tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69394340383164359412023-11-16T06:06:37.288-05:00What Would Oakley Do?Views on the Sporting Life Informed by the Wisdom and Example of the Roughest and Toughest Power-Forward Ever to Own and Operate A Chain of CarwashesWWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-72628730895009093732011-05-24T09:18:00.100-04:002011-05-25T17:02:57.980-04:00Who Sang For Davey Moore?Davey Moore's father was the pastor at the Jesus Only church in Urbania, Ohio. The Jesus Only church was a Pentecostal group asserting the primacy of Jesus at the expense of the Trinitarian theology that was - and continues - to be the norm in Christianity. Rather than baptising in the name of "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," Moore's father put all his faith in the Son. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ-29U25A4Tcn0sOGA0JLrko9jGUU7wEqsGu_GbyTlE0TF6e1bwzyWpEr4L7F50edipGdiJpDZCrW8OwjRu4-3myos6gIrKxD69A6pf3YWvBiBVr94MJhE-w6deazLqIfm-PMZbnoXGeh/s1600/moore-davey-11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQ-29U25A4Tcn0sOGA0JLrko9jGUU7wEqsGu_GbyTlE0TF6e1bwzyWpEr4L7F50edipGdiJpDZCrW8OwjRu4-3myos6gIrKxD69A6pf3YWvBiBVr94MJhE-w6deazLqIfm-PMZbnoXGeh/s320/moore-davey-11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610657091482855362" /></a>From April 1957 through in St. Patrick's Day 1960, the pastor's son certainly seemed infallible. He ran off an 18-fight undefeated streak as a boxer, picking up the Featherweight world title along the way by upsetting Hogan "Kid" Bassey in March 1959 in Los Angeles.<br /><br />Just five decisions into his win streak in early 1958, Moore was described by <i>Sports Illustrated</i> boxing scribe Gilbert Rogin, in not entirely complimentary fashion, as “a chunky, clubfighter who punches solidly but does not always maintain the pace.” By the time he defeated Bassey the following year, Moore's profile had risen and his notices were much more favorable. Dubbed "the Springfield Rifle" for his place of residence and for his bullet-strong punches, boxing writers and fans gravitated toward Moore, the rare American excelling in the Featherweight division, where fighters cannot weigh more than 126 pounds.<br /><br />During Moore's career, the division was populated mostly by Hispanic and European fighters. Bassey hailed from Nigeria, and was the country's first boxing champion. The polyglot composition of the Featherweight ranks had Moore traveling the world to find fights. Not one to duck an opponent, Moore had unseated Bassey with infected tonsils and a 101 degree fever. After granting Bassey a chance to regain the top spot in the Featherweight division, Moore successfully defended his title an additional four times (while taking and winning many non-title bouts along the way). <br /><br />Moore won a title decision over Kazuo Takayama in Tokyo in 1960. He then knocked out Danny Valdez in the first round in Mexico to keep the crown in April 1960 in Los Angeles and before winning a unanimous decision over Takayama in a return to Tokyo later that year to keep the world title. After a pummeling left-right combination to the jaw left Takayama essentially out on his feet in the thirteenth, Moore eased up in the last two rounds with the triumph assured and his foe visibly dazed. In August 1962, Moore again put his championship on the line against Olli Maki in Helsinki, Finland (where he had participated in the 1952 Olympics). He stopped Maki by TKO with three knockdowns in the second round. <br /><br />By the time that the 29-year-old Moore climbed through the ropes of the ring situated above the pitcher's mound at Dodger Stadium on March 21, 1963, he had amassed a career record of 59-6-1. The WBC and the WBA Featherweight titles were on the line back in Los Angeles as were world titles in two other weight classes. It was big night for boxing in one of America's newest sporting venues, which had opened up less than a year earlier in Chavez Ravine. The opening fight paired welterweight champ Emile Griffith against No. 1 contender Luis Rodriguez. Griffith had regained that title a year earlier in a match at Madison Square Garden in which he inflicted mortal injuries on his opponent, Benny Paret. The death of a prominent fighter in a prominent fight that was televised nationally on NBC brought down a firestorm of criticism on the sport, with many seeking to ban it altogether. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFD5_5jd0dmJB3gz5nRziTHL-BjtIoVWZx9EBXuOVAVjHoMW_SCKB460n_WIGjLkuZP5yq-h0maREMJnpaFYHHKHcgJ8g41qIl_xKLVJnWW3PBSx3243IWNDUVQqK3Qb1Mp3qCewM7ztxJ/s1600/Dodger_Stadium_Boxing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFD5_5jd0dmJB3gz5nRziTHL-BjtIoVWZx9EBXuOVAVjHoMW_SCKB460n_WIGjLkuZP5yq-h0maREMJnpaFYHHKHcgJ8g41qIl_xKLVJnWW3PBSx3243IWNDUVQqK3Qb1Mp3qCewM7ztxJ/s400/Dodger_Stadium_Boxing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610713475843792034" /></a><br />In the opening match of the tripleheader, Rodriguez relieved Griffith of the welterweight crown, to the delight of the largely Spanish-speaking crowd, some of whom were likely displaced as the Dodgers bought out Chavez Ravine residents in advance of building their new home. Up next, Moore and Ultimo "Sugar" Ramos, a Cuban fighter by way of Mexico, took center stage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5q5Qrz5va7h7vUGD7wbhiUt51hWKyfjK-JPosXnfrYozUD2qryZ34VYnc8vghGjiY4a-qLsVMy5-u2r704ApK6gR9kaqc07rSAaKZNwL0rOAkJMnkCOC9xLqXfY4AA4qYEdAfWs4aZ7Xb/s1600/Fight66890.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 358px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5q5Qrz5va7h7vUGD7wbhiUt51hWKyfjK-JPosXnfrYozUD2qryZ34VYnc8vghGjiY4a-qLsVMy5-u2r704ApK6gR9kaqc07rSAaKZNwL0rOAkJMnkCOC9xLqXfY4AA4qYEdAfWs4aZ7Xb/s400/Fight66890.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610646414297240722" /></a><br />The 21-year-old challenger started timidly against the established champion but grew into the match to the delight of the partisan crowd. Moore rocked his younger pursuer in the second round with a combination of punches but the crowds chants of RA-MOS, RA-MOS seemed to keep his feet beneath him. Thanks to a rapid-fire left jab, Ramos loosened several of Moore's teeth and shattered his mouth guard. For his part, Moore's right hand would pummel Ramos, swelling one of his eyes. Ramos' assault culminated in the 10th round, when series of upper cuts forced Moore across the mat to the ropes on the center-field side of the ring. Once his retreat route was hemmed in by the ropes, Ramos landed a left hook that knocked Moore to the seat of his shorts. As he fell, his head snapped back against the lower rope. Referee George Latka quickly approached Moore and began his 10-count. The battered but proud champ was up by the time Latka reached three. He returned to his corner after the bell sounded the conclusion of the 10th round. Before the 11th began, Moore's manager Willie Ketchum signaled that his fighter was done for the night. <br /><br />Fully under his own power, Moore trudged to his locker room, where he chatted amiably with the press. Aside from a bloodshot left eye, he hardly looked like a man who'd had to throw in the towel a full five rounds before the fight was scheduled to be over. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0prUHbT16-d1if9KsFJ_Ns8nOFGU4xwFFdfMM2WH9LoibS3Aq7yKm02J0ATz0WjOmVOw35uGnxaJE3bH3KmCpadmLwQfJZHQ6VHpPtWu_nM2NH_xoVptuBiQrr7o2lChLWfKygO__jdD/s1600/ultimi.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0prUHbT16-d1if9KsFJ_Ns8nOFGU4xwFFdfMM2WH9LoibS3Aq7yKm02J0ATz0WjOmVOw35uGnxaJE3bH3KmCpadmLwQfJZHQ6VHpPtWu_nM2NH_xoVptuBiQrr7o2lChLWfKygO__jdD/s320/ultimi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610659413287964770" /></a> Defeated but not deflated, Moore told reporters "I'll take the rematch, you better believe it. Look, you guys know that when I'm right nothing gets to me. Not nothing. I was off. That's it. plain and simple." <br /><br />Moore would go on to laugh and joke with reporters: "Just like you writers, if you'd only admit it. Can't write a lick some days. Well, that was me tonight. I just wasn't up to my best." <br /><br />To the press, the 5-foot-2 Moore may have sounded like an aging fighter trying to explain away his inevitable decline like so many fighters before and since. After all, Father Time remains undefeated in all weight classes. When those reporters rushed back to their ringside seats for the third bout of the evening, they may not have believed that Moore would regain his belt from Ramos, but they likely believed that they would be there to see him try. And they certainly didn't expect that he was about to die. <br /><br />Shortly after Moore was left alone with Ketchum and sparring partner Ronnie Wilson, he began experiencing sharp headaches. He called for his manager. Moments later, he collapsed into a coma. Seventy-five hours after the fight he was dead at White Memorial Hospital. The cause of death was massive trauma to the brain stem, presumably suffered when the back of his head hit the bottom the rope in the 10th round. <br /><br />California Governor Pat Brown seized on Moore's death to (again) call for the abolition of boxing. Even the Pope spoke out, proclaiming the sweet science was "contrary to natural principles." Of course, most people were convinced that boxing was actually too close to the sort of base and violent natural principles that English philosopher Thomas Hobbes laid out in <i>Leviathan</i>. One of the voices that rang out in the aftermath of Moore's death belonged to a young folk singer named Bob Dylan, who wrote and performed a song entitled "Who Killed Davey Moore?"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqFfhRIunW1xO3I4uLU5hWo4wSOM1cI5FbB_tSv-25cj9uVYkHRP5LBVPf3l-0jDHkl6SgnQfV0hF6KYGeEJJ6-TgNsUvljFWSyxsFGNTJGDwKUdzzXj51b4w0UBdJT8J6FBilK7evWIF/s1600/Dylan1964AllHallowsEveAndMore_front.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqFfhRIunW1xO3I4uLU5hWo4wSOM1cI5FbB_tSv-25cj9uVYkHRP5LBVPf3l-0jDHkl6SgnQfV0hF6KYGeEJJ6-TgNsUvljFWSyxsFGNTJGDwKUdzzXj51b4w0UBdJT8J6FBilK7evWIF/s320/Dylan1964AllHallowsEveAndMore_front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610755907755417986" /></a>The song was never on any of Dylan's officially released albums during the 1960s but was an occasional part of his live act. When introducing it to a crowd in New York on Halloween 1964, Dylan, in prototypical ironic fashion, said:<br /> <br />"This a song about a boxer...<br />It's got nothing to do with boxing, it's just a song about a boxer really.<br />And, uh, it's not even having to do with a boxer, really.<br />It's got nothing to do with nothing.<br />But I fit all these words together...<br />that's all...<br />It's taken directly from the newspapers,<br />Nothing's been changed...<br />Except for the words."<br /><br />The prominence of topical songs during the 1950s and '60s and in Dylan's early folk/protest work made such a subject far less unusual than it might seem from the distance of nearly 50 years. Because other than Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine and now of The Nightwatchman, I can't fathom any serious contemporary musician devoting an entire song (and space in their setlist) to asking <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/sports/football/03duerson.html">"Who Killed Dave Duerson?"</a><br /><br /><u>"Who Killed Davey Moore?" by Bob Dylan:</u><br /><br /><i>Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not I,” says the referee<br />“Don’t point your finger at me<br />I could’ve stopped it in the eighth<br />An’ maybe kept him from his fate<br />But the crowd would’ve booed, I’m sure<br />At not gettin’ their money’s worth<br />It’s too bad he had to go<br />But there was a pressure on me too, you know<br />It wasn’t me that made him fall<br />No, you can’t blame me at all”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not us,” says the angry crowd<br />Whose screams filled the arena loud<br />“It’s too bad he died that night<br />But we just like to see a fight<br />We didn’t mean for him t’ meet his death<br />We just meant to see some sweat<br />There ain’t nothing wrong in that<br />It wasn’t us that made him fall<br />No, you can’t blame us at all”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not me,” says his manager<br />Puffing on a big cigar<br />“It’s hard to say, it’s hard to tell<br />I always thought that he was well<br />It’s too bad for his wife an’ kids he’s dead<br />But if he was sick, he should’ve said<br />It wasn’t me that made him fall<br />No, you can’t blame me at all”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not me,” says the gambling man<br />With his ticket stub still in his hand<br />“It wasn’t me that knocked him down<br />My hands never touched him none<br />I didn’t commit no ugly sin<br />Anyway, I put money on him to win<br />It wasn’t me that made him fall<br />No, you can’t blame me at all”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not me,” says the boxing writer<br />Pounding print on his old typewriter<br />Sayin’, “Boxing ain’t to blame<br />There’s just as much danger in a football game”<br />Sayin’, “Fistfighting is here to stay<br />It’s just the old American way<br />It wasn’t me that made him fall<br />No, you can’t blame me at all”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?<br /><br />“Not me,” says the man whose fists<br />Laid him low in a cloud of mist<br />Who came here from Cuba’s door<br />Where boxing ain’t allowed no more<br />“I hit him, yes, it’s true<br />But that’s what I am paid to do<br />Don’t say ‘murder,’ don’t say ‘kill’<br />It was destiny, it was God’s will”<br /><br />Who killed Davey Moore<br />Why an’ what’s the reason for?</i><br /><br />(Happy 70th birthday, Bob)WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-44540182528421730942011-05-02T11:21:00.021-04:002011-05-02T14:10:13.558-04:00Better Know a Jets Draft Pick: Muhammad Wilkerson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4xoeoKkk3sgo9Xe7aq2xD7D4CdZkbmA4Qw2zOQzUs3RB_T3ho67n_UTS4Cjq47hBpkvK0Hk-giEoI2EoZRdunfSPHFtZvDFHANYhPhu1vRAAiVhNNE57ZOfX7mYAPtgWxtHA5SRlIAlQ/s1600/2011+nfl+draft.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4xoeoKkk3sgo9Xe7aq2xD7D4CdZkbmA4Qw2zOQzUs3RB_T3ho67n_UTS4Cjq47hBpkvK0Hk-giEoI2EoZRdunfSPHFtZvDFHANYhPhu1vRAAiVhNNE57ZOfX7mYAPtgWxtHA5SRlIAlQ/s200/2011+nfl+draft.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602164279230581506" /></a>Ever since the NFL Draft adopted its current Thursday through Sunday format, I've found it much harder to generate and/or maintain interest in the event (as a television program). With NBA playoff games airing daily this time of year and baseball a weeknight staple, I generally haven't caught the first night of the draft on television over the past few years which, of course, makes it's hard to muster enthusiasm to tune in to separate telecasts during the weekend when the name-brand talent is off the board. Given the current state of the NFL, I assume that the draft is much more profitable in this revamped state. Luckily for the teams, the importance of the draft in terms of roster construction is unchanged whether or not I find the it suitably packaged as television programming. <br /><br />With several key free agents on both sides of the ball and a recent history of prioritizing quality over quantity in recent drafts, the New York Jets entered the 2011 Draft looking to stock the cupboard. They were especially needy in the defensive front seven and addressed that need with their first two selections. At No. 30 overall, the Jets drafted defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson out of Temple University. The Linden, NJ native stands 6 foot 4 inches and tips the scales around 315. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDSi2z0to6Af8JAF1bPd-WmpfuGzr5sKlNqyshx83LL7Lx8vL3njUuc_D4KhGklVku7ejOyCpe9_kdIUwGRmM-gJCIjqAJlFNltl3t7mNbsLWzt0blJmaLe3vwQND1u2tBF5ZYcte21CI/s1600/dm_091008_cfb_kiper_mcshay.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDSi2z0to6Af8JAF1bPd-WmpfuGzr5sKlNqyshx83LL7Lx8vL3njUuc_D4KhGklVku7ejOyCpe9_kdIUwGRmM-gJCIjqAJlFNltl3t7mNbsLWzt0blJmaLe3vwQND1u2tBF5ZYcte21CI/s320/dm_091008_cfb_kiper_mcshay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602164028238889474" /></a>Rather than just trusting the Hair (Mel Kiper) and the Heir (Todd McShay) to tell me about Wilkerson and the rest of the newest Jets players, who were but a handful of the hundreds that they've studied over the past few months, I decided to contact Brian Dzenis, the Sports Editor of <i>The Temple News</i>, who has watched and covered Wilkerson for a lot longer than any talking head on television who we're likely to hear from this week. Dzenis came through in spades, answering a bunch of questions as he studied for finals and adding in some details that I hadn't come across anywhere else. For example: Against UCONN, Wilkerson caught a 3-yard pass on a fake punt play and didn't look too shabby doing it. Far and away, my favorite detail is that this defensive end wore a single digit number as part of the honor of being designated a "Temple Tough Guy" by a coach.<br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> What was your initial reaction to hearing that the Jets had called for Wilkerson at No. 30? <br /><br /><b>Brian Dzenis:</b> I'm not a huge mock draft guy, so I don't read into where players might go too much, but I certainly thought he deserved to be drafted in the first round. <br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> Much of the pre-draft coverage of Wilkerson focused on his family and calm demeanor. Does that fit with the perception of Wilkerson on campus? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdDgQzw1jc9oGStaPQHDJ67FgnFfq5j0Jql2HFMtJ84VfXkenM2FVAV44r5J1TId7ufXgkGHGg70gLPyyGQ87R_QFK3Rza0AlEZte1_WtDGYE2hQpa_HeCBCJ3BHyrWrMtfQYsAdmR7sK/s1600/temple_university_logo2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 179px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdDgQzw1jc9oGStaPQHDJ67FgnFfq5j0Jql2HFMtJ84VfXkenM2FVAV44r5J1TId7ufXgkGHGg70gLPyyGQ87R_QFK3Rza0AlEZte1_WtDGYE2hQpa_HeCBCJ3BHyrWrMtfQYsAdmR7sK/s200/temple_university_logo2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602161103227858322" /></a><b>BD:</b> Wilkerson is a very low-key, down to earth type of guy. In the two seasons I've covered the team, I never heard a peep about his character. He may not be the most exciting guy to talk to, but he works hard and his teammates and coaches respect him. He's a lot like his predecessors on the Temple D-line that have made it to the NFL, Terrance Knighton and Andre Neblett, they were quiet, but they always got the job done on the field.<br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> Can you recall a particular game when it became clear that Mo was a bona fide NFL talent? <br /><br /><b>BD:</b> The Penn State game this year certainly sticks out. Nine total tackles (four solo, five assisted) against a PSU O-line that gave him double teams multiple times is nothing to laugh at. His impact in a given game sometimes can't be measured on the box score, like when they played UCONN (and won), he didn't have a great game statistically, but the other guys around him on the D-line did because he could just take up so much space and create room for his teammates to make plays. He just always seems to find a way to make himself useful, whether it's the occasional multi-sack game or he'll just eat up double teams so his teammates can get to the quarterback/running back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRSN9X4db8FQ4UDvYoBEin-5DOv2kcvDiK7l-R8ieAYy_hiwhHAsomaFAHklqUYIFNDxeGsLerU5-EU1gLy1uSOapF5s4o3Yyw0yUtfPEYWpNB8YbGSO7RZqgxv2vX0X7zo2BSBFPtBjV/s1600/wilkerson_display_image.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRSN9X4db8FQ4UDvYoBEin-5DOv2kcvDiK7l-R8ieAYy_hiwhHAsomaFAHklqUYIFNDxeGsLerU5-EU1gLy1uSOapF5s4o3Yyw0yUtfPEYWpNB8YbGSO7RZqgxv2vX0X7zo2BSBFPtBjV/s400/wilkerson_display_image.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602160866171917698" /></a><br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> How many grains of salt, if any, should his stats and highlights be viewed given the level of MAC competition?<br /><br /><b>BD:</b> I'm no fan of the MAC, but when he went up against Penn State and UCONN, two BCS schools, he handled himself pretty well. I think when evaluating him as a player, the thing that sticks out about him is that he's a 6-5, 300-plus pound guy who is FAST and is really consistent with his play. I imagine Rex Ryan was more impressed with his size/speed than the fact that he had three sacks in a game against Kent State. <br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> Greatest on-field strength? Weakness? <br /><br /><b>BD:</b> The guy wins nearly every one-on-one battle with offensive linemen and when he gets loose, he will end plays. I don't know how he'll adjust to being a defensive end in the NFL as opposed to a defensive tackle in college. I imagine there will be times when in NFL games, he'll be left on an island with a offensive tackle and that tackle will just get victimized by his speed. All the physical tools and work ethic is there, it's just a matter of how he'll pan out as a defensive end. <br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> What's the story behind him wearing No. 9? <br /><br /><b>BD:</b> When Al Golden was coach, he reserved the single-digit numbers for his "Temple Tough Guys," guys who exemplified Al Golden football, team values, etc. As for why he got No. 9 in particular, I have no idea. <br /><br /><b>WWOD?:</b> On a scale of "It's a dream come true just to be in the NFL" to "We'll talk over Blue Hawaii cocktails before the Pro Bowl," how would estimate Wilkerson feels today? <br /><br /><b>BD:</b> Definitely "It's a dream come true just to be in the NFL," He'll probably do his thing with the media when they first see him, but he likes to fade into the background and just let his play do the talking.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-39914646264611068472011-05-02T10:46:00.004-04:002011-05-02T11:11:40.305-04:00Gaudi's Lucious Sweet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyFI-dwu3PeKWDFKRLtz_XqMA34XC13l8UiTeAQIqn2a4jKHEHKH2OQ-8gCGBLEwwIrDLeyqY8kUsLdXJnFh9wZT9M5tQokhuJZLrWE1Q0dqDrZbkE053Ha7X9XB7jC_ZsRZHrYI2nu2y/s1600/IMG_8223.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyFI-dwu3PeKWDFKRLtz_XqMA34XC13l8UiTeAQIqn2a4jKHEHKH2OQ-8gCGBLEwwIrDLeyqY8kUsLdXJnFh9wZT9M5tQokhuJZLrWE1Q0dqDrZbkE053Ha7X9XB7jC_ZsRZHrYI2nu2y/s400/IMG_8223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602136634542862306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxcrZcZF56pR9doLdsU7lpxXx0vmHNs-UmmJbFssonQLo91ClUtK3Yz9kUm7dNOyBVjHM4NEdZ1Az51Yt4eCL0SpGipwKX-UVUMpp9EKUpy3l7Kz0kPXvZoo1cclncQBwGG__szv3jTRn/s1600/3808567290_4821cbe7b7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxcrZcZF56pR9doLdsU7lpxXx0vmHNs-UmmJbFssonQLo91ClUtK3Yz9kUm7dNOyBVjHM4NEdZ1Az51Yt4eCL0SpGipwKX-UVUMpp9EKUpy3l7Kz0kPXvZoo1cclncQBwGG__szv3jTRn/s400/3808567290_4821cbe7b7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602135425520166370" /></a>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-31736856770059226532011-04-28T10:26:00.013-04:002011-04-28T11:11:32.586-04:00NFL Conscription NightWith the most accomplished players in the National Football League embroiled in lawsuits with the monied men who sign their paychecks and even the rank and file barred from clocking in at the office, the entrance of a new crop of young players into the NFL seems less a celebratory affair than normal. Nevertheless, the cameras will roll tonight at Radio City Music Hall and lumbering linebackers, serpentine cornerbacks and even a charismatic, regulation-averse franchise quarterback will be awarded new zip codes and oversize No. 1 jerseys of varying shades. Even <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Issue-of-the-day-The-plight-of-the-red-haired-q?urn=nfl-wp1084">a red-headed signal caller</a> will be embraced. <br /><br />As a Jets fan, the annual NFL Draft had become a de facto April Fool's Day until General Manager Mike Trader Tannenbaum landed key contributors Darrelle Revis, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, David Harris, Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene, Matt Slauson and Mark Sanchez in recent seasons. The most notable blemish (much larger than Kyle Wilson) on Trader Mike's draft resume is the ghastly Vernon Gholston pick in 2008. Gholston would fit in nicely on this Gang Green lowlight reel. <br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rZxNeFLuY98" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2010 has the Jets selecting at No. 30 tonight, seemingly precluding a Gholston-caliber blunder. <i>Sports Illustrated</i>'s Don Banks has the Jets tapping Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor as the successor to oft-injured Kris Jenkins. Meanwhile, the readers at <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast">Tim Graham's AFC East blog</a> over at the Worldwide Leader have Arizona defensive end Brooks Reed as the Jets' choice. Everyone, including the crack(ed) staff at <i>WWOD?</i> HQ, seems to agree the bolstering depth of the defensive front seven is the team's greatest need. Although Shaun Ellis was a north-south terror in the Divisional Round of the 2010 playoffs against the Patriots, the Jets defenders did struggle to individually generate a pass rush. Everything needed to be schemed to create mismatches and overloads because no one was consistently winning one-on-one matchups. <br /><br />Given the Jets recent history of eschewing quantity for quality on draft night, it will be interesting to see if they move up over the next few days. I'd assume that they won't because the cupboard is getting rather bare. And we all know how Rex Ryan feels about bare cupboards.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-62283999278240094432011-04-25T21:39:00.176-04:002011-05-04T11:55:19.383-04:00Fact Checking Stephen A. Smith<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HFxJrisqhTVhylDqXYrPdNqqhd-IqSz3sApGbaf9dKYsWEoFecZu9hZgfTtfaTm41-kYKpBj0Hm_0mh_dJvqDszC5hR5qJU7PievEGCv_9vrfis_JUrDZMA2DnIOc7S3yqUd8_OLrhwG/s1600/firejoemorgan.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HFxJrisqhTVhylDqXYrPdNqqhd-IqSz3sApGbaf9dKYsWEoFecZu9hZgfTtfaTm41-kYKpBj0Hm_0mh_dJvqDszC5hR5qJU7PievEGCv_9vrfis_JUrDZMA2DnIOc7S3yqUd8_OLrhwG/s200/firejoemorgan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601566386906548194" /></a>It's been more than two years since Ken Tremendous, Dak, Junior and the rest of the contributors at <a href="http://www.firejoemorgan.com"><i>Fire Joe Morgan</i></a> stopped scouring the sports media landscape for paeans to grit or attacks on reason. Sadly (for the rest of us), the success and stresses of their day jobs in the wider world had forced them to stop directing traffic at your local thoroughfare of debate, leaving us gridlocked, gawking at the latest roadside pile up of Bill Plaschke's mixed metaphors. <br /><br />During the ensuing months, their methods have occasionally been applied by other practitioners, notably Drew Magary over at <a href="http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/tag/fun-with-peter-king">Kissing Suzy Kolber</a>. <i>FJM</i>'s titular muse has even been stripped of (or given up, depending on who you ask) his national platform for disseminating skepticism about the veracity of facts since the guys have closed up shop.<br /><br />Perhaps in deference to its diminished capacity for nonsense and misplaced vitriol with Morgan no longer in the fold, the Worldwide Leader allowed Stephen A. Smith back onto its website not so long after the Hall of Fame second baseman was no longer calling ballgames. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugyg34d-vYu7F83b2QjO0d5o0xQtGK85KXrkKEzkiY0jZ3zWKbtTU8UemOilhkM9XQ0exokG65P29Hjld7ZGpayKbBX3qc3gHoYqLPnfHzmUaJnhpijfr0694-Bzzb8q7Ak_17ISiXJJd/s1600/quite_frankly_with_stephen_a_smith-show.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugyg34d-vYu7F83b2QjO0d5o0xQtGK85KXrkKEzkiY0jZ3zWKbtTU8UemOilhkM9XQ0exokG65P29Hjld7ZGpayKbBX3qc3gHoYqLPnfHzmUaJnhpijfr0694-Bzzb8q7Ak_17ISiXJJd/s320/quite_frankly_with_stephen_a_smith-show.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600682047773371474" /></a>For those of you out there blissfully hard of hearing or otherwise unaware of this sports personality, Smith has alternately carved himself cozy and lucrative niches in print, radio and on the Interwebs over the past decade thanks in large part to the sheer force and volume of his ego and his inexhaustible supply of outrage. <br /><br />Tireless and unchastened by setbacks, Smith is something of a marvel. If you didn't consume sports media and/or happened to be related to him then you'd likely be very impressed with how well he has done for himself and how many more famous people he knows than you. But if you consume sports media then it's likely you've come to loathe and/or mock Smith. In all three mediums, and under the employ of various media companies, Smith has eventually outstayed his welcome. He has left Philadelphia. He has left New York. He moved from South to North. He has gone from ESPN to FOX. And back again. He's even popped on MSNBC and in a feature film. In August 2005, at what looks to have been height of Smith's career, he was awarded a daily one-hour talk show. The show ran until January 2007, when it was cancelled due to low ratings and high levels of unintentional comedy. At his zenith, Smith was branching out from hoops, his area of expertise (read=contacts) and was offering opinions on other sports and even politics. <a href="http://www.firejoemorgan.com/search/label/stephen%20a.%20smith">Enter <i>FJM</i></a>.<br /><br />With Smith back in print and writing about the Knicks, I've felt obligated to take matters, along with a copy of <i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i>, into my own hands. Since Smith seems to have no fear of being fired, I propose something that might actually embarrass him: Fact Checking. Without further ado, welcome to the first installment of "Fact Checking Stephen A. Smith."<br /><br /><b>HED: There's no defense for Mike D'Antoni<br />DEK: Amid the wreckage of a first-round sweep, it's clear the Knicks need a new head coach<br /><br />Byline: Stephen A. Smith<br /><br />Source: ESPNNewYork.com<br /><br />Now that the broomsticks have been unleashed and it has been emphatically established that the New York Knicks, for all their bluster and bloviating, are nothing more than an average franchise with an exorbitant payroll, it's time to move forward. To put legitimate pieces in place to preserve assets and eliminate liabilities.