I have a pet theory about sports.

Well, sports and money. I sometimes call it my Italian soccer theory. I name it because the Italian soccer style is entirely about defense and a typical kind of game can end with a 1-0 score. Soccer wasn't always that way and there was a time when the NBA averaged 230 points per game--it's more like 190 points a night now. What happened?

Money happened. First, the players get high-priced, then the coaches get high-priced. Once the coaches are paid huge sums, they get a need to control the game. Here's the problem for semi-improvised games like soccer and basketball: they require creativity. Coaches can't control creativity, but they can destroy it with defense. Not only is defense more reliable for the coaches, it doesn't really slump. How can a coach, eager to keep such a high-paying job, resist selecting players who are better defenders than attackers? For crying out loud, the Italian soccer style is called "catennaccio"! It's Italian for "bolt the door"!

With both the NBA and the soccer authorities, they've been reluctant to modify the game to increase scoring. Soccer could easily increase scoring, just enlarge the goal but the sport's authorities are as conservative as Ronald Reagan's undies. The NBA is probably more difficult--I'm not sure what they can do. Maybe ban defense? It's interesting to compare these leagues with the NFL, which has constantly tinkered with the rules to keep scoring.

At least the soccer games still have an abstract beauty. The NBA doesn't even have that any more.