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Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Who’s Zooming Who?

by Guichard Cadet

The New York Knicks are 0-3 after Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. It is also quite evident they are confused and running scared like the gang that shot Cyrus. For those unfamiliar with the cult classic flick (The Warriors) from 1979, understand that the Knicks are heading to the west coast for a six-game road trip. By the time they come home, it might get uglier than it currently has.

read the entire article

Sunday, October 30, 2005

RJ: The Next Scottie Pippen?

By Guichard Cadet


I have often wondered why no player is referred to as “the next Scottie Pippen”. The man has 6 championship rings with the same team and served as the complement to one of the NBA’s greatest of all-time. Perception is the problem; and it states that if Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were a sandwich, they would be a BLT. In that type of setup, Michael is the meat and Scottie can be no more than a complement – a mere vegetable.

read the entire article

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Stern Warning

Societal Implications of the NBA Dress Code

By Guichard Cadet

This past week NBA Commissioner David Stern put on his “throwback” thinking cap and legislated a dress code for the league. Opinions ranged the gamut, with personal preference dictating which side of the issue one took.


read the entire article

Monday, October 10, 2005

Big Man Hunting

by Guichard Cadet


Fast forward to the 2004 off-season and nearly everyone is lambasting Isiah for overpaying to acquire Jamal Crawford. On its own merit, the signing is not as bad as some have made it out; but coupled with getting Eddy Curry, the Crawford signing is simply pure genius.

The Eddy Curry signing can be broken down to this simple equation. If a close friend moves to a city and tells you life is lovely there, and you've been itching to move away from home – What do you do? You find a way to move there. I am not saying Bulls GM Paxson did not overplay his hand in dealing with Curry’s heart injury and contract negotiation. It’s just that he may have joined the card game a bit too late to know who was in cahoots with whom.

read entire article

Monday, September 26, 2005

Nothin' But Nets: In-Vince-Ability

It is sad to say but Vince Carter is truly the piece that will get move to acquire such a big man.Carter fills the one major void that any floundering team looks at when willing to trade a superstar level big. He has drawing power and the offensive skill-set to bring most teams to playoff contention – provided the teams has a solid plan.

read the entire article

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Nothin' But Nets: The Battle for New York (part 2)

Back in April I wrote an article on how sports teams jockey for position in the New York / New Jersey area. Yesterday, the New Jersey Nets took the next step in their quest to enhance their presence in this battlefield.

---read the entire article

Monday, September 12, 2005

Nothin' But Nets: Nets Get Physical!!!

At the 4 & 5 the Nets have offensive talent (Krstic), bangers (Collins and Jackson) and outside threats (Robinson, Padgett and Murray).

Still not convinced? Why make all these moves when the team could have simply signed SAR? SAR at the mid-level or slightly above for 5 years would be impossible to trade, whereas any of the recent acquisitions can be packaged for what will eventually be Thorn’s biggest move.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Alternate Side of the Streak Hitting

by Guichard Cadet

In mimicking this city regulation, the Mets only hit for a few games or series at a time. In the month of August, they had 140 runs scored while giving up 104, but only earned a record of 16 wins against 12 losses. They ended up winning only 4 out 9 series.

-->read entire article

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Willie, Mets Chase: Wild Card or Wild Goose

by Guichard Cadet


It really is time for an adjustment or else the progress the rest of the team has made will result in a Wild Goose chase instead of a Wild Card spot.

Everyone wants Aaron Heilman as a starter next year. The best thing to do would be to use him as the closer instead. If we can't get rid of Looper, then he could be the setup man.

--> read entire article

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Lastings Effect

Although fame is often fleeting, for some it has a lasting effect as to how they live the rest of their lives when the glare of the spotlight disappears. Lastings Milledge is the product of a faded glow, one which has not only disappeared for his father, but also his older brothers – all of whom had MLB aspirations.

--> read entire article

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Mets Reach Breaking Point

by Guichard Cadet


This year they should not be fooled by their record. The Mets must go into a selling frenzy, and take back prospects in exchange to dumping the salaries of 3 specific players: Braden Looper, Kaz Ishii and Kaz Matsuii.