</b><br /><br />For a man with no inside voice, who traffics exclusively in bluster and bloviation even after losing several high-profile jobs, I'm mildly surprised that Smith finds these qualities objectionable in another group just because they lost a playoff series. But I'm even more surprised to read "for all their bluster and bloviating" in regards to these 2010-2011 Knickerbockers. Who blustered? Who bloviated? Was Toney Douglas calling up WEEI in Boston to spread rumors about Delonte West having slept with Ray Allen's mom? <br /><br />As best as I can tell, there was nobody wearing a Knicks uniform who was mouthing off before or during this series with Boston. For all the starpower of the new New York Knickerbockers, they haven't held any celebratory events in the <del>vain</del> vein of the Miami Heat. There were no guarantees. There were no ultimatums. No one even stated that it was personal. Is Smith confusing the Knicks with Rex Ryan's Jets? Could Smith have found Chauncey Billups' comment about the Knicks being a "tough out" this inflammatory? Perhaps he is conflating the chorus of barks from media members, like himself, surrounding the 'bockers since they returned to relevance over the past year with statements made by actual members of the team. In any case, we're off to an inauspicious start here as Smith is already imbuing the subjects of his story with attributes that suit his conclusion. <br /><br />Also, the sentence fragment that concludes this opening paragraph makes me wonder if Smith is aware of how NBA front offices, especially the successful ones, spend the offseason. Had the Celtics not taken their brooms off their leashes(????) and allowed the Knicks to win one of those first two games before advancing to the second round would the Knicks <i>not</i> be putting legitimate pieces in place, preserving assets and eliminating liabilities? When Smith contends that circumstances have made it time for those activities isn't he just stating that the Knicks have entered the offseason? Or does assume that only losers have to worry such things? Does he know what RC Buford has been doing in San Antonio all these years? <br /><br />It's true that the Knicks <i>had</i> an exorbitant payroll as they bottomed out in recent years, but Donnie Walsh took a can of gasoline and a box matches to the roster that Isiah Thomas had recklessly constructed. Several controlled burns later and <a href="http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm">the Knicks' 2010-2011 payroll of $67,327,114 ranked 16th out of 30</a>. Without one of the top 10 earners in the league this season, the Knicks' salaries are closer to the cheapskate Sacramento Kings then they are to the high rolling (and title contending) Los Angeles Lakers at the top of the heap. <br /><br /><b>And after watching the Knicks' first-round loss to the Boston Celtics -- how they spent most of Easter weekend stinking up Madison Square Garden before a 36-year-old journeyman point guard nearly came to the rescue -- priority No. 1 is too obvious to ignore any longer: Mike D'Antoni has to go.</b><br /><br />My dad suggested the same several times during my family's Easter Brunch. Please show your work, though, Mr. Smith unless you want to be relegated to <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/shitmydadsays">Shit My Dad Says</a> status. <br /><br /><b>It is not easy to call for the exodus of a coach who averaged 58 wins a season in his previous job, who is as kind and decent as they come. Nor does it seem fair to call for the head of a coach who, some would say, helped resurrect this franchise and made the Knicks relevant again. But when players are devoid of respect for a coach's basketball acumen, when the opposition laughs over the transparency of his game plan -- so much so that D'Antoni's players intimated they had instituted their own changes at halftime of a close-out game -- the need for a change simply cannot be denied.</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXhDgbe0cgoxk2KjPCOCR1yDe9Va3qNvO5tSXsnicbcDNM3KDtwBpVb7g_sFmwFcI4GLEhbwWhxGc2hn-nHuf7BAF337R2_It7FnNWQTFac_iENhLEVs12kP2a_rVAzs61fGUGP7r0sS0/s1600/3186c.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXhDgbe0cgoxk2KjPCOCR1yDe9Va3qNvO5tSXsnicbcDNM3KDtwBpVb7g_sFmwFcI4GLEhbwWhxGc2hn-nHuf7BAF337R2_It7FnNWQTFac_iENhLEVs12kP2a_rVAzs61fGUGP7r0sS0/s320/3186c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602510157914744418" /></a>In other words: What Smith is doing here is <i>hard</i> work. Not many journalists have the necessary fortitude to call for the jobs of decent, successful coaches. But, fear not readers, our scribe has been doing this since his college days at Winston Salem. The coach at WSU when Smith arrived on campus with college hoop dreams was the legendary Clarence "Big House" Gaines, who had already captured a Division II national championship and been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. As the door closed on his stillborn basketball career, Smith found his star on the rise in the student newspaper. The story that got everyone's attention? Smith calling for Gaines to resign or be removed from his post. Smith contended that the coach's flagging health was hurting the team and lobbied for the icon to be dumped. <br /><br />Aside from his penchant for calling for coaches to be fired, you'll also notice that Smith <i>always</i> works in absolutes. Well, mostly. Sometimes he equivocates, but mostly things are must, always, never, now, impossible and obvious as described by Smith. Which, is why he asserts that his assertion about D'Antoni "simply cannot be denied." Really? Watch me. <br /><br /><b>The rare display of heart and guts the Knicks exhibited in the second half of Sunday's Game 4 didn't happen just because they started hitting shots and the Celtics suddenly forgot how to defend them. "We got tired of the way things were going," one player explained in the wee hours of Sunday night, long after everyone had departed from the Garden.</b><br /><br />Considering Amar'e Stoudemire's standout game and the overall defensive effort in Game 1 and Carmelo and the Crickets nearly pulling off a shocker in Game 2, I find it a bit disingenuous to say describe the late rally in Game 4 as a "rare display of heart and guts." As the Yiddish saying goes, a half truth is a whole lie. <br /><br />Smith seems to approach his written work as if it were being broadcast on AM radio. Knowing that he's filed columns via Blackberry, I wouldn't even be shocked if this were dictated and never revised. However, the ephemeral nature of talk radio allows high-volume half truths, recurring inconsistencies and outright exaggerations to flutter off into oblivion. As more and more journalists become talking heads on television and drive-time yakkers on the radio, the lines between these mediums are blurred and the work across all platforms tends toward the lowest common denominator. <br /> <br /><b>"We walked in at halftime and said 'We can't go out this way.' We were pretty ticked off, especially at us not seeming to have any answers scheme-wise. We knew Boston knew everything we were going to do, how we were going to do it, so we needed to do something differently. We just couldn't keep going the way we were going."</b><br /><br />Now, a quote like this shows the ace in Smith's hand: He's got access and contacts that the rest of us don't have. He's the Peter King of the NBA, regaling us with tales of his text messages with Allen Iverson. I don't doubt that this quote is at least paraphrased from a statement made by a player on the New York roster, but I also am not certain that Smith isn't using it somewhat out of context to further his point. <br /><br />Clearly, Smith would like us to assume that the "we" used by the player does not include the coaching staff while the "us" does refer mostly to the coaching staff. He's also refusing to mention, for context, that the Celtics may have known what the Knicks were running because the team was thoroughly depleted by injuries to Billups and Stoudemire and the ineffectiveness of Landry Fields. Should D'Antoni have drawn up more plays for Jared Jeffries to keep the Celtics guessing? <br /><br /><b>As coach of the Knicks, D'Antoni deserves credit for inserting Anthony Carter into the game, allowing him to defend Rajon Rondo. He also deserves credit for allowing the team to go zone on occasion, for switching on shooters Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, with Carter serving as the catalyst. But if D'Antoni deserves credit for allowing those things to take place, he also harbors culpability for going a full game-and-a-half without a true point guard on the floor, for making little to no adjustments, for leaving the players to essentially decide for themselves at halftime Sunday that swinging back wouldn't entail just jacking up 3s inside of 10 seconds.</b><br /><br />Buried in this counterproductive paragraph (insofar as it does more to disprove Smith's thesis than to show why the coach should be fired) is one valid point against D'Antoni. Perhaps it did take him too long to lean on Carter. To my untrained eye, Douglas seemed tentative from the moment that he picked up his first foul in Game 2. Every ill-advised and out of character backpedal on defense seemed rooted in his fear of fouling out with Billups in street clothes. <br /><br />By my count, Smith credits D'Antoni with four things in this graph while citing three errors. I'm going to absolve him of going a game-and-a-half without a true point guard on the floor because his true point guard was injured in the waning moments of Game 1 and the consensus was that Douglas was the point guard to run out against Rajon Rondo. He wasn't up to it. And perhaps D'Antoni took too long to accept that fact. But how do you write about that without even mentioning in passing that starting point guard was unavailable due to injury? <br /><br />It seems like Smith is unaware that Games 1 and 2 took place. Almost. <br /><br /><b>Notwithstanding the tremendous effort displayed in Games 1 and 2, the New York Knicks cannot play defense, folks! Primarily because schematically it's never important, nor has it ever been a priority in D'Antoni's mind.</b><br /><br />Well, Smith is aware of the pair of tightly contested games in Boston. He just isn't going to let them sway his opinions. So, notwithstanding those two games in the four game series when the Knicks held a higher-seeded championship contender to 87 points and 96 points, respectively, this team didn't defend at all! Except when they did. My glasses aren't orange-tinted enough for me to claim this a stout defensive team or even an average defensive team. They allowed 110.1 points per 100 possessions and the league average was 107.3 this season. That ranked them 22nd out of 30 clubs.<br /><br />Points per 100 possessions (DRtg) is a much better tool than points allowed because it normalizes the pace. That hasn't stopped most columnists from lambasting D'Antoni's teams through the years as the worst defensive teams in the league. Smith is clearly working off that assumption. However, the numbers tell a slightly different story. <br /><br /><div align="left"><table><tr><th>Year</th><th>DRtg</th><th>League Rank</th><th>League Average</th></tr><tr><td>2007–08</td><td>108.1</td><td>16</td><td>107.5</td></tr><tr><td>2006–07</td><td>106.4</td><td>13</td><td>106.5</td></tr><tr><td>2005–06</td><td>105.8</td><td>16</td><td>106.2</td></tr><td>2004–05</td><td>107.1</td><td>17</td><td>106.1</td></tr></table></div><br /><br />Contrary to popular belief, D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix were not terrible on defense. They were mediocre and were about league average per 100 possessions the entire time that he was at the helm. This competency was masked by the pace at which they played, fastest in the league in his first two seasons and then third and fourth in the next two. The faster pace may have allowed the opponent more chances to score but D'Antoni's clubs defended those chances about as well as most teams while scoring much better than most. I find it hard to believe that most teams wouldn't sign up for a league average defense with a top 5 offense. <br /><br />Also, Smith's use of "notwithstanding" makes me think of the scenes in <i>Talladega Nights</i> when Ricky Bobby keeps beginning sentences by saying "With all due respect."<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Af-Id_fuXFA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><b>Mike D'Antoni's NBA teams have always excelled at the offensive end of the floor. He is an innovator on offense.</b><br /><br />Yes, he is. Having conceded this point, Smith isn't going to trash his offense. Is he? <br /><br /><b>The same coach who's being paid $6 million per season here was out in Phoenix because he would not heed former Suns executive Steve Kerr's advice that he simply couldn't win a championship with his system. Fast-forward to three full seasons later and nothing has changed.</b><br /><br />The same "former" Suns executive Steve Kerr that has been providing color commentary during these 2011 NBA playoffs rather than leading a team that aforementioned championship? Yup, that'd be the one. There is no doubt that Kerr's tenure was hamstrung slightly by cash-strapped Sun owner Robert Sarver but it seems like Smith might be rushing to credit the former sharpshooter as an authority on winning just because he presided over D'Antoni's exit from the desert.<br /><br />I'm sure there are snarky Phil Jackson quotes that could have been employed here to much greater effect, but Smith isn't about to do research. That being said, I think many Knicks fans would like to see a de facto defensive coordinator added to the coaching staff.<br /><br /><b>There are high pick-and-rolls. There's Amare Stoudemire coming from the corner, getting the ball near the elbow, with everyone and their grandmother knowing that's exactly what is going to occur. Or there's Stoudemire coming from the low block to set screens -- except everyone knows he's getting the ball and that he's not going to set a screen. And intertwined with it all is the arrival of Carmelo Anthony, assigned to doing pretty much the same thing.</b><br /><br />"We are easy to scout but tough to play against," John Wooden confessed to <i>Time</i> in 1974. "With Bill Walton in our lineup, our strategy is simple," Wooden explained. "You go to him until the opposing team stops it. Then you go to others. If you don't go to Walton, it's like using Babe Ruth in your lineup to bunt."<br /><br />The <i>Time</i> article goes on to state that "The Wooden approach is, of course, more sophisticated than that; the Bruins always play within a well-rehearsed plan. On offense, Wooden's first love is the fast break, with Walton firing lead passes to his teammates streaking down the court to score before the opposition's defense can set up."<br /><br />Sound familiar? After conceding D'Antoni's talents for offensive just a few sentences ago, it seems counterproductive for Smith to turn around and start taking shots at that aspect of his coaching. Perhaps, he meant to write "Notwithstanding D'Antoni's status as an offensive innovator..."<br /><br /><b>"Coach knows offense," one player explained. "It would be nice to set plays, control pace and not jack up shots just because you're open. But that's what Coach does. You could live with it if we played defense. But obviously, we haven't done that much. Good, bad or otherwise, all I can say is that I've never seen anything like this."</b><br /><br />To me, this sounds like it might be Chauncey Billups, who is chummy enough with Smith to have appeared on <i>Quite Frankly</i> while it was on the air. Regardless of the source, Smith continues to take shots at the offense. To take issue with the quote itself, one could certainly argue pushing the tempo is controlling the pace and that D'Antoni's offense creates more open looks than the iso sets that one presumes would constitute the plays being suggested. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7-4U-AL_HL5P27w0tLQ1r7OGMKyY7mFMhPyy4YUmxYypELwPMlTyPbNQjPkr4O6kPpSSMjPgkc4kpTf3KSxYMrtkYP3-Fao54H00RqhUsG3NVWxzKICkrw2yaf18ldJlIfnySnSs0YOn/s1600/108237861_display_image.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7-4U-AL_HL5P27w0tLQ1r7OGMKyY7mFMhPyy4YUmxYypELwPMlTyPbNQjPkr4O6kPpSSMjPgkc4kpTf3KSxYMrtkYP3-Fao54H00RqhUsG3NVWxzKICkrw2yaf18ldJlIfnySnSs0YOn/s200/108237861_display_image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602511038982202274" /></a><b>What team has a 6-foot-9, 230-pound player like Shawne Williams assigned to stand around and shoot 3s?</b><br /><br />The answer to this question during the past two seasons was no one would have used him that way. Because nobody was using him in any way. Out of the NBA last year, Williams played just 15 games in 2008–09 for Indiana. Before he swiped the last spot on this Knicks' roster from Patrick Ewing Jr., Williams was an NBA washout with legal trouble and a bad reputation. During the season he played his way into the rotation and was briefly the most accurate three-point marksman in the league. He also added toughness to the defense, including a stellar effort on LeBron James in one of the Knicks' victories over the Heat. <br /><br />Letting Williams play his way into the rotation from the bottom of the bench, seems to me an example of D'Antoni's flexibility more than anything else. Just a terrible choice to show that he's stubborn as far as I'm concerned. Talk about his refusal to use Eddy Curry or Stephon Marbury or the insistence of having Jared Jeffries on the floor for the final offensive possession of Game 2. How does a writer constructing a case for D'Antoni's dismissal based largely on the NYK-BOS series not mention Jeffries? Oh, wait, it's probably because Smith is notwithstanding Games 1 and 2. <br /><br /><b>What team has an athlete like Bill Walker, who's 6-6, 220, programmed to do the same?</b><br />See above. Having played sparingly in 1+ seasons in Boston and only in bursts in New York as trades and injuries have opened up playing time, I'd say there isn't exactly a book on best practices for Bill Walker. Again, Smith has chosen to call out a player that really isn't helpful in proving his point? Talk to me about the waiving of Corey Brewer if you're trying to show me that D'Antoni is unreasonable. <br /><br /><b>How can such a haphazard, frenetic brand of basketball -- you constantly hear D'Antoni screaming at players to shoot whenever open, no matter how much time is on the shot clock -- be permitted to continue when your $100 million franchise player just completed his ninth season? When Anthony, your other franchise player, just completed his eighth season? When both are signed for more than $80 million apiece over the next four seasons, yet based on the fatigue and injuries, neither looked as if he was physically conditioned to go another game in this series?<br /><br />Just as important, what kind of players will you draft if this system remains in place? Knowing D'Antoni won't play guys who don't fit in?</b><br /><br />Please just ignore the fact that Smith is now slamming D'Antoni's offensive acumen just a few graphs after heaping praise on it. Let's move on. So, if D'Antoni won't play guys who don't fit in then your drafting choice would seem straightforward. Draft guys that fit in. And who would that be? <br /><br />1) Point guards with pace who can run the pick-and-roll. <br /><br />2) Athletic Bigs that can get up and down and the floor to finish on the breaks that pacey point is initiating. Shot blocker preferred. And the ability to drop in a mid-range baseline jumper would be ideal but not required. <br /><br />3) Hard-running wings who can keep opposing defense honest with ability to hit three.<br /><br />Would it really be such a travesty to draft exclusively guys that fit this system? <br /><br /><b>The New York Knicks need a coach -- not a system. Coaches smirk at the luxury of preparing a game plan against it. Even folks like Charles Barkley have characterized D'Antoni's refusal to recognize the futility of his ways as "pure stubbornness."</b><br /><br />Smith is right insofar as he states that the Knicks need a coach. Every team has a coach. Even the Toronto Raptors. But very few teams have a coach with a system. And, last I checked, a bejeweled, creaking fellow by the name of Phil Jackson was lauded for his use of (Tex Winter's) the Triangle Offense. Pete Carrill worked out fine for Princeton with that aptly named "Princeton Offense."<br /><br />But if "even folks like Charles Barkley" disagree then maybe I should reconsider. What? Even paid commentators with a vested interest in being controversial? Mild-mannered, thinks-before-he-speaks Sir Charles? For a guy that railed against the blustering and bloviating by guys that didn't win at the top of this story, Smith sure seems to give a lot of credence to what Chuck has to say. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Barkley on TNT, but I'm not about to make any personnel decisions because of something he said. <br /><br /><b>This city will have plenty of time to debate the future of Donnie Walsh as the president of the franchise, and whether he should stay so he can hire former St. John's star and present ESPN/ABC analyst Mark Jackson -- or whether MSG chairman James Dolan should let Walsh go and offer the coaching job and all of the basketball operations to a man in the last year of his deal, who just finished beating up on the Knicks: Celtics coach Doc Rivers.<br /><br />What's not open for debate is that it's time for D'Antoni to go.</b><br /><br />So, let's get this straight: Smith believes Walsh's future is open to debate despite having turned over Isiah's roster and gotten Melo and STAT fitted for Knickerbocker blue. He also believes that D'Antoni's future is sealed because his team didn't have a better showing in a first round loss to a team that he'd picked to win in the first place. And that Mark Jackson, who has never coached basketball at any level professional or amateur should replace D'Antoni before he has even one entire season with his tandem superstars. <br /><br />Like a lot of fans and sportswriters, Smith makes the "perfect" the enemy of the "much, much, much better." He's refusing to accept a team that is so much better than anything the Knicks have fielded in ages because it is not yet perfect. He also seems to be assuming that anything that replaces this "very good" will be perfect. <br /><br />But how does firing D'Antoni look when the Knicks are forced to interview retreads and lifetime assistant coaches? How does it look when Doc Rivers decides to have another go with Boston or to take a year off to watch his son play college ball? If Smith could look further into the future than RIGHT NOW, he might realize the smart play (for those looking to jettison D'Antoni) is to allow him to coach out next season and <i>then</i> go after Rivers once his son is one-and-done at Duke. There's also the reality of the looming lockout to consider? Do you want to hire a new coach and then pay him for a lost season while you're still paying D'Antoni? Of course, I guess Smith wouldn't concern himself with details of this sort since he still thinks the Knicks have the league's highest payroll. <br /><br /><b>Lest we want Amare and Melo to expire a helluva lot quicker than their contracts will.</b><br /><br />Did Smith just intimate that retaining D'Antoni is tantamount to murdering Amar'e and/or Melo? Yeah, I think he did. At least, he didn't use an exclamation point.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-47776948041539264912011-04-22T10:02:00.005-04:002011-04-28T12:01:12.988-04:00Listening to an Oak on Earth Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwl57tpYFBGekQXx7q5PIX63kCGZB2N7pBlQ6OgurWOoIrzJhpXo2z8P_-06FryJU3I7ugOiDwUz8tI0Kq9rffjbdCIvnO02hvAcEu3lQ-ODnKgTxyTX_pk-KoON9ZuG3pAmD4ntGGTcV/s1600/ept_sports_nba_experts-725431223-1292959338.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwl57tpYFBGekQXx7q5PIX63kCGZB2N7pBlQ6OgurWOoIrzJhpXo2z8P_-06FryJU3I7ugOiDwUz8tI0Kq9rffjbdCIvnO02hvAcEu3lQ-ODnKgTxyTX_pk-KoON9ZuG3pAmD4ntGGTcV/s320/ept_sports_nba_experts-725431223-1292959338.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598415395545671170" /></a>Over at the <a href="http://knicks.lohudblogs.com/2011/04/21/charles-oakley-talks-knicks/">LoHud Knicks blog</a>, Jamie O'Grady talks with Knickerbocker legend, car wash mogul and my personal role model Charles Oakley about the 2011 playoffs, Patrick Ewing's future as a coach and the prospects of his former club. As per usual, Oak is unfiltered and unforgettable. Aside from his steadfast belief in his former frontcourt mate, Oak's description of the South Beach SuperFriends was the highlight of the interview. <br /><blockquote>They’ve got the tools to win it all, because of their two great wing players in Wade and LeBron.<br /><br />It’s like a 747 flying overseas; when you have two pilots capable of flying the plane, one can take a break and the plane still gets where it has to go. And when you have a flight attendant like Chris Bosh, that can make for some swagger.<br /><br />The thing is, if the Heat make the finals, I think they are going to win it all — point blank.</blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qJcAXNCN5S7m1JBWpH-UATbJI_iTyMg7zSDP8OVs4fT9uak4TT91o6wP-ddBughuX_aB2EMdIxcfXKqX9EIEvyec-hWgIxTrccAqb1wnmUanNAW7kNCRfnvBw759Vcp1YZVgXrgVJl3a/s1600/351345990_50ae4d8036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qJcAXNCN5S7m1JBWpH-UATbJI_iTyMg7zSDP8OVs4fT9uak4TT91o6wP-ddBughuX_aB2EMdIxcfXKqX9EIEvyec-hWgIxTrccAqb1wnmUanNAW7kNCRfnvBw759Vcp1YZVgXrgVJl3a/s400/351345990_50ae4d8036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600664997541295202" /></a>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-23236628706382004542011-04-21T22:28:00.043-04:002011-04-21T23:53:34.431-04:00Dressing For Knicks-cessIt's the night before the first New York Knickerbockers playoff game at Madison Square since 2004 and I've got a pair of tickets staring up at me from desk. I'm pacing around the apartment like tomorrow's the first day of high school and I've just moved cross country from dingy North Jersey to a Southern California town where the local toughs learn karate instead of play normal sports. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITVuKkkjycYFsIwqtYvdxgBTOkFdVvtrHjO-p-ERlRFVMnBOAdkans4dI3sJQcMk_rr9Ej-7eaH_fKSLdjGXCwZ75aUcBfEzSv5lt7iILfzoxOSGS5Vh8h_gQisky5XLjOm04w7-T5uyF/s1600/The-karate-Kid-movie-image-52.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITVuKkkjycYFsIwqtYvdxgBTOkFdVvtrHjO-p-ERlRFVMnBOAdkans4dI3sJQcMk_rr9Ej-7eaH_fKSLdjGXCwZ75aUcBfEzSv5lt7iILfzoxOSGS5Vh8h_gQisky5XLjOm04w7-T5uyF/s200/The-karate-Kid-movie-image-52.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598248977351745698" /></a><br /><br />I'm excited. Because the Knicks might win. I'm nervous. Because the Celtics might. I've got my lunch packed (two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a banana) and my first beer planned (from the stand across from the ticket windows in the LIRR station beneath the Garden). As best I can tell there is just one last thing to square before I try to fitfully sleep as I fret about spasming back muscles and knee blood.<br /><br />What Knicks gear am I going to wear? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9SUYdcmLXFmYfFlMbSLoNYh6lfZ7t2luEEGLo_pLTguv15tOFeYmTnHCNJ8Le2rNegRIHyAY_Ye1vdyj76LQbKSaTRYcgeGw3qzzXwVlhqX7V6_wqfFdhNFtUOqHHaE2D88TUbuPyn4J/s1600/dress-for-success-480x476.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9SUYdcmLXFmYfFlMbSLoNYh6lfZ7t2luEEGLo_pLTguv15tOFeYmTnHCNJ8Le2rNegRIHyAY_Ye1vdyj76LQbKSaTRYcgeGw3qzzXwVlhqX7V6_wqfFdhNFtUOqHHaE2D88TUbuPyn4J/s320/dress-for-success-480x476.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598235153361066370" /></a>The J. Crew khaki pants that I wore to work today were unwashed and have been missing a button atop the zipper for more than a year. The fabric in the crotch and in the seat is thinning, but I will wear them until they tear. Same goes for the coffee chinos that I'll likely wear to work tomorrow. The remainder of my limited wardrobe of office clothes is in the same state of disrepair. I insist on wearing and re-wearing the same things over and over and am very reluctant to buy new clothes. This is especially true with pants. Because, don't you hate pants? <br /><br />Work is a place that I attend five days a week, weekly, forever. Knicks games, on the other hand, are things that I could never attend more than 60 times per year and never have more than 35. Yet, my closet and dresser and home office are bursting at the seams with squirreled away Knicks gear as if there will be some circumstance that calls for me to dress solely in blue and orange or to sport the visage of Patrick Ewing at all times. While I admit that this is unlikely I've been amassing Sand Knit, Champion and Mitchell & Ness jerseys like my more successful and dapper friends collect wristwatches. <br /><br />Hmm... a Knicks watch? I don't have one of those. I mean, I do have a few wristbands but nothing with moving parts. While I check eBay for anything like that, here's a look at the options I'm sifting through in advance of Game 3 tomorrow night. <br /><br /><u>The Kicks:</u><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_Um-rwnd92QMzn5uHKFj6XHViXXuchT9o2ilaetA7w9h4MjVhaUQkxGffvI6yn0Te8hrDRUaxGh-agftz3h0ddz9SPkMaKK_zFpCthr2OrRkv95l-GoKiNGIp4hJoVOsgsowwz4ph8iS/s1600/IMG_7623.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_Um-rwnd92QMzn5uHKFj6XHViXXuchT9o2ilaetA7w9h4MjVhaUQkxGffvI6yn0Te8hrDRUaxGh-agftz3h0ddz9SPkMaKK_zFpCthr2OrRkv95l-GoKiNGIp4hJoVOsgsowwz4ph8iS/s400/IMG_7623.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598245037748815474" /></a><br /><br /><u>Outerwear</u><br /><br /><b>The Varsity Jacket:</b> First up is a vintage varsity-style Knicks jacket. It has a dark blue wool body with white leather sleeves just like the one your dad wore when he was going down to Arnold's for a fountain soda. All patches and letters are sewn on and awesome. Easily the classiest choice of all that follows. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnCCfboT_YunIRljlSxB1W_Q99HtoaNa95KN3RLK3WUhnOzov9X73tWJPLU2bRK8p9UzaW__kEyRT4hAIgOs_kVin2flsg4k4sZfExyb3fXWFHgE-PMGBFmYiyq9i2mMmD-zoIK5Ej017/s1600/DSC_0116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnCCfboT_YunIRljlSxB1W_Q99HtoaNa95KN3RLK3WUhnOzov9X73tWJPLU2bRK8p9UzaW__kEyRT4hAIgOs_kVin2flsg4k4sZfExyb3fXWFHgE-PMGBFmYiyq9i2mMmD-zoIK5Ej017/s400/DSC_0116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598236212629787154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT6V7yf9PCFhJ9_M8RwB2Ur9No5Bc15zU5A6pGhD5F0USFg0bHnRksxsbFRns5SBA2T5QasctesyXPi1vs1e73YimBHeoX_Y13y6MOlpIoqO9Dj9gzwrFEFB96OKxYm1ASH0WKdLXnQ5b/s1600/DSC_0117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT6V7yf9PCFhJ9_M8RwB2Ur9No5Bc15zU5A6pGhD5F0USFg0bHnRksxsbFRns5SBA2T5QasctesyXPi1vs1e73YimBHeoX_Y13y6MOlpIoqO9Dj9gzwrFEFB96OKxYm1ASH0WKdLXnQ5b/s400/DSC_0117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598236755143772514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2vLtqtMeNExrN2dBGN3VDMG6GLJgO2Q12YPxfVyqHtUvX0JfqbVjdIgpUvo3DoH7SLQdJ75tGU33Iti-Ei-We0f2YyoRf18E-fqJM25U4KrmFampM1kc_yyJAKPPMs8iruyT7KPthQSv/s1600/DSC_0118.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2vLtqtMeNExrN2dBGN3VDMG6GLJgO2Q12YPxfVyqHtUvX0JfqbVjdIgpUvo3DoH7SLQdJ75tGU33Iti-Ei-We0f2YyoRf18E-fqJM25U4KrmFampM1kc_yyJAKPPMs8iruyT7KPthQSv/s400/DSC_0118.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598237190037311970" /></a><br /><br /><b>The Satin Bomber:</b> Next up, we've got the choice of a new generation. This Starter jacket has a light blue suede body and bright orange leather(ish) sleeves. The patch sewn on the back is satin. Yes, suede <i>and</i> satin. Oh, and orange leather, too. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwG22GBSoZCK5WTretCXpkxMATnxA5X4612aS6V54SGaiiDBCdg83aQKC2zgu0ZgvOhPXXmNNQc7PTyVkExeQ9CwgkzbLXHexKXS5gfYmztpZem7dwZMkC41vLOleV9-NztqnWvO3OYwh/s1600/DSC_0119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwG22GBSoZCK5WTretCXpkxMATnxA5X4612aS6V54SGaiiDBCdg83aQKC2zgu0ZgvOhPXXmNNQc7PTyVkExeQ9CwgkzbLXHexKXS5gfYmztpZem7dwZMkC41vLOleV9-NztqnWvO3OYwh/s400/DSC_0119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598237602625142306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV5c0Gv6iivz35hsgvT8CULzCijQzW6biXJWQqqGCGhSPCRGx7aRqoG0uijskxKU4ddvSBPPXcPoDDtWNwl9iaZ7jiJgwl288JrxzMm5kY0U1GfWXf4div_0frqv61QAXN4VPj1g6_m8_/s1600/DSC_0120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV5c0Gv6iivz35hsgvT8CULzCijQzW6biXJWQqqGCGhSPCRGx7aRqoG0uijskxKU4ddvSBPPXcPoDDtWNwl9iaZ7jiJgwl288JrxzMm5kY0U1GfWXf4div_0frqv61QAXN4VPj1g6_m8_/s400/DSC_0120.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598238346320913842" /></a><br /><br /><b>The Ex-Patrick:</b> I lived in London in 2001. Some would say that I felt compelled to leave New York after the Knicks unceremoniously traded Patrick Ewing to the Seattle Supersonics. Those people would be wrong. I left the States to study at King's College for a year. Nevertheless, Patrick was on my mind. We were both strangers in strange lands that uncertain year. This olive military style coat was purchased at a thrift store up in Camden Town, a northwest London neighborhood full of thrift shops, record stores and flea markets. During many visits, the two best things I purchased were this coat and a bootleg of Nirvana's 1992 performance at the Reading Festival. It was on a cassette. I would eventually lose the cassette. But I managed to repatriate the coat. It originally had East German flags on the sleeves. I cut them off and sewed an American flag on one sleeve and a New York Knicks patch on the other. I later added the commemorative pin from the night that Patrick's No. 33 was retired at the Garden. