Bang Bang. (My Baby Shot Me Down.)

Full Court Press Magazine - Week 10 Power Rankings - Gilbert Arenas just shot the Bear’s playoff hopes in the foot. Why do we always hurt the ones we love?

Over two years ago, the Colorado Bears franchise selected a fun-loving point guard to be the cornerstone of their franchise. Gilbert Arenas was known all over the league as a hilarious, if mercurial, presence in the locker room, known for his practical jokes and outrageous bets. While some questioned his attitude, no one could argue with his results on the court, and at the #9 overall pick, fans in Colorado walked away with what they thought was the steal of the draft.

Two years and two major knee surgeries later, Gilbert Arenas finally donned a Bears uniform, after watching the previous two seasons from the bench in street clothes. With Colorado off to its best start in franchise history, and Gilbert leading the charge with his return to form, things were looking good.

Bang.

Until Gilbert Arenas shot the fans. Literally. And by literally, I mean figuratively. But he might as well. After pulling a gun on a teammate in a locker room fracas, then exacerbating the problem by tweeting on and on and shooting hand pistols in timeouts, Gilbert showed once and for all that he doesn’t give a crap about Colorado, or their fans. And now he’s suspended indefinitely.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the Bears’ curse. After a disappointing first year in the league beset by injuries and underperformers, the Bears were even worse in 2008-2009, when a rash of freak injuries left them hobbled and helpless, barely able to put a full roster on the court. The curse was limited to the players on their team either; after trading Luol Deng to Montreal, Deng fractured his leg and missed the rest of the year. After Jameer Nelson was sent to South Carolina, he separated his shoulder and missed the rest of the year. After drafting Blake Griffin in this year’s draft, he and Greg Oden were shipped to Dublin where both promptly suffered major injuries and have missed all or most of the season, with Oden out for the whole year. Quite simply, Colorado is the unluckiest team in the league.

Fortunately, the Bears’ savvy GM Mike Comtois has made all the right moves this season, and is hoping to taste the playoffs that once seemed so inevitable two years ago. The recent addition of Derrick Rose, once thought of as a luxury, will now prove invaluable to the squad with the loss of Arenas for who knows how long. It’s only a shame that Rudy Gay will have to endure some sort of horrific injury in the coming weeks.
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Power Rankings:
1. Montreal (-) – Easy win over Peoria keeps them in the top spot. Things get much harder from here though.
2. Tokyo (-) – Solid win over South Carolina keeps them cruising. Really rounding into form.
3. Colorado (-) – Cooled off a once hot Rakeville squad. How bad will loss of Arenas hurt though?
4. Las Vegas (-) – Great win over Tijuana; Granger expected back within a couple of weeks.
5. Tijuana (-) – Don’t really deserve to be here after loss, but everyone behind them has struggled too.
6. Bridgewater (+4) – After the top 4, it’s really a crapshoot where any given team could land. Big win over depleted Dublin squad is what it is.
7. Weymouth (+1) – Back in the playoff picture with a big win over Fitchburg. Real test comes at Tokyo this week.
8. Rakeville (-1) – Bad loss in a game they needed to win. Interesting match-up with a banged up Montreal squad this week.
9. South Carolina (-3) – Tough loss to Tokyo, but statistically they’re just not there yet. Need to show something against Bridgewater this week in a winnable game.
10. Fitchburg (-) – Not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to get John Wall. Tough place to be.
11. Dublin (-) – The unthinkable could happen next week—if they lose to Peoria, we could officially have a new worst team in the league. Injuries make it a tough pill to swallow, but it is what it is.
12. Peoria (-) – Another week, another 7-2 loss. Just another sunny day in Peoria.
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League Notes:
-Another inaugural first round pick is on the block in Montreal. Rumor has it Kevin Garnett can be had for the right price.

-After a contentious week of trading, EHBA fans have been treated to a circus in Peoria. Everyone loves elephants.

-Fitchburg forward Tracy McGrady allegedly also pulled a gun on a teammate in the locker room this week, only no one gives a shit because Tracy McGrady stinks.