-->read entire article

Friday, July 08, 2005

Isiah’s Q: Trading Ariza the High-Riser?

by Guichard Cadet


Individually all three draft picks were solid, as was the acquisition of Quentin (Q) Richardson. Yet, except for Frye who is expected to log in minutes at the center position, the new pick-ups were a replication of filled positions. Unless Thomas pulls the trigger on a trade involving Trevor Ariza, the Knicks have a log jam at four positions.

Ariza’s rookie season has raised the expectations of Knicks fans. He is a swing player whose upside could be equal to that of The Truth, better known as Paul Pierce. Or, he can become another high-riser without a consistent jumper or handle to dominate at either the Shooting Guard or Small Forward position.

-->read entire article

Thursday, June 23, 2005

2005 NBA Playoffs: Face The Music

by Rob King

Renowned poet and musician Gil Scott Heron said that Black people never die in scary movies because they can hear the music that forecasts imminent danger. As soon as they hear the ominous melodies they respond accordingly.

As we all know a series does not begin until the home team loses. After watching four games where only the home team bothered to show up, fans and viewers were finally treated to competitive contests in games five and six. Game 5 featured Horry’s heroics, while Game 6 turned into Rasheed’s redemption.


read the entire article

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Being Mike Tyson

by Guichard Cadet


But this past Saturday night, Tyson went from Iron Mike to becoming the major irony confronting people of color worldwide. He gave up fighting a white opponent, though he was ahead in points. Stating that he was too old for this, he validated the major socio-political stance of today’s youth. Fighting racism is a meaningless battle, especially when it is against an invisible opponent, or one who has no clue of your history.

--->read entire article

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Larry Brown and American Basketball On Trial, Again

by Guichard Cadet


Oddly enough right after the first loss in Greece, Larry Brown had begun separating his coaching and reputation as the reason for the team’s losses. LB is a great coach who has won in various situations, and on so many levels. He is to American basketball, what management consultants, in their heyday, were to American business. These specialists are change agents, charged with correcting a particular process that has either gone awry or failed to produce the desired result. LB and other consultant-types have generic systems they apply to all problems.

The problem with American basketball is one that can never be fixed. It is part of the sport’s evolutionary process. Larry Brown either did not realize or respect the types of weapons he had at his disposal – the combination of Speed and Power. Two players – Amare Stoudemire and Emeka Okafor - epitomized this change, and they received the least amount of playing time.

--->read entire article

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Canadian Sun Set, or Miami On Ice?

by Rob King

Dr. James Naismith would be proud to see the remarkable run of his fellow country man and regular season MVP Steve Nash. Over the past four games Canadian son, Steve Nash surpassed Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, becoming the first player in NBA history with four consecutive playoff games of at least 25 points and 10 assists. The nasty Nash show recorded this feat in the final two contests of the Dallas series and the first two games of the Conference finals against San Antonio.

Nash’s run will conclude quickly unless Phoenix can rise from the ashes and get back into their Western Conference series with the Spurs that resumes tonight. After dropping the first two games on their home floor, the Suns are confronted with the challenge of having to win tonight to prevent the Spurs from putting a stranglehold on the series.


--->read the entire article

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

2 Err On The Side of Crushing


It is easy to play ‘Chicken Little’ and exclaim the season over, because these past losses are a stark reminder of last year’s lost season when the infielders committed errors at inopportune moments. When starting pitchers rarely went past five innings, often spotting opponents early runs. When relievers failed to provide reassurance that the other team will not get another insurance run.

The stark difference between these recent losses and last year’s: one really felt the Mets would win these games with late inning heroics. Though manager Willie Randolph sees the errors as growing pains, some of the plays are signs the young infielders are not throwing caution to the wind, and have instead adopted a reckless streak in their approach to the game.

-->read the entire article

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Playoffs Wrap-up: Three The Hard Way

by Rob King

It’s now obvious where the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion obtained their brain, heart and courage. All items came courtesy of the Washington Wizards who played the Miami Heat without all three. Now they’re off to the Land of Oz after melting under intense playoff Heat.

read the entire article

sunday wrap-up: Deuces Are Wild

When it comes to what plagues the NBA, many point to the lack of fundamentals exhibited by the league’s new entrants. If either of these teams wins the Western Conference or the championship, this series is the precursor to a pint-sized defensive style of play that will afflict the NBA for decades.

read the entire article

Sunday, May 08, 2005

NBA Playoffs First Round Wrap

by Rob King

For authentic hoop heads the 2005 playoffs have been entertaining. Personally I have been rolling with the Wildcats as former University of Arizona point guards wrapped up their first round playoff series - Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks, and Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards.

