HHR caught up this morning with Jets All-Pro Center Nick Mangold, who was spending his off-day hyping a joint promotion between MasterCard and Jet Blue Airlines.
If the Jets win Super Bowl XLV, JetBlue and MasterCard will refund select one-way and roundtrip flight purchases made online on Nov. 1 or 2, at jetblue.com by a cardholder in the metro New York area using a MasterCard for travel during the month of December.
With our five minutes with Mangold, we tried to hit a broad spectrum of topics including texts from his quarterbacks, his thoughts on Rex Ryan, his use of social media, and his feelings, as an Ohio native, on LeBron James' "Decision" and his on thoughts on team loyalty.
Visit jetblue.com/jets to learn more about how MasterCard and JetBlue can provide them with free airfare.
With the World Series set to begin Wednesday night, a New Jersey congressman wants the participating teams to give chewing tobacco the boot from their dugouts.
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D) called on the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants to eschew their use of smokeless tobacco during the Fall Classic, saying it sets a bad example for kids.
If you dig below the surface, you realize this is not, in fact, about the kids, but rather a personal crusade against America's tobacco farmers and Josh Hamilton, whose Godly power is commonly known to be derived from the Herculean sized pinch in his bottom lip.
Ol' Blue doesn't live in Connecticut, but if he did he may have a hard time casting his vote for Raw's next General Manager on Election Day. You see, thanks to union thugs and the party machines up in Connecticut, Blue can't wear his causal WWE attire to the voting booth for fear that it would be seen as campaign activity in favor of Mr. McMahon's wife, Linda, who is running for US Senate.
This is clearly some kind of Nexus plot to continue their rampage over the WWE, but unlike John Cena, you can't tell Blue what to do without getting a little bit of disrespect thrown back at you.
In protest of this bigoted policy, Blue plans to get all liquored up Stone Cold-style and go on voting rampage in precincts throughout the nation on Election Day. How can you spot Blue? Well he'll be in one of his favorite t-shirts of course:
Ben Smith of Politico flags an interesting tweet from the leader of the free world. Apparently, President Barack Obama is a big fan of the Nuggets superstar and the feeling is mutual.
Anthony tweeted out a solicitation from Obama's campaign organization, but as a charter member of team no-snitchin', this analyst sees this snitch of admiration as a likely violation of the no-snitchin' pact and plans to alert the proper authorities.
If you missed it, here is Part 1 from Thursday, now on to the new hotness...
16. Philadelphia 76ers
Dish: I think they got new uniforms again. Remember those terrible ones during the Shawn Bradley era that looked like a star shooting across the front? Those were terrible. This team on paper has looked good for a couple of years now with Elton Brand and Andre Igoudala. Unfortunately Brand has yet to really live up to the hype of his deal but new to the fold is second overall pick Evan Turner. That could be a really solid top three, and Louis Williams is a nice piece also. Doug Collins is back on NBA sidelines which is good for Doug, but I like him as an NBA announcer so a minor loss there.
Wish: Jodie Meeks breaks out. Guy was a flat out scorer at Kentucky, you’ll recall his 54 point game a few years back. Came to Philly late last year and didn’t average a ton of points but maybe he could be a good role player. Also since Doug Collins is gonna coach, why not have a good run, he got dumped in Chicago before things got great, had to kind of preside over the Wizards during Jordan time, he’s due for some good times.
17. Cleveland Cavaliers
Dish: Let’s let Mr. Cheeks tell it “Renee (LeBron) is gone I'm pouring beer out for my shorty who ain't here I'm from the ghetto (Cleveland) So listen This is how I shed my tears”
Yep, he left. On cable television also. This is just not a fun time to be involved with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now that all the hate has settled down, the large fonted emails and tweets have subsided the final deal is that this team is just not going to be very good. LBJ is out so is Big Z, Shaq Daddy and what is left is Mo Williams and new Head Coach Byron Scott. Credit Scott for walking into this situation, if he can get this group into the playoffs that’s a coach of the year move for sure.