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUZ60JujVjMWiISkoXrtNXatuZNTy6N5_t_FYZQgam7Yl7slRiKLNHWaHXRZhuIWpJi1ftn8E9ju2pt2Y9xuG43E8Gwch-2CyURebxJohFgNr1vY-IFORlT4LPWG5WB6Z4Li4tLz8HVJs/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUZ60JujVjMWiISkoXrtNXatuZNTy6N5_t_FYZQgam7Yl7slRiKLNHWaHXRZhuIWpJi1ftn8E9ju2pt2Y9xuG43E8Gwch-2CyURebxJohFgNr1vY-IFORlT4LPWG5WB6Z4Li4tLz8HVJs/s400/DSC_0121.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598241091190507362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyngzYW8pyCy5lGpYHTUvVAC_Euzn3lTjhI56kok_ttWCWYrHtwKO1p8iTXhsEnXESUU2kIrdrRhd6UhT4z48n4-JkMLSjOPd0uKk6b7DxCQqviMGjlEbKCHx5jbtbL7N-WkmMI-Q96YOj/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyngzYW8pyCy5lGpYHTUvVAC_Euzn3lTjhI56kok_ttWCWYrHtwKO1p8iTXhsEnXESUU2kIrdrRhd6UhT4z48n4-JkMLSjOPd0uKk6b7DxCQqviMGjlEbKCHx5jbtbL7N-WkmMI-Q96YOj/s400/DSC_0123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598242311095550546" /></a><br /><br /><br /><u>T-Shirts & Jerseys:</u><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAy5OxArvBzAQbBQIXJYP1tjarD7-xI8bmeBJBtDkhcALHY3vJnXRzmdHcl-8CO55r-lYbhqa2K34ota9FWiJzcg2GLbnfpa-D_K8Ru1VYLtDIQhoAnUdzzCwBmy1eERTdPvYOdmvtHBq/s1600/DSC_0134.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAy5OxArvBzAQbBQIXJYP1tjarD7-xI8bmeBJBtDkhcALHY3vJnXRzmdHcl-8CO55r-lYbhqa2K34ota9FWiJzcg2GLbnfpa-D_K8Ru1VYLtDIQhoAnUdzzCwBmy1eERTdPvYOdmvtHBq/s400/DSC_0134.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598242686023497074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tZGTqjxrHPxbwwMb-0pMRYmYHo4ObpIICcmnY7ALLDL0aUPJ4GSfaWK2kXf1ngN9B8Ptc0csLo-Xq2q0v7LLiGINqUtK038GwcdtdXPfZ5DsmSBIqssEDM6kohaHMITeqpF7GoAzQJab/s1600/DSC_0127.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tZGTqjxrHPxbwwMb-0pMRYmYHo4ObpIICcmnY7ALLDL0aUPJ4GSfaWK2kXf1ngN9B8Ptc0csLo-Xq2q0v7LLiGINqUtK038GwcdtdXPfZ5DsmSBIqssEDM6kohaHMITeqpF7GoAzQJab/s400/DSC_0127.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598242984226403058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxH3c1QcieqZBfYcP6lIJjSHvuPDZvBQTPwFkyp22irW3Xv221MCs0EEDUSIa_1JsS1z7EY65OM_TN2FjA-eTtHYpns-TTfXFOiXPT2px2yHkvykBBKqQKJKSknqwYfW6b7wDdcoHX6ZB/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxH3c1QcieqZBfYcP6lIJjSHvuPDZvBQTPwFkyp22irW3Xv221MCs0EEDUSIa_1JsS1z7EY65OM_TN2FjA-eTtHYpns-TTfXFOiXPT2px2yHkvykBBKqQKJKSknqwYfW6b7wDdcoHX6ZB/s400/DSC_0148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598243264030450178" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iCYxi0RTxn8IkGG03HQDFUEhyrI2qWkSTjXXfbzBxXJX8itJMLr25z7PBlzwD1MZ_tH5FsesA1tNgUFEk7wkWUyQ3KZsTHoGzbaNVxAVfBeM28-T-UqO7r8UfF7zAgp_dNq_qysZ2Fmj/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iCYxi0RTxn8IkGG03HQDFUEhyrI2qWkSTjXXfbzBxXJX8itJMLr25z7PBlzwD1MZ_tH5FsesA1tNgUFEk7wkWUyQ3KZsTHoGzbaNVxAVfBeM28-T-UqO7r8UfF7zAgp_dNq_qysZ2Fmj/s400/DSC_0136.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598243620291800098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY1yNzViVnPRa7cG29Vdtkv_Fwu2-bYN5xMQ9XDmIkRAlQYP6hC5Rebt3CH1uhMc068CkwOnBY2ggoF0pKMc5F-VEhLxuxYETxv9tmAh0GdY8V8y19Kkxm7qKmifuhOXljOlTzvi8Mpig/s1600/DSC_0146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY1yNzViVnPRa7cG29Vdtkv_Fwu2-bYN5xMQ9XDmIkRAlQYP6hC5Rebt3CH1uhMc068CkwOnBY2ggoF0pKMc5F-VEhLxuxYETxv9tmAh0GdY8V8y19Kkxm7qKmifuhOXljOlTzvi8Mpig/s400/DSC_0146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598243955685557250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou9Yqzm0rADkClSNbfjUq9I6AoUGgcY81wP-UNrwxeLCTuLSh7bshY1PnzSs5202ZHu9qHkqczYyo7iducyfQtF2P2BBHmAIU_VoHdU3o5IpF8sIukUP9voVQnos2GbKwWT1E1ylEoqae/s1600/DSC_0147.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou9Yqzm0rADkClSNbfjUq9I6AoUGgcY81wP-UNrwxeLCTuLSh7bshY1PnzSs5202ZHu9qHkqczYyo7iducyfQtF2P2BBHmAIU_VoHdU3o5IpF8sIukUP9voVQnos2GbKwWT1E1ylEoqae/s400/DSC_0147.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598244326459679250" /></a><br /><br /><b>The Original:</b> My fetish - and after showing you all of this stuff there really isn't much else I can call it - for Knicks gear began before I was 10 years old. Being the only child accompanying my grandfather, father and uncle to 'bockers battles at the Garden back in the late 1980s, there was usually someone with me who felt like spoiling me each time the souvenir stand unveiled a new t-shirt. Illustrations of the players were the big thing on the shirts at the time. This shirt depicting the 1988–89 Atlantic Division Champion Knickerbockers was one of my two favorites. It's a size small and there is a tag with name sewn into it. <br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5yk8pwkm19A3UU2n67w_Vtr5HdpPnQ9ML3MSYtwLKB22Rp-I-He7E70P4hCeQJGZlovgtNRmkf6uZTmLKVwlz2sPPKbvoRZAJBj4mO0RGh7mE2aDiPMB_M18eG5vTo5rkAhHXilwQsNZ/s1600/DSC_0143.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5yk8pwkm19A3UU2n67w_Vtr5HdpPnQ9ML3MSYtwLKB22Rp-I-He7E70P4hCeQJGZlovgtNRmkf6uZTmLKVwlz2sPPKbvoRZAJBj4mO0RGh7mE2aDiPMB_M18eG5vTo5rkAhHXilwQsNZ/s400/DSC_0143.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598244854280959442" /></a><br />I placed a shoe next to the shirt to offer some perspective.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-53794111257908169502011-04-20T09:10:00.106-04:002011-04-21T17:01:59.366-04:00A Knicks Fan's Emotional Playoff Weather Report<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpDibx57ACML-KXwa5BDgWZfDBIuxa5k7B3WZZ6JPDgIlfgGyin4nhZHCLEqqY2fwxS38crXyVwtCHM6Tct2ynRE6dWyFXu4cXiDeLuX-V66Onvia2SsMNfXHAhiFxd41-avMXrxkyopZ/s1600/scientist.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpDibx57ACML-KXwa5BDgWZfDBIuxa5k7B3WZZ6JPDgIlfgGyin4nhZHCLEqqY2fwxS38crXyVwtCHM6Tct2ynRE6dWyFXu4cXiDeLuX-V66Onvia2SsMNfXHAhiFxd41-avMXrxkyopZ/s320/scientist.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597850900863396578" /></a>I've spent the past several springs and early summers observing the NBA playoffs with the intellectual curiosity and remove of a laboratory scientist. I've studied team chemistry. I've charted passing-lane geometry. I've noted the power and grace of the players involved in those playoffs like a dance critic. And I've observed the customs of variously self-righteous, neurotic and apathetic fanbases like a sociologist. I've even unpacked literary analogs for NBA teams, once comparing LeBron James to the titular character in obscure Shakespeare play <i>Timon of Athens</i> and the heavily-inked Nuggets to <i>Cyrano de Bergerac</i>. Reading rather than rooting has characterized May for me. All of these endeavors have been exceedingly pleasant. <br /><br />And terrible.<br /><br />Because I write about sports in this space, and others, because I want to root, root, root for <i>my</i> home team. All the while, I've longed for the euphoria of Patrick's raised arms, embracing the crowd, after Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijoTabgQCJDrPlJbrdf3EaZaNMShL9HKAeGhSOE4er60DhpdA5ohTHQtSlDc66wfdB65yq6enz5iMaJSF_HGeEfuwn3LawqnFkcTYw_EpNjPRVb-10iBy9QO9t7_AfUVvTIEIbwPJHoop/s1600/Patrick-Ewing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijoTabgQCJDrPlJbrdf3EaZaNMShL9HKAeGhSOE4er60DhpdA5ohTHQtSlDc66wfdB65yq6enz5iMaJSF_HGeEfuwn3LawqnFkcTYw_EpNjPRVb-10iBy9QO9t7_AfUVvTIEIbwPJHoop/s200/Patrick-Ewing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597873917929496050" /></a> I pined for the anxiety of game days while I was in grade-school, when I'd struggle to manufacture witty retorts when my classmates in suburban New Jersey gleefully informed me, often correctly, that the Knicks were going to lose to the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers or whomever was the night's opponent. I waited to stoke that same furnace of anger that brightly burned in my tentative teenage spleen when PJ Brown tossed Charlie Ward into the stands during the 1997 playoffs. I even missed the poignancy of the 2-for-18 desolation that had come closer than any other experience to matching the grasping, quicksand anguish of being dumped for the first time that mattered. <br /><br />Without those things from 2004 to 2011, I was not so much a basketball <i>fan</i> during the NBA postseason as much as I was a basketball enthusiast. Hoops watching, and even hoops blogging, was like constructing scaled sea vessels that would forever stay dry and be kept in bottles or on bookshelves. While I certainly got high from huffing the modeling glue and enjoyed the meticulous handcraft, it was not the same as sailing. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GXUAKaFOdGEb_zNzYsImocmMUPNJ1rfOJUXS036US66UC_IB0cCPeJjSmfW_l_HnnfI9wDN3lkHZJSglqMagn-ZKeZ9UKErHzua07XB1JgtHlOZW1PlhYvUMRUiZCxxpFrRjnrTXPhqB/s1600/Ship-in-Bottle-wRoy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GXUAKaFOdGEb_zNzYsImocmMUPNJ1rfOJUXS036US66UC_IB0cCPeJjSmfW_l_HnnfI9wDN3lkHZJSglqMagn-ZKeZ9UKErHzua07XB1JgtHlOZW1PlhYvUMRUiZCxxpFrRjnrTXPhqB/s400/Ship-in-Bottle-wRoy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597874332153681442" /></a><br /><br />But after years of clear indoor springtime skies, the winds are howling around and inside me, rattling the shutters and trembling beverages in their glasses as if a T-Rex is stomping through the streets of Jersey city. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16_hdzfX_A5gzCEHe-bC-B5MCFVlV55-6d3nIZbUZ9LqB9_9Vlhx-0m2f30chG2AZP4DafxNIUDT-07T4gjJnM7n20snK0dgYNfWitHakYMbv9QW8MryWF_TaLz0Kz5WlmlA-XLcch_rF/s1600/tornado-oz.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16_hdzfX_A5gzCEHe-bC-B5MCFVlV55-6d3nIZbUZ9LqB9_9Vlhx-0m2f30chG2AZP4DafxNIUDT-07T4gjJnM7n20snK0dgYNfWitHakYMbv9QW8MryWF_TaLz0Kz5WlmlA-XLcch_rF/s320/tornado-oz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597881243462610898" /></a>My sterile playoff viewing environment has been ripped from its moorings and spun like Dorothy's farmhouse in that famous Plains twister.<br /><br />Marveling at the balletic grace and rocket-powered explosiveness of Amar'e Stoudemire in Game 1 flushed my face with the joy of the playoffs while raging at the no-call when Kevin Garnett plainly, efficiently tripped Toney Douglas to free up Ray Allen for the Boston's Game 1 winner on Sunday reacquainted me with the stakes. Watching Carmelo Anthony's regal, irrepressibly Bernard King–like effort rendered something like irrelevant by <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/tbj/2011/04/20/jared-jeffries-i-should-have-shot-it/">Jared Jeffrie's timid game-killing effort</a> in the post last night in the penultimate moment of Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between the New York Knickerbockers and the Boston Celtics brought it all back to me. The feeling after Game 2 was agonizing. <br /><br />And, I'd missed it. Terribly. <br /><br />After each loss, I was torn between violent and melancholy desires. I wanted to sulk away quickly, quietly to a windowless room and sleep fitfully but determinedly until the next game. But I also felt a fierce Rondoesque straightline drive to <i>HULK!SMASH!</i> home entertainment equipment belonging to myself and others. I wanted to throw laptops against walls. And then tear flat screen televisions from their wall mounts. I wanted present company to leave without a word, especially self-righteous Boston fans cheering Chauncey Billups' knee injury while thinking their seat on the couch represented some sort of moral high ground. Yet I wanted to yell FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKK as loud as I possibly could so that the neighbors would trudge downstairs to complain. And, then I wanted drink strong fermented drinks from ice-filled tumblers until my vision doubled and trebled as my urges to commit violence against myself and others lessened inversely. <br /><blockquote><i>Things are tough all over, when the thunder storms start increasing over the southeast and south central portions of my apartment. I get upset, and a line of thunderstorms was developing in the early morning, ahead of a slow moving coldfront, cold blooded, with tornado watches issued shortly before noon Sunday, for the areas including, the western region of my mental health and the northern portions of my ability to deal rationally with my disconcerted precarious emotional situation. </i>-Tom Waits</blockquote>To further confuse my emotional situation, both games engendered plenty of positive feelings along with all of the negative ones. In each contest, the best and most impressive player was wearing road blues. In Game 1, Amar'e was acrobatic and powerful. He looked like Patrick Ewing playing against the Celtics in 1990, and KG had as good a chance of staying in front of him as I did. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4BE6t0af5Fc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IU-4q0oWGvc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />In Game 2, Carmelo Anthony channeled 1984 Bernard King in a talismanic and relentless performance. He scored 42 points, controlled 17 rebounds and doled out six assists (but, sadly, not seven). It was sports heroism (which is very distinct from actual heroism) and its most compelling.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IX92j8wp7f8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I ooh'd and hot damn'd and hell yeah'd due to the superlative efforts of these two All-Star players who jumped at the chance to be paid exceedingly well by my the Knicks. The final scores of each games does not mean those exclamations weren't exclaimed and that that enthusiasm wasn't felt. <br /><br />While I have managed to forage enough Knicks-related thrills to survive the regular-season mediocrity of the last few years, I haven't tasted moments as sweet as those for some time. I've subsisted mostly on a diet of Isiah-directed angst and then free-agency-related hope. But on Sunday and Tuesday, I was able to gorge myself on terrific play by STAT and Melo. Of course, the aged Celtics illustrated that being <i>best</i> was not nearly as important as being <i>last</i> in the postseason. In both games, the Celtics scored the last points of the game to secure the win. In both games, the final score threatened to render my elation and enthusiasm meaningless. <br /><br />After two 2011 playoff games, the 'bockers are boasting an 0-2-0-2 record. Zero wins. Two losses. No draws. And, a pair of moral victories. Despite doing nothing to help the Knicks advance in the 2011 postseason, the slivers of light amidst the storm clouds are not insignificant. These twin silver-lined losses mark the best postseason that the Knicks have had since 2001. Not coincidentally, that was the last time that a basketball game ruined my day so thoroughly. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEIKe7kYBzqxeZvkarkdeYudaZSfc07RgqpvA3mHl6oSs1bU6-sFKcgGHJdoE7Lol-boJxQaRoJ2OH7kZGk5n5eYCvOxzKnZv6DZGBhpAaLwlDLRqwmtEgqfxKU7Xf6iehCZ8YYducvpV/s1600/Y-KNICKS-popup.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLEIKe7kYBzqxeZvkarkdeYudaZSfc07RgqpvA3mHl6oSs1bU6-sFKcgGHJdoE7Lol-boJxQaRoJ2OH7kZGk5n5eYCvOxzKnZv6DZGBhpAaLwlDLRqwmtEgqfxKU7Xf6iehCZ8YYducvpV/s320/Y-KNICKS-popup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597885457033078274" /></a>I was gutted after Vince Carter, Chris Childs and the Toronto Raptors ended the Knicks' 2001 season, closing the brief window of post-Ewing success. The lurching deadstop loss in the decisive fifth game of that series frustrated more than anything I've seen this week (or may see next) because that Knicks squad was trending down. Patrick was gone. Larry Johnson's back was going. Charlie Ward had just revealed himself to be an anti-semite. Without the center, the team could not hold. The sting of these 2011 losses has been mitigated by the fact - or, at least, my <i>belief</i> - that this team is trending up. Win or lose, the Knicks are blossoming into a better team than the Celtics right before our eyes. Of course, it also helps calm my nerves that New York has two home games coming hot down the pike with which they can even this series. <br /><br />Biologically speaking, pain and discomfort are supposed to motivate us to back away from dangerous or potentially harmful situations. It is a warning signal. It's telling me to run like hell from these Knickerbockers. But like a moth to flame, I'm drawn to this likely losing effort. I've grossly overpaid for my ticket for Game 3 at the Garden on Friday and I'm open to all the pain that the fine print on the back of the stub absolves James Dolan of. Because, as William Faulkner wrote, given the choice between the experience of pain and nothing, I would choose pain. After years of vacuous Knicks nothingness, I'm relishing the opportunity for pain and confusion and sadness because it brings the chance for transcendent moments of happiness and an increased likelihood of high fives.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-34307412119322593592011-04-16T08:04:00.002-04:002011-04-16T08:15:01.242-04:00Let's Party Like It's 1990We've got a veteran, been-there, won-that Boston Celtics club against a not-quite-there-yet New York Knickerbockers club just like we did back in 1990. And we all know that Amar'e can knock down that 3-pointer that Patrick so famously hit. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KlV9yxx5Nz0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IFYfyC-SuyQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-42370828197453258102011-04-11T09:12:00.004-04:002011-04-12T18:59:26.359-04:00Always Be Carmelo<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0YtHtXFQ-5k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wVQPY4LlbJ4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-38501466099444049742011-03-31T11:05:00.037-04:002011-03-31T17:08:52.279-04:00Happy Opening Day 2011Known more for his regal bearing than any joie de vivre, Opening Day of the Big League baseball season could even bring out the kid in New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4mMhTtwqjrVb9GMj_uQvoQPGsAfZKbGJXOYhpkwJH44JTneRmtYHMu1TIIJtB44PBEVbHJY2NIujwmgR8EKJszXdx3elNaHcjxKsmYoHz4Ye2VLOJgF7A0udFzwQUXq1nVF5UsRkYBBT/s1600/joltin_joe.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4mMhTtwqjrVb9GMj_uQvoQPGsAfZKbGJXOYhpkwJH44JTneRmtYHMu1TIIJtB44PBEVbHJY2NIujwmgR8EKJszXdx3elNaHcjxKsmYoHz4Ye2VLOJgF7A0udFzwQUXq1nVF5UsRkYBBT/s320/joltin_joe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590310144904398274" /></a><i>"You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."</i><br /><br />Of course, Opening Day generally did mean that "something wonderful" was on the horizon for the Yankee Clipper. Aside from bedding Marilyn Monroe and establishing that historic 56-game hitting streak, Joltin' Joe won a whopping 10 World Series in 11 appearances during a 13-season career. Given those gaudy accomplishments, I can understand why he was on optimist. <br /><br />As a Mets fan, Opening Day is typically the time of year (recently, at least) when the optimism and applause of Spring Training blossoms into the booing and Calvanist fatalism of the regular season. I've been hard-selling my friends that this should not be the case <i>this</i> year, but we shall all finally see when Terry Collins' 2011 Metsies open their campaign tomorrow in Miami. <br /><br />There are any number of reasons that the New York Metropolitans are not one of the dozen teams playing in the six high-profile games today. Among that number of reasons are the numbers 83 and 1. <br /><br />- 83 losses in 2010, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the NL East.<br /><br />- 1 billion dollars, the sum of money that the owners of the Mets are at risk of losing thanks to their involvement with the Madoff ponzi scheme. <br /><br />DiMaggio's former club, however, was pencilled into the leadoff spot in MLB's Opening Day lineup. The Yanks will host the Detroit Tigers up in the Bronx this afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at the ATM that Steinbrenner Built. The skies over New York were an ominous gunmetal shade this morning so it's possible that that game will be postponed. But perhaps not. In which case, we'll have only Suzyn Waldman to describe weather conditions perhaps better left to Grantland Rice. <br /><br />If the game takes place then we'll also have a ceremonial first pitch thrown out by former Yankees hurler Mike Mussina. He will be the 10th retired Yankees player to toss out such a pitch. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqal3Mher04baxAskVCNRF7FpfreIzBg1l9EgQdFFE2dB6fJZre1V9cLPYB2MhrgJ6L9Us-EH45IS0U0H9bKz2kfq_9_pgUPkl2bG9DsXGMoO0JYjOL79fg3_IBp14YmC4T4NMry8abWr8/s1600/barack-obama-baseball-113092b2f77ef8dd_large.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqal3Mher04baxAskVCNRF7FpfreIzBg1l9EgQdFFE2dB6fJZre1V9cLPYB2MhrgJ6L9Us-EH45IS0U0H9bKz2kfq_9_pgUPkl2bG9DsXGMoO0JYjOL79fg3_IBp14YmC4T4NMry8abWr8/s320/barack-obama-baseball-113092b2f77ef8dd_large.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590341533192426930" /></a>Others scheduled to throw ceremonial first pitches around the Majors include a retired chief of police in Cincinnati, retired pudgy screwballer Fernando Valuenza in Los Angeles and retired outfielder Jim Edmunds in St. Louis. President Barack Obama had been scheduled to throw the first pitch at Nationals Park in the District like he did last year, but was a late scratch. It may have been because the Braves have so many right-handed hitters Or it may have been that Obama wanted to avoid upsetting the same blowhards who were upset that he took a few minutes to fill out an NCAA bracket earlier this month. <br /><br />In most cases, these ceremonial pitches are given to local celebrities or beloved former players. In all cases the honoree has name recognition with the home crowd and is likely to receive a warm welcome. This was not always the case. <br /><br />In 1968, the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day was heaved onto the field by Marianne Moore. She never patrolled center field anywhere or held any elected office in the city, county or state of New York. Moore was a Pulitzer Prize–winning modernist poet. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylyYYnDY_lgyA8Kw0ljVlurwSOTjW2kYvweOTbv49fSJxj6QSseHiKIS3zyNb-bFCh2X4KMl_8I4r38TGQIw97oPBs8-o75seP3A9tnm-ZEqMzynku8SIQp3xSwgrHO6__KRG0WCc-I31/s1600/Marianne-Moore.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 325px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylyYYnDY_lgyA8Kw0ljVlurwSOTjW2kYvweOTbv49fSJxj6QSseHiKIS3zyNb-bFCh2X4KMl_8I4r38TGQIw97oPBs8-o75seP3A9tnm-ZEqMzynku8SIQp3xSwgrHO6__KRG0WCc-I31/s400/Marianne-Moore.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590260377287844290" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rEIJsF9oy9qSXoDr7g13WShyphenhyphencaE1YIWDxMm-PZg-oMX5EUCZWSZ4hH_ECUR5MmA93BCWlFfIMIt5kwFrWnJQtxt8zfclUTfC5TfJ0ul0Ru3nl7a_VQEmbb-3JaJOWuJcqYBLfemO28DV/s1600/mooreali.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rEIJsF9oy9qSXoDr7g13WShyphenhyphencaE1YIWDxMm-PZg-oMX5EUCZWSZ4hH_ECUR5MmA93BCWlFfIMIt5kwFrWnJQtxt8zfclUTfC5TfJ0ul0Ru3nl7a_VQEmbb-3JaJOWuJcqYBLfemO28DV/s320/mooreali.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590351730500474146" /></a>Supremely talented and possessing a sharp wit, Moore become a fixture of the New York social scene starting in the 1930s. Wearing her signature tri-corner hat, she would regularly attend sporting events. Later in her life she forged an unlikely friendship with Muhammad Ali, even writing the liner notes for a spoken word album released by the champ. Once penning "A Poem on the Annihilation of Ernie Terrell" with Ali over dinner, Moore's sporting acumen occasionally shined through in her work. This marriage of poetry and athletics was perhaps never better than in "Baseball and Writing."<br /><br /><b><u>Baseball and Writing</b></u><br /><br /><i>Fanaticism? No. Writing is exciting<br />and baseball is like writing.<br />You can never tell with either<br />how it will go<br />or what you will do;<br />generating excitement–<br />a fever in the victim–<br />pitcher, catcher, fielder, batter.<br />Victim in what category?<br />Owlman watching from the press box?<br />To whom does it apply?<br />Who is excited?Might it be I?<br /><br />It’s a pitcher’s battle all the way–a duel–<br />a catcher’s, as, with cruel<br />puma paw, Elston Howard lumbers lightly<br />back to plate.(His spring<br />de-winged a bat swing.)<br />They have that killer instinct;<br />yet Elston–whose catching<br />arm has hurt them all with the bat–<br />when questioned, says, unenviously,<br />“I’m very satisfied.We won.”<br />Shorn of the batting crown, says, “We”;<br />robbed by a technicality.<br /><br />When three players on a side play three positions<br />and modify conditions,<br />the massive run need not be everything.<br />“Going, going . . . “Is<br />it?Roger Maris<br />has it, running fast.You will<br />never see a finer catch.Well . . .<br />“Mickey, leaping like the devil”–why<br />gild it, although deer sounds better–<br />snares what was speeding towards its treetop nest,<br />one-handing the souvenir-to-be<br />meant to be caught by you or me.<br /><br />Assign Yogi Berra to Cape Canaveral;<br />he could handle any missile.<br />He is no feather.”Strike! . . . Strike two!”<br />Fouled back.A blur.<br />It’s gone.You would infer<br />that the bat had eyes.<br />He put the wood to that one.<br />Praised, Skowron says, “Thanks, Mel.<br />I think I helped a little bit.”<br />All business, each, and modesty.<br />Blanchard, Richardson, Kubek, Boyer.<br />In that galaxy of nine, say which<br />won the pennant?Each.It was he.<br /><br />Those two magnificent saves from the knee-throws<br />by Boyer, finesses in twos–<br />like Whitey’s three kinds of pitch and pre-<br />diagnosis<br />with pick-off psychosis.<br />Pitching is a large subject.<br />Your arm, too true at first, can learn to<br />catch your corners–even trouble<br />Mickey Mantle.(“Grazed a Yankee!<br />My baby pitcher, Montejo!”<br />With some pedagogy,<br />you’ll be tough, premature prodigy.)<br /><br />They crowd him and curve him and aim for the knees.Trying<br />indeed!The secret implying:<br />“I can stand here, bat held steady.”<br />One may suit him;<br />none has hit him.<br />Imponderables smite him.<br />Muscle kinks, infections, spike wounds<br />require food, rest, respite from ruffians.(Drat it!<br />Celebrity costs privacy!)<br />Cow’s milk, “tiger’s milk,” soy milk, carrot juice,<br />brewer’s yeast (high-potency–<br />concentrates presage victory<br /><br />sped by Luis Arroyo, Hector Lopez–<br />deadly in a pinch.And “Yes,<br />it’s work; I want you to bear down,<br />but enjoy it<br />while you’re doing it.”<br />Mr. Houk and Mr. Sain,<br />if you have a rummage sale,<br />don’t sell Roland Sheldon or Tom Tresh.<br />Studded with stars in belt and crown,<br />the Stadium is an adastrium.<br />O flashing Orion,<br />your stars are muscled like the lion.</i>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-1935996553280040012011-03-19T12:41:00.037-04:002011-03-19T17:51:16.755-04:00A Private Audience with the King<b>The <i>WWOD?</i> Interview with King Kaufman, sportswriter and leader of the new school.</b><br /><br />Having majored in English, it was probably <a href="http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/index.html">Laura Miller's literary criticism</a> that first caused me to bookmark <a href="http://www.salon.com/">Salon.com</a> while I was in college. Then it was probably the (mostly) liberal content that kept me sporadically coming back while my United Students Against Sweatshops phase was in full bloom. Ultimately, though, it was discovering the sports content that made a daily visitor to that space for a decade. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNizybVnOeaAyaa7k8F6ClrFnIatHv6EuDVyqYyBnQMhzUaZBJE7QWcFUeevLOcmJI_DzwTQmqp-iNj1A_vfpuvmxvWs_jCk6fbZRper7vXsG5KeWKeHA8lFeJVnY1H5ytYlB39OLNeHaV/s1600/king_kaufman.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNizybVnOeaAyaa7k8F6ClrFnIatHv6EuDVyqYyBnQMhzUaZBJE7QWcFUeevLOcmJI_DzwTQmqp-iNj1A_vfpuvmxvWs_jCk6fbZRper7vXsG5KeWKeHA8lFeJVnY1H5ytYlB39OLNeHaV/s320/king_kaufman.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585833249622941474" /></a>The author of most <i>Salon</i>'s sportswriting was a columnist with the regal sobriquet King Kaufman. He was articulate, well-read, versatile and progressive. And his caricature had tattoo. Once it became apparent that he was willing, and able, to cover international soccer without the condescension that was de rigueur for virtually every other domestic columnist, well, then I was hooked. His "Sports Daily" became as much a part of my routine as tooth brushing. <br /><br />While print columnists were still reading tobacco spit Rorschachs and writing paeans to the brave men lining their pockets with our ticket money, Kaufman embraced sabermetrics and demanded that sports <del>fans</del> consumers be given the best product available, even if that meant breaking tradition. Like another Internet sports columnist gaining popularity at the same time, Kaufman provided a fan's eye view of sports. The King, perhaps appropriately, lacked the common touch that became the Sports Guy's oeuvre, but this ultimately was his strength. King wasn't merely the everyfan, rather he represented the best– or, at least, better-case fan, one who was sober, intellectually curious and possessing a sense of fair play that superseded his desire to see his team win. Most important, his insights were actually insightful in all of the ways that most of us aspire to be when we are pontificating to half-listening friends in a crowded bar while watching the NCAA Tournament or while waiting on line for the men's room at our tax-dollar built local stadium. He didn't necessarily write <i>as</i> the everyfan, but he advocated on behalf of the everyfan, and in the years before <i>Fire Joe Morgan</i>, <i>Awful Announcing</i> and <i>Deadspin</i> he was really the only one. <br /><br />Not that long ago, I learned that the King had been brought aboard at upstart open-source network <i>Bleacher Report</i> as the manager of writer development. To put it mildly, I was surprised and intrigued by the news, as <i>BR</i>'s reputation was more or less antithetical to everything that King had accomplished at <i>Salon</i>. I assumed that he must be bringing some sort of missionary zeal to a place that is largely viewed as a leper colony by other writers on the Interwebs. Rather than just assume, I sent him an email and asked. Exceedingly gracious and gregarious, the King was kind enough to talk about his recent career move and various other sporting topics. <br /><br /><i><b>WWOD:</b> Your resume sort of reads like a Modern History of Sportswriting in America, how did you go from print boxing writer to columnist at pioneering online liberal political affairs magazine?</i><br /><br /><b>King Kaufman:</b> You make it sound so sprawling. It wasn't exactly Jack London going straight from covering the “Great White Hope” fight to a gig at <i>Deadspin</i>. The leap wasn't as big as it might sound. <i>Salon</i> was founded by David Talbot, who left his job as the arts/style editor of the <i>San Francisco Examiner</i> to do it. I was a copy editor on the arts/style desk, the last in a long series of jobs I had at the paper, some in sports, some not. Talbot took some <i>Examiner</i> people with him, not including me.<br /><br />But we stayed in touch. I left the paper shortly after he did, at the start of 1996, for a job at a different dot-com, now long forgotten and with good reason. That dot-com eventually moved into the same building as <i>Salon</i>, the China Basin Building, that skyscraper on its side that's across Third Street from AT&T Park, though AT&T Park wasn't there yet. I used to park my car roughly where home plate is — for three bucks a day! Run, kids! Grandpa's tellin' stories of the old days!