Up in Boston, the Celtics hoped to emulate their New England neighbors in the NFL and end the title hopes of another team from Indiana. They tried beating the Pacers in game seven and putting Miller time on ice forever. But, the Indiana Pacers showed they could handle “The Truth” and beat Boston for a Game 7 road win.

-->read the entire article

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Phil’s Texas Ten Spot

by Rob King

A playoff series loss to the Mavericks would further cement the Rockets M and M boys’ reputation for melting in the playoffs. McGrady has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs in his career, while Ming seems to be folding in the postseason under pressure like a bad poker hand. Add Phil Jackson to the mix and the Rockets will not only easily move past the first round but become instant threats to dethrone the winners of this year’s championship. Phil’s reputation alone assures this outcome.

When Jackson peruses the current NBA landscape, coaching Houston is the only position that provides a real opportunity to get his record breaking 10th NBA title. The Rockets’ star players Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming along with role players like David Wesley and Scott Padgett are well suited to execute “Chief Triangle’s” offense.


-->read the entire article

Monday, May 02, 2005

Sunday wrap-up: Series Business

With one week of NBA playoffs done, it is rather easy to discern the trouble spots for a team’s losing ways.


3 & 6 match-ups – The Truth: it’s Miller time ‘cause He Got Game

In both conferences, there was a common theme of the three lower echelon teams wanting to finish as the 6th seed in order to face Seattle or Boston. Even if you’re not religious, Sunday night, you had to give praise to Ray Allen doing his best ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth’ impersonation, as he torched the Sacramento Kings for 45. Allen could have easily gone for 55, had not the team decided to involve Jerome James and Rashard Lewis.

The most up & down series to date features two teams with short fuses. Game 2 and 3 was about Reggie Miller’s range, while in Game 4 Paul Pierce showed why he was dubbed ‘The Truth'…of the matter, Antoine Walker - getting suspended for Game 4 - gave credence to Danny Ainge’s concern, and why this team’s core (Pierce and Walker) need to be traded, unless they reach the Conference Finals.


---read the entire article

Friday, April 29, 2005

Phil’s Not My Father


In contemplating a return to coaching, Phil Jackson has placed himself in the unenviable position of being seen as a weary, wayward traveler always in search of greener pastures. Jackson’s prior success with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers places him in the pantheon of coaching greats. Detractors are quick to point his success lies in his choosing teams where superstar players reside, bemoaning the fact that Phil may know Zen but he’s no master of the X’s and O’s.

When it comes to winning NBA championships, even Larry Brown, the great re-builder, had to go where the players were. Many label the Detroit Pistons as a team void of superstars, evidently using the label to mean “media darlings” and not players with well-rounded offensive and defensive prowess.

--->read the rest

Friday, April 22, 2005

NBA Playoff Picks

Triangle Offense resident columnists pick the NBA Playoffs:

See what Rob King & Guichard Cadet have to say!


---> see their picks!

Thursday, April 21, 2005

A Steph Closer?

…Knicks’ Year-End Grade


Steph is the epitome of a player who embodies a city and the dominant (hip hop) culture of our times. His persona is best described by the words of two hip hop icons who were cut down in their prime: 2Pac Shakur’s album title (me against the world) and Notorious B.IG.’s lyrics from “Hypnotize” (you got it, flaunt it… that Brooklyn bullsh!t…we’re on it).

The numbers the music or the player puts up to lay bare his value are used as fodder for critics. Though he will never win his critics over, Marbury will do best to realize he cannot lead those who refuse to follow, until they fail at leading. This past season he often played the passive role, letting his teammates shine or fade.


-->read the entire article

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Ishii as 1, 2, 3…


It really was not easy for the Mets to win these past 3 games. They could have easily stumbled and be 0-8. Instead fans have been treated to a multi-faceted team, anchored by starting pitching, solid defense and speed.

The wins have a few things in common, mainly great starting pitching, from the Mets and their opponents.

Kaz Ishii joined the team late in spring training after Steve Trachsel's season-ending injury. The knock on Ishii has been his high walk-to-strikeout ratio. Though he walked 3 batters yesterday, Ishii mixed his pitches well and only allowed 2 hits in 7 shutout innings.