Mister Mister Cheeks
Wish: This team somehow develops some good young talent on their own again, perhaps through the draft or solid free agent moves. If anything not re-upping LBJ will leave them flexible moving forward in the free agent game. It’s gonna be a rough road but perhaps they could eventually get back to being a power in the East.
18. Minnesota Timberwolves
Dish: From one team that probably won’t make the playoffs to another in the T-Wolves. They basically gave away Al Jefferson to the Jazz in a Pau Gasol to the Lakers type deal. A bunch of good young guys on this team like Johnny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, and Corey Brewer but that won’t do a ton in the stacked West. Is Ricky Rubio ever coming to the team? I’m thinking not. Also if you get a chance check out the summer league interview between the Wolves David Kahn and Chris Webber, classic stuff. Kahn compares C-Webb to Darko Milicic.
Wish: People would stop telling us that Darko Milicic is good. It’s not that I have any issues with him being good or bad, but let’s let the guy prove himself. Now I know what your saying, who said this guy was good. Well people, including the Knicks at one point have touted this guy but he continues to get passed around like the Old Maid. Nobody plays that game anywhere so just know that Darko has been on quite a few teams now.
19. Utah Jazz
Dish: The Jazz hoodwinked the Wolves out of Al Jefferson and it may prove to be one of the top moves of the off-season that didn’t happen in Miami. The Jazz are already good and now they add one of the emerging low post threats in the game. There is a reason why the Jazz are never bad, they figure out a way to stay solid and build on their core. Ok to be honest they had Karl Malone and John Stockton for a while. Still you add Jefferson to Deron Williams, one of the best guards going, Memo Okur, rebounding machine Paul Millsap and AK47, that’s a tough mix. Also the Butler star Gordon Hayward joins the mix and this could be the year for the Jazz.
Wish: Well, if you read last year’s preview I begged for the Jazz to bring back the green jerseys with the musical notes. We are there, the musical note look is back, thank you Jazz for reading HHR and so is the alternate green look. Fantastic move Jazz, anytime we can have options other than purple that is a good idea.
20. Milwaukee Bucks
Dish: We can be honest, I’m still annoyed Brandon Jennings is not on the Knicks. That should have happened. I also found it interesting he basically said because he’s not a Nike guy (Under Armour) he’s going to struggle to be a part of Team USA one day. I hope that’s not true. Bucks have some good pieces, Bogut in the middle, John Salmons and Michael Redd on the wing and now Corey Maggette. This is for sure a playoff team but do you see this group contending with Boston and Miami? Probably not.
Wish: More Bucks memorabilia is available nationwide. At first I wasn’t sure about the “Fear the Dear” slogan but now I like it. I also like that Andrew Bogut funds a fan section at the Bradley Center. I’ve never been to Milwaukee, I don’t know if non-football weekends are slow there. If so, let’s get everybody fired up about Bucks basketball. It is also time to retire Brad Lohaus’ jersey and to have Blue Edwards night. Basically I like the mid 90s Bucks. I have a vivid memory of Lee Mayberry, Eric Murdock, and Todd Day, time to search for their highlights on Youtube.
21. LA Lakers
Dish: One area where the Lakers lose to the Clippers, tv announcers. Ralph Lawler of the Clips is classic, he enjoys the opposition as much as the home team. He also yells “BINGO” for important shots. The Lakers are still really good, there is no reason why they can’t repeat and I fully expect to see them representing the West again in the Finals. They have all the pieces from last season minus Farmer, swapped super smartly with Steve Blake, not to mention Matt Barnes who is a great role player guy. That’s what teams like this need to do each year, nothing major, just tweaking those role players, nice job done here by the Lakers. Also, they still have Ron Artest, which is awesome.
Wish: Shannon Brown steps on somebody’s head while dunking a ball. This isn’t too far away from happening. Brown can jump like few others in the NBA. I’m not sure he’s slam dunk contest fun, but just I can jump over parked SUVs fun. It’d also be nice to see Lamar Odom keep up his solid contributions from this summer in Turkey. Guy filled a nice role on Coach K’s team and I think he’s figured out his NBA deal. He doesn’t need a million shots or all the notoriety, perfectly fine to do some dirty work. He is also getting major burn on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, not that I watch.