<br /><br />Anyway, David and my former <i>Examiner</i> mates and I — Gary Kamiya, Mignon Khargie, Scott Rosenberg and Andrew Ross — still talked. We'd run into each other on campus, as it were, and when layoffs were on the horizon at the dot-com where I worked, I literally walked about a quarter mile down that enormous hallway to <i>Salon</i> and asked David for a job. He hired me as <i>Salon</i>'s first copy editor. I was the copy chief. The chief of me.<br /><br /><i><b>WWOD:</b> Once you began <a href="http://dir.salon.com/topics/king_kaufman/">your daily column</a>, did you have any marching orders from your editors at</i> Salon<i>? Any guiding principle that you established for yourself?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> I had no marching orders. For the first few years at <i>Salon</i> I was an editor, though everyone wrote sometimes, including me. I wrote about sports and other things. For a while in 1999 or so I tried a daily sports column but it wasn't very good because I didn't have enough time to devote to it. I became a full-time writer in 2000 or '01, writing about all sorts of things, including sports.<br /><br />During the 2002 Winter Olympics I wrote just about that, and it got a great response, including a fan letter from <a href="http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/">Berkeley Breathed, the great cartoonist</a>, which I thought was really cool. So David called me up and said, "How about writing about sports all the time." I actually hesitated at first, for some reason, but when David said, "You don't have to write about golf," I went for it.<br /><br />That was the extent of my marching orders. I didn't have to write about golf. I think I wrote about golf four times in seven years. Once <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2002/11/27/woods">defending Tiger Woods when someone criticized him for not speaking up about social issues</a>, once about the controversy over letting women in to Augusta — though those two might have been one piece — and I think I might have written something about Annika Sorenstam playing with men and Michelle Wie being so young.<br /><br />I had complete freedom. The guiding principle I established for myself after a while was that this was a conversation. Blogs existed in 2002 but they weren't nearly so dominant as a format and, while it seems hard to believe now, <i>Salon</i> did not have comments at the end of its stories. We had an old-fashioned, curated, <a href="http://letters.salon.com/sports/col/kaufman/2006/02/13/monday/view/">letters to the editor column</a>.<br /><br />But I got e-mails. Lots of them. And I answered every single one. I used to say that the conversation in my in box was way better than my columns. I began lobbying then at <i>Salon</i> for us to print every letter that came in, which we finally did in the form of comments years later. But I quickly realized that what I was doing was not a one-way street, or a pronouncement from on high. It was a conversation with my readers. That's now a mainstream blogging point of view, but it wasn't then.<br /><br />I also came to think of the over-arching theme of my column as "what it's like to be a sports fan." I was writing from the point of view of a fan, or a better way to put it would be the point of view of a sports consumer, because fandom for any one team was not the view. An informed consumer who sometimes — though often not — had more access than the average, but still a consumer, a fan. My joking tagline for the column was: "Like talking to the guy on the next barstool, if the guy on the next barstool were pretty smart and not drunk." It was a joke but I meant it.<br /><br />Sometimes what it's like to be a sports fan is all about "Did you see last night's game?" Sometimes it's wrestling with the ethical issues around watching college sports given that massive corruption is not just present, but a necessary component of the system.<br /><br />That fan point of view is why I wrote a lot of what is essentially media criticism. Because most sports fans consume most sports not by attending live events, but by watching, listening, reading and — I was deficient in covering this — playing video games.<br /><br /><i><b>WWOD:</b> What's the most dramatic sporting event that you've covered in person?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> I'll tell you the first thing that popped into my mind. I was covering baseball for my college newspaper, the <i>Daily Californian</i>. It was a mid-week non-conference game between Cal and Cal State San Luis Obispo. The game didn't mean much of anything, but it was just one of those epic games. High-scoring, see-saw, extra innings, and all of this on a nasty, cold, stormy day — outlined against a blue gray October sky, if you will, only there was no blue. There were intermittent, pretty severe hail storms, which is pretty unusual in the Bay Area.<br /><br />So SLO wins in extra innings on a double by some guy, and I'll never forget his postgame quote. I asked him what was going through his mind in the key at-bat. He said, "It's cold, it's dark, I'm tired, there's snow on the field, I got a midterm tomorrow. I just wanted to get a hit and get us outta here."<br /><br />It was an early lesson in narrative and story line and drama. How we're interpreting all of that is not necessarily how it's happening on the field. And that's not a bad thing. It really was a dramatic game, for me, and my story reflected that. Being young and all, I may have referenced the Toccata and Fugue in D minor. But to the players on the field, it was all about, dang, it's cold out here.<br /><br /><i><b>WWOD:</b> In your opinion, what's the most inspired analysis you've delivered from afar?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> I'm not sure how much inspired analysis I've ever delivered. Common sense, which is not so common, well thought out and well written. I aspire to that and I'm happy when I achieve it.<br /><br />The two things that I think resonated most with readers in the years I had the column at <i>Salon</i> were my insight, illustrated through the <a href="http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/09/09/panel/index.html">“Panel o' Experts,”</a> that experts are not necessarily any smarter about sports than average fans, and my pleas, my <i>cris de couer</i>, to the television networks to, for the love of everything decent and kind in the universe, <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2004/06/14/monday/index1.html#angles">show us the damn ball</a>, or wherever the action is, rather than indulging their artistic side with creative camera angles that make other TV people go ooh and ah and leave the rest of us going, "Where's the damn ball?!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcxj629N49dVjIZkZiev-eDAan20YESrTUdna5dco1y3kLYAmiH2jz0r8K15cRFTPhNia2UwbJUQM8WHB1kFkpfuq3GF34uPw46Dcd6jMNlKS43fR-zwDKqtFvU3fvi9AVvwqFFqNbB80/s1600/PerezSports_t440.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcxj629N49dVjIZkZiev-eDAan20YESrTUdna5dco1y3kLYAmiH2jz0r8K15cRFTPhNia2UwbJUQM8WHB1kFkpfuq3GF34uPw46Dcd6jMNlKS43fR-zwDKqtFvU3fvi9AVvwqFFqNbB80/s320/PerezSports_t440.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585838293447280626" /></a><b><i>WWOD:</b> Did you ever have to explain the <a href="http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2010/03/29/top_of_the_order_neifi_perez">Neifi Index</a> to Neifi?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> No. I tried to reach him for a chapter I wrote about him in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0306818558?ie=UTF8&tag=saloncom08-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0306818558"><i>Top of the Order</i></a>, but his career was over by that time and I failed.<br /><br /><b><i>WWOD:</b> At Salon you wrote a blog called “<a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/future_of_journalism">The Future of Journalism</a>.” Well?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> I co-wrote it for most of the time it existed with <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/profiles/katharine-mieszkowski/">Katharine Mieszkowski</a>, who's twice the journalist I am on my best day. She's at the <i>Bay Citizen</i> now.<br /><br />I got interested in the subject when <i>Salon</i> dropped my column and offered me a job as an editor, which, in the midst of the crash, I was happy to take. I'd had my nose in my own work for about eight years, so when I looked around me for the first time in a long time, I was amazed at the revolution that was going on. I'd been vaguely aware, but hadn't really paid attention.<br /><br />It was kind of like when I was first introduced to sabermetrics. I couldn't get enough. I was, and am still, fascinated by the possibilities, by the pace of change, by the problems and issues that have arisen and the various ideas people have to deal with them. And, frankly, as with sabermetrics, I became fascinated by the willful ignorance and inflated self-regard of the old guard as it raged against clear reality with increasingly unhinged arguments.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xYFM-hJD_xMKdo4gpb0ip7GV7mM2TCN2UO_Azv1iSuVUPi_EWt5fLqrqFQyNzVwtsKqEJh0yqj4tm_Ou_WOuq0lhEvwzCij1BA4B3_QpiRjGjGPhBio3U-P5PCW308wivLNsBcB9g0EA/s1600/investigative_journalism.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xYFM-hJD_xMKdo4gpb0ip7GV7mM2TCN2UO_Azv1iSuVUPi_EWt5fLqrqFQyNzVwtsKqEJh0yqj4tm_Ou_WOuq0lhEvwzCij1BA4B3_QpiRjGjGPhBio3U-P5PCW308wivLNsBcB9g0EA/s320/investigative_journalism.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585839300579666642" /></a>If by "Well?" you mean what's the future of journalism, I get to paraphrase my favorite line from Mark Twain: I'm gratified to be able to answer promptly. I don't know.<br /><br />These are chaotic, revolutionary times and I don't think too many people are able to see too far into the future. Naught will change but mutability for a while. That's like the fourth high-falutin' reference in this interview. I ate my Wheaties today.<br /><br />But I will say I remain, as I was when I was working on that blog in the summer of 2009, an optimist. I believe that society has certain needs — information, watchdogs on our institutions, analysis of yesterday's game and so on — and that our society is pretty good at finding ways to fill needs like those. The ignorant, uneducated, bigoted people who were running around two centuries ago figured it out. I think we can too.<br /><br />One thing that will help is to be clear about what we're talking about. Whenever you hear someone talking about how we need to save journalism, chances are you can replace the word "journalism" with "my paying job." And while I feel for anyone who loses any job, I'd feel a lot worse about losing the important watchdog role that newspapers and other old-guard media play if they actually did a little of it once in a while.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnaSiyGcOx-r4XK8Y4clXL8Lx5CypJHGTU-5jabKmIU9tSo9QJq2EgYHCevX-MivN5j2RI4JMB5si2eWnkgLPbbols7jDyosD03usV96LIwEPnwB7WtVJuuZ2pk-vVnIh9a0E6ZU7N6_i/s1600/200px-Bleacher-report-logo.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnaSiyGcOx-r4XK8Y4clXL8Lx5CypJHGTU-5jabKmIU9tSo9QJq2EgYHCevX-MivN5j2RI4JMB5si2eWnkgLPbbols7jDyosD03usV96LIwEPnwB7WtVJuuZ2pk-vVnIh9a0E6ZU7N6_i/s320/200px-Bleacher-report-logo.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585838010499473810" /></a><i><b>WWOD:</b> Why <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/">Bleacher Report</a>?</i><br /><br /><b>King:</b> <i>Bleacher Report</i> recruited me. They approached me about this job, we talked about it, I liked what they had to say, liked the people I met, and we were able to strike a deal.<br /><br />What I like about <i>Bleacher Report</i> is it's a startup, so it has that startup energy, though I've come on a couple of years into the process. So it's not brand-new startup energy, but it's still got a new, fresh, exciting vibe to it. I really enjoyed that about the early days of <i>Salon</i>, and had come to miss it there as it inevitably dissipated over the years.<br /><br />I also like that it's doing something new, and it's smart and nimble and willing to experiment. I can't emphasize enough how smart the people at <i>Bleacher Report</i> are, and how smart I think it is as a company. It's not known for real smart content. That's one of the things I was brought in to change. But it's a really smart company, and obviously I think that someday soon it will be known as the home of smart content as at least part of what it offers.<br /><br />I feel like I'm on the front lines of what I used to call, in the blog, Future of Journalism world. Not that <i>Bleacher Report</i> is the Future of Journalism. I don't think that. But I think the model it's using is one small piece in that puzzle.<br /><br /><i><b>WWOD:</b> How has the reception been at <i>BR</i>? From the writers that you are attempting to mentor? And from your friends and peers?</i><br /><br />The reception has been great, and kind of surprising in some ways. When we first announced that I was hiring on, I thought I was going to get roasted as, I don't know, a sellout or something, sacrificing my standards to go to work at this horrible evil content farm that strangles puppies or whatever. Because that seemed to be the attitude toward Bleacher Report of a lot of people I knew — or "knew," in that online, virtual-only sense.<br /><br />But it wasn't like that. It caused a little ripple in the circles I move in, but it wasn't negative at all. It was raised eyebrows, certainly, but the reaction was more like: "This is interesting. I'm eager to see how this plays out." Several people said, or tweeted, that they were going to have to give Bleacher Report another look, which is great. All we can ever ask of people is to judge us based on what we're doing now, not based on what you saw in the past.<br /><br />Within Bleacher Report, of course my co-workers in the office were very welcoming, which I expected. But I didn't know what the reaction from the writer community would be. I was coming in under the banner of "This guy's going to improve the quality of the writing." And right away I set to work on a couple of tasks, creating educational materials and directly critiquing some of Bleacher Report's top writers. I thought I might get a reaction like "Who's this guy to tell me? I've got a million page views. I'm doing just fine, thank you very much."<br /><br />I haven't gotten a whiff of that. The writers mostly seem to be interested in what I have to say and grateful to have the feedback. A lot of them are eager, hungry to improve their writing. They say things like "Fire away, I can take it. I just want to get better at this and make my living at it."<br /><br />Now, some people don't say anything, and for all I know every one of them is thinking, "Who's this guy to tell me? I've got a million page views. I'm doing just fine, thank you very much." But nobody has said that.<br /><br /><i><B>WWOD:</b> Who is your top upset pick in the NCAA tournament?</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQcTuDvinZlsPjZY9xs5tKBG4wXUR4LG9UZB-r8xirBVIrO4QGCdIuqxPehr0XV4j_xJfqBufB8PEKqxKXMNCtbiMH3zMDfVhG5zBgoC1PP_niaq7hWyylx-FFxBHg-67QOu24lrUqRLb/s1600/ap-9eafc19d6ff9450bb181391bd8c99a1e.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQcTuDvinZlsPjZY9xs5tKBG4wXUR4LG9UZB-r8xirBVIrO4QGCdIuqxPehr0XV4j_xJfqBufB8PEKqxKXMNCtbiMH3zMDfVhG5zBgoC1PP_niaq7hWyylx-FFxBHg-67QOu24lrUqRLb/s320/ap-9eafc19d6ff9450bb181391bd8c99a1e.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585839661093390706" /></a><b>King:</b> Northern Colorado, my new favorite 15-seed. Coach B.J. Hill wrote a Guest Column for <i>Bleacher Report</i> — our first — about life as a potential Cinderella, which is to say life as an underdog. It was really good. My California Golden Bears aren't in the tournament, again, so I'm hoping to bandwagon on to the Northern Colorado Bears all the way to the Final Four.<br /><br />Now, being a realist, and knowing that that game is tipping off mere hours after I send this to you, I'll tell you that in my bracket, the lowest seeds I have going the farthest are St. Johns and Georgetown, both No. 6's that I have going to the Sweet 16 — and that that is based on absolutely nothing. My NCAA Tournament brackets are always based on a pretty solid foundation of ignorance, but this year more than ever.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-64196804629559402362011-03-18T11:10:00.033-04:002011-03-19T12:25:33.577-04:00T.G.I. Friday Games<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDaH_QCna8zwF8QjhLqYPzVky7ez8hi7VbanKRLX7Iwl14PsD7tFkw-jXXZImhmHdqpW6sqLH8o-Z-r73mJ9UdGeR_FZIYhL3_3ezDg9slTJbCSgL58D-uEpUs14VStOUKFP6VPZnecOj/s1600/Longhorn-m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDaH_QCna8zwF8QjhLqYPzVky7ez8hi7VbanKRLX7Iwl14PsD7tFkw-jXXZImhmHdqpW6sqLH8o-Z-r73mJ9UdGeR_FZIYhL3_3ezDg9slTJbCSgL58D-uEpUs14VStOUKFP6VPZnecOj/s320/Longhorn-m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585446495885173986" /></a><b>No. 4 Texas Longhorns<br />27-7, 13-3 Big 12<br />vs. <br />No. 13 Oakland Grizzlies<br />25-9, 17-1 Summit<br /><br />West Region<br />Bank of Oklahoma Center<br />Tulsa, OK<br />12:15 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Texas -10<br />Over/Under: 154<br /><br />It's not really that long ago, that Texas looked a likely candidate for the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Dance. The Longhorns opened the season at a scorching 23-3, boasting wins over UNC and Kansas. Through Valentine's Day, Coach Rick Barnes' team had only lost Pittsburgh (by a bucket), USC (rocked, actually) and UConn (by a point in OT). But since then they've scuffled to a 5-4 mark. Those struggles combined with the presence of senior Oakland center Keith Benson make this a popular upset pick. <br /><br />Standing at a muscular 6-11, Benson is the most impressive player in this game. He averages 18 points, 10 boards and more than 3.5 blocks per game. He's as close as Oakland may ever get to having an actual grizzly in the lineup. In his team's marquee win at Tennessee, Benson went for 26 and 10 with two blocks, he even dropped in a pair of three pointers. Against Oral Roberts in the championship game of the Summit League Tournament, Benson went 10 for 17 for the field and 8 of 12 from the line to score 28. He grabbed 14 boards, doled out 4 assists and blocked 3 shots while playing 38 out of 40 minutes. He is in full bloom and has the skills and the senior drive to lift his team over the Longhorns. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: Although I'd more often than not advance the Longhorns in my brackets, I'd be looking for a favorite that I thought would cover and parlay or tease that result with the underdog Oakland squad in this game. If I could tease UNC down to 11.5 and get Oakland up to 16 then I'd feel pretty good about winning that bet. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Texas<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Oakland<br />Nate Silver/538: Texas (84%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Davis: Oakland<br />Bill Simmons: Oakland<br />WWOD?: Texas<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupKb8xdcRLOgbucDo4fO_QTBKxMPQCxa8SGOJlcVU2Uu5NM-9D5ELZngZoZ4VNY5TFKyotJAYbkAgLzsQ4Ri4R0Py4GI0mIhgH7cFhByELF-iK1J2q-1EaHZ9YMU3C8R4L5QOBDiYyYl-/s1600/album-volunteers.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupKb8xdcRLOgbucDo4fO_QTBKxMPQCxa8SGOJlcVU2Uu5NM-9D5ELZngZoZ4VNY5TFKyotJAYbkAgLzsQ4Ri4R0Py4GI0mIhgH7cFhByELF-iK1J2q-1EaHZ9YMU3C8R4L5QOBDiYyYl-/s320/album-volunteers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585455680333729410" /></a><b>No. 8 Michigan Wolverines<br />20-13, 9-9 Big Ten<br />vs.<br />No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers<br />19-14, 8-8 SEC<br /><br />West Region<br />Time Warner Cable Arena<br />Charlotte, NC<br />12:40 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Tennessee -2<br />Over/Under: 127.5<br /><br />For the past few seasons, I've felt like red-faced and manic coach Bruce Pearl was a strength of the Volunteers. Well, him and Wayne Chism's headband. But, that does not seem to be the case any longer. The tangerine bespoke suits have been covering up various NCAA rules violations. And when those were exposed, Pearl attempted to cover them up with lies. As always, the lying has done far more damage than the initial infractions themselves. The Tennessee AD looks poised to sack him once the season is out and turmoil is the order of the day in Knoxville.<br /><br />Like any program accused of recruiting violations, though, the Vols have loads of talent. 6-foot--8 freshman forward Tobias Harris is from Dix Hills, NY and is an absolute beast for the Vols, averaging 15 and 7. Selected All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches, Harris is a bona fide first-round prospect.<br /><br />With another freshman, point guard Tim Hardaway. Jr., leading the charge, the Wolverines have been playing better lately, going 9-4 since late January. Still, their top wins came over Michigan State (twice), Penn State (twice) and Clemson whereas Tennessee has taken down Belmont (twice), Villanova, Pitt, Memphis and Vandy (twice). No matter how exciting Hardaway may be and how much I love point guards, I'm going to go with the SEC school that played a lot of Big East teams over the Big Ten team that swept Penn State. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama:Michigan<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Tennessee<br />Nate Silver/538: Tennessee (57%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Michigan<br />Dan Shanoff: Tennessee<br />WWOD?: Tennessee<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbvxx7G0N09V27Ejm2PKB0etxPR5HklKBDZEcutUwJDFr5zZluwDC93BV2av3BQWoWXnwLVjm6qyTaWW6EkmHpfoDPH7Dx1zhA6yD1RxtaSzmEKGQ2SVFZmRdO9oQrti99oIe_KCAFDFD/s1600/leprechaun.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbvxx7G0N09V27Ejm2PKB0etxPR5HklKBDZEcutUwJDFr5zZluwDC93BV2av3BQWoWXnwLVjm6qyTaWW6EkmHpfoDPH7Dx1zhA6yD1RxtaSzmEKGQ2SVFZmRdO9oQrti99oIe_KCAFDFD/s320/leprechaun.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585478371824927298" /></a><b>No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish<br />26-6, 14-4 Big East<br />vs. <br />No. 15 Akron Zips<br />23-12, 9-7 MAC<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />United Center<br />Chicago, IL<br />1:40 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: ND -14<br />Over/Under: 135.5<br /><br />The number that interests me the most about No. 2 seeded Notre Dame isn't 3 (the number of players on the roster shooting better than 42% from three) or 10 (their national rank in assists per game). It's 77,500. That's the number of dollars that the state of Indiana fined the ND for safety violations that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old student Declan Sullivan, who was killed in a fall from a hydraulic scissor lift while videotaping football practice for the coaching staff. Despite winds of 53 mph in the area, the coaches didn't want to move practice indoors. About an hour before his death, Sullivan tweeted: “Gusts of wind up to 60 mph today will be fun at work … I guess I’ve lived long enough,” he wrote.<br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: ND<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: ND<br />Nate Silver/538: ND (91%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: ND<br />WWOD?: ND<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAb9DMcqsYzRj_VC7ZLyw8rftr4BoeMvIS9fw5jQUtsIXiA-Tf0rixXlY9w1F5vYxKRRqxU1cLHc9ovzxBYyv6JBNZJ5e2x8SztXh8dLJg8YHTVQPl7fAi-QEHts0130dOznxy1BrTVVi/s1600/jay-wright-villanova.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAb9DMcqsYzRj_VC7ZLyw8rftr4BoeMvIS9fw5jQUtsIXiA-Tf0rixXlY9w1F5vYxKRRqxU1cLHc9ovzxBYyv6JBNZJ5e2x8SztXh8dLJg8YHTVQPl7fAi-QEHts0130dOznxy1BrTVVi/s320/jay-wright-villanova.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585484160466994578" /></a><b>No. 8 George Mason Patriots <br />26-6, 16-2 CAA<br />vs. <br />No. 9 Villanova Wildcats<br />21-11, 9-9 Big East<br /><br />East Region<br />Quicken Loans Arena<br />Cleveland, OH<br />2:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Villanova -1<br />Over/Under: 135<br /><br />I just don't like the look of Villanova coach Jay Wright. For as long as I've been aware of him, I've disliked him. His smug face and his slick hair and his self-righteousness. All of it. Which is weird. Because I usually like those characteristics in a coach (see: Pearl, Calipari, Pitino). Nova is one of the most enigmatic teams in the field. They were a juggernaut early, exploding out the gate to a 16-1 start. But they flailed and failed down stretch, losing seven of their last nine, including five on the trot heading into this afternoon. So, it's hard to be to confident. <br /><br />On the other side, the Patriots can score. They averaged 73.3 per game this season and their. 474 field goal percentage was 18th best in the nation. I worry, though, because this team didn't play any Big East clubs this season and lost to NC State, the only ACC school on the schedule. They did sweep conferencemates Old Dominion and split with VCU. <br /><br />Due to the aforementioned Wright issues, I'll be rooting for George Mason to advance, but I have a hard time believing that the team that ranked 167th in rebounds per game (while playing a style that results in a lot of shots) is going to be able to withstand the physical test of playing a talented, albeit mercurial, Big East squad. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: George Mason<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: George Mason<br />Nate Silver/538: Villanova (61%)<br />Conan O'Brien: Villanova<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: George Mason<br />WWOD?: Villanova<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48gAr8vYZ8quEtWK1xtkhJjPQmOrZBzqHtzMLIohyphenhyphenAlzK1ljL8jUC9PcJW1AHEGiNzdnnaXHJTaccn6BaFtVKrKtNytb-KQo053Ej2277h4A9Xdm-4pvStAQHsRnT4m0HJ3c0hRSBLE4Z/s1600/0407_large.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48gAr8vYZ8quEtWK1xtkhJjPQmOrZBzqHtzMLIohyphenhyphenAlzK1ljL8jUC9PcJW1AHEGiNzdnnaXHJTaccn6BaFtVKrKtNytb-KQo053Ej2277h4A9Xdm-4pvStAQHsRnT4m0HJ3c0hRSBLE4Z/s320/0407_large.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585487814082338370" /></a><b>No. 5 Arizona Hoopcats<br />27-7, 14-4 Pac 10<br />vs. <br />No. 12 Memphis Tigers<br />25-9, 10-6 C-USA<br /><br />West Region<br />Bank of Oklahoma Center<br />Tulsa, OK<br />2:45 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Arizona -5.5<br />Over/Under: 139.5<br /><br />When the most compelling case that sportswriters can make for your team's chances is that your <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110314/SPORTS06/103140318/Memphis-coach-gets-alma-mater-Arizona-NCAA-Tournament">young head coach rode the bench as a player several years ago for your favored opponent</a> then I'm not interested in wagering on you. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Arizona<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Arizona<br />Nate Silver/538: Arizona (67%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Stewart Mandel: Arizona<br />WWOD?: Hoopcats<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu79Qgd_ToNZiFpHddce7l7GDbjaodggfhAmPmFdSIbfWSzEq7uYhyphenhyphenytnGmh4TuZTmDX7N9V316qNMQ8PcF3mPs22CNsaAjcpGMSRgeT82eAR2bInsDvt70x6EQ7Rs3RuK5HaUHazAhWGu/s1600/krz0-022.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu79Qgd_ToNZiFpHddce7l7GDbjaodggfhAmPmFdSIbfWSzEq7uYhyphenhyphenytnGmh4TuZTmDX7N9V316qNMQ8PcF3mPs22CNsaAjcpGMSRgeT82eAR2bInsDvt70x6EQ7Rs3RuK5HaUHazAhWGu/s320/krz0-022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585496793195256546" /></a><b>No. 1 Duke Blue Devils<br />30-4, 13-3 ACC<br />vs. <br />No. 16 Hampton Pirates<br />24-8, 11-5 MEAC<br /><br />East Region<br />Time Warner Cable Arena<br />Charlotte, NC<br />3:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Duke -23<br />Over/Under: 134.5<br /><br />I believed in NYC-schooled point guard Jamal Tinsley and thought that he had his Iowa State Cyclones whirling and wrecking their way to the Final Four in 2001. It was Tinsley's senior year and he was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. In Rucker Park, he was also known as Mel Mel the Abuser. My bracket was filled accordingly. I made my picks <i>around</i> Iowa State, choosing upsets elsewhere to create a path of least resistance for them. This seemed incredibly foolish when they were upset in the first round by Hampton, a place that until then I'd only thought of in terms of Phish concerts. It was just the fourth time that a No. 15 seed every toppled a No. 2. <br /><br />Odds are long that Hampton will become the first No. 16 <i>ever</i> to topple a No. 1 today when they tip off against Duke, especially when considering the news that highly-rated freshman point guard Kyrie Irving is returning from an injury that kept him sidelined for most of the season. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CPP7pf2Ng3s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Born in Elizabeth, NJ, Irving is a dark-skinned Dukie that even Jalen Rose can appreciate. Yet his presence is perhaps the only thing that could help the Pirates. Perhaps Duke will be thrown off their game by reincorporating him into the rotation. Perhaps Nolan Smith would not like being moved back off the ball. Or, perhaps, I just spent more time writing this game capsule than any of us will actually watching this game. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Duke<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Duke<br />Nate Silver/538: Duke (91%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Stewart Mandel: Duke<br />WWOD?: Coach Kommercial<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhPrFl-07YV9rO8vndcy3iXSJl9E62vvy5SZHnJlUgKIYJ8zEBSqf1DrAeo1w0c9ZPwmVgWbnov3N-QTs-p4R126s3CyxCDPpL3pqTPBGIJ2FUAl2qX8Onxr7TczMM01RiIgMDI3eX530/s1600/toneyd.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhPrFl-07YV9rO8vndcy3iXSJl9E62vvy5SZHnJlUgKIYJ8zEBSqf1DrAeo1w0c9ZPwmVgWbnov3N-QTs-p4R126s3CyxCDPpL3pqTPBGIJ2FUAl2qX8Onxr7TczMM01RiIgMDI3eX530/s320/toneyd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585509607483160754" /></a><b>No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies<br />24-8, 10-6 Big 12<br />vs. <br />No. 10 Florida State Seminoles<br />21-10, 11-5 ACC<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />United Center<br />Chicago, IL<br />4:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Texas A&M -1<br />Over/Under: 122<br /><br />Boston College beat Texas A&M. Boston College lost to Florida State. Ipso facto Florida State should beat Texas A&M. It's elementary, my dear Lunardi. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: This game has the second lowest Over/Under of anything on today's schedule. So fasten your seat belts. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Florida State<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Florida State<br />Nate Silver/538: Florida State (56%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Texas A&M<br />WWOD?: Whomever Toney Douglas is rooting for.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGnOtGD8_PdTmO_httE5Mke1T7OTmvuKUWQAvSoL2YanHALwwDqazvO694jk9-HoTK8zMrWOUKJPmVXiRvUhdxRznnMoR3XdoAq0Gz9pLBX1oxyW0ycNySEX2VW_78UYB_xy1uYMtjXQX/s1600/osumarch.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGnOtGD8_PdTmO_httE5Mke1T7OTmvuKUWQAvSoL2YanHALwwDqazvO694jk9-HoTK8zMrWOUKJPmVXiRvUhdxRznnMoR3XdoAq0Gz9pLBX1oxyW0ycNySEX2VW_78UYB_xy1uYMtjXQX/s320/osumarch.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585525982333751058" /></a><b>No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes <br />32-2, 16-2 Big Ten<br />vs. <br />UT-San Antonio Roadrunners<br />20-13, 9-7 Houston<br /><br />East Region<br />Quicken Loans Arena<br />Cleveland, OH<br />4:40 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Obviously, I've spent thousands or words and nearly as many at-work minutes making all of this NCAA stuff impenetrably complicated (and hopefully interesting), but sometimes you don't need to overthink these games. Ohio State is the best team in the country. UTSA isn't even the best school in the University of Texas family. Not even close. By the end, these roadrunners may be looking more like Wile. E. Coyote.