--->read the rest

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Mets Play Eight-Ball In Consecutive Victories

By Rob King


Martinez’s performance trumped his Met debut last Monday, when he struck out twelve batters and allowed three runs on three hits over six innings. He ended up with a ‘no decision’ as he watched the bullpen squander a three-run lead over the final three innings to lose 7-6 to the Cincinnati Reds. On Sunday Martinez took fate into his own hands with the 101-pitch, 9-strikeout, 2-hit complete game masterpiece to break the Mets five-game losing streak.

Yesterday in front of a capacity crowd, the Mets engineered another eighth inning comeback in their 8-4 victory over the Houston Astros in their home opener at Shea Stadium. Mets starter Tom Glavine pitched six effective innings allowing one run on four hits. Glavine left the game with an opportunity to secure his first win of the 2005 campaign when the Mets scored three runs in the bottom of sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead.

--->read the entire article

Sunday, April 10, 2005

sunday wrap-up: The Battle for New York

Except for the NHL Devils, New Jersey team sports seem to be the result of a bad bluff by team owners who did not think New York politicians would let them bolt. For football, fans only have to trek across the river 8 times a year for regular season games. The teams benefit by keeping the New York name and identity, and fans get the extra space to tailgate.

The Nets had the option of moving from Secaucus (the Meadowlands) to Newark, where the Devils plan to build their new arena. As a former New York team now owned by a New York real estate developer, the team is actually an ancillary part in the new owner’s desire for other real estate ventures in Brooklyn.

--->read the entire article

Friday, April 08, 2005

Can Rivera Regain His Mojo?

by Rob King


Over the last eight seasons Yankee manager Joe Torre would strike fear in the hearts of opponents with one phone call in the eighth inning of games in which the Yankees held slim leads. They knew that phone call would tell the bullpen coach to loosen up Mariano Rivera. Soon number 42 would take off that jacket, warm up and all hopes the opposition had of coming back vanished, along with Maalox moments for Joe Torre in the ninth.

Mariano pitched the ninth inning of those contests but essentially the game was over. The other team didn’t believe they could come back and were accurate in that assessment. Mariano was unhittable!! When opponents did connect it seemed like an act of providence. Mariano’s blown saves during the 1997 American League Divisional playoffs and the 2001 World Series are memorable because they were so infrequent. The New York Yankees and their fans have been spoiled the past eight seasons watching baseball's premier "fireman" extinguish opposition rallies in routine fashion. Recently it seems as if the top "fireman" in the game is burning out.

--->read the entire article

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Not A Closed Loop

After using two relievers who pitched shutout seventh and eighth innings, Randolph relied on what he knows best. He brought in his closer, as if reliving his days with Gossage and Rivera.

The call was right and wrong. Today’s game has become one of specialists. Managers often bring in relief for pitchers who are not even on the brink of struggling.

--->read the entire article

Thursday, March 31, 2005

The Fork in the Road

The Knicks’ problem can be narrowed down to one item. Isiah Thomas’ road map to the future has a fork in the road. No one feels secure as to his future with a team, headed by 2 defacto leaders – a much-maligned point guard, and a rookie head coach.

Recent Knicks history proves front office and coaching hiring/firing decisions are made in a New York minute. By the end of next season, unless the team shows significant improvement, Isiah may no longer be with the team.

---read entire article

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Pat reaches Summitt as Dawn rises

by Rob King



Summitt’s recent accomplishments combined with the recent firing of University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Buzz Petersen led some in the media (mostly male) to debate whether university officials should offer the position to her, and whether Summitt could successfully coach male student athletes. When Dean Smith passed renowned Kentucky coach the late Adolph Rupp to become the winningest coach in Division I college basketball he was allowed to relish the significance of the accomplishment without sports talk shows speculating on how he would fare coaching a different gender. Coach Summitt wasn’t afforded the opportunity to enjoy the moment the same way. Why?


---> read the entire article

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

"Major MC’s become Minor B Flats…"

--L.L. Cool J

==

The media witch-hunt to prove Bonds is a cheater has knocked over a generation of Hall of Fame statues. Sammy Sosa. Rafael Palmero. Mark McGwire. Barry Bonds. Though they all may still make the Hall, history will prove the real interest in a maturing Bonds was not worth the investment, especially when dealing in a sport with few guiding principles.