22. Detroit Pistons
Dish: If I showed you the Pistons roster in 2004 you would likely be very excited about this season, unfortunately it is 2010. So the names Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton, and Ben Wallace don’t excite as they once did. Still it’s the East and there is some talent in this veteran mix combined with the younger guys such as Rodney Stuckey. I always thought Ben Gordon was going to evolve into more of an all-star type caliber guy. Seemed to show it at times with the Bulls so I think it is still there. I like the Hoyas grads DaJuan Summers and Greg Monroe.
Wish: A throwback year for T-Mac. I’m a fan of guys showing us they still got it. It’s why I still hope Shawn Kemp will at some point come back for a team and average 20 and 10. While the Kemp dream is just about dead, the McGrady one can still live on. He makes the point that he’s missed a lot of time, think of a nice car kept in the garage, so he’s fresh. I’d have to disagree if it weren’t for Grant Hill who clearly has used his time in the garage or garridge as Elton John would sing to prolong his career. McGrady may not be the guy who can dunk on anybody but perhaps still effective.
23. Charlotte Bobcats
Dish: Just had to double check, yep Larry Brown is still coaching this team, which does surprise me. I thought his patience would have run out along time ago. This is Gerald Wallace’s team which is a dangerous statement to make. They have a few redemption projects in Kwame Brown, Shaun Livingston, and Darius Miles, as well as one fully redeemed guy in Stephen Jackson. Those three previously mentioned men were all once billed as being great, should they all somehow live up to the hype all these years later, look out Eastern Conference, you’ve got a six seed on your hands.
Wish: The NBA installs the Clyde Frazier ill-advised shot. Why Clyde Frazier? Because he loves saying ill-advised. It can only be attempted from beyond the three point line. Should it go in you get four points, however if you miss, you lose two points. This will be for Stephen Jackson who unloads some of the craziest threes I’ve ever seen. Jax scoring average will fluctuate between 41 ppg and -11ppg throughout the year.
24. Memphis Grizzlies
Dish: One of the off-season stories I enjoyed the most was the Grizzlies owner refusing to offer the correct contracts to rookies Xavier Henry and Grieves Vasquez. I won’t bore you with all the details but basically rookies get a standard deal that is tiered based off selection in the draft and the Grizzlies owner was somehow trying to skirt the standard practice. Don’t worry all has been resolved and these two guys are signed, but just a bizarre move. Grizz gave big money to Rudy Gay and also welcome back Zach Randolph so they remain relatively young.
Wish: This may happen in secret but it’d be cool to see matchups between all the active guys from one college against all the other active guys from another college. Say Duke vs UCONN for instance. I really wonder who would win this mini-tournament. It could be a 16 team invite held in Vegas for big money and put on ESPN or CBS, I would likely make the drive to go see this. I thought of this because Memphis has a lot of guys from major colleges, so there.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder
Dish: You’ll read about this a lot but the cover of Sports Illustrated with Kevin Durant is priceless, I can’t wait it for it to hit my mailbox. He is on the cover with Nenad Krstic and Thabo Sefolosha. What? You’ll remember Krstic as the guy who threw a chair during World Championships this year and also wasn’t in the NBA a few years back while Sefolosha is a solid Thunder role player. Really no room for Jeff Green, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, even Scott Brooks holding a clipboard smiling at Durant? I guess not. You know the guy who picked that cover just hears it every day and he has developed a strong argument for why he did it and now is at the point where he just says “Enough guys!”
Classic Cover
Wish: This team meets the Lakers in the playoffs again. I thought last year that the Thunder were still a few years away from being real contenders and was of course way off. They are ready, now time to build off last season and it’d be awesome to see the two teams meet up again in the Western playoffs at some point. It’s not a stretch to say they can definitely beat the Lakers and you can bet they are a team that Kobe and Co. hope they can avoid come playoff time.
26. Orlando Magic
Dish: So sounds like Dwight Howard got to work out with Hakeem Olajuwon in the off-season. Not a bad idea for Dwight to try and learn some of the Dream’s awesome low post moves. Cue up the Dream faking David Robinson out of his shoes. I like Howard’s game as is because I enjoy power dunks and swatting shots into the fourth row. Here is something that might blow your mind, Dwight is the third highest paid player on his team behind Vince Carter, and leading the way Rashard Lewis. I know Rashard Lewis is tired of hearing about Rashard Lewis’ contract. Anyway this team will be a tough out. I think Vince has a throwback year in him and they just about kept their team together from a year ago.