<br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Ohio State<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Ohio State<br />Nate Silver/538: Ohio State (99.7%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Ohio State<br />WWOD?: Ohio State<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCp9G4ypdMnpH-UmI2H4l1MMO4-sF8gNvuggc7fLgP6Rl8JozybG-pUCDakgDYxMK_DsdN213KOVtlqPwOviOiTa7nz8EiHkYyseurneM8h6OicTtV1kax7qhjFezsjv10KiaNzrtVeq2/s1600/KU_basketball_womens_tats_sourceunknown_456_101008.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCp9G4ypdMnpH-UmI2H4l1MMO4-sF8gNvuggc7fLgP6Rl8JozybG-pUCDakgDYxMK_DsdN213KOVtlqPwOviOiTa7nz8EiHkYyseurneM8h6OicTtV1kax7qhjFezsjv10KiaNzrtVeq2/s320/KU_basketball_womens_tats_sourceunknown_456_101008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585533479351026290" /></a><b>No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks<br />32-2, 14-2 Big 12<br />vs <br />No. 16 Boston University Terriers<br />21-13, 12-4 Am East<br /><br />Southwest Region <br />Bank of Oklahoma Center<br />Tulsa, OK<br />6:50 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Kansas -22.5<br />Over/Under: 136<br /><br />If this were a hockey game then I'd be going BU all the way. But it's hoops, so see Ohio State entry. Rock. Chalk. Jayhawk. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Kansas<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Kansas<br />Nate Silver/538: Kansas (79%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Kansas<br />WWOD?: Kansas<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5AzWBkoE_WJcGIy_FS11WQEDFRSUMNLMXKSr5lp4f82wK0d_GBCPv6kf2ZSB-GwdbSbJrUeoxd-bXUbyTsraw4pT-KyvwRJIWQW_FgPXId-9XM6O8cxVy-mbkZ1kfoKQEIqiFnG9gwus/s1600/Tar+Heels.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5AzWBkoE_WJcGIy_FS11WQEDFRSUMNLMXKSr5lp4f82wK0d_GBCPv6kf2ZSB-GwdbSbJrUeoxd-bXUbyTsraw4pT-KyvwRJIWQW_FgPXId-9XM6O8cxVy-mbkZ1kfoKQEIqiFnG9gwus/s200/Tar+Heels.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585555315054269298" /></a><b>No. 2 UNC Tar Heels<br />26-7, 14-2 ACC<br />vs. No. 15 Long Island University Blackbirds<br />27-5, 16-2 NEC<br />East Region<br />Time Warner Cable Arena<br />Charlotte, NC<br />7:15 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: UNC -17.5<br />Over/Under: 158.5<br /><br /><object width="512" height="288"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/edp/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zimbio.com%2Fwatch%2F5bs9JHMagw7%2FNCAA%20Tournament%20Long%20Island%20University%2FLate%20Night%20with%20Jimmy%20Fallon/embed/TiBFzMClWMWOyIUEoRnQpQ"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/edp/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zimbio.com%2Fwatch%2F5bs9JHMagw7%2FNCAA%20Tournament%20Long%20Island%20University%2FLate%20Night%20with%20Jimmy%20Fallon/embed/TiBFzMClWMWOyIUEoRnQpQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="288" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object><br /><br />Jimmy Fallon picked LIU. Your argument is invalid. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: UNC<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: UNC<br />Nate Silver/538: UNC (93%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: UNC<br />WWOD?: UNC<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn4-I3GG7fiD62jZEIjX9PN1OS__FniWvnL-Sy0eqd3fPUNnWnQt2Ch2sxvb1-oTpMpWwgZzaxpwrkDqTRUmuX14QzGBhrcDnJayNkrlC01ml3MT2_EbF0EKKt7jBDPywU8ZVlQ6Mj8G4/s1600/fw-right-place-right-time.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn4-I3GG7fiD62jZEIjX9PN1OS__FniWvnL-Sy0eqd3fPUNnWnQt2Ch2sxvb1-oTpMpWwgZzaxpwrkDqTRUmuX14QzGBhrcDnJayNkrlC01ml3MT2_EbF0EKKt7jBDPywU8ZVlQ6Mj8G4/s200/fw-right-place-right-time.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585575054735284930" /></a><b>No. 3 Purdue Boilermarkers<br />25-7, 14-4 Big Ten<br />vs. <br />No. 14 St. Peter's Peacocks<br />20-13, 11-7 MAAC<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />United Center<br />Chicago, IL<br />7:20 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread:Purdue -14.5<br />Over/Under: 120<br /><br />A boilermaker is a beverage composed of a glass of beer and a shot of whisky. Sea Bass digs them. A peacock is made from banana liqueur, blue curacao, melon liqueur, peach schnapps and chambord. <br /><br />Despite, this overwhelming advantage to Purdue, as a Jersey City resident, I'm pulling for St. Peter's mostly just to go try to be the random bearded 30-year-old at the college celebration party gassing cigarettes and pulling off a flask. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Purdue<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Purdue<br />Nate Silver/538: Purdue (93%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Purdue<br />WWOD?: Purdue<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H17KnHGkKsrPPJwXG-LWEmqx6zs3q3EDJYiXKTOVpjeFFpX0RouWiZsI967LdsWqE8hWRdpV3qJV9hbY8SXyjtHna2zF_rb5PUd37e6_7MtlL68ulmvvyFvilDys6hJK1jZJsF5ccR1R/s1600/the-three-musketeers.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0H17KnHGkKsrPPJwXG-LWEmqx6zs3q3EDJYiXKTOVpjeFFpX0RouWiZsI967LdsWqE8hWRdpV3qJV9hbY8SXyjtHna2zF_rb5PUd37e6_7MtlL68ulmvvyFvilDys6hJK1jZJsF5ccR1R/s320/the-three-musketeers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585583556018970802" /></a><b>No. 6 Xavier Muskateers<br />24-7, 15-1 A10<br />vs.<br />No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles<br />20-14, 9-9 Big East<br /><br />East Region<br />Quicken Loans Arena<br />Cleveland, OH<br />7:50 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Xavier -2<br />Over/Under: 140.5<br /><br />There are two midmajors that aren't. One is Gonzaga. The other is Xavier. The muskateers are regulars in the tournament. They've been so often that their glass slippers have lead toes and are made by Timberland. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Marquette<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Marquette<br />Nate Silver/538: Xavier (52%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Xavier<br />WWOD?: Xavier<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMOyvTRv2AYlSn4cfTfBfOrQgJsbxUxrlU5y90Om9ivw6p6-T3sbelqAjP6kSED63llx5oozmTXvhwUAoKm-0YEfNzNGRJwiqWez5MgrbUisHJJTXadmOgjlW8wVwms4a1VR6Ar6ch_3X/s1600/illini_lg.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMOyvTRv2AYlSn4cfTfBfOrQgJsbxUxrlU5y90Om9ivw6p6-T3sbelqAjP6kSED63llx5oozmTXvhwUAoKm-0YEfNzNGRJwiqWez5MgrbUisHJJTXadmOgjlW8wVwms4a1VR6Ar6ch_3X/s320/illini_lg.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585608414545403730" /></a><b>No. 8 UNLV Runnin' Rebels<br />24-8, 11-5 MWC<br />vs.<br />No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini<br />19-13, 9-9 Big Ten<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />Bank of Oklahoma Center<br />Tulsa, OK<br />9:17 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: UNLV -2.5<br />Over/Under: 132.5<br /><br />With so much attention being paid to ESPN's Fab Five documentary, HBO's documentary on the Johnson-Anthony-Augmon Runnin' Rebs has garnered little notice. I don't think this game changes that. Five of UNLV's eight losses came to San Diego State or BYU, which is very impressive. The problem is their wins. Yeah, they did beat Wisconsin and K-State but no one else of note. Led by senior guard Demetri McCamey, Illinois vanquished UNC, Gonzaga, Oakland, Michigan State, Michigan while taking Texas to overtime and narrowing losing to Ohio State once (and being rolled the other time). They also beat Wisconsin. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PjgPfFjPsio" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Illinois<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: UNLV<br />Nate Silver/538: Illini (59%)<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: UNLV<br />WWOD?: Illinois<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N9mb9tXDcS79DYm_8419AO3hVs4GVfB2tGGhtjVaepoY4yt45575FbCQm6Ob-QCoWW3CHCY6wnIWTJ3yhFGwOLo8AODZ-fQf25pasRavOMLQEU3dVwK_RBq6W6Tnxthb10yWIOEfCdTn/s1600/16duke_lg.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N9mb9tXDcS79DYm_8419AO3hVs4GVfB2tGGhtjVaepoY4yt45575FbCQm6Ob-QCoWW3CHCY6wnIWTJ3yhFGwOLo8AODZ-fQf25pasRavOMLQEU3dVwK_RBq6W6Tnxthb10yWIOEfCdTn/s320/16duke_lg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585792412975066322" /></a><b>No. 6 Georgetown Hoyas<br />21-10, 10-8 Big East<br />vs. <br />No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth Rams<br />24-11, 12-6 CAA<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />United Center<br />Chicago, IL<br />9:55 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Georgetown -5<br />Over/Under: 134<br /><br />This game taking place just one day after <a href="http://whatwouldoakleydo.blogspot.com/2011/03/happy-st-patricks-day.html">St. Patrick's Day</a> would <i>seem</i> to bode well for the Hoyas. That the Rams had to play the USC Trojans two days before the commemoration of St. Patrick riding the snakes from the Garden would also <i>seem</i> to favor the favorite. <br /><br />Yet, Georgetown isn't exactly what they <i>seem</i> to be. With senior guard Chris Wright sidelined with a broken hand since late February, the Hoyas have dropped five straight games heading into the tournament. Before Wright went down, Georgetown had knocked off five ranked teams and was 21-6. Since then, though, they've lost to Cincinnati twice as part of that losing streak. Wright was injured in the first loss to the Bobcats and his team floundered, managing just 46 points. In the next meeting two weeks later, Cincy rocked the Hoyas by 22.<br /><br />In the last game the Hoyas won, Wright scored 26 points while contributing 3 boards, 4 assists and 1 steal. It was a much-needed bounceback win over South Florida, coming right after a tough loss to UConn. Wright was the guy that lifted the team when it needed lifting and tellingly injured himself diving to the floor for a loose ball. Without him they have been rudderless. Even worse, they were meek. <br /><br />If this team had struggled <i>with</i> Wright down the stretch or even managed to split with Cincy without him then the Hoyas would be the pick here. Even without Wright, the Hoyas are more talented than the Bobcats. It really is telling to me that they lost to them twice in a short span of time. Sort of like the Knicks dropping pairs to the Pacers and Cavs in short order. These things are revealing about a team's fortitude. <br /><br />The good news for the Hoyas is that Wright is supposed to play tonight. How he'll play remains to be seen, but he should be one the floor. But, this isn't Kyrie Irving returning to play a reserve role on a team hitting on all cylinders and on the fast track to the Final Four. This is a sputtering team time trying to switch drivers will stalling out in the breakdown lane. I think Wright helps but not enough to derail a VCU team already humming. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Georgetown<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Georgetown<br /><i>SI</i>'s Stewart Mandel: USC (who lost to VCU in play-in game)<br />Conan O'Brien: Georgetown<br />WWOD?: VCU<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHiE0bpSmWb-M9jqSQIN_nvQJOHFHQ8eqCP-Dm-mWvYwUF7AO-03x2mQ6ULGGGRco_-b7Svq829FlcjzsImLrZQLuPoSGXEuu510fsLudk9heGrZGU2mZH5wbJ7-PIh7pjGqcVcq-GWOs/s1600/ncf_g_applecup02_600.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHiE0bpSmWb-M9jqSQIN_nvQJOHFHQ8eqCP-Dm-mWvYwUF7AO-03x2mQ6ULGGGRco_-b7Svq829FlcjzsImLrZQLuPoSGXEuu510fsLudk9heGrZGU2mZH5wbJ7-PIh7pjGqcVcq-GWOs/s320/ncf_g_applecup02_600.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585809053415458946" /></a><b>No. 7 Washington Huskies<br />24-10, 11-7 Pac 10<br />vs. <br />No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs<br />21-12, 9-7 SEC<br /><br />East Region<br />Time Warner Cable Arena<br />Charlotte, NC<br />10:08 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Washington -5<br />Over/Under: 140<br /><br />It sends an icy chill down my spine whenever I hear that name. Thankfully most sportscasters, at least around here, are aware enough of the PTSD rampant among hoops fans to make clear that they're not taking about <i>that</i> Isiah Thomas when they're taking about Washington's Isaiah Thomas. This other diminutive Thomas spells his name like the Old Testament prophet and not like the egomaniacal hoops star turned ruiner of franchises and minor leagues. <br /><br />Not much taller than Nate Robinson, who starred in a Huskies' run to the Sweet Sixteen, Thomas knocked down a stepback winner at the buzzer in the finals of the Pac 10 tournament. The junior dynamo is a gamebreaker who can score and distribute, and he has the scoring talent and charismatic confidence to upset UNC in the next round all on his own. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VlcJbATdMfA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Washington<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Washington<br /><i>SI</i>'s Stewart Mandel: Washington<br />Bill Simmons: Washington<br />WWOD?: Kemba West<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-sNWYV2EQEtErUVloYtYNfPbOoG1hCb4TqFVCE9_GWV8fyAfuuUATJBDZWNgkPhYMhnDGmEMTD8zphX_aMZQLzma39wlAu4osOngdA6FjXZdKtcSUZfmnYCDG9wktXzrmyfOQ_4cA8Ev/s1600/angry-orange.thumbnail.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-sNWYV2EQEtErUVloYtYNfPbOoG1hCb4TqFVCE9_GWV8fyAfuuUATJBDZWNgkPhYMhnDGmEMTD8zphX_aMZQLzma39wlAu4osOngdA6FjXZdKtcSUZfmnYCDG9wktXzrmyfOQ_4cA8Ev/s320/angry-orange.thumbnail.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585822556506169362" /></a><b>No. 3 Syracuse Orange<br />27-7, 12-6 Big East<br />vs. <br />No. 14 Indiana State Sycamores<br />20-14, 12-6 MVC<br /><br />East Region<br />Quicken Loans Arena<br />Cleveland, OH<br />10:30 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Syracuse -12<br />Over/Under: 129.5<br /><br />It's true that Larry Bird played college basketball for Indiana State. He was a 6-9 forward. In their last came, an upset over Missouri State that earned them a bid in the Dance, the Sycamores started players with heights of 6-5, 6-8, 6-4, 6-3 and 6-4 while getting key contributions off the bench from guys listed at 6-6, 6-4 and 6-2. The Orange, meanwhile, start dudes listed at 6-9, 6-7, 6-10, 6-2 and 6-4 while bringing in reinforcements measured at 6-4, 6-8 and 7 feet. In this case a bunch or Oranges are going to tower over the Sycamores. <br /><br /><u>Picks</u><br />President Obama: Syracuse<br />ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Syracuse<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Syracuse<br />Bill Simmons: Syracuse<br />WWOD?: SyracuseWWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-78598262769963360342011-03-17T09:30:00.053-04:002011-03-17T23:37:29.706-04:00Pencils Down, Brackets to the Front of the Pool<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHNiJgFCCehBWmS3ZL0KbakbdDGuecPzit6CmW5t2w3wVmju65S5qIR_VO7FFMDuppRUDvA-WcP2XvVPYB5L-A32ufEXDigvNmymzq8PNax2zUFV3SM1yRoPbWTfVfid35qGHSozC7vom/s1600/PittsnogledFrontL.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHNiJgFCCehBWmS3ZL0KbakbdDGuecPzit6CmW5t2w3wVmju65S5qIR_VO7FFMDuppRUDvA-WcP2XvVPYB5L-A32ufEXDigvNmymzq8PNax2zUFV3SM1yRoPbWTfVfid35qGHSozC7vom/s320/PittsnogledFrontL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585044502886640226" /></a><b>No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers<br />20-11, 11-7 Big East</b><br />vs<br /><b>No. 12 Clemson Tigers<br />22-11, 9-7 ACC<br /><br />East Region<br />St. Pete Times Forum<br />Tampa, FL<br />12:15 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />To kick things off, we've got two stout but flawed teams from power conferences going at it. Both play solid defense, allowing less than 65 points per game. Clemson is coming off a win over UAB on Tuesday night in Dayton while West Virginia last played on March 9, when they squandered a sizeable first-half lead to Marquette in the Big East Tournament. After Clemson's play-in win they had to fly to Florida. They didn't hit their hotel until nearly sun-up on Wednesday and are tipping off just after noontime on Thursday. If scrappy WVU guard Joe Mazzula - who got some national ink last season for playing well with a shoulder injury in the tournament - can get the Mountaineers off to a fast start then I think the physical toll of playing in the so-called "First Four" will start to show on Clemson. And even if Clemson comes in with the momentum after winning its first NCAA game in 14 years, I'd give WVU the edge down the stretch for having played in the better conference during the regular season. Moreover, Clemson's 3-7 road record doesn't give me much confidence that they're going to reel off another neutral site win under these circumstances. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: Yup, it's <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/03/16/ncaa-tournament-12-5/index.html?eref=sihp">the 5/12 matchup that has historically produced so many upsets</a>. I tend to think that the archetypal 5/12 matchup features an under-seeded mid-major and an over-seeded team from a power conference. That is not the case here, with an ACC and a Big East school. Nevertheless, in a bracket pool that rewards upsets it might be worth considering picking all the 12 seeds. <br /><br />Point Spread: WVU -2<br />Over/Under: 123.5<br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: WVU<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Clemson<br />SI's Luke Winn: Clemson<br />Dan Shanoff: WVU<br />Conan O'Brien: WVU<br />Nate Silver/538: WVU (55%)<br />WWOD?: West Virginia<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNEmvVcicxU4edtmBJQNu6C48fvupBFVLod8J97XeQerMZNBSU6-M2zUTn4KcuU8SZXPbwqf1SLEE9FBhBGFEmUvODNXwkOIcCXOMRaEmAK0pK2QQp1fY22OH6MZc2-j80ySVTZXt_7g8/s1600/ODUMagazines.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinNEmvVcicxU4edtmBJQNu6C48fvupBFVLod8J97XeQerMZNBSU6-M2zUTn4KcuU8SZXPbwqf1SLEE9FBhBGFEmUvODNXwkOIcCXOMRaEmAK0pK2QQp1fY22OH6MZc2-j80ySVTZXt_7g8/s320/ODUMagazines.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585066635949273730" /></a><b>No. 8 Butler Bulldogs<br />23-9, 13-5 Horizon<br />vs<br />No. 9 Old Dominion Monarchs<br />27-6, 14-4 CAA<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />Verizon Center<br />Washington, D.C.<br />12:40 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Last year's Final Final darlings, Butler, came within inches of winning a national championship in 2010. I don't think that they're going to get that close this year. In fact, I will probably wager that they don't last through the weekend. With Gordon Hayward, the rangy player with the damn-near unlimited range who heaved that near-miss against Duke in the final, plying his trade before the sympathetic fans of Utah at the next level, Butler depends too much on oft-foul-troubled Matt Howard. If the fiery Howard gets into foul trouble, which seems likely against a physical and veteran Old Dominion group that rebounds relentlessly, then the Bulldogs are neutered. <br /><br />Many of those aforementioned ODU rebounds come at the offensive end. This is one of my go-to stats for March. I dig offensive rebounds, and ODU was tied for second in the nation with 15.5 per game. The team's total of 511 on the season led the nation. I also tend to favor mid-major teams stacked with upper classmen. Again, ODU comes through. The Monarchs start three seniors and two juniors, with another senior playing big minutes off the bench. In their CAA conference title game win over Virginia Commonwealth (who dispatched USC last night with ease), ODU only had two minutes played by a sophomore, without a freshman touching the floor. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: Both teams are hot, having each won 9 games on the trot so I expect a tight game and would only be surprised if one team managed to rout the other. <br /><br />Point Spread: ODU -2<br />Over/Under: 122.5<br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Butler<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: ODU<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Davis: ODU <br /><i>Slam</i> Magazine: ODU<br /><i>USA Today</i>'s Tim Gardner: ODU<br />David Letterman: Butler<br />WWOD?: ODU<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPOaXOJFtR8tbNKLZBMiBsIHQXIzXBIJRo0jfblMrmQn6eB2hKNPnd8ZxBqDOfg9Ojnu3yuLZyU49P1FiDcZjczAsl5DBLkVGiJ7Ow0bRA0Jg7fSrjEjTc4aTx6A4ejSIhg-7bD65uGBV/s1600/kenneth-faried.opht-77497-mid.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPOaXOJFtR8tbNKLZBMiBsIHQXIzXBIJRo0jfblMrmQn6eB2hKNPnd8ZxBqDOfg9Ojnu3yuLZyU49P1FiDcZjczAsl5DBLkVGiJ7Ow0bRA0Jg7fSrjEjTc4aTx6A4ejSIhg-7bD65uGBV/s320/kenneth-faried.opht-77497-mid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585096382560675890" /></a><b>No. 4 Louisville Cardinals<br />25-9, 12-6 Big East<br />vs<br />No. 11 Morehead State Eagles<br />24-9, 13-5 OVC<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />Pepsi Center<br />Denver, CO<br />1:40 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />The first non rec league basketball team that I saw play a lot in person was Rick Pitino's running and pressing Knickerbockers of the late 1980s. It was back before the white suits, back when Patrick Ewing was a spry seven-foot dynamo and Mark Jackson was a savvy and surly youngster wearing a gold chain on the fast break. It was a fun team to root for (even if that style killed Ewing's knees), and I've rooted for Pitino's college teams ever since. They run, they press and they try to <i>win</i> the game aggressively. WWOD? approves.<br /><br />But, I'm not <del>picking</del> rooting for Pitino's Cards in their opening game. I'm going with the nation's leading rebounder Kenneth Faried of Morehead State. This wild-haired and loose-limbed leaper pulls down 14.5 boards per game and 5.7 of those come on the offensive glass. Thanks to a rough-and-tumble upbringing and a mother with failing kidneys, Faried has been the subject of <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=6101092">human interest</a> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/sports/ncaabasketball/17morehead.html">stories</a> by every credentialed college columnist. Aside from being a heckuva story, he's a preternaturally gifted athlete with a motor that won't stop. Projected a a Dennis Rodman-type at the NBA level, I would love it if the Knicks were able to draft this perpetual motion rebounding machine late in the first round come June.<br /><br />Worth Mentioning: Louisville has only two players who averaged more than 5 rebounds per game this season and neither of them grab better than 6.1 per contest. Faried could and should run amok on the glass. He averages more offensive boards per game than all but one of L'ville's players average <i>total</i> boards per game. <br /><br />Point Spread: Louisville -9.5<br />Over/Under: 131<br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Louisville<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Louisville<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Davis: Louisville<br />Special K of the Harlem Globetrotters: Louisville<br />Nate Silver/538: Louisville (81%)<br />David Letterman: Louisville<br />WWOD?: My heart says Morehead State (while my head agrees with everyone else), especially if I'm getting the points.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZA0dCUFSGbU5qjFsVBHksfipYljOt5SfU9Q0ZW_4_LoaX8e1O3wJGWE4wxwpSx8dxCfPPA6dUK0Mks-03XDcZxhRKJuk5t655q-JRbPnAldg7HGE56yFlffKoiTqGmxvabYK5vjsVDU/s1600/displeasedowl.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoZA0dCUFSGbU5qjFsVBHksfipYljOt5SfU9Q0ZW_4_LoaX8e1O3wJGWE4wxwpSx8dxCfPPA6dUK0Mks-03XDcZxhRKJuk5t655q-JRbPnAldg7HGE56yFlffKoiTqGmxvabYK5vjsVDU/s320/displeasedowl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585116583399905714" /></a><b>No. 7 Temple Owls<br />25-7, 14-2 A-10<br />vs.<br />No. 10 Penn St. Nittany Lions<br />19-14, 9-9 Big Ten<br /><br />West Region<br />McKale Center<br />Tucson, AZ<br />2:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Temple -2.5 <br />Over/Under: 121.5<br /><br />Prominent among my many annual bracket biases is a distrust of the Big Ten. I understand that Ohio State is the highest rated of the No. 1 seeds, but I don't believe that a rising Buckeye tide lifts all Big Ten boats. In terms of building a bracket, I don't see either of these teams giving San Diego State a problem in the next round so I'm not overly invested with this one either way. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: Penn State twice beat a ranked Wisconsin squad, along with wins over ranked Illinois and Michigan State. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Temple<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Temple<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Davis: Temple<br />David Letterman: Penn St. <br />Nate Silver/538:Temple (55%)<br />WWOD?: Temple<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KM5e-hGjd7zK97fNNfst007ie9EC-hCuKkBXeT1u59EKO8sfkRBXNOshYMKct7OcW6lcRI1Ru7L8HvzwuD99SzrWJ06XWpqOemB4d2D8dOrjMRa8BHVl3rxyQn3fsXjCnxU0M4H8WlX4/s1600/image.php.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KM5e-hGjd7zK97fNNfst007ie9EC-hCuKkBXeT1u59EKO8sfkRBXNOshYMKct7OcW6lcRI1Ru7L8HvzwuD99SzrWJ06XWpqOemB4d2D8dOrjMRa8BHVl3rxyQn3fsXjCnxU0M4H8WlX4/s320/image.php.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585124039155184242" /></a><b>No. 4 University of Kentucky Wildcatts<br />25-8, 10-6 SEC<br />vs. <br />No. 14 Princeton Tigers<br />25-6, 12-2 Ivy<br /><br />East Region<br />St. Pete Times Forum<br />Tampa, FL<br />2:45 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Kentucky -13.5<br />Over/Under: 131<br /><br />Princeton edged Harvard on the below buzzer-beating basket just to reach this game. It took everything they had to beat Harvard, who just got walloped in the opening round of the NIT by Oklahoma State. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PpTQzkcAZb8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I think most hoops watchers out there would be awfully surprised if the Ivy League school added another highlight to its year-end tape. Even without John Wall or DeMarcus Cousins, this Kentucky team managed to win the SEC Conference Tournament last week. Like any Calipari-recruited team, they've got talent for miles and a lack of poise and scheme for days. As much as I'd like for brains triumph over braun, I'm going to side with the athletes. <br /><br />Worth Mentioning: This is a senior-laden Princeton squad that isn't going to give up no matter how far they fall behind. I could see a back-door cover against a younger 'cats group that might let their guard down if they seem to have the game in hand. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Kentucky<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Kentucky<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Kentucky<br />Conan O'Brien: Kentucky<br />Nate Silver/538: Kentucky (88%)<br />WWOD?: Kentucky<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxojwkBdxadYaAreTxR-4awNmaogzaXCwG2Z1LYLWgbSs0bn27PMYtxp17do77O6drP-BdIA-ec8UPibYAzPrF_f5QVt8nhWsRi6zWuCtvScnHO9sPe-YmvPnauD7Q_UBLYPT55VcaRrET/s1600/LL+Cool+J+%25281995%2529+-+Walking+With+a+Panther.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxojwkBdxadYaAreTxR-4awNmaogzaXCwG2Z1LYLWgbSs0bn27PMYtxp17do77O6drP-BdIA-ec8UPibYAzPrF_f5QVt8nhWsRi6zWuCtvScnHO9sPe-YmvPnauD7Q_UBLYPT55VcaRrET/s320/LL+Cool+J+%25281995%2529+-+Walking+With+a+Panther.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585132754761245554" /></a><b>No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers<br />27-5, 15-3 Big East<br />vs. <br />No. 16 UNC-Asheville Bulldogs<br />20-13, 11-7 Big South<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />Verizon Center<br />Washington, DC<br />3:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Pitt -18<br />Over/Under: 135<br /><br />Considering that UNC-Asheville sells itself as the public liberal arts school of North Carolina, I'd like to think that, win or lose, the world will be richer some riveting narrative accounts of the Bulldogs' journey into the NCAA tournament. Thinking as an editor, I'd suggest that the book would open with the delirious high of Matt Dickey's ridiculous buzzer beater against Coastal Carolina.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6TWOq9qe0Y4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Beginnings, though, are the easy part. For this story to have a memorable ending rooted in the Southern Gothic tradition, Asheville probably needs to be absolutely pasted by Pitt. Perhaps Dickey will blind himself with lime like Hazel Motes in Flannery O'Connor's <i>Wise Blood</i>. Now that would cause a stir.<br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Pitt<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Pitt<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Pitt<br />David Letterman: Pitt<br />Nate Silver/538: Pitt (97%)<br />WWOD?: Pitt<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wjZRUfnlXpCQglSu4wcgvQO801Rz1Fr300Hgrd5r211DKCwRQNyc1_HVUztZ_7BxzVPTTyZqxhEtZ0SdnqYxo6I8yLcx1vdSueBTvNegTwnATIXB0GSl7VxzQbLBZMVzcJFMprm-VHzo/s1600/richmond_spiders.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wjZRUfnlXpCQglSu4wcgvQO801Rz1Fr300Hgrd5r211DKCwRQNyc1_HVUztZ_7BxzVPTTyZqxhEtZ0SdnqYxo6I8yLcx1vdSueBTvNegTwnATIXB0GSl7VxzQbLBZMVzcJFMprm-VHzo/s320/richmond_spiders.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585150032695305490" /></a><b>No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores<br />23-10, 9-7 SEC<br />vs. <br />No. 12 Richmond Spiders<br />27-7, 13-3 A-10<br /><br />Southwest Region<br />Pepsi Center<br />Denver, CO<br />4:10 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Vandy -3<br />Over/Under: 135<br /><br />Unlike the West Virginia-Clemson contest, this game is your classic 5/12 matchup. In Vandy, you’ve got a middling team from a power conference that no one really thinks can do much. Yeah, the Commodores played a solid schedule and have accrued a few signature wins (over UNC, Kentucky, St. Mary’s and Belmont), but nobody is sold, least of all the President of the United States. <br /><br />On the other side of the ledger, you’ve got the Richmond Spiders, a potentially under-seeded squad with 27 wins out of the Atlantic 10. The Spiders can fill it up at better than 70 points per game and word on the street is that Vandy's defense is Knickerbockerian. If you recall, the Spiders were outsed last year by Omar Samhan and St. Mary’s after earning a No. 7 seed. They had one less regular-season win last year than they’ve got this season. I'd imagine that they're more comfortable in the underdog role here whereas I don't know if Vanderbilt can see itself as a Goliath. A marquee win against Purdue early in the season proves the Spiders have got the minerals for an upset here. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Richmond<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Richmond<br />Dan Shanoff: Richmond<br /><i>SI</i>'s Andy Glockner: Richmond<br />Nate Silver/538: Vanderbilt (59%)<br />WWOD?: I'm afraid of Spiders. Also, Richmond with the points.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKRnHEwBYRevQa3ySlIm28lsZGLw0JusGLcP4cnZETy2bxb6hFDr_qBg5d4YmQ95ab2o9gFkCNJdg5tXAwAY3616QRX0C7UKfiBFnko4-4pq2HlqJTJ3fHhR-rR_br_7m-sEoly0AYrCK/s1600/031118aztec_mascot.