===

As it stands, the number of Power Conference teams who lost in the first 2 Rounds to lesser-ranked opponents is practically equal to the number who gets to go to the Sweet 16.

--->read the rest

Thursday, March 17, 2005

The Engine that Drives March Madness

by Anthony Robinson



The tournament is reality television in its essence. There is a script that each game follows but only fate controls how it’s played out. The players, coaches and officials involved in the games and the spectators watching in the stands or on TV all ride an emotional roller-coaster from first whistle to final buzzer.


Upsets happen all the time in the tournament especially in the early rounds. A school from a power conference unhappy with their seeding or coach from a school feeling the pressure of fans and alumni catch an upstart program with something to prove or nothing to lose, and someone’s going home early. In many cases we know who’s going to win but there’s that “anything can happen” element that keeps games compelling. Someone twists an ankle, someone gets their third foul or someone is in the zone; and that overwhelming underdog smells an upset.

However the NCAA tournament is one Big Dance where Cinderella may even electric slide past the first weekend, but it won’t hustle beyond the second weekend and it definitely won’t rock away home with the title. The NCAA basketball tournament is a battle where only the schools from the strong conferences survive.

--->read the entire article

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Closing Seconds

…Who is the Knicks’ Go-To Guy?

Two more 4th quarter collapses begs the question: who is the Knicks’ go-to guy? It should be the same for every team – the coach. Each time a game comes down to the final seconds my mind flashes to Bill Parcells’ first visit to the Meadowlands as coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

...

Herb Williams has done a good job at strategizing and using all of his personnel. Yet, when it comes to closing out games, he has followed where his predecessors left off. Squandering double-digit second half leads has been part of the Knicks repertoire since the Pat Riley days. But, ever since Don Chaney’s regime, the team has not been able to continually hit the shot to salvage the win.

--->read entire article

Friday, March 11, 2005

Spurred Then Nearly Stung


Though the Hornets had made 5 straight playoff appearances, the job had one major parallel to Scott’s former job in New Jersey: a disgruntled Point Guard making ‘max’ money. Such situations can take a coach to Hall of Fame potential a la Pat Riley’s good fortune in becoming Magic Johnson’s guy after the firing of Paul Westhead. Scott has not been so lucky, except that he was not fired and the Golden State Warriors took Baron Davis off his hands.

--->read the rest

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Isiah’s Taylor-Made Trade Has Herb Smelling Like A Rose


A few weeks ago, it was not a smell but a stench coming out of the garden. Where there are dead bodies, they are reporters hovering like buzzards, devouring the carcasses by writing premature obituaries.

The season is far from saved, but the recent winning has brought smiles to the players’ faces, and a wait-and-see attitude from the media, who blasted the trade and, more specifically, the man who orchestrated the move to acquire Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor.


--->read the rest

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

After the Magic is gone…

New York and New Jersey suffered embarrassing losses to the Orlando Magic on consecutive nights this past week. The Nets have yet to play since Saturday night’s game. With only 22 games remaining in the season, the Nets have a slim chance of making the playoffs.

Same for the Knicks, who were able to shrug off the blowout at Orlando. On Sunday, they defeated the Golden State Warriors, improving their "post-trade" record to 4 and 1.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Revisionist History 0205: Thorny Issues…

…Elden Campbell is the latest example why NBA players’ contracts are out of control.

Having the heard threat of a NHL lockout, I figured the hockey players would realize they are paid well, and with guaranteed contracts. Hence, there would be no lockout or strike. I was wrong, yet I could care less – it’s just ice hockey, a sport that never resonated enough curiosity, because it lacks crossover appeal and the ability to translate well into one’s living room.

B-Ball is a different matter. It is easy to shoot solo or play a pick-up game with friends. Basketball has been the foremost expression of race and socio-economic warfare, in which black males continue to prosper.

NBA players are not only ballers on the court; they are also an international marketing force. Armed with guaranteed contracts that range up to 7 years, the players have learned how to flex their muscle by maneuvering to force trades and buyouts. These moves range from under-performing, airing their grievances in the media, to just plain sulking.

Monday, February 28, 2005

sunday wrap-up: A Tangled Webb

…how rumors get started…


The NBA should look into live television coverage of the annual trade deadline, the same way it does for the draft. This year’s deadline proved more dramatic than most daytime soap operas.