Wish: Jason Williams starts throwing some crazy And1 mixtape passes again. Real quick what happened to the And1 mixtape tour? Is that over? I really liked watching those, what are professor and helicopter up to? Back to J-Will. On the Kings he was so much fun to watch and I think he still has that in him. Hopefully he is like John Matrix in the movie Commando. He is trying to just live a normal life but then circumstances force him back into his old ways, which means we get more half court lob passes.
Don't Mess With This Dude
27. Sacramento Kings
Dish: Tyreke Evans worked his way to rookie of the year and is back to keep rising as one of the games up and comers. He beat the Clippers this week in the pre-season on a layup without two seconds to go in a straight assassin mode move. Add DeMarcus Cousins who has the makings of a beast down low and that’s a solid one-two punch. You know with all this youth they are a while from being really good, hopefully Evans hangs around that long
Wish: Evans hangs around that long. When the Kings were good in the early 2000s that Arco Arena was rocking and it was a great basketball city. It would be great to see that environment return. Where are the old Kings uniforms as throwbacks? It’s like they are one of the few teams that doesn’t break out all their old looks. I don’t mean the sky blue Reggie Theus look but the mid 90s Kings “we’re awful give the ball to Mitch Richmond” look.
28. Miami Heat
Dish: The season can’t start soon enough for this circus in South Florida. The media coverage is unlike anything ever seen before and it might all be warranted. This team has a chance to be flat out nasty. My gut instinct is this they don’t win this year because it is a lot to mesh all those superstars – Wade-LBJ-Bosh – in one year, but you never know. The big surprise is the way they filled out their bench. I figured it would be guys from the Coral Gables YMCA but instead they went and got legit players. Mike Miller will be wide open, Big Z is a necessary move to deal with the Celtics, and you have to also like Juwan Howard and Eddie House as solid veterans.
Wish: Coach Erik Spoelstra gets a legit shot with this group should there be tough times early. Some suspect Pat Riley is just waiting for the right moment to jump back in to the coaching seat and lead this team similar to what happened to Stan Van Gundy when Shaq joined the team. I’m not saying this is going to happen or I expect it but it would be a disappointment especially for a Heat lifer like Spoelstra who worked his way up through the organization. 29. Boston Celtics
Dish: The Big Three or is it the Fantastic Four? However you slice it the Celtics are back with KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Add in the Shaq Daddy and Jermaine O’Neal and this team is ready to do some things right now. There is also Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, and the return of Delonte West. That is a real good group right there and don’t forget Kedrick Perkins returns in February. This team is NBA Finals ready and are definitely capable of pushing the Heat. That matchup to open the season is one to watch, I’m very curious to see how the Heat handle the massive size of the Celtics down low.
Wish: More Glen Davis and Nate Robinson antics. The whole Shrek and Donkey thing was fun in the playoffs and it actually adds a new element to this group. It’s an extra layer of excitement off the bench for this group. Oh and please show me Heat-Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. That needs to happen. We need that and Lakers-Thunder in the West and that will be some outstanding playoffs.
30. Chicago Bulls
Dish: The last but not least squad. I thought this was the safest landing spot for LeBron, that is of course before I saw how the Heat filled out their roster. Still the Bulls made a good move and got Carlos Boozer and then he went and had a freak accident and will miss part of the year. So they are pretty much the same team from last year with Rose leading the way and the improbable Joakim Noah doing what he does. This team will be in the mix come playoff time with a healthy Boozer but there just isn’t enough there to overtake the Celtics, Heat, or probably even the Magic.
Wish: Brian Scalabrine does for the Bulls what he did so well for the Celtics, pump people up. Not since Jack Haley has there been somebody out of his seat faster to deliver a high five, a chest bump, or even a fist pound. For reasons nobody knows the Celtics parted ways with Scalabrine, but what is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Scalabrine lands on the Bulls where let’s be honest, he can also provide some serviceable minutes as a big body as power forward. Let the celebrating begin.