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKRnHEwBYRevQa3ySlIm28lsZGLw0JusGLcP4cnZETy2bxb6hFDr_qBg5d4YmQ95ab2o9gFkCNJdg5tXAwAY3616QRX0C7UKfiBFnko4-4pq2HlqJTJ3fHhR-rR_br_7m-sEoly0AYrCK/s320/031118aztec_mascot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585155551215133378" /></a><b>No. 2 San Diego State Aztecs<br />32-2, 14-2 MWC<br />vs. <br />No. 15 Northern Colorado Bears<br />21-10, 13-3 Big Sky<br /><br />West Region<br />McKale Center<br />Tucson, AZ<br />4:45 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: SD State -15.5<br />Over/Under:130<br /><br />I have purchased tickets for the night when <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/sports/ncaabasketball/06sdsu.html">the Steve Fisher Redemption Tour</a> stops in my town. The former Fab Five coach, Fisher has the Aztecs bringing it every night, and they have an average margin of victory of 13.3 points per game this season. Their only losses of the season came to BYU, who they later beat in the conference tournament. And, last I checked (which happened just once a few minutes ago), the University of Northern Colorado is not a Mormon school. In other words, no Jimmer. <br /> <br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eyPHlx2DK6k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: SD State<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: SD State<br />David Letterman: SD State<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: SD State<br />Nate Silver/538: SD State (93%)<br />WWOD?: Aztecs<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi382tHkERzF9AuS8fxLqDS7psqTLcajcM4V7yySJNeBP1OsvUj8y71cypa9Saz-sde5rp-vGMsfRMvjd3ysRSomuH6wVBfS94UzLgJkuD8C3i7jXkRQnqqChE0psBA6y3Y_vt4UDJZ9fw/s1600/national-alligator%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi382tHkERzF9AuS8fxLqDS7psqTLcajcM4V7yySJNeBP1OsvUj8y71cypa9Saz-sde5rp-vGMsfRMvjd3ysRSomuH6wVBfS94UzLgJkuD8C3i7jXkRQnqqChE0psBA6y3Y_vt4UDJZ9fw/s320/national-alligator%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585188313364999522" /></a><b>No. 2 Florida Gators<br />26-7, 13-3 SEC <br />vs. <br />No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos<br />18-13, 8-8 Big West<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />St. Pete Times Forum<br />Tampa, FL<br />6:50 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Florida -13<br />Over/Under: 128<br /><br />Without any must-see team in the SEC this season, I didn't see very much of Florida ths year. I'm aware the Gators won the SEC regular-season title and that they looked good heading into halftime at the SEC Tourney Final (before Kentucky ran away from them). I also know that gifted 6-foot-10 senior forward Chandler Parsons leads the team in rebounding (11.5) and assists (3.5). That second fact, particularly, impresses me. I know that guard play is huge in the Dance, but Bigs who can board and dime are rare. <br /><br />Like I said, I may not know much about Florida, but I do know that everything that I do know about them is far more impressive than playing .500 ball in the Big West Conference like the Gauchos did during the regular season. <br /><br />Worth mentioning: The Gauchos won the Big West Tournament to earn this bid by beating teams that had swept them during the regular season. Perhaps they've caught lightning in a bottle. Not necesarily enough lightning to strike down a No. 2 seed, but perhaps enough to cover the Vegas point spread. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Florida<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Florida<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Davis: Florida<br />Nate Silver/538: Florida (95%)<br />WWOD?: Gators<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem3YSBj0yon08cud2xNr53-MPmZgBDl6JYciNtMZzWHvHPaXjPMf6qqqwwMHBWvSb9-J69Rmp2-mLuLrRdwyyZmqkKsDw78yM9HEo_lq_YfAop0AGbUlCgKfzn2expMveP_oEd26g_hCS/s1600/Jimmer-ovation.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem3YSBj0yon08cud2xNr53-MPmZgBDl6JYciNtMZzWHvHPaXjPMf6qqqwwMHBWvSb9-J69Rmp2-mLuLrRdwyyZmqkKsDw78yM9HEo_lq_YfAop0AGbUlCgKfzn2expMveP_oEd26g_hCS/s320/Jimmer-ovation.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585204804661866274" /></a><b>No. 4 Brigham Young Cougars<br />30-4, 14-2 MWC<br />vs. <br />No. 14 Wofford Terriers<br />21-12, 14-4 Southern<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />Pepsi Center<br />Denver, CO<br />7:15 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: BYU -8.5<br />Over/Under: 147<br /><br />Without forward Brandon Davies, who was kicked out of school for violating the honor code by having consensual intercourse with his girlfriend, there is no pretending that BYU is anything but a one-man band. They are arguably the most vulnerable favored team in the tournament because if all-world guard Jimmer Freddette rolls an ankle or gets in foul trouble then this team is cooked. Well, I'm sure that the Cougars are more worried about the ankle because Jimmer takes the same view on defense as his school's administrators do on premarital sex. That being said, as a one-man band this dude is about as effective as Trent Reznor. He can do it all. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cqX_b_Bu4hI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />On the other hand ... <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2Gm6JYFdnD8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: BYU<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: BYU<br /><i>SI</i>'s Tim Layden: BYU<br />Nate Silver/538: BYU (86%)<br />WWOD?: Jimmer<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnA6K-ZdFgQEWTmxbzlk2HqmH85-1VySsx1-ExbYsAYOzeyS_UcVFhTgBHbY5GgaLhUTBh86xRN251qRjrA9EFU7H-fhwtHPLx2wrA7-hPSFIbGMLDnl1LjngXjNxZEZICI1aK9U5zLJv/s1600/hp-main.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnA6K-ZdFgQEWTmxbzlk2HqmH85-1VySsx1-ExbYsAYOzeyS_UcVFhTgBHbY5GgaLhUTBh86xRN251qRjrA9EFU7H-fhwtHPLx2wrA7-hPSFIbGMLDnl1LjngXjNxZEZICI1aK9U5zLJv/s320/hp-main.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585207173382841890" /></a><b>No. 2 UConn Huskies<br />26-9, 9-9 Big East<br />vs.<br />No. 15 Bucknell Bisons<br />25-8, 13-1 Patriot<br /><br />West Region<br />Verizon Center<br />Washington, DC<br />7:20 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: UConn -10.5<br />Over/Under: 132<br /><br />The concern that everyone has about Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies is their fatigue after running the gauntlet of the Big East Tournament with five wins in five nights. I share that concern. But I don't think it applies to this game because these guys haven't played in a few days. Maybe it catches up with them on Saturday or next weekend. But I think today they need to be more concerned with coach Calhoun's celebratory antics. That guy is a danger to himself and those around him. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yyF6amZw82M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: UConn<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: UConn<br />Conan O'Brien: UConn<br />Nate Silver/538: UConn (81%)<br />WWOD?: Kemba<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G3uyn4bMZlvXDYCSRWnOjdLlxXBUdbSOLgCMG-K9_ElhYvlk0A70OlE84Z2QxKx6_7LEiGJeu430mBGqipiaj8mgi5C8bgO3JiGjsLCzgh9V_C5yFC8PBPOxDGCx5BNOOsFwCVrhx-7P/s1600/badger.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-G3uyn4bMZlvXDYCSRWnOjdLlxXBUdbSOLgCMG-K9_ElhYvlk0A70OlE84Z2QxKx6_7LEiGJeu430mBGqipiaj8mgi5C8bgO3JiGjsLCzgh9V_C5yFC8PBPOxDGCx5BNOOsFwCVrhx-7P/s320/badger.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585212627474882770" /></a><b>No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers<br />23-8, 13-5 Big Ten<br />vs. <br />No. 13 Belmont Bruins<br />30-4, 19-1 A-Sun<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />McKale Center<br />Tucson, AZ<br />7:27 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: 5<br />Over/Under: 126<br /><br />I played on a university soccer team while studying abroad in England. Our team was the Badgers. We had a Welsh graduate student named Gareth on the roster. He was a sort a den mother, who was more useful off the pitch when it came to arranging train schedules and drink meet-ups, then he was in action against UCL. Still, he was very proud of his affiliation with the team and is surely playing on the old boys side in a London park every weekend. Aside from being very pleasant company, he was full of knowledge about our animal namesake. From him, I learned just how fierce a badger can be. I leanerd that the way a badger's jaw is constructed makes it impossible for any prey to unclamp it. Once a badger has it's teeth sunk in, you're surrendering whatever appendage that it's got before it unhinges that jaw. <br /><br />Now, I don't think that these Wisconsin badgers are particularly fierce. Their power is more in their conservative consistency than in any sudden ferocity. In this way, they're sort of like Gareth. To their credit, they did beat Ohio State. The Bruins, meanwhile don't seem to have a win over a ranked team in their deceptive total of 30. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Wisconsin<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Belmont<br /><i>SI</i>'s Seth Mandel: Belmont<br />Nate Silver/538: Wisconsin (81%)<br />WWOD?: Fear the Badgers<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPt2uAM0LDPaZAmiFWzbxaDXOlWvjG6vmPeqEL014_diCqyIuSViEPf-8cNQMguyaS3MVBcOCaCxhP7GEbmUh2rBt8mhWfdZG8jJFx6nCnshNaIn5C4cwCXfmKXmFsCdonIRhq5w-5HOo/s1600/BruinsKidsClubLogo-313x374.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPt2uAM0LDPaZAmiFWzbxaDXOlWvjG6vmPeqEL014_diCqyIuSViEPf-8cNQMguyaS3MVBcOCaCxhP7GEbmUh2rBt8mhWfdZG8jJFx6nCnshNaIn5C4cwCXfmKXmFsCdonIRhq5w-5HOo/s320/BruinsKidsClubLogo-313x374.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585221950103429458" /></a><b>No. 7 UCLA Bruins<br />22-10, 13-5 Pac 10<br />vs. <br />No. 11 Michigan State Spartans<br />19-14, 9-9 Big Ten<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />St. Pete Times Forum<br />Tampa, FL<br />9:20 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Michigan State -1.5<br />Over/Under: 125<br /><br />What an odd spot for these two teams to meet. And, no, I don't mean Tampa. I mean, the first round. For the better part of a decade, these two clubs wouldn't likely meet until the second weekend at the earliest in the NCAA tourney. Yet after up-and-down-and-down-again years, here we are. Tom Izzo and Ben Howland coaching against one another in the (real) opening round. Although I historically bet Izzo, I'm more impressed by UCLA's recent win over Arizona and their not-so recent almost-win over Kansas. In the Bruins' last game (loss to Oregon) in the Pac-10 tourney, they started two sophomores, a freshman and two juniors while getting big minutes off the bench from two freshman and a junior. Perhaps these Bruins Kids are finding their stride at the right time. If they're not awestruck by the moment then I trust Howland to keep them disciplined enough on defense to win this game. If not, I'll return to betting on Izzo next year. <br /> <br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Michigan State<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Michigan State<br /><i>SI</i>'s Andy Staples: Michigan State<br />Bill Simmons/Joe House: Michigan State<br />Nate Silver/538: Michigan State (67%)<br />WWOD?: UCLA<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUlZDw4dKJBHYkSgw-E5o3xb1_rNRn1o5m4-SrCcj7ElbsVXWFAO-tTkP7JR4BxdTfMQGRGDwtt0f8PIKI_FuvMa-xCko4jSUCgP7fhOPFBaoRIofTb2qpWztChDaU79kU6JiyQiMIwky/s1600/0iaZSx2QWngry4Y.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUlZDw4dKJBHYkSgw-E5o3xb1_rNRn1o5m4-SrCcj7ElbsVXWFAO-tTkP7JR4BxdTfMQGRGDwtt0f8PIKI_FuvMa-xCko4jSUCgP7fhOPFBaoRIofTb2qpWztChDaU79kU6JiyQiMIwky/s320/0iaZSx2QWngry4Y.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585229791874893186" /></a><b>No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats<br />25-8, 11-7 Big East<br />vs.<br />No. 11 Missouri Tigers<br />22-10, 8-8 Big 12<br /><br />West Region<br />Verizon Center<br />Washington, DC<br />9:45 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: Pick<br />Over/Under: 137.5<br /><br />Cincinnati is on the upswing. No doubt about it. They've improved their win total in each of the last four seasons and more than held their own in the best conference in the country this season, but I just don't think they're ready for the "Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" style that Missouri is going to run at them. Mizzou is one of those athletic up-tempo teams that provides a bad mismatch for so many consistently solid but physically unspectacular teams. Missouri averages 81.4 points per game whereas Cincinnati gives up just 59.2. Something's got to give. I'm going to guess it's Cincy's poise when the scoreboard starts looking like a slot machine. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Cincinnati<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Cincinnati<br />Conan O'Brien: Cinncinnati<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Cincinnati<br />Bill Simmons/Joe House: Missouri<br />Nate Silver/538: Cincinnati (51%)<br />WWOD?: Missouri<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYwAgIJN8TOwvP1oA3RNMEcwISDii84nVQuj-_OyJX3R99ZE2g8ax9PJJOznYhrdgBar7YN0CxZ6McsRfdTprmdhjeDxxjQ6VXnMyJwtWZwVFQzOGtcqADGKzxjhPiL5p_NhbNc4mds0B/s1600/5020682203_2f47a88b48.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYwAgIJN8TOwvP1oA3RNMEcwISDii84nVQuj-_OyJX3R99ZE2g8ax9PJJOznYhrdgBar7YN0CxZ6McsRfdTprmdhjeDxxjQ6VXnMyJwtWZwVFQzOGtcqADGKzxjhPiL5p_NhbNc4mds0B/s320/5020682203_2f47a88b48.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585235171178916434" /></a><b>No. 6 St. John's Red Storm<br />21-11, 12-6 Big East<br />vs. <br />No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs<br />24-9, 11-3 WCC<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />Pepsi Center<br />Denver, CO<br />9:55 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: St. John's -1.5<br />Over/Under: 135<br /><br />From January 30th through February 26, the Johnnies toppled Duke, UConn, Pitt and Villanova. It was February Fanaticism at Madison Square Garden. Not since the days of Ron Artest, had the Storm been getting as much pub in the Big Apple. Steve Lavin was getting massive ovations while in stands at Knicks games, and his team came into the Big East Tournament looking to serve notice to leaguemates, like Syracuse, that the World's Most Famous Arena belonged them. The Johnnies squeaked by Rutgers in their first game before getting matched with 'Cuse. Which is when senior SJU swingman D.J. Kennedy tore the ACL in his right knee. Without him for most of the game, St. John's lost.<br /><br />Not only do I think the Johnnies peaked too early, but I think that they will sorely miss Kennedy and their home court. This game is being played in Denver and might as well be a home game for the Zags. Note: SJU was 5-7 on the road this year. As someone who wil be <i>rooting</i> for them, I'd like to think that playing what is essentially a road game with all the pundits picking against them will take them back to that us-and-them mentality they had when third-ranked Duke came calling on Feb. 26.<br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Gonzaga<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Gonzaga <br />Snoop Dog: Gonzaga<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Gonzaga<br />Nate Silver/538: Gonzaga (66%)<br />WWOD?: Zags (in a Tom Jackson-taking-the-Pats fashion)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3r3MIT50cdpN8nhuQbHwqf7JjzC21BJ0xo4DoNkuJw3vikSz_zEpcZaepVid2xaSQ2CX-LfhKwyF9ppbpQoFtROKRefKInruzKRmyJRw2hjrUx5tdLaU4FKBzXltAhtlJ7QlgiNMSx0t/s1600/stew-morrill-invisible-watermelon_medium.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3r3MIT50cdpN8nhuQbHwqf7JjzC21BJ0xo4DoNkuJw3vikSz_zEpcZaepVid2xaSQ2CX-LfhKwyF9ppbpQoFtROKRefKInruzKRmyJRw2hjrUx5tdLaU4FKBzXltAhtlJ7QlgiNMSx0t/s320/stew-morrill-invisible-watermelon_medium.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585242654223878274" /></a><b>No. 5 Kansas State Wildcats<br />22-10, 10-6 Big 12<br />vs. <br />No. 12 Utah State Aggies<br />30-3, 15-1 WAC<br /><br />Southeast Region<br />McKale Center<br />Tucson, AZ<br />10:05 p.m. EST</b><br /><br />Point Spread: K-State -2.5<br />Over/Under: 129<br /><br />Last season, we all thrilled to that <a href="http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=300842306">enervating double-overtime K-State-Xavier game</a> when Jacob Pullen battled Jordan Crawford. Although there were enough clutch shots for an addendum to the "Shining Moment" montage in that game, it was Pullen's three that propelled the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. He was epic. And he's still on the team. <br /><br />Which is the only reason that I'm not wagering next month's rent on the Aggies. Under towering, paunchy and bespectacled Stew Morrill, Utah State has 87 wins in the last three years. Morrill's boys will run their disciplined offense, moving the ball the way I wished the Knicks would. They'll use the shot clock and they'll feed the rock to Tail Wesley in the post. On defense, they'll be conservative, they'll pack it in and clear the boards. They'll do what they normally do because Morrill has these guys drilled to perform in their sleep. And, it will all go to plan as long as Pullen don't explode past the Aggies on the break like they've got the howls of Frank Martin at their heels. Oh, wait. <br /><br /><u>Picks:</u><br />President Obama: Kansas State<br />ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Utah State <br />Dick Vitale: Kansas State<br /><i>SI</i>'s Luke Winn: Kansas State<br />Nate Silver/538: Kansas State (57%)<br />WWOD?: AggiesWWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-15068723669665680122011-03-17T09:27:00.001-04:002011-03-17T09:29:24.764-04:00Happy St. Patrick's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBe0vAChsHz081WJvWYpkQ5pr5PHDr_Gl0l3PrIKHvupMKpGoBMthxosJpZbxbCqgDXkOfTWrXCg-yb2Y41815TWZYL_Iyrh7h69SUq8plbara_kDGtvsu1Yx76aIvuFLVjIzaRrswAisZ/s1600/action1984PatrickEwing_t640.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBe0vAChsHz081WJvWYpkQ5pr5PHDr_Gl0l3PrIKHvupMKpGoBMthxosJpZbxbCqgDXkOfTWrXCg-yb2Y41815TWZYL_Iyrh7h69SUq8plbara_kDGtvsu1Yx76aIvuFLVjIzaRrswAisZ/s400/action1984PatrickEwing_t640.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585040151685697058" /></a><br />Not only is it St. Patrick's Day but it's also the (real) opening day of the NCAA Hoops Tournament. It's the Las Vegas Leap Year. Get your brackets in by noon.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-68162423181992563802011-03-15T23:16:00.004-04:002011-03-16T09:18:47.969-04:00WWOD? Non Sequitir: The Faceless FiftyStop what you're doing, especially if it's fretting over Chauncey Billups' inability to run a Knicks' offense predicated on ball movement, and go <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16workers.html?_r=1&hp">read about the 50 workers who have stayed behind at that burning, leaking and altogether melting down Japanese nuclear plant in a last-ditch effort to stave off a nuclear catastrophe</a> in the aftermath of the shockingly strong 9.0-strength earthquake that rocked the nation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pw6QCSutwSIuq6fj15On8NeSt2JkyTg3P62Ek1faCrto7AV8D3wZonfhKm2TimW66DjTO_rxeWm9y3MFjCVExg-Nm4acCY4BlJoo6PM1dTh_RcSjCAEn4z1Mz1jWAGJtfyDlZie90Kut/s1600/16nuclear1_span-hpLarge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pw6QCSutwSIuq6fj15On8NeSt2JkyTg3P62Ek1faCrto7AV8D3wZonfhKm2TimW66DjTO_rxeWm9y3MFjCVExg-Nm4acCY4BlJoo6PM1dTh_RcSjCAEn4z1Mz1jWAGJtfyDlZie90Kut/s400/16nuclear1_span-hpLarge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584514838338351618" /></a>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-68383535126928607832011-03-14T12:24:00.000-04:002011-03-17T00:35:16.429-04:00Not Worth Saving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz9XgES4iCpYIW-9G2LcPEChEQIKE1jxDT8TeUJ7PYkRPoKDIm4rBqIj6cLQQri7cqYXDMa-w-8zZnf81zTzNsHQgvlnR6GN2tZtW4jDNDtOkJ5Sw_3e4N0rtGXm_hV5mHcfLFK_O3lVT/s1600/416px-Waste-of-Daylight-19-cover.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz9XgES4iCpYIW-9G2LcPEChEQIKE1jxDT8TeUJ7PYkRPoKDIm4rBqIj6cLQQri7cqYXDMa-w-8zZnf81zTzNsHQgvlnR6GN2tZtW4jDNDtOkJ5Sw_3e4N0rtGXm_hV5mHcfLFK_O3lVT/s320/416px-Waste-of-Daylight-19-cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584497321072765202" /></a>As a kid growing up in a leafy suburb in New Jersey, I couldn't wait for the start of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time">Daylight Savings Time</a> each Spring. From Groundhog Day on, I would intermittently ask my mom when we could change the clocks. I would pester her about it almost as often as I would ask my dad when was the next Knicks game that my grandpa had tickets for. <br /><br />An annual harbinger of the ending of the academic year, Daylight Savings Time seemed more an act of god than a piece of civic legislation. I mean, all of a sudden there might as well have been 25 hours per day. To me, that was a miracle on par with snow days. This new found time was best used in three ways.<br /><br />1.Full-field scrimmaging till dusk at soccer practice while a phalanx of Chevy Suburbans and Dodge Caravans lined the edge of the field behind the Catholic church in town. <br /><br />2. Riding bikes.<br /><br />3. Practicing post moves that I'd cribbed from Patrick Ewing in the driveway but would never really be tall enough to use in a game not against my two younger brothers. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOwvQG6TrfOn_orUhJ0cSPPd24FrbZ4lpxEmTln7Xc1pioZm-uOmA4YkCfrFVat69IiOOqibDQXhvOSDcb7Y-BHtaeGgWvjqT66f8cIxl20LfvoSx6xnQ4p-KHDIi0l-xq3sB0wMx69f6/s1600/2010_0709_HDOW_art500.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOwvQG6TrfOn_orUhJ0cSPPd24FrbZ4lpxEmTln7Xc1pioZm-uOmA4YkCfrFVat69IiOOqibDQXhvOSDcb7Y-BHtaeGgWvjqT66f8cIxl20LfvoSx6xnQ4p-KHDIi0l-xq3sB0wMx69f6/s320/2010_0709_HDOW_art500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584501440071350994" /></a>Having no driveway and no soccer practice these days, I drove out to West Orange, NJ on the first day of Daylight Savings Time to get an <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/where-to-find-new-jersey-italian-hot-dog.html">Italian hot dog from Jimmy Buff's</a>. I was moderately puzzled by the differences between the clocks in the car, kitchen and on my phone as I traversed the Mordoresque expanse of Kearney, but I figured this unsettled feeling had as much to do with my having slept on the couch as it did with the loss of any hour. <br /><br />By the time that I'd polished off my combination order (one hot and one sausage) with all the fixings (peppers, onions, potatoes) in the inimitable pizza bread, I was feeling even more aware of the hour of sleep that I'd lost at some point in the night. Driving home, knowing that I needed to be at the Garden somewhat soon for the 6:00 p.m. tip-off, it felt like that hour had been stolen from me. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcv1b1FvJ5qbDisjgamYAjWrAc3Nh8TVhwOrF5zegefaNUbtu1BD7YCz5tO4mDYxTL8zIy4P2L9DBt8LzwkNJnhisx2Bp3q1C4ufQoxVCkMqDicoSmqKs9XkgybB44_lwhiU7AJZ4kPVT/s1600/337px-Victory-Cigar-Congress-Passes-DST.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcv1b1FvJ5qbDisjgamYAjWrAc3Nh8TVhwOrF5zegefaNUbtu1BD7YCz5tO4mDYxTL8zIy4P2L9DBt8LzwkNJnhisx2Bp3q1C4ufQoxVCkMqDicoSmqKs9XkgybB44_lwhiU7AJZ4kPVT/s320/337px-Victory-Cigar-Congress-Passes-DST.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584872269860178594" /></a>No way, though. Thoughts like that almost seem resentful of Daylight Savings Times. That grogginess must have been the gunmetal sky conspiring with the 17 tablespoons of unadulterated cooking oil that I'd ingested as part of my lunch, I assured myself. Because who would dare slander Daylight Savings Time? Even if just in my head while pushing my own weight eastbound on Route 7? Nobody. That can't be true. It's not possible. <br /><br />False. There have actually been opponents of DST (as it's called in the Swatch biz) ever since George Vernon Hudson first suggested the practice in New Zealand in 1895. Apparently, the lives of others are not ordered precisely as my own youth. Odd, I know, but bear with me. For those DST detractors, the benefits of that extra hour of natural light in the evening didn't cover the cost of that lost hour in the morning. Farmers and rural folk have always disliked this custom intended mostly to help city slickers save a bit of coin on incandescent street lights and such. Oddly enough, the fast food lobby actually mediated the conflict at some point, as they convinced the farmers of America that the extra hour of daylight in the summer meant that substantially more french fries and burgers complete with lettuce, tomato and onions could be sold at places that probably last passed a health inspection the same year as Jimmy Buff's.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHILnLFQbRO1812mCIkdWrLuv_NrQqCfVEPqKb1iN77hO2xqvHxEsgmIEK2bNltt1YWY9OOpf5BzE4LcmDOFUnZ0qz2P8fxCMCkYAK_IfBK366dvR7UCH4wgTHEZ8vc3CEPqSRqTPrNnX-/s1600/hotdog003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHILnLFQbRO1812mCIkdWrLuv_NrQqCfVEPqKb1iN77hO2xqvHxEsgmIEK2bNltt1YWY9OOpf5BzE4LcmDOFUnZ0qz2P8fxCMCkYAK_IfBK366dvR7UCH4wgTHEZ8vc3CEPqSRqTPrNnX-/s400/hotdog003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584889743798640050" /></a><br />The Knicks-Pacers tilt at the Garden was getting underway at 6:00 p.m., which by Saturday's timetable would have been 7 p.m. To me, this meant I'd be home by 10 instead of by 11. No matter how jarred my body clock was, this was terrific news because it meant there might be time to watch an episode from season 1 of <i>Breaking Bad</i> before bed. But for some of the supporters of the Knicks' opponent it meant something else. <br /><br />Indiana is in both the Corn Belt and the Grain Belt. It's also a place for cattle and dairying. Soybeans aren't an afterthought, either. So the Pacers' constituency counts among its members some of those rural types who have really never cared for all this clock changing business. To make matters even worse, Indiana is also one of 13 states straddling time zones. Mostly Eastern but partially Central, Indiana has had a contentious relationship with time pieces and timekeepers for decades. For many reasons, most of Indiana refused to participate in Daylight Savings Time. Cities near the Kentucky and Ohio borders would observe it unofficially to help keep pace with their neighbors. Over the years, counties have petitioned the state legislature to move from one time zone to other. A group of counties whose temporal status was forever murky became locally known as "the seesaw six." There was even a US naval base straddling three counties and two time zones. Finally, in 2006, it was decreed that all counties, regardless of time zone, observe DST. And people were pissed. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPx-qeeVwi6EpF7slytCIYC2Mi5RcWnSOp_wgy0wctqHV1Ib6tmwBO2nDtA4jLYTCay3yy2oKmJH6Bb-xLB6Ytx26c4BXDWkEPmhZ9uRFv1NDPWTrpPKtbyz0agLMklISmMbcGUnLkeegl/s1600/indiana1895.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPx-qeeVwi6EpF7slytCIYC2Mi5RcWnSOp_wgy0wctqHV1Ib6tmwBO2nDtA4jLYTCay3yy2oKmJH6Bb-xLB6Ytx26c4BXDWkEPmhZ9uRFv1NDPWTrpPKtbyz0agLMklISmMbcGUnLkeegl/s400/indiana1895.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584888314055188418" /></a><br />Which may explain why the Pacers attacked the game from the first whistle. They were most definitely playing like a team that was making up for lost time. The Knicks, meanwhile, looked like me in the driveway as a kid. Practicing, slow deliberate moves that were not much use in game situations. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6RfoYHzzpqgv7KS7N0ZclYKTVI-CUec0qKjsLP7_NXlgeztwkCWIMXbcm71MfV8QqgWoDPhVj-ocDmKj2v7OxbJ3Q9eWMAcWLkFJUAVaB2178-xYDmWBCaYBunqGs6LT_PkYRN2cZZ4Z/s1600/i.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 178px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6RfoYHzzpqgv7KS7N0ZclYKTVI-CUec0qKjsLP7_NXlgeztwkCWIMXbcm71MfV8QqgWoDPhVj-ocDmKj2v7OxbJ3Q9eWMAcWLkFJUAVaB2178-xYDmWBCaYBunqGs6LT_PkYRN2cZZ4Z/s320/i.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584894935831409826" /></a>Georgetown alum Roy Hibbert got as close to "rampaging" as his plodding frame will ever allow him, scoring the first four points of the game himself. Even with our defensive stopper Jared Jeffries in the starting lineup, the Knicks had no answer for this team that boasted both a legitimate center in Hibbert and a bulky power forward in Tyler Hansbrough. The Knicks can handle a team with one of those two types. And, by "handle," I mean allow that one player to kill it in the post while doing their best to run at everyone else on the wings. But two post players? This Knicks group doesn't have the equipment, physically, emotionally or schematically to handle that sort of balanced team. With Pacers point guard Darren Collison keeping the ball on a string and solid wing play from Paul George (and later Dahntay Jones), the visitors sprinted to an 8-1 lead before the 'bockers seemed to even know that the cameras had been turned on. Playing without its best player, Danny Granger, and mired in what seemed a terminal skid, this Pacers club made the Knicks look amateurish, like they might as well not go on the road while the NIT is in town later this month. <br /><br />Midway through the first quarter, the Knicks would make their only true run of the game to go momentarily ahead, 17-16. That spurt consisted of Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire scoring points. Of course it did. But once that run concluded with a made Melo free throw, the game was never really interesting again. In fact, it was downright boring. Baskets were traded as thoughtlessly as business cards at a Rotary Club meet and greet. There was no urgency or fluidity to what the Knicks were doing. There was little ball movement on offense and not enough moving of feet on defense. They were stagnant. And, the crowd followed suit. After watching three quarters Hansbrough dunking and altogether outplaying his more talented and better paid peers, even the chants of Dee-FENSE were lackluster. The malaise was so severe that I could barely muster enthusiasm for the t-shirt launch. <br /><br />Perhaps you just don't want to play the Heartland's Hoops Team on a day as apparently fraught with tension as the start of Daylight Savings Time. Perhaps the home crowd and the home team approached this game, played at this early time, as if it were a lazy summer lark. Or perhaps the Knicks just got their own floor mopped with their own asses. I guess, we'll find out when these teams meet again a few nights from now in Indianapolis.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-66457060534991288632011-03-14T00:01:00.012-04:002011-03-14T00:22:42.793-04:00The WWOD? Guide to Running an NCAA Office Pool<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbDlqwnMelyh1sJlwtUaspFx7IHFc3Epej1XfjB4ein2uxbUvnKjgLv2ZN_gbEK52bp4i7GqyxmPt2lTDjMbC5uBebt2ZU0CovdRqHYzi6f7aeNbf9QtMoBnnFlLjguZfub4hE1oA0C4/s1600-h/SUC51437.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbDlqwnMelyh1sJlwtUaspFx7IHFc3Epej1XfjB4ein2uxbUvnKjgLv2ZN_gbEK52bp4i7GqyxmPt2lTDjMbC5uBebt2ZU0CovdRqHYzi6f7aeNbf9QtMoBnnFlLjguZfub4hE1oA0C4/s320/SUC51437.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449192409469958882" /></a>Big-time men's college hoops powerhouses - like Kentucky, Duke and Ohio State - that clinched their respective conference titles on Sunday afternoon, have plunged headlong into an incredibly a hectic 96 hours. From finding out where they're scheduled to play this weekend during the Selection Show on Sunday night to scouting their upcoming opponents and traveling to the various first-round tournament sites, there are few people busier than the coaches, equipment managers, athletic directors and players participating in the Big Dance. <br /><br />The only folks who may have more on their plates this week? Those hale and hearty men and women running an old-fashioned NCAA Tournament pools in offices around the country. Brackets must be printed. Scoring systems divined. Cohorts recruited. Witty emails composed. And fees collected. Running your office pool can be a weeks-long whirlwind of clandestine office work, done with great personal risk of paper cuts and an increased exposure to algebra. <br /><br />Or you can just start a pool on Yahoo or some such place on the Interwebs and not have to do much of anything but send one email. But before you click to accept their terms, I ask you to consider a better way. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZgL4W85XVAM-bEGn8CD-BBHxGrqwgfw73kOICdOJjuXgvf6df-1ZAvNhr6I5cgakM0QtEgjV1w31XQDWVY5hETNuMPHpdJK0VvOkhoa5ib4y5AKYAWIPLmhCmPhgHVO-IfGM2njMKQA/s1600-h/ludd_robe%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZgL4W85XVAM-bEGn8CD-BBHxGrqwgfw73kOICdOJjuXgvf6df-1ZAvNhr6I5cgakM0QtEgjV1w31XQDWVY5hETNuMPHpdJK0VvOkhoa5ib4y5AKYAWIPLmhCmPhgHVO-IfGM2njMKQA/s320/ludd_robe%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449238547911041810" /></a><u>On General Ludd and the Virtues of Handcraft</u><br />As the Industrial Revolution was changing the face of English culture at the tail end of the 1700s, one man is reputed to have stood up against the forces of change. One man is supposed to have spoken out in favor of the work done by human hands (albeit slower work that often came at greater expense). This man, Ned Ludd, smashed a pair of mechanical knitting machines that were taking away jobs for him and his buddies. <br /><br />As the Industrial Revolution (not to be confused with <i>The Puppy That Lost Its Way</i>) gained steam in the 1810s and '20s, a swarm of British textile workers rose up under Ludd's name and smashed looms across the land. The Luddites were revolting across England and tying down British troops that were needed to fend off Napoleon. This brouhaha was such that the breaking of looms became a capital offense. Yeah, that means it was punished with the death penalty. And, no, "breaking the loom" is not a nineteenth century euphemism for sodomy. In 2011, now that we're not so hung up on losing our jobs to looms, "Luddite" is a mildly derogatory term for someone who hasn't waited in a long line for an IPad. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXaixpoA8qZQxm-6HooUSZLfeD6HhO8-lZrNNtb2D5lREaKvAUH_s_ecYXspK6qG0V1GR01f1MktCcvJ5XADNTQ3_S18-wS5cNVRWUY3cD5APsZms8ySme1lAzFYGsC3l7cNu17PjKRM/s1600-h/37588_ncaa-pool.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXaixpoA8qZQxm-6HooUSZLfeD6HhO8-lZrNNtb2D5lREaKvAUH_s_ecYXspK6qG0V1GR01f1MktCcvJ5XADNTQ3_S18-wS5cNVRWUY3cD5APsZms8ySme1lAzFYGsC3l7cNu17PjKRM/s200/37588_ncaa-pool.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449300572241854626" /></a>As someone who would love to not have a mobile phone tracking my every movement and making me available to everyone (except my lovely girlfriend who can call any time she wants) at all times, I can respect the Luddite worldview. Which is <i>one</i> of the reasons that I am a huge advocate of running your office pool the old fashioned way: with printed out and filled out paper brackets. Leave this newfangled click-and-drag stuff to the rocket scientists and shut-ins. I say, let's scribble and cross out names on greasy well-worn pieces of paper like the degenerate gamblers we are. <br /><br />Aside from my own rejection of change and fondness for the gambling days of yore, there are a handful of reasons why it's better (and more fun) to have competitors manually fill out and submit their brackets.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuOUvfuEDVtx9LNeKkZY5w57FFX6TqkNf5Ea-92Z_2GWzZiUgHH2vlNs7Jx26qkCcb2lVndhg33zN7Gt7xpVkxZLyjJDoIFgm958HKBvJZbaLb81w3Ayau83rqLxH3Lrz0rFU4ejvXx4/s1600-h/old-computer-trashed.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 265px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuOUvfuEDVtx9LNeKkZY5w57FFX6TqkNf5Ea-92Z_2GWzZiUgHH2vlNs7Jx26qkCcb2lVndhg33zN7Gt7xpVkxZLyjJDoIFgm958HKBvJZbaLb81w3Ayau83rqLxH3Lrz0rFU4ejvXx4/s320/old-computer-trashed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449305899617810498" /></a><u><b>Top Five Reasons For Paper Brackets</b></u><br /><br /><blockquote><b>1. Pay to Play.</b> Someone hands you a bracket and the fee at the same time. There is zero hassle about collecting money from people who sign up online but you never see in person. <br /><br /><b>2. My Mac Ate My Bracket.</b> With most offices populated with a mix of tech-savvy youngsters and middle-aged folks who need a child or spouse to get that danged DVD player to work, the use of hand-filled brackets eliminates any cries of "I meant to pick X but the computer <i>gave</i> me Y."<br /><br /><b>3. Graphology.</b> Now, I don't think that you can necessary learn about a person by the penmanship of their bracket, but I do think that people put more of themselves into a handwritten bracket than one they fill out online. For starters, most online bracket games have players select winners in such a way that the big picture is somewhat obscured. Whereas the breadth and depth of the tournament stares you in the face when you fill out each line of a paper bracket. All of the If... (Team X wins) Then... (They Might Face Team Y) And... (They might meet in this location of significance) Which... (Means that I have a hunch about who will win) Abstractions that make this so fun are much more likely to come into play. People worry over paper brackets while eating lunch, dripping mustard or spilling coffee on them. They cross out earlier picks and doodle in the margins. It's just not the same without them. It's also a lot harder for contestants to (e)mail it in by quickly clicking on team names before the deadline. Long story short, people try harder and care more with paper brackets. <br /><br /><b>4. Scoring Updates.</b> Not surprisingly, I ran the annual office pool at my previous job. There had never been an office pool there and it grew each year that I was with the company. By the time I had moved on to greener and friendlier pastures, the annual office pool had become something that those who participated really looked forward to each spring. Aside from the inherent thrill of gambling, the emails with the scoring updates were always a fave facet of the tournament. These emails became so popular, in fact, that even a few folks that didn't participate asked to be cc'd on the emails throughout the duration of the tournament. Now, this is the first way in which running an office pool with paper brackets puts more onus on the lifeguard. But we'll worry about that later. In the meantime, emailed updates from the person in charge are integral to a solid pool because they provide a common meeting place for all participants. Rather than logging on to Yahoo separately to see what's happening (or not even checking once things are underway) everyone gets to find out where they stand at the same time. A ripple of excitement shoots through the office when that first notice goes out on the morning of the second day of the tourney. There is a collective experience that bonds everyone together and gets people talking. And, this may be the best (and only) situation for the "reply all" email function. All of a sudden, the Marketing VP is commiserating with the guy in the mail room because they both are at the bottom of the standings. When done right, the scoring updates foster the sort of camaraderie that makes the office pool great (and lucrative). <br /><br /><b>5. Freedom</b>. Working outside the confines of Yahoo, ESPN, CBS or whichever media conglomerate you favor allows your office pool to use whatever scoring system you choose.</blockquote><br /><i>A Note on Invitations:</i> When breaking ground on a new office pool (regardless of whether you're using paper brackets) one should be moderately careful of whom they invite to come for a swim. This sort of gambling is, I believe, still illegal. It's also a renowned time suck that some workplaces may frown upon. Send an initial email out the Monday after Selection Sunday to those intrepid souls that you know for a fact will participate. Ideally, this number will include people in various departments or areas of the office. Ask these players to forward the email to anyone else they think may be interested. In your initial email, it's worthwhile to name drop the most senior person that you know will be participating in a "Well, we all now that Mr. Knudsen is going to go with his alma mater UNC even though they missed the tournament" sort of way. This should put a bit of institutional muscle behind this operation and help grease the wheels. If you get the word out on Monday then you have until noon on Thursday for participants to come out of the wood work. And they will. <br /><br />Lastly, be sure to attached <a href ="http://a.espncdn.com/i/ncaa/11mens_bracket.pdf">PDF of a bracket</a> to your invite email and also include a <a href="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/basketball/ncaa/men/2011/ncaa_tourney/brackets/tourney_m.pdf#">hyperlink that leads to a printable version of the bracket</a>. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to participate. Mostly because you want their money but also because it's more fun that way. <br /><br /><u><b>The WWOD? Risk-Rewarding NCCA Office Pool Scoring System</b></u><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VmqtNzVAPqtN5BMF51taeZ0cvfMivWLBCx8AxF0fXA7zaI3Mot6dE5VrdKdriYxnxGvM7s3q1fMR2XBLR4XD27KK4xknMhvzRHdw_ep0XOgJiACsiPanUv1KwmnrIJNOTz1-8ZpLxbA/s1600-h/tj-sorrentine.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VmqtNzVAPqtN5BMF51taeZ0cvfMivWLBCx8AxF0fXA7zaI3Mot6dE5VrdKdriYxnxGvM7s3q1fMR2XBLR4XD27KK4xknMhvzRHdw_ep0XOgJiACsiPanUv1KwmnrIJNOTz1-8ZpLxbA/s320/tj-sorrentine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449332825224875042" /></a>In order to show that my preference for paper brackets isn't just some self-indulgent whim, I've created a scoring system that I think fosters more competitive spirit than the standard scoring employed by most online bracket vendors. The thrice-tested WWOD? scoring system rewards those who correctly pick upsets. Because being right when the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos take out the University of Florida should not be just as valuable as correctly tapping Kansas to get past the Boston University Terriers. That is not what this tournament is all about. <br /><br />When Taylor Coppenrath and the Vermont Catamounts knocked off Syracuse on TJ Sorrentine's three-pointer in 2005, and I had actually <del>guessed</del> prognosticated that result in the office pool, well, I wanted a statue erected in my honor next to the water cooler. Is that so wrong? I don't think so. And while I haven't set up a quick-turnaround statue company, I have composed this upset-emphasizing scoring system. There are two main components of this paten-pending method.<br /><br />1. The WWOD? Upset Bonus<br />When an upset occurs and a bracketeer has correctly filled it out on their bracket then they get the difference of the team's seeds added to their score as an <b><i>UPSET BONUS</b></i>. So if the No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos really do knock of the No. 2 seeded Florida Gators and you were to correctly guess that then you would receive 13 bonus points added to your score.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItDhET20F9Pkbh4YBsSHi99mySBOgFxC4jlLsLUXUTvBey_reONwao2Q_k8wXCKJe5rDxuaqq7N2CVyi6RcpjOXW22w3bRZhXdBQ9QxldIS48pdnJia8HNMbm2_QGhOBN_V_e4l9ZFJfC/s1600/fibo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItDhET20F9Pkbh4YBsSHi99mySBOgFxC4jlLsLUXUTvBey_reONwao2Q_k8wXCKJe5rDxuaqq7N2CVyi6RcpjOXW22w3bRZhXdBQ9QxldIS48pdnJia8HNMbm2_QGhOBN_V_e4l9ZFJfC/s320/fibo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583785620834122738" /></a>2. The Fibonacci Normalizer<br />With such extravagant bonuses for picking first-round upsets, you might ask, "Well doesn't this mean that everyone will just pick every upset hoping to rack up bonus points?" And, it might if I hadn't already thought about that and created a scoring system that makes correct picks increasingly valuable as we get deeper into the tournament. In other words, if you go against all the high seeds early to accrue bonus points then you'll be hosed as the tournament advances. <br /><br />I scoured the world of mathematics (read: googled "math" and "counting") when trying to find out a way to raise the scores incrementally by round. Finally I tracked down a certain Leonardo of Pisa, who brought us the bestselling <i>Liber Abaci</i>. The son of a successful Italian merchant, this guy learned about counting and numbers from the brightest minds of the Arab world and convinced Europeans to give up Roman numerals for the much easier to compute 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The adoption of the Hindu-Arabic numerals by the West was really a game-changer in world history. Sort of like the addition of the three-point line. <br /><br />For his troubles, Leonardo of Pisa later had a number sequence named in his honor. Even though his name was Leo, this number sequence was called the Fibonacci Sequence. It is a string of numbers in which any number after the first two, which are 0 and 1, is the sum of the previous two numbers.<br /><br /><b>0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 ...</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEhbb6fIZ62KTIETQZU1i_mAWaj4L-75NeAcugtJYK-QPeCvbw4xWl6Qo5NCROwQMAeQEDZgtoVf2S_HpVTTrO-wPA6lPcn9ioKxFDrnULhGyjMb_u2KVissbCM2Qv6U4sIQyFKgAokE/s1600-h/fibonacci111.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEhbb6fIZ62KTIETQZU1i_mAWaj4L-75NeAcugtJYK-QPeCvbw4xWl6Qo5NCROwQMAeQEDZgtoVf2S_HpVTTrO-wPA6lPcn9ioKxFDrnULhGyjMb_u2KVissbCM2Qv6U4sIQyFKgAokE/s320/fibonacci111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449333007618221538" /></a>One of the special things about the Fibonacci numbers is that they occur in nature, such as in the branching of trees, the arrangements of leaves on a stem and a bunch of other stuff. And, if something is good enough for Mother Nature then it's surely good enough for our office pool. <br /><br /><b><u>Points Values By Round:</b></u> <br />Round 1: 2 points for each correct pick<br />Round 2: 3 points for each correct pick<br />Sweet 16: 5 points for each correct pick<br />Elite 8: 8 points for each correct pick<br />Final Four: 13 points for each correct pick<br />Championship Game: 21 points<br /><br /><b>Scoring Example:</b><br />Again, if those No. 15 UCSB Gauchos really do knock off No. 2 Florida then anyone who picks that game correctly gets 2 points because it's a first-round game + 13 points for the Upset Bonus. That's 15 points for that one game.<br /><br />Each game is tabulated thusly. Games in which the higher seed prevails just get the appropriate round value. This applies to every game in every round. So if a No. 3 seed edges a No. 1 seed in the championship game then anyone who correctly picked that winner receives the 21 points for the round + the 2 points for the difference in seeds.<br /> <br />For all the attention paid to upsets in this system, most bonus-based leads evaporate in the Sweet 16. And that 21-point score for nailing the champ is hard to beat. Just like with most scoring systems, the winning brackets will need to have their Final Four largely intact and tend to have the correct champ. The true difference with the WWOD? scoring system is that those who sniffed out the right Cinderellas will get a slight boost over those who went chalk in a year when a common pick cuts down the nets. It's very hard to win this sort of pool if you don't get at least one of the few big upsets correctly. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8ttPLXNjdLZZaK2fWCRxNNrcyAJOlbKzowP1z8HLIUk4u8fNUtTnFfjqOKGUqRhedR8dUx9gotlJn_tNyaB6rxIfq4Ppr5ZfOqxpwi2Q5ZBY1Gw_Ty6eLtmnvYUzMM4-b3MunKa-tjA/s1600-h/burn-money.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8ttPLXNjdLZZaK2fWCRxNNrcyAJOlbKzowP1z8HLIUk4u8fNUtTnFfjqOKGUqRhedR8dUx9gotlJn_tNyaB6rxIfq4Ppr5ZfOqxpwi2Q5ZBY1Gw_Ty6eLtmnvYUzMM4-b3MunKa-tjA/s200/burn-money.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449332653081453202" /></a><u>The Stakes</u><br />This is totally dependent on where you work. If you're the sommelier in the employee lunchroom at Monocles and Scepters Incorporated then maybe you can go as high as $100 per bracket. But I've always gone between $10 and $20 per bracket. Ideally, no one will be intimidated by price and a handful of people will play multiple brackets. <br /> <br /><u>The Lifeguard at the Office Pool</u><br />And, here's the part you didn't want to hear. Running an office pool this way, the <i>right</i> way, requires someone to do a lot of work. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpi3_ywy6DRiCKLGcr0905XASVpk2HwEU4kyyfdd-UAfSaFroTDAxeZG-lxnZFvchUyw7jEcyE9MjVnI7lYP4MsZH8bS3rd95BGma0F6LGPLh3UYtpAWUzSNLCSLteZt5fE7jEiXjt24/s1600-h/manila_envelope.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpi3_ywy6DRiCKLGcr0905XASVpk2HwEU4kyyfdd-UAfSaFroTDAxeZG-lxnZFvchUyw7jEcyE9MjVnI7lYP4MsZH8bS3rd95BGma0F6LGPLh3UYtpAWUzSNLCSLteZt5fE7jEiXjt24/s200/manila_envelope.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449355542074222418" /></a>You've got to compose clever emails that include references to the tournament itself as well as the various folks in your office. You've got resist the temptation to spend the big wad of money at a bar during the first weekend of the tournament. And the second. You've got to do math. And then check your math. And then re-check it because Lynda in Accounting thinks you might have her score wrong. You've got to carry around an Inter-office envelope with all the brackets stuffed inside and not lose that envelope. Or change any of the brackets in that envelope. And you've got to deal with everyone waiting on scoring updates after each round of games. Because they will. <br /><br />So, yeah, it will take up a lot of your time. <br /><br />But, that's also part of the fun. You can distract yourself from a month of your actual job. It's also a great way to meet people in your workplace and get people to see you in a slightly different light. And, yes, that light may be tinted by gambling but it will also illuminate your leadership skills and ability to complete a complex project. Oh, and it will keep you from working. Did I mention that? <br /><br />Now, in the name of Ludd and Fibonacci and Coopenrath go out there and start some workplace gambling!WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-35369650166146897602011-03-10T09:15:00.005-05:002011-03-11T09:12:03.098-05:00He Do This<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-7wSovr8nMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Fine. I'll admit. Deep in the hidden recesses of my hoops heart, it has been a minor struggle for me to learn to love watching Carmelo Anthony stop the ball as the Knicks run an increasing number of isolation plays. Despite his ability to play that style better than most of his peers, the <i>seeming</i> stagnation flashes me back to Al Harrington, Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. <br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong. I wanted the Knick to trade for Carmelo Anthony, even writing some time long before the Summer of LeBron that<a href="http://whatwouldoakleydo.blogspot.com/2010/02/king-and-i.html"> I'd rather root for Melo and the upstarts trying to usurp the King then for a team built around an increasingly dickish James</a>.<br /><br />In spite of my affection for Melo, I have still cringed when he's gone through his brief cold stretches because few plays look as wasteful as the missed iso jumper early in the shot clock. Of course, I understand that coach Mike D'Antoni has to tailor his offense to the skills of his top players. And, I understand that allowing Melo to face up on a defender on most places on the floor isn't exactly a bad play. Or, at least, it's not as bad a play as letting Harrington do it. <br /><br />Last night, though, Anthony had a message for me. A message that I received by way of the Memphis Grizzlies' bench. When Melo released the above game-winner, the Grizz reserves were hollering in his ear that his effort was astray. Once the ball dropped through the net, Anthony turned to them and simply said, "I do this."<br /><br />There was a rakish grin on Anthony's face as he backpedaled down the court after that make. With arctic confidence, he just kept repeating those three words. Because he does this. Which means that anytime I feel like the team has abandoned the pick and roll and the breakneck pace for half-court clear-outs, I need to remind myself that it's a make-or-miss league and we've got a guy who makes when it matters: <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Af0vMD_CTYY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Even if that winning shot had clanged off the iron, and the Knicks had gone on to lose in overtime, I still would have liked the way that last play looked. It wasn't Jamal Crawford dribbling down the clock at the top of the key before one crossover dribble and an off-balance jumper. Unlike the final possession in the recent loss to Cleveland, D'Antoni had his team run the offense. Toney Douglas initiated the action, passing it Anthony on the left wing that he loves. Amar'e came over looking to run the pick and roll, but Zach Randolph was staying home on him. With the Grizz overplaying Amar'e, it was up to Anthony. Who jab stepped Tony Allen and pulled back and rose for the winner. Because, all together now, He Do That.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-2400365314300709412011-03-09T09:26:00.056-05:002011-03-11T09:38:37.074-05:00Biggie and the Unnamed Knicks Cuckold<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjIpeXGStflUntnoHjPFMzLkecZR5RUrBWTlRY_7CkFzNxmMijiLZyhsWEvqfgtjxsqLWJdx4q4AWVgarH9AbavWSjJMBo_TuTpzXjS3REpHCCiRm1RHti8nQZ-ptTLWtbgKEuA_zZpU/s1600/Biggie-Smalls-445x546-38kb-media-2608-media-115901-1179819302.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 261px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjIpeXGStflUntnoHjPFMzLkecZR5RUrBWTlRY_7CkFzNxmMijiLZyhsWEvqfgtjxsqLWJdx4q4AWVgarH9AbavWSjJMBo_TuTpzXjS3REpHCCiRm1RHti8nQZ-ptTLWtbgKEuA_zZpU/s320/Biggie-Smalls-445x546-38kb-media-2608-media-115901-1179819302.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582093375331373602" /></a>It was 14 years ago today that Brooklyn-born hip hop juggernaut Christopher Wallace - better known as Biggie Smalls or the Notorious B.I.G. - was killed in Los Angeles. A tuxedo-wearing gunman in a Chevy Impala pulled alongside the Suburban ferrying Biggie and opened fire. Riding in the passenger seat of that 'burb, the drug dealer turned wordsmith was killed. Despite the fact that a whole lot of people thought they knew who was behind the shooting, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-unsolved-mystery-of-the-notorious-b-i-g-20110107">the murder was never solved by the LAPD,</a> and is actually <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-07/justice/california.biggie.death.probe_1_poole-police-officers-law-enforcement?_s=PM:CRIME">still being investigated on the Left Coast</a>.<br /><br />All these years later, the vivid street narratives in <i>Born to Die</i> and <i>Life After Death</i> remain poignant and surprisingly fresh. At turns angry, hilarious and vulnerable, Biggie has got songs for all seasons. And even one about banging the girl of a player on the New York Knicks. The last song on the first disc of <i>Life After Death</i>, "I've Got A Story to Tell," details what happens when Big's liaison with the lady of Knicks player at that fellow's crib is interrupted by the player returning home from a game against the Utah Jazz, who were fittingly in town the other night. Surprisingly, hilarity, not violence, ensues. Well, there is a robbery and there are threats of violence. But it's funny. Really funny.<br /><br /><i>Who y'all talkin to man?<br />Uhh<br />Check it out, check it out<br />This here goes out<br />to all the niggaz that be fuckin mad bitches<br />in other niggaz cribs<br />thinkin shit is sweet<br />Nigga creep up on your ass, hahaha<br />Live niggaz respect it, check it<br /><br />I kick flows for ya, kick down doors for ya<br />Even left all my motherfuckin hoes for ya<br />Niggaz think Frankie pussy whipped, nigga picture that<br />With a Kodak, Insta-ma-tak<br />We don't get down like that, lay my game down quite flat<br />Sweetness, where you parked at?<br />Petiteness but that ass fat<br />She got a body make a nigga wanna eat that, I'm fuckin witchu<br />The bitch official doe, dick harder than a missile yo<br />Try to hit if she trippin dissapearin like Arsenio<br />Yo, the bitch push a double-oh<br />with the five in front, probably a connivin stunt<br />Y'all drive in front, I'm a peel with her<br />Find a deal with her, she fuck around and steal, huh?<br />Then we all get laced<br />Television's, Versacci heaven, when I'm up in em<br />The shit she kicked, all the shit's legit<br />She get dick from a player off the New York Knicks<br />Nigga tricked ridiculous, the shit was plush<br />She's stressin me to fuck, like she was in a rush<br />We fucked in his bed, quite dangerous<br />I'm in his ass while he playin gainst the Utah Jazz<br />My 112, CD blast, I was past<br />She came twice I came last, roll the grass<br />She giggle, sayin i'm smokin on homegrown<br />Then I heard her moan, honey I'm home<br />Yep, tote chrome for situations like this<br />I'm up in his broad I know he won't like this<br />Now I'm like bitch you better talk to him<br />Before this fist put a spark to him<br />Fuck around shit get dark to him, put a part through him<br />Lose a major part to him, arm, leg<br />She beggin me to stop but this cat gettin closer<br />Gettin hot like a toaster, I cocks the toast, uhh<br />Before my eyes could blink<br />She screams out, "Honey bring me up somethin to drink!"<br />He go back downstairs more time to think<br />Her brain racin, she's tellin me to stay patient<br />She don't know I'm, cool as a fan<br />Gat in hand, I don't wanna blast her man<br />But I can and I will doe, I probably chill doe<br />Even though situation lookin kinda ill yo<br />It came to me like a song I wrote<br />Told the bitch gimme your scarf, pillowcase and rope<br />Got dressed quick, tied the scarf around my face<br />Roped the bitch up, gagged her mouth with the pillowcase<br />Play the cut, nigga comin off some love potion shit<br />Flash the heat on em, he stood emotionless<br />Dropped the glass screamin, "Don't blast here's the stash,<br />a hundred cash just don't shoot my ass, please!"<br />Nigga pullin mad G's out the floor<br />Put stacks in a Prada knapsack, hit the door<br />Grab the keys to the five, call my niggaz on the cell<br />Bring some weed I got a story to tell, uhh...<br /><br />Yo man, y'all niggaz ain't gonna believe what the fuck happened to me.<br />Remember that bitch I left the club with man? Yo, freaky yo. I'm up in<br />this bitch playa this bitch fuckin run them ol mink ass niggaz and shit,<br />I'm up in the spot though. One of them six-five niggaz, I don't know.<br />Anyway I'm up in the motherfuckin spot, so boom I'm up in the pussy,<br />whatever whatever. I sparks up some lye, Pop Duke creeps up in on some,<br />must have been rained out or something *laughing* because he's in the<br />spot. Had me scared, had me scared, I was shook Daddy - but I forget I<br />had my Roscoe on me. Always. You know how we do. So anyway the nigga<br />comes up the stairs, he creepin up the steps, the bitch all shook she<br />sends the nigga back downstairs to get some drinks and shit. She gettin<br />mad nervous, I said fuck that man! I'm the nigga, you know how we do it<br />nigga, ransom note style put the scarf around my motherfuckin face,<br />gagged that bitch up, played the kizzack. Soon this nigga comes up in<br />the spot, flash the Desert in his face he drops the glass. Looked like<br />the nigga pissed on his-self or somethin, word to mother! Ahh fuckit<br />this nigga runs dead to the floor, peels up the carpet, start givin me<br />mad papers, mad papers. (I told you that bitch was a shiesty bitch cuz!<br />Word to mother I used to fuck her cousin but you ain't know that! Hahaha.<br />You wouldn't know that shit. Really though.) I threw all that<br />motherfuckin money up in the Prada knapsack. Two words, I'm gone!<br />(No doubt, no doubt... no doubt!) Yo nigga got some lye, y'all got<br />some lye? [conversation fades out]</i><br /><br />While the anonymous cuckolded Knickerbocker is likely just a stand-in for the stereotypical ideals of straight-laced, milk-drinking masculinity that this overweight, black market superstar was trying to supersede, I did like to wonder who the gal would have been if the story had been true. Usually, I'd just assume that, Big was banging the wife of <a href="http://whatwouldoakleydo.blogspot.com/2008/10/ver-knick-ular.html">Charles Smith</a>. A Connecticut-born college graduate who was well paid but little respected on the block (or at my suburban middle school). Smith's four misses in the waning moments of Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals were still an open wound in this town during the period when the song was likely recorded. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bRFKhpMKX0E" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIVlqKDeh4LT8TwuDpEpFEqqXPPkPPYpGyZCPJISUsNXTpMQ-0yWJ9XCSmE4lMGbwnupw7JY38A831kYZ5sc1FxKx5xaluvAo59I7ee3Qv1MO6YGkIRXOw4jUoO7v8fvKD0kPSpe-c_c/s1600/515KhfawGpL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIVlqKDeh4LT8TwuDpEpFEqqXPPkPPYpGyZCPJISUsNXTpMQ-0yWJ9XCSmE4lMGbwnupw7JY38A831kYZ5sc1FxKx5xaluvAo59I7ee3Qv1MO6YGkIRXOw4jUoO7v8fvKD0kPSpe-c_c/s320/515KhfawGpL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582184239199879970" /></a><i>Life After Death</i> was released shortly after Biggie's death in March 1997, but it was, according to my extensive Wikipedia research, originally slated for release on Halloween in 1996. An autumn '96 on-sale would have meant that most of the songs were likely written and recorded during the three-year window between September 1994 when <i>Ready to Die</i> dropped and the start of the 1996–1997 NBA season. Although the Knicks' roster was fairly stable during that span, the only clues that we have about the 'bocker from the song is that he was scared and that he kept a stash of cash in a Prada bag beneath the floor of his bedroom. He's also described as "one of them six-five niggaz," which likely rules out the 6' 10" Smith. Despite the scars I carry from Charles Smith's time with the Knicks' I'm going to say that he simply doesn't fit the description. <br /><br /><b><u>1994–1997 New York Knicks</b></u><br />Patrick Ewing 1994–1997<br />John Starks 1994–1997<br />Charles Smith 1994–1996<br />Derek Harper 1994–1996<br />Hubert Davis 1994–1996<br />Anthony Mason 1994–1996<br />Charles Oakley 1994–1997<br />Greg Anthony 1994–1995<br />Anthony Bonner 1994–1995<br />Herb Williams 1994–1995<br />Monty Williams 1994–1995<br />Doc Rivers 1994<br />Charlie Ward 1994–1997<br />Doug Christie 1994–1995<br />Ron Grandison 1994-1996<br />Greg Kite 1994–1995<br />J.R.Reid 1995–1996<br />Gary Grant 1995–1996<br />Brad Lohaus 1995–1996<br />Willie Anderson 1995–1996<br />Matt Fish 1995–1996<br />Scott Brooks 1996–1997<br />Chris Childs 1996–1997<br />Allan Houston 1996–1997<br />Larry Johnson 1996–1997<br />Buck Williams 1996–1997<br />Walter McCarty 1996–1997<br />Chris Jent 1996–1997<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaQlGk_S0Z6aHVD4I8IH5OVPgKFZ1qNkumehbCUp7S6eIl4iMRBuCi_HkZMYNlYsVvnJtCFfqS2dHJY56RiTiF5UHfJXEx8Mhs78xTq9b5699GLQBlT9RGVUaYGRsOVoU34WX0ZOGT6E/s1600/patrick_ewing.