From a basketball standpoint and how it affects wins and losses, only the Chris Webber trade will have any impact this season.

--->read more

Friday, February 25, 2005

Knicks play No Limit, Texas Hold ‘Em

…moving the Center to go Forward takes us Back…


In two trades that amount to folding your hand right after the flop, Knicks President Isiah Thomas did his best Scott Layden impression. At the same time, Isiah showed why he is so different from his Knicks predecessor.

Thomas stocked up on Forwards by trading Center Nazr Mohammed, Vin Baker, and back-up Point-Guards Moochie Norris and Jamison Brewer. In return, he got San Antonio Forward Malik Rose, Houston Forward Maurice Taylor, and two first round draft picks.

Monday, February 14, 2005

sunday wrapup: ALL BULL?

…‘Roids in BaseBall, Nets Resurgence, and Knicks Reality


Baseball is lucky to have Jose Canseco. He is a metaphor for why playing baseball is often considered passé. The game does not have a level playing field; it never had, not even after black players joined the ranks.

Baseball historians hold numbers dear, bypassing the fact each stadium has different dimensions; and the changes made to the ball at various points in the game’s history.

Canseco used steroids to alter his physical limitations, much the same way stadium walls are adjusted to benefit a team.

--->read the rest

Friday, February 11, 2005

Working Over / Time

The Atlantic Division is the laughing stock of the NBA – at least that’s what the pundits would have you believe. Wins and Losses tell you that, on the surface. Even if you keep injuries as a constant for all NBA teams, this division is in major flux. Each team has a new head coach, and a revamped roster.

Since 1999, the division has made 4 trips (sent three teams) to the NBA Finals. None of the teams has “rebuilt” completely through the draft. Their moves have been to complement their core with a patchwork of mid-level first round picks, and acquiring free agents.

Whether one or two teams make the playoffs, the Atlantic will be a force.

Sunday, February 06, 2005

sunday wrapup: Stay Off The Bandwagon!!!

For the New Jersey Nets to surpass my pre-season expectations of 30 or so wins, I need to stay off the bandwagon.

The Nets cannot be categorized as a franchise that makes bad trades, except that of Julius “Dr. J” Erving. When it came to transactions, the team had become a haven for top draft picks, veteran underachievers, or established NBA talent whose image has recently been tarnished, in some fashion.

Until Rod Thorn took over the front office, at best, the Nets were a franchise beset by a string of bad luck injuries and tragedy, maximized by the death of Drazen Petrovic.

---> read the rest

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Brotherly Loathe

…why the NFL wants the Eagles to win the Super Bowl

===

T.O. has the chance to become the most loved figure in Philadelphia team sport history, unless Allen Iverson wins a title for the Sixers. Whereas A.I. was the NBA’s principal opponent, as the league tried turning players into robots, T.O.’s struggle is to be included in the NFL marketing hierarchy.

Except for its PSA (public service announcements), contrary to the NBA, the NFL markets the players who embody the sports’ pugnacious reality. The NFL does so, on a wink-wink basis, which is best represented by its recent affiliate marketing scandals: Janet Jackson’s nipple; and Nicolette Sheridan’s towel drop.

---> read the rest

FREE…throw... FALL

…another Knicks loss


The Knicks continue to lose, and last night’s loss has to be the most frustrating. Yesterday, the three major local papers reported and gave a spin to accounts of Knicks players’ fighting spirits. This airing of differences came on the heels of two disparate road losses – a close one to the Los Angeles Clippers; and a blowout at the hands of the rejuvenated Denver Nuggets.

Throughout yesterday’s game against the Sacremento Kings, the team presented the evidence. They were not going down without a fight.

--->read the rest

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

REVISIONIST HISTORY 0105:

...The Knicks Should Trade For Ron Artest

...in the age of free agency and guaranteed contracts, revision is part of the landscape.

Revising history needs full cooperation from parties who may not be ready to admit culpability.

But they will do so if the spin is tight; the public relations hit minimal; and the numbers match, on and off the court:

--->read the rest

Sunday, January 30, 2005

sunday wrapup: Roll of the ‘Dyess’
…when injuries derail a season!

·For the Knicks, it started with the 2002 NBA draft, when management gambled and traded its first round-pick and the injured Marcus Camby for Antonio McDyess.

