PRO: Right as Ryan: To Tank or Not to Tank
Apparently the next great American war is already upon us. Just this year, battles have already taken place in Memphis, Dallas, New York and Atlanta. No, I am not talking about combat, but rather the tanking warfare that has dominated the sports world for so long.
Most frequently done to the fullest in the NBA, tanking, or what some people may call “rebuilding,” has been a process that takes years of losing in order to acquire the best possible draft picks.
I know the concept of tanking sounds awful in a league built on competition, whether it be the NBA, NFL or MLB. However, when the bigger picture is taken into perspective, it’s the only course of action teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Indianapolis Colts and the current World Series champions, Houston Astros, could have taken in the past.
In sports, there always seems to be a dominant team that has a chokehold in their respective league. In the 90s, it was the Chicago Bulls. In the 2000s, it was the New York Yankees. Today, the Golden State Warriors occupy that spot, winning two championships in three years and reaching the Finals four three straight years.
So what does a struggling team do when it’s nearly impossible to win the ultimate goal in all of sports, a championship? Dwell in mediocrity and fail to make the playoffs for many years, or attempt to draw in free agents and trade partners with little to no chances of success?
Tanking is criticized and labeled as a method to kill your franchise’s culture, fanbase and competitiveness, but the same could be said for “rebuilding” franchises like the Sacramento Kings, who fail to reach the playoffs year after year. Aiming for a sub-par year for nearly a decade is a slow death with no hope in sight. Tanking, on the other hand, is the chance for a potential rebirth, with a top prospect who can the shape and culture of a franchise.
Most recognized as the posterboy of tanking is the 76ers’ all-star center and “Process” Joel Embiid. Embiid earned his nickname for coining the popular phrase, “Trust the Process,” which represented Philadelphia’s three-year slump in which the team accumulated both the worst record in the league and earned three top-three picks. Two of those picks gave the team star rookie Ben Simmons and Embiid. Since his debut in 2016 after two years of injuries and setbacks, Embiid has led the transformation of the team from a franchise in decline and struggling into one of the most exciting and competitive young teams in the NBA.
Fans may feel anger if their favorite team decides to go in this direction. What some fans may not understand is that the lengths management undergoes to ensure that the franchise can survive and thrive in the future, instead of barely staying afloat in the present. Tanking front offices know that they will be crucified by the league and many fans, but they are still willing to sacrifice their own careers to change organizations and push them to compete for championships.
Tanking can take away from the competitive edge of the game. But when the game is already unfair at the top of the hierarchy, then the bottom of the food chain should be allowed to play an unfair game, too. Trust the Process.
CON: This Just In: To Tank or Not to Tank?
There is an ongoing epidemic in the sports world. It has infected all of the major sports leagues, and there is currently no cure in sight. Its symptoms are as follows: excessive losing, healthy athletes resting and productive players being traded.
This disease goes by one name: tanking. To sum up the concept, tanking simply means a team sets out to deliberately lose.
For what seems like forever, teams have purposely blew entire seasons for the chance to draft a potential star. Look no further than the Chicago Cubs, who went 200-286 from 2012 to 2014 en route to a World Series win.
Today, tanking seems to be more prevalent than ever, especially in the NBA. With the playoffs on the horizon, the bottom feeders of each conference continue to lose game after game in an all-out race toward the No. 1 pick.
Currently, there are eight teams in the NBA that are separated by only a few games for the honor of being lottery favorites.
When there are only a few teams tanking a year, it is easy to overlook those organizations. However, when nearly one-third of an entire sports league throws away their seasons, a red flag should be raised.
Teams that decide to go down the disgraceful road of tanking ultimately hurt their own popularity. By throwing games on purpose, they detract casual fans from watching the on-court product, thus hurting their revenue.
Additionally, by tanking, these franchises are giving their fans the middle finger.
Imagine paying hundreds of dollars of your hard earned money to watch the Memphis Grizzlies play. Going into the game, you expect to see your favorite player, Marc Gasol, in the starting lineup. Yet when the game tips off, you learn that Gasol is out due to rest and instead are forced to watch a starting lineup of Kobi Simmons, Ben McLemore, Dillon Brooks, JaMychal Green and Jarrell Martin for 48 minutes.
If we are being honest, only avid followers of the NBA outside of Memphis would be able to name that lineup. Basically, you would most likely be upset and feel robbed.
By throwing out lineups full of bench players with virtually have no chance of winning, teams are insulting their fan bases, just for the chance of drafting a potential star.
Furthermore, these franchises may disturb their team’s culture. Tanking goes against everything that athletes were taught when they were groomed for their sport.
If players know that the higher-ups of the organization are voluntarily losing, the players may become disgruntled, thus affecting their competitive nature and on-court play. As a veteran is traded away, it takes away a locker-room presence that may have been able to keep a young team in check, as well as be an example for other players to follow.
Tanking teams also have the potential to damage their athletes’ livelihoods. By benching productive players and limiting their minutes, franchises could cost their athletes millions. Other teams may not be willing to pay these players what they are truly worth after seeing them benched on a losing team.
The pandemic known as tanking is running rampant in the world of sports and there is nothing in place that can stop it. Due to this, franchises will continue to soil the integrity of sports as a whole by intentionally losing game after game. Simply put, tanking has no place in sports and teams should be ashamed of practicing it.