case for Walton: He played 58 of the first 60 games and the Blazers went 50-10 over that stretch. He missed the next 22 games and the blazers stumbled to an 8-14 finish"(275).
- This passage, although not overwhelming in language or highly sophisticated, is a great example of using quantitative, unbiased, and often undeniable evidence to bolster a claim. Simmons makes a case for the impact of NBA legend Bill Walton being highly underrated due to a plague of injuries and thus a shortened career. His evidence, the downfall of the team as Walton began to miss time, clearly shows the correlation between Walton and his team's success. This simple fact allows the reader to come to the conclusion that Simmons argues for: the Blazers were an elite team with Walton, and mediocre at best without him.
2.) " Has to be Indiana, right? That's the basketball capital of the WORLD. They filmed Hoosiers there. The Basketball Jesus grew up there. Bobby Knight coached there"(320).
- Here, Simmons makes good use of a rhetorical question followed by a series of logical reasons. He does not simply propose Indiana, but rather suggests it as the obvious choice. Then, he argues the significance of local stars such as "Jesus"(Larry Bird), Bobby Knight, and also mentions the popular basketball movie "Hoosiers", based in Indiana. This passage was particularly humorous, as his description of NBA legend Larry Bird as "Basketball Jesus" caught me off guard. Despite being a comical description, it was effective. Bird, as many super-fans know, grew up in a small Indiana farm town. His old-school background, white skin color, and play style made him a fan favorite.The portrayal of Bird as "Jesus" reminds fans how important his hometown was in the making of his own legend, thus supporting Simmons' original claim bout the importance of Indiana with regards to basketball.

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October 13, 2016

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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1.) "As well as Isiah failing to plan ahead, inadvertently knocking New York out of the LeBron sweepstakes"(199).
- Inadvertently(ADJ): Not intentional
- The boy inadvertently hurt his friend while swinging the bat as he did not see him.
2.) "Over the past ten years, a series of stat freaks inspired by the baseball revolution pushed a variety of convoluted statistics on us, but really, you can determine the effectiveness of nearly any player by examining an NBA box score"(247).
- Convoluted(ADJ): Twisted; Coiled
- He was told that the figures, convoluted and corrupted. had no persuasive element to them.

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.) "If 'Melo goes to Detroit, you know what happens? Detroit loses the '04 title"(191).
- Simmons caught my attention with this claim. In the past few decades, the Detroit Pistons draft mishap of passing up on current superstar and likely Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony. Rather than compiling statistics and opinions which build up to this claim and then concluding with "Detroit loses if they draft Melo", Simmons begins this phase of the book with his somewhat alarming claim. Not only does it succeed tremendously in grasping the attention and the emotions, good or bad depending on your opinions, of the audience, but it makes things interesting rather than recycling the same tiring narratives
2.) " When you look at Ralph's career compared to every other sure thing, it has to be considered one of the biggest flukes in sports history-a combination of bad luck, the wrong situation, and a player who was slightly overrated in the first place"(245).
- Here, Simmons goes a little too far even for his own undoubtedly harsh style. The evidence which was outlined prior to this claim was a clear indication of injuries robbing a player of a great career, and not one factor seemed worthy of the "overrated" title. This is an example of Simmons allowing his bias to show, and although Ralph Sampson is not a big topic of controversy in the modern sporting world, it certainly might have angered many fans had it been a more prominent figure. He should have, in my opinion,taken some adjectives out.

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October 5, 2016

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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Here is where you will write an unfamiliar vocabulary term (used in context).

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1.)" And shattered Calvin Murphy's seemingly insurmountable 95.8 from '81"(130).
- Insurmountable(ADJ): Impossible to Overcome
- Although he had done the best he could, getting a perfect score seemed to be a simply insurmountable task.
2.) "The NBA, where diluted ball happens!"(175).
- Diluted(ADJ): Not containing very much of some important element
- The substance had become diluted due to the exposure to the environment

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.)  "Fighting has always been considered a part of basketball, n inevitable outcome of the physical sport"(130).
- Here, Simmons shows his bias. Many fans will disagree with this and say that rule changes have helped enhance the game and expand the audience. As an older fan, he believes the opposite, but younger fans, many of whom will read this book, strongly oppose his view. This is important to account for in rhetorical pieces, especially in sports. The speaker/author must always be considerate of the perception of the intended audience and potential criticism, even if it stems from their personal beliefs.
2.) "Of course he was traded, but it did not stop there. Blazers fans embraced him the way Boston fans had"(165).
-  Here, after explaining the greatness of his hometown Celtics and the fanbase, Simmons continues to explain major trades in NBA history. Although shifting topics, he alludes back to the greatness of Celtics fans by setting them as a standard of a good fanbase. I found this strategy to be particularly effective as it was the use of an indirect example and was more subtle in the approach.

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September 29, 2016

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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My name is Rohun Yarala, and I am a avid basketball fan. This book is based on the history and dynamics of the NBA and the most talented players to ever play, but also has insight on the developments and history of the league and sport. As a relatively younger basketball fan, "The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons will surely feed my mind with newfound knowledge.

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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"Here is where you will type your quote or passage" (one quote or passage from each 30 pages of the text).

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1.) "I grew up watching basketball played the right way. Guys looking for the open man... By the time Bird retired, I had earned my Ph.D. in hoops"(14).
- This passage of the introductory portion of the book resonated with me as a reader because it was a subtle yet effective technique employed by Simmons. By previously listing his experiences and basically validating his credibility, he can gain the confidence and persuade the audience more effectively. Often in sports, writers and analysts make claims but are attacked on a personal level, Simmons eliminates that counterargument by showing his status as an NBA aficionado.
2.) "For the same reason that everyone in the eighties would have committed a crime to play with Magic or Bird...For the same reason that every player from the last dozen years would have rather played with Duncan than anyone else. It's not about statistics and talent as much as making teammates better"(54).
- As a sports fan, I often see examples piled on top of each other to illustrate points, but the repetitive and powerful fashion and structure which Simmons used in order to prove his point was extremely effective and interesting. As I intently analyzed the book for rhetorical techniques, this and a few other passages stood out mostly due to their wording, multiple examples obvious to a die-hard NBA fan and irrefutable creates the equally irrefutable image of the author's point.  The consistent sentence structure also built his argument clearly and stuck in my mind, which made Simmons' argument stronger.
3.) "Russell was like a left-handed, infinitely more cerebral Dennis Rodman, only if Rodman had Walton's passing talent, David Robinson's athletic ability and Michael Jordan's maniacal drive, and if Rodman could block shots like Josh Smith unleashed on the WNBA for an entire season"(67).
- The persuasion and exaggeration used in this passage is common in sports debates, which is why this stood out to me. Simmons does not pile the reader with statistics and play by play analysis. He uses humor, comparisons, clear hyperbole's, and more engaging and "fun" stylistic techniques to showcase his evidence and arguments in a variety of ways. It is more memorable and persuasive to readers to think "Bill Simmons said Russell blocked shots like Josh Smith in the WNBA" than simply read "Russell blocked shots better than everyone else."

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September 23, 2016

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Here is where you will tell me what pages you will read for each week. I will give you class time Monday to create your site and map out a reading schedule for yourself based on the dates below.

DUE DATES:
9/23: Read first 110 pages
9/30: Read 190 pages
10/7: Read first 270 pages
10/14: Read first 350
10/21: Read first 460 pages
10/28: Finish(600+/ total)