ON THE COURT, OFF THE COURT

Closed off, on guard, defensive

If we're playing ball

Then it must be clear whose ball it is

Is anyone playing by the rules?

Dirty elbows are dropped way too casually nowadays

Across your face, to the chin

One more 3 sec violation

and we'll have a new personal Cuban Missile Crisis

Someone forgot to replace the net

Oops, that would require a little investment

Smack talk becomes animated when saliva flies over center court, with wings to spare

Can't call a foul because you're not allowed to call anyone out

The crew can mop and shine and clean the court as many times as they'd like

The out of bounds lines hold very little weight

When there's no common shared space

Just arcs and lines and boundaries anyone can step over as they feel

The announcers and commentators are so self-absorbed

Calling out certain plays and not another

Ignoring certain mistakes by certain players

Shouting out useless stats that fit into no context

Trying to cope for their failed careers that never launched

A lot of reflection to be done, but that doesn't line anyone's pockets

Coach draws up a play on the clipboard

Might as well be just lines and squiggles

Nobody plays their position

The guard wants to be center

But can't establish their presence in the paint

Everybody thinks they can shoot and put up 30, 40 points a night

Nobody wants to emphasize the fundamentals

The concept of "team basketball" might as well be one of the Four Olds

That, plus so much more gets overlooked

But nobody wants to have a conversation about that

The commentators don't get paid enough

If they do, sponsors walk

Money talks, amirite?

The social contract has been posterized

Highlight reel still spinning of the damage done to what was left, the carnage that unfolded after the final buzzer

The game is rigged

But what game are we playing to begin with?