In hindsight everyone criticizes this trade and then-GM Scott Layden never recovered from that transaction, because McDyess was never healthy enough to contribute. A similar thing happened in Orlando when the Magic signed free-agent Grant Hill who was coming off ankle surgery.

--->read the rest



Thursday, January 27, 2005

No Love for Serena!
…sounds from the Australian Open

Serena vs. Sharapova in a Grand Slam tennis semifinal needs no special build-up, no villain. Last night, listening to the commentary provided on ESPN2, Mary Carrillo and Dick Enberg, one would think Serena stole something, and did not deserve to be there.

A day after defending her sister and family’s name with the
statement, ‘we have nothing to prove’, Serena Williams found herself playing an error-filled first set.

--->
read the rest


Wednesday, January 26, 2005

KNICKS & NETS - Midway Predictions


Make your midway projections!Simply go to nba.com and look for your team's schedule!

With 41 games left for both the Knicks & Nets, I have the balance of the schedule as:

--->
read the rest


Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Will the Sun set on Marbury’s Knicks’ Tenure?

Consider yourself lucky that print columnists are there to sell advertisements, and are not financial research analysts, telling you which stock to pick.

With the Phoenix Suns in town to play the Knicks, the coverage is all about Steve Nash vs. Stephon Marbury. Reading today’s New York daily newspapers and Chad Ford’s
espn.com column, you’d get the idea that the Knicks should trade Stephon Marbury, so next year’s team can win 50 or more games, make it to the playoff, and win (WAIT) a championship.

--->
read the rest


Monday, January 24, 2005

"Not the herb you're looking for…"

Recent reports out of the New York papers hint that fireworks could be in the horizon for the NY Knicks, because new head coach Herb Williams is not one with whom players should fool.

Williams has been labeled a “player’s coach”, yet is not beyond publicly stating who messed up at any given time during the game.

Though he has a new contract in
hand, Herb is not expected to coach the team next year.

--->
read the rest


Sunday, January 23, 2005

sunday wrapup: The Buck Stops Here…

In this first edition, I intone on three topics: NY Knicks, NFL Playoffs, and the “reality” show, Strange Love.

· JAMAL CRAWL before you… jack up three-pointers and other ill-advised shots to start the game.

Until the Feb. 24th trade deadline passes, I can start every Knicks’ column commenting on Nazr Mohammed spotting the opponent’s starting center with 2 quick, first quarter fouls. I will not because once the deadline passes, Nazr will either be gone, or play better because he's comfortable that he wasn’t traded or that expectations have been lowered since he is now coming off the bench or earning his DNPs.

--->
read the rest


Saturday, January 22, 2005

Lenny and the Sword

After a heartbreaking, last-minute loss to the Houston Rockets last night, Lenny Wilkens decided it was time to resign as NY Knicks head coach.

The first I heard of it was on television channel
ESPNnews nearing (or shortly after) midnight.The reporting was credited to Stephen A. Smith, as ‘Wilkens expected to resign’. Though the Knicks’ organization was said to have given Wilkens the night to mull it over, the word was already out; thereby making it impossible for him to change his mind.

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Friday, January 21, 2005

That Familiar Feeling...
...of loyalty, rigidity, and stability

The Houston Rockets will be in New York tonight, but it seems like New York is always in (or with) Houston.

When GM Carroll Dawson hired Jeff Van Gundy to coach, I don’t think he knew JVG was going to be such a ‘
homer’and bring all these folks with Knicks' ties to the franchise.

Another aspect that Dawson never anticipated: JVG’s rigidity in his coaching style.

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Thursday, January 20, 2005

DEAD(line) that talk!
a message to underachieving NBA teams


The day after the Knicks fell apart in the fourth quarter versus the Toronto Raptors, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote trade prospects Donyell Marshall and Jalen Rose may have ruined that deal, due to their spectacular performance.

I’ve been hearing about various Knicks’ trades involving these two players for weeks, and want no parts of it.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2005

‘Soft in the Middle’

Those words came from Eddy Curry of the Chicago Bulls in describing the NY Knicks, after Saturday’s (01/15/05) game. Though I knew why he would say such a thing, I still felt it was an odd statement from a player who had very little success in the game.

Yes, he did hit the winning layup, and scored 17 points; but as they often say in sports, “the numbers lie.”

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