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaQlGk_S0Z6aHVD4I8IH5OVPgKFZ1qNkumehbCUp7S6eIl4iMRBuCi_HkZMYNlYsVvnJtCFfqS2dHJY56RiTiF5UHfJXEx8Mhs78xTq9b5699GLQBlT9RGVUaYGRsOVoU34WX0ZOGT6E/s400/patrick_ewing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582199580530448642" /></a>First, I think we can rule out the handful of white guys that played on the team since I believe it would have been noted explicitly in the lyrics if this dude was white. Next, I'd eliminate Ewing, Oakley and Mason. Mostly, because they are all too tall, but also because I think this situation ends with a murder if Oak or Mase are involved. Also, Rita Ewing ain't playing like that if it's going to <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1998/02/13/1998-02-13_end_of_a_romance___ewing_and.html">jeopardize her settlement in the divorce</a>. The Ewings also lived in New Jersey. Third, I'd tend toward knocking the older players like Herb Williams and Buck Williams from the list as they're likely married to women too old to end up in bed with a young rapper who they met at a club. Those veterans also probably would have had kids in the house. The next to go would be the itinerant players who only had a cup of coffee with the team during that span. Please move along Gary Grant, J.R. Reid, Greg Kite, Ron Grandison and company. After removing all those guys we're left with a group of young players and a few veterans, that includes Starks, Childs, Davis, Bonner, Ward, Christie, Houston and McCarty. <br /><br />Of these candidates, I'd think that the religious Houston and Ward would have quoted scripture when faced with such a situation and that Biggie would have mocked them for it. More importantly perhaps, those Christian brothers didn't arrive in town until the very end of the window during which the song could have been written. Same goes for LJ (who is probably closer to being 6'5" then whatever he was listed as during his playing days), Bonner, Childs and McCarty. So I'm going to say that they weren't in town long enough to qualify. Elementary, my dear Diddy. <br /><br />That leaves us with three likeliest candidates: Davis, Starks and Christie. Davis and Starks are both listed at 6 feet and 5 inches tall while Christie is just an inch taller. They all fit the bill. It's possible that Starks' nightmarish 1994 NBA Finals was brought about by having been "robbed" by Smalls at his home, and the former grocery store clerk does seem like the type that might have kept his money stashed in bags rather than banks. Of course, I see Starks opting for a plastic bag if given the "Prada or plastic?" choice. Now, knowing what we now know about Christie's wife, Jackie, he seems a darkhorse candidate. Lastly, Davis is the college-educated All-American sort that seems a candidate to have a Prada bag and to not stand up for himself. Such measured cowardice is the wise play, of course, which is why it may potentially rule out Starks. This a complicated case with a lot of ins, outs and what have you. Among the many unsolved mysteries surrounding this fallen icon, is the identity of the player that begged Biggie not to shoot his ass. <br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6df0rha_Opw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-57182093563060088572011-03-07T09:40:00.006-05:002011-03-07T14:09:18.646-05:00Monday Morning Schadenfreude<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h2K_W8dk9Xk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />After the South Beach SuperFriends dropped another close game yesterday, the club's ertswhile coach Erik Spoelstra revealed that some tears where shed by his players after the latest loss. From these tears came a deluge of gleeful and mocking commentary.<br /><br />According to ESPN Stats and Information, these two misses were the 12th and 13th that have come with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. Amar'e Stoudemire blocked LBJ on a similar foray into the paint last weekend. Between that last-second loss to the Knicks and this last-second loss to the Bulls, the Heat have squandered a large lead against Orlando and been routed by San Antonio.<br /><br />“The Miami Heat are exactly what everyone wanted, losing games,” said Wade after the game, acutely aware that the South Beach Schadenfreudes are the team that we all love to hate. “The world is better now because the Heat is losing.”<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t48brs4QRjY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-89869181296547012622011-03-04T22:06:00.086-05:002011-03-15T00:21:14.688-04:00The Payback TrilogyI've read enough <i>Baseball Prospectus</i> to understand that nothing I do, as a fan, has any effect on the outcome of a sporting event. Not my yelling. Not my would-be-witty blog posts. Not the spot where I sit while watching. None of my actions have any effect. Which makes me, in this regard, nearly as useful as Andy Rautins. <br /><br />Now, I don't mean to say that I still didn't worry over which Jets jersey to wear during Gang Green's recent playoff run. Because I did. But I understand that the only purpose of such behavior was to give me something to do before the game and something to talk about during. My ensemble didn't help Shaun Ellis sack Tom Brady in New England or prevent Bart Scott from wrapping Rashard Mendenhall in Pittsburgh. <br /><br />Recent events, however, have forced me to revisit this stance about my own ineffectuality. Maybe Bill Simmons is right. Maybe reverse jinxes matter. Maybe RBI is a valuable evaluation tool. And, just maybe the things I do and say and eat and drink can alter the performances of athletes that don't even know that I exist. Because that seems to be one of the only ways that I can explain how the woeful Cleveland Cavaliers have beaten the Knicks three times in three tries this season. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KH0YiGn_hiQQihY9Z4pDE1SxoCKanxQjvvW9yWCJ8vt-KDEqeddCNMRUeTVXHHnAa1PIrRZgKt0605tb5AsP5OXfD8N5R5uOsTJYAh6aPDhpGMissL6IwGZ7QjvdWDKBNkpKMqk3g8M/s1600/257c7_99801_nuggets_cavaliers_basketball.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KH0YiGn_hiQQihY9Z4pDE1SxoCKanxQjvvW9yWCJ8vt-KDEqeddCNMRUeTVXHHnAa1PIrRZgKt0605tb5AsP5OXfD8N5R5uOsTJYAh6aPDhpGMissL6IwGZ7QjvdWDKBNkpKMqk3g8M/s400/257c7_99801_nuggets_cavaliers_basketball.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583289764348086450" /></a><br />In case you haven't heard, those 2010-2011 Cavaliers have been one of the worst teams in NBA annals. Byron Scott's charges have just 12 wins. Seven of those triumphs came in the first month of play, but the comic sans wave crested in the first quarter of <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=301202005">LeBron James' return to Cleveland</a> on Dec. 2. With a vociferous crowd behind them, the Cavs took an early lead. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoM0JNZJMNmJ4EaslKyG-uy_UxVS2CX4WLczZbrBJnaIYItKRg4xrCKhFgviK369EZjzmq5Z49VP9WNWMcUbBL-kCpltU8NVXMZXiwLHqGNOMTBiryXJb5_Qyf28T-yMuopTfY99LSU_T/s1600/i.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoM0JNZJMNmJ4EaslKyG-uy_UxVS2CX4WLczZbrBJnaIYItKRg4xrCKhFgviK369EZjzmq5Z49VP9WNWMcUbBL-kCpltU8NVXMZXiwLHqGNOMTBiryXJb5_Qyf28T-yMuopTfY99LSU_T/s320/i.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583297881994683474" /></a>The high point came when Antawn Jamison drew a foul while scoring a driving layup. He then knocked down the ensuing free throw to give the home team a 17-12 lead. From that made free throw up until now it's been a nearly uninterrupted free fall. The South Beach SuperFriends finished the quarter strong, with James scoring 11 of his team's final 16 points while assisting on the two buckets he didn't score. The next three quarters would go just as well for Cleveland as the close of the first. <br /><br />The Cavs would go on to drop their next eight games before the Knickerbockers arrived in Cleveland for their first meeting on Dec. 18. The Knicks squandered a lead in the final minute of the game before capitulating in overtime. As I said earlier, the freefall was <i>nearly</i> uninterrupted. After that first win over the Knicks, the rudderless Cavs would go on to lose their next 26 straight games, establishing a new mark for consistent putridity. <br /><br />When the Knicks next came calling at Quicken Loans Arena in late February, the 'bockers had just acquired Carmel Anthony, Chauncey Billups and assorted Balkmans from Denver. The new-look New York team stuttered and fumbled its way to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks in its first future outing, but would then go down in Cleveland. In that game, J.J. Hickson played with a ferocity that neither me or the Knicks seemed to anticipate, and it was only a fourth-quarter explosion from Billups that made this one close down the stretch. <br /><br />Already rocking an impressive 0-fer against the least competitive team of recent vintage, Anthony sounded almost Rexian in making it clear to the media that there would be no messing around when Cavaliers visited the Garden just a few days later. True to his words, the Knicks began brightly in the game, with Toney Douglas continuing his recent streak of strong starts. TD attacked the rack for the opening score. Soon after, Melo dropped a three and then Amar'e got himself to the line after a strong drive. Douglas was propelling the offense at full speed, pushing it through Amar'e. When Jared Jeffries took a charge early it looked like this one would be over early. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-hOPF1DZRz0jwEUC8mCkOTG79ifSqkrsfQsZKima20nbGrValAH4ZWvnNw77Gp6z9-uB3Kv2zL24Y55rFipKmJSGPcyqslG6sPIg5yRMqAYj_xjAEaMj3Xgh9z2QzzTfgECi42sHmAYK/s1600/i-2.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-hOPF1DZRz0jwEUC8mCkOTG79ifSqkrsfQsZKima20nbGrValAH4ZWvnNw77Gp6z9-uB3Kv2zL24Y55rFipKmJSGPcyqslG6sPIg5yRMqAYj_xjAEaMj3Xgh9z2QzzTfgECi42sHmAYK/s320/i-2.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584135386652958482" /></a>To their credit, the Cavs would battle all night, playing with a confidence and an anger that one might not expect from a team so far down the standings. Some of the spirit of belief was imbued by recent arrival Baron Davis, who generally embraces the Garden stage, but just as much was contributed by bulky Newark-schooled Samardo Samuels. For all their brutish exuberance, though, the Knicks lead ballooned to 12 points midway through the fourth quarter as Stoudemire was again working himself past 40 points. <br /><br />But with an offense operating at full speed only in fits and starts and a defense still being lashed together on the operating table, the home team stalled as the finish line came into sight. It shuddered and shimmied just like the 1986 Dodge 600 I drove used to as I'd force it to make that last hard uphill left turn toward my high school in 1999. This sudden and dramatic loss of locomotion was exactly what a drafting Davis had been waiting for. He exploded toward the tape, knocking down several big shots and playing with the been-there confidence that LBJ used to provide for this team in the building. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXCmDRAFP2UZoYPNrvju8W80tfDDEbFzxUjegOkwr9snfTb-T3o0soVgvPHr687j_1tU15X5FER2KnkR58Wbcmnkf_VhFdBO9NAujwWfi-6BLBQmr4pyjH_v1RSZSnxQDLrHt5P08pbXj/s1600/i.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXCmDRAFP2UZoYPNrvju8W80tfDDEbFzxUjegOkwr9snfTb-T3o0soVgvPHr687j_1tU15X5FER2KnkR58Wbcmnkf_VhFdBO9NAujwWfi-6BLBQmr4pyjH_v1RSZSnxQDLrHt5P08pbXj/s400/i.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584137360212292306" /></a><br />Soon enough, the Knicks were <i>trailing</i> in the final minute and forced to have Amar'e shooting a three pointer. As is his wont, he nailed it. Obviously. Former Dan D'Antoni protege and onetime apple of the Donnie Walsh's eye Ramon Sessions then went 1 for 2 at the line to give the 'bockers one last chance to avert disaster. Trailing 115-117, the Knicks had the ball with 7 seconds left (or less). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Fo49IQC4uesPmAVMDCqMRhLl0OtO80TFq470Obw2-T0ivtH1dErt2Qq52U7n5pZQq8bD9bMv465tMtLcozF5yB3aSRalb06j_uPiBW5vLakt5XPlKYviG4vsWhmp6D7FPze3NxWcRcB/s1600/i-1.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4Fo49IQC4uesPmAVMDCqMRhLl0OtO80TFq470Obw2-T0ivtH1dErt2Qq52U7n5pZQq8bD9bMv465tMtLcozF5yB3aSRalb06j_uPiBW5vLakt5XPlKYviG4vsWhmp6D7FPze3NxWcRcB/s320/i-1.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584142781359335170" /></a>The ball was never going anywhere but Anthony. He lowered his head and he drove through the paint toward the rim, rising up into the air when he was halfway there. With a clean look above the fray to the cylinder, Anthony was oblivious to Samuels planted beneath him until both were tumbling toward the parquet. Whistle. Offensive foul. Game. Over. <br /><br />While getting ambushed by an engaged Davis is not exactly the same as losing a lead in Cleveland or as no-showing in Cleveland, there is not enough lipstick out in the wider world to enter this pig in the beauty pageant. This was the worst loss of the season. Because it came after those other two. Because it came with Carmelo. And because it came after Carmelo talking about how this team would not lose the third meeting after dropping the previous two. <br /><br />Those three wins for Cleveland account for the better part of the paltry five that this club has gathered since that relatively hot first month. But, why? How? Are you there God, it's me Margaret and I want to know how these players have consistently lost to those players? <br /><br /><i>Oh. I see. Damn. Yeah, our bad.</i><br /><br />It's because we, as fans, wanted this for Cleveland. We wanted their homegrown hero to leave. We wanted the 26-game losing streak. We coveted LeBron James and we gleefully scribbled slogans on poster board to this effect. We printed Knicks jerseys with LBJ's name and number on them. It didn't matter one lick to us Knicks fans if Cleveland went 0-82 this season. Nope. In fact, our addition was always supposed to be there subtraction. That was, when you got down to it, part of the fun. Because we could get what they had just because of who we were: Knicks fans. This was the prevailing we-gomaniacal thinking. No? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4AKhRETzDFOqtcBsgDtkWk42wwLtyXLjsKGEdOaLz8LMI7gcx0pK59Rw9sF9qdBCPdDXlqqhEAZ4_G4b23T7VkEQ3DDfIYz8hPaaeSOIHuhmpq2LiPCr_HJa8vpqVIBdsJ2JqNg7jME/s1600/d8992_773450808b152d99752c1a9d94defe69-getty-90040777nb002_cavaliers_knicks_nb001_rockets_knicks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4AKhRETzDFOqtcBsgDtkWk42wwLtyXLjsKGEdOaLz8LMI7gcx0pK59Rw9sF9qdBCPdDXlqqhEAZ4_G4b23T7VkEQ3DDfIYz8hPaaeSOIHuhmpq2LiPCr_HJa8vpqVIBdsJ2JqNg7jME/s400/d8992_773450808b152d99752c1a9d94defe69-getty-90040777nb002_cavaliers_knicks_nb001_rockets_knicks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580779114559811234" /></a><br />For 18 months, the Knicks were the free agency bogeyman haunting everything that Cleveland did on and off the floor. We're responsible for the Cavs mortgaging the future for suitable sidekicks for James. Danny Ferry and the Cleveland front office felt incapable of building something strong and sustainable because the lure of James Dolan's money, Madison Avenue market share and Madison Square Garden seemed stronger than the quainter comforts of Cuyahoga County. <br /><br />When it comes to the relationship between these two franchises, it matters only slightly that LBJ opted to take his talents to South Beach instead of Seventh Avenue because the Knicks and New York City created "The Decision." It was the confidence that we had of James' ultimate departure and the passion with which we wooed him that sewed the seeds of that heartbreak. These Knicks can't beat those Cavs because we created them. <br /><br />As James would tweet, ain't karma a bitch.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-41834595577156183942011-03-04T14:10:00.002-05:002011-03-04T14:12:46.824-05:00Ew Be Illin'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7l-YbhqUcdI4xAU3ZvywOyKT1b7kfxHWNflwYGCrngSfveXHirDZLY5SyM7wUdupMuL3RdvGOqbBN5_4Ibi7csTUAr6tc-88SDm6Ak4YXcnT_k4HZWuo9hT-wie4uMTBXWpflreJV3Q/s1600/Capa.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 397px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7l-YbhqUcdI4xAU3ZvywOyKT1b7kfxHWNflwYGCrngSfveXHirDZLY5SyM7wUdupMuL3RdvGOqbBN5_4Ibi7csTUAr6tc-88SDm6Ak4YXcnT_k4HZWuo9hT-wie4uMTBXWpflreJV3Q/s400/Capa.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580304248423124626" /></a><br />The proliferation of 'Melo gear has me thinking back to the zenith of Knicks fashion. Run (right) can be seen sporting one of the most badass garments ever.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-50658799320288824992011-03-04T10:29:00.061-05:002011-03-07T00:39:57.566-05:00In Memoriam: Hank Gathers and Wes Leonard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjSjIFr1BIjOdhdSYBUN47DTTtgXgyHxNvX8l85gV83e2of9Kl9xFKx4vghZRVTMWTGMV0eaHHFj8Dh06vFYr1En0if4FBGc0nOipBs_7dZwwZgRCb13aCshjPi85oArev1zXx0VKxZs/s1600/strawmans_hankgathersmural.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjSjIFr1BIjOdhdSYBUN47DTTtgXgyHxNvX8l85gV83e2of9Kl9xFKx4vghZRVTMWTGMV0eaHHFj8Dh06vFYr1En0if4FBGc0nOipBs_7dZwwZgRCb13aCshjPi85oArev1zXx0VKxZs/s320/strawmans_hankgathersmural.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581190664262917794" /></a>It was 21 years ago today that Loyola Marymount basketball star Hank Gathers died after collapsing on the court during a game in the West Coast Conference Tournament against Portland State. Hands down the best college basketball player in the country and <i>arguably</i> already in the upper echelon of all basketball players amateur or professional, the 23-year-old had just thrown down a vicious ally-oop to stake his squad to a 25-13 lead with 13:34 still on the clock in the first half. Gathers, already with eight points in the game, high fived his teammate and best friend Bo Kimble as they got back on defense. Moments later, the physical marvel crumpled to the floor. He tried once to get up but couldn't muster the strength. A defibrillator was used on him shortly after he was removed from the floor, by that time his heart had stopped beating. His mother screamed and medical personnel scrambled. He was dead before he arrived at the hospital. <br /><br />Earlier that season, Gathers had collapsed at the free throw line during a game at UC Santa Barbara. He missed his first shot. And dropped before he could loft the second. He was able to regain his feet and walk off the court under his own power. The senior star who was months from the NBA draft, where he was undoubtedly going to be one of the first players to shake David Stern's hand, having led the NCAA in points (32.7) and rebounds (13.7) during his junior season, was soon diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat. He was prescribed medication and cleared to play shortly thereafter.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bUwwKVNbyyQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZSK_mLsxVcotOOn_lX2L0LPGkn3OF3Nd10ZzRm3raDbfJ-ImLsr_rOgNDAF42UjbbpblF_9WJSlko_sBO5nSnXcQfyzOAHP4HcEG2DE8LnAy0yOX2ug3nHu7-IUfPVcfmUxEfycxOx0/s1600/sport_a_wleonard_sy_300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZSK_mLsxVcotOOn_lX2L0LPGkn3OF3Nd10ZzRm3raDbfJ-ImLsr_rOgNDAF42UjbbpblF_9WJSlko_sBO5nSnXcQfyzOAHP4HcEG2DE8LnAy0yOX2ug3nHu7-IUfPVcfmUxEfycxOx0/s320/sport_a_wleonard_sy_300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581199048531184402" /></a>Eerily and inconceivably sadly, a young high school hoops star died yesterday shortly after hitting a game-winning shot for his team. Wes Leonard stood 6 feet and 2 inches tall but seems to have loomed much larger in the esteem of those who knew him in Fennville, Michigan. Last night, Leonard dropped in a game-winning layup in overtime to clinch a pristine 20-0 season. A gym full of high school kids clamored for their talismanic three-sport star as his teammates lifted him on their shoulders. And then he died. He was a teenager who had just hit the game-winner in a hoops game. And then he fucking died. Right there on the court. It would later be determined that he'd suffered a cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. <br /><br />So, yeah, I've got no great point here, philosophical or medical. I certainly can't conjure any silver lining or greater good wrought by the public deaths of these two basketball players with heart problems. These are just two sadsadsad stories that by some terrible quirk of the universe are sort linked. That is all. Also, sorry.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6939434038316435941.post-85361613235461308122011-03-01T09:18:00.076-05:002011-03-01T20:24:27.746-05:00Pete, Andre, "Team Toast" and Al Trautwig<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAqkmWhTB3rev7KUJKFagYBYvSwgz6ZK-z_zR68l4lmuOqCdqi2rTjlthKtZ1DmPGS9MxV289PsHHGICyB8VKONcEBc5rTm8yDbc3h4cOY18bKKaV2r-qnSyrFEHy8s0qND64uM-BBFA/s1600/tumblr_kt6myh0M531qzc0kho1_500.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAqkmWhTB3rev7KUJKFagYBYvSwgz6ZK-z_zR68l4lmuOqCdqi2rTjlthKtZ1DmPGS9MxV289PsHHGICyB8VKONcEBc5rTm8yDbc3h4cOY18bKKaV2r-qnSyrFEHy8s0qND64uM-BBFA/s200/tumblr_kt6myh0M531qzc0kho1_500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579122521902759666" /></a>After we attended the US Open semifinals last summer in Flushing, the older of my two younger brothers really started to dig the idea that he and I become the sort of debonair fellows who regularly attend tennis matches. We would introduce ourselves to any ladies sporting knee-length skirts and fitted blazers from the Brooks Brothers spring collection as Tom and Nick from West Egg, Long Island and it would be a lark.<br /><br />This sophisticated style, though, seemed to have been scrapped before we even set foot inside Madison Square Garden last night for the BNP Paribas exhibition doubleheader featuring a match between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl and a bout between Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Rather than knotting the sleeves of our v-neck Lacoste cable-knit sweaters around our necks and ordering sauvignon blanc in plastic wine flutes from the wait staff serving the first several rows of section 74, we brown bagged a few Bud Light tallboys while milling about in the LIRR terminal beneath the Garden before buying a flask and heading on up to section 405. Thinking that we had a long night of tennis ahead of us just like that windswept night at the Open, we were in no rush to get into our seats as commuters rushed around to board their trains. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-XskQUIWtJmjQ1DaDT91T4C5Wrj8i2O8lCCa0sl0HlTBLPVhZpq7gEfMowt8FUgzkhers1wK-75dCk3JnFxUp1UrCoFvHlLtU5rkCBluf_zq9wcqerOgURexZTWCnS7_aO4IHAxNyL0/s1600/73993a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 305px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-XskQUIWtJmjQ1DaDT91T4C5Wrj8i2O8lCCa0sl0HlTBLPVhZpq7gEfMowt8FUgzkhers1wK-75dCk3JnFxUp1UrCoFvHlLtU5rkCBluf_zq9wcqerOgURexZTWCnS7_aO4IHAxNyL0/s400/73993a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579188215360755922" /></a><br />We headed upstairs to MSG after learning, thanks to the wonders of the Twitterverse, that Mac was wearing out Lendl like a rented tux in a match that was merely a race to eight wins. As we waited our turns at the turnstiles nearest the C escalators there was a party of three having their tickets scanned. Actually, it was a pair of well-dressed, dark suited white businessmen and a sleepy-eyed black gentleman in a white and blue ski jacket and a maroon baseball cap. Once the first <i>Mad Men</i> extra had his ticket scanned, the second deftly passed several folded bills to the ticket scalper, who quickly turned and made a beeline for the exit. I pointed the transaction out to my brother, who hadn't noticed it. Had he been so untrustworthy when buying tickets from scalpers then my family's Christmas may have worked out differently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MObzTaAwR77G5FvYswwtGxdW4SeCvbh8ueP-M7np6osxDGxo40n27gMTTlCNfzDYYoPkcIUFfRZsf7wvK5yvOBwzmtYD0B99NlsMKCAfkfL1iVvYICqKP11JJxVJK6SKmiH_sc-2qS0/s1600/71-Classic_Rivalries_Tennis.sff.embedded.prod_affiliate.74.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MObzTaAwR77G5FvYswwtGxdW4SeCvbh8ueP-M7np6osxDGxo40n27gMTTlCNfzDYYoPkcIUFfRZsf7wvK5yvOBwzmtYD0B99NlsMKCAfkfL1iVvYICqKP11JJxVJK6SKmiH_sc-2qS0/s320/71-Classic_Rivalries_Tennis.sff.embedded.prod_affiliate.74.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579183293765845058" /></a>As we were circling the upper tank to get to our seats in Row F of Section 405, it was announced that McEnroe was not going to be able to complete the match that he already led, 6-3. He'd sprained his ankle warming up earlier in the afternoon and just couldn't make it any longer. Had we already been regulars on the exhibition tennis circuit, I'm sure that we would have known that injuries are a key factor in games featuring retirees in their 50s. Although he had to retire from the match, McEnroe was willing to ham it up for the crowd, chatting with his brother about tennis and the Knicks before pulling off the shorts that he'd been playing in to reveal some circa-1985 tight short shorts. Johnny Mac's pride in his ability to fit into those shorts seemed to rival his enthusiasm for the Knicks' acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. <br /><br />Once McEnroe and Lendl were rolled off the court, the wait began for the main event. After scanning the crowd, my brother and I quickly surmised that any and all tattooed patrons who had smuggled in flasks of stronger stuff than the 400-level at the Garden was serving were in the Agassi camp while the folks wearing turtlenecks and angular eyeglasses were for Pete or European. After a highlight reel of their finest co-starring moments and some unexpected fireworks, the once-and-forever rivals made their way onto the court. Perhaps to make them feel like they were back in their glory days, the PA blared a Pearl Jam song as they began warming up. Up next was the Red Hot Chili Peppers. All that was missing was all of Agassi's hair and most of Sampras'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLflsh4bVENfGNkFq-PH3nJTHAN3ZyTBaeqCOGWVdOVDlIblNMpFTzaYICvpWh3LWMyrKYBFNhBFlbOG-pvG70sy5JKf6pNaHKfIee9HQvZJXLda1Hnn3fMAYpVTGwauwRs3vOfuK9F0/s1600/01tennispicA-articleLarge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLflsh4bVENfGNkFq-PH3nJTHAN3ZyTBaeqCOGWVdOVDlIblNMpFTzaYICvpWh3LWMyrKYBFNhBFlbOG-pvG70sy5JKf6pNaHKfIee9HQvZJXLda1Hnn3fMAYpVTGwauwRs3vOfuK9F0/s400/01tennispicA-articleLarge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579199435317050306" /></a><br />Our hopes of watching Agassi flay Sampras took a hit when Mr. Veronica Vaughn broke Mr. Steffi Graf in his very first service game. Yipes. Andre, bouncing not-so-lightly on his feet as he waited at the baseline, was simply not up to task last night. Although there were flourishes of his relentless ground game, he committed too many unforced errors while Sampras seemed the more energetic of the pair, even punctuating his overly-dramatic leaps and charges with fist pumps. Although there was no radar gun readings to be seen, Sampras' serve certainly passed the eye test. It also passed the Agassi test. The most interesting part of the first set may have been a debate over whether Pete refuses to crop his seriously thinned hair because that look is so associated with his rival. The way I see it, Pete will rock a full-on combover before he shows up at an event like this with Andre's (second) signature haircut. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQf6ORYGgIaRjxW0eoWYF2ZU3BZzwCQwThHJ3Po4LGtSEtJCsN7XiQDr0BzqAxrjNhqt_jldHRV9axczYO_Ipj6NsFwYePmikxjCiQmS0OftPhX8mVcDMpfefAI-gj-iJgjrVmZ2sFxQ/s1600/amd_sampras.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQf6ORYGgIaRjxW0eoWYF2ZU3BZzwCQwThHJ3Po4LGtSEtJCsN7XiQDr0BzqAxrjNhqt_jldHRV9axczYO_Ipj6NsFwYePmikxjCiQmS0OftPhX8mVcDMpfefAI-gj-iJgjrVmZ2sFxQ/s320/amd_sampras.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579219471171057154" /></a>After dropping the first set in the best-of-three match, Agassi momentarily looked primed to force a third set after breaking Sampras a few games into the second set. To the obvious disapproval of the woman sitting in front of me, I wondered aloud if these exhibition matches usually find themselves going the distance to give paying public there money's worth. Which, then, made me wonder if Pete had been carrying Andre a bit here like a favored boxer knowing that there's more money to be made by winning in the third round when the fix is in. Had Pete let himself be broken in order to get us all to a winner-take-all set? I mean, Agassi broke Sampras just one game after he double faulted to be broken himself ... <br /><br />Wanting a third set enough to believe that both players also wanted it, my brother bought a last round of drinks. Since we thought we'd be sticking around for a while. Instead, Sampras stuck it to Agassi, breaking him at 5-5 and rolling home from there. After the convincing win there were gracious interviews all around and all four stars re-took the court for the obligatory photo opportunity. In the locker room, McEnroe had swapped his little white shorts for a Knicks cap. Also, he wore other clothes. Wisely. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPWDlBCwsozE6s2gGTQyilrBAfcSxiH39IqU2mUtKB25Htvv9CmFEqYIS9cQjQVl9Pzj4bpgWhGceeLdWEIy4ydTDZ-g2RYEk0yqifyw1gkkHI0FGJLO4WhhBTyUIqYa6wJW0LVAlSWI/s1600/alg_tennis_players.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPWDlBCwsozE6s2gGTQyilrBAfcSxiH39IqU2mUtKB25Htvv9CmFEqYIS9cQjQVl9Pzj4bpgWhGceeLdWEIy4ydTDZ-g2RYEk0yqifyw1gkkHI0FGJLO4WhhBTyUIqYa6wJW0LVAlSWI/s400/alg_tennis_players.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579219398317981746" /></a><br />Stuck with mostly full cups of beer, we sat back in our seats as the rest of the crowd exited. We sipped and did our best to ignore the ushers. Eventually we were hassled enough to move toward the now-empty escalators. When we got down to the 300 level, a sharp looking balding guy who looked familiar got on the escalator behind us. It was the MSG Network's very own Al Trautwig. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKmCQqTl8tOyi68Vx09KhQy16J6QfrLX8XIAceVeiBQRusAEdH4qbRoCmppIhTlb2puk8hWHAHc9L16dD0Fasgrg_J957B4XdTk-SU5LpDTZKG0Z_tOFquR0VRUFsaHkSqNwdvRHqvu4/s1600/3095440043_e325fa3766.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKmCQqTl8tOyi68Vx09KhQy16J6QfrLX8XIAceVeiBQRusAEdH4qbRoCmppIhTlb2puk8hWHAHc9L16dD0Fasgrg_J957B4XdTk-SU5LpDTZKG0Z_tOFquR0VRUFsaHkSqNwdvRHqvu4/s320/3095440043_e325fa3766.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579246224032565250" /></a>After quickly and likely not very quietly talking about talking to him, I turned around and said hello and asked him what he thought of the night. Without seeming guarded or put off in the slightest, he told us that he'd thought it was great to see all four of the players on the court again, and that he thought Sampras could have kept Agassi from winning a single game if he'd really wanted to. <br /><br />Emboldened by how unexpectedly seriously Trautwig was taking too stragglers with half full cups of beer on the down escalator, we moved on to talking about the Knicks. Trautwig readily admitted that he'd first thought the price for Anthony was too high, but that he'd changed his tune once he felt the vibe in the stands for Melo's debut last week and saw what both he and Billups bring to the court. At this point in the conversation there was a brief interlude during which we all sang Billups' praises in three-part harmony. From there, I mentioned that players and hoops writers were already referring to a "Knicks Big Three" that included Billups. <br /><br />As we reached the ground floor, Trautwig made no attempt to flee or alert security. Instead he walked with us toward the 7th Avenue exit as we started talking about Wednesday night's game against the New Orleans Hornets. I mentioned that it would be the first time that NOLA point guard Chris Paul would be in town since Carmelo arrived, and that the rumors of his eventual Manhattan transfer would be running rampant. I told him that Melo, Amar'e and CP3 trio was <a href="http://straightbangin.blogspot.com/2011/02/and-i-always-find-something-wrong.html">already dubbed "Team Toast"</a> in reference to the toast that Paul supposedly made at Anthony's wedding about a forming future League of Justice to combat the SuperFiends. While he seemed to dig the derivation of the nickname, which I believe was originated by the fine folks at <i>Straight Bangin'</i>, it was clear that he had no interest in talking about the latest from CP3 rumor mill. As we got to the street, we thanked him for chatting and made our way across 7th and toward 6th. I didn't look to see which way Al had gone, but he was so forthright and open that I'd imagine if we all ended up on the same commuter train that he would have gone right on talking sports with us the whole way home.WWOD?http://www.blogger.com/profile/00038792877716876496noreply@blogger.com0