So there it is, a look at all 30 teams. The season starts next Tuesday with the big time, Heat and Celtics, get excited!
We are fast approaching yet another NBA season and I’m honestly excited. I know the NBA season is nearing when I make the annual trek out to Palm Springs for the NBA Outdoors pre-season game. I did just that recently for the Suns and Mavericks. What did we learn? Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t like playing outdoors because it might mess up his jumpshot. Also there were at least three times where Jason Richardson went up for a layup where I had to think, “three years ago he would have dunked that.” As started last year we go in no particular order with dishes and wishes. The things we know and the things we don’t know, but perhaps we hope for. Am I switching between first and second person? I am. Let’s begin.
1. New York Knicks
Dish: Well the big summer of 2010 came and went and Lebron James did not come. This would have normally led to me mowing down a few bags of Sun Chips while watching The Fugitive and not talking to anybody. However I did not get super depressed and instead took joy in the signings that did happen. I’m legitimately excited for this season and it’s been a while since I can say that. Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton are big upgrades. Let’s not sleep on everyone’s rising star Anthony Randolph along with Danilo Gallinari, and they brought back Patrick Ewing Jr! You may recall I lambasted Knicks management for not keeping the son of the legend. I take it back, I take it all back.
Wish: Andy Rautins develops into a legitimate NBA player. With a tip of the cap to my affection for white guys that can drills threes it would be great if this guy could fill a much needed void. The Knicks are going to need a shooter to compliment all their high-flyers and this guy could be the guy. Perhaps a modern day Hubert Davis? That works for me. Oh and Stoudemire continues his solid play as of late. New York sports math tells us that superstar X must struggle at some point when signing in New York. Oh and I wouldn’t be against Carmelo Anthony.
HOVA!
2. New Jersey Nets
Dish: They have a new Russian owner which even my spell check won’t correct but you know who I’m talking about. They flirted with Carmelo Anthony in a deal that may or may not happen but at the moment will be going with what they’ve got. What they’ve gotten is the better of the Lopez twins, Devin Harris, and top draft pick Derrick Favors among others. Joe Smith is on his 74th team, setting a little known NBA record for guys that were once the number one pick and Jordan Farmer will be crying himself to sleep for the next couple of years.
Wish: The Nets stay in New Jersey. I’m torn here, with ties to both Brooklyn and the Garden State I want the best for both areas. Let me offer two examples. The LA Clippers and New York Islanders. These two teams share cities with wildly more popular teams (yes Long Island is not far enough away) and they’d honestly be better in their own sandbox. The Clippers should be in Orange County and the Islanders, off the top of my head, I say Albany. They have a minor league hockey following there, it could work. Anway the arena in Newark is brand new and a great spot to watch a game, they should just stay there. All due to respect to the Roc La Familia aka HOV aka Jay-z.
3. LA Clippers
Dish: A nice segue here to the Clippers who have finally jettisoned most of their bad decision makers of the last couple of years including Elgin Baylor and Mike Dunleavy. Enter Vinny Del Negro as Head Coach or as LA Times beat writers call him VDN. VDN has walked into what could be an excellent situation. Blake Griffin is finally healthy, knock on wood, and as we know from his college days, he is an absolute beast. Add in Baron Davis who will hopefully be motivated, the reclusive Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon (big summer with Team USA) and this could be quite the team.
Wish: Outside of seeing an NBA Cares photo with Jon Scheyer and Eric Bledsoe reading to kids at a library, just this one thing. Go get Taylor Griffin and put him back with his brother. “Brother’s don’t shake hands, brothers gotta hug.” The Clips have Blake Griffin, they have Willie Warren, another Sooner guy, now go get Taylor Griffin from the Suns. I can’t imagine it would cost a lot and those Griffin brothers work well together. They block shots together, slam dunks together, they need to take over the LA scene as well.
4. Phoenix Suns
Dish: As mentioned earlier I saw Phoenix play in the preseason and good news everyone. Josh Childress is back in the NBA and so his afro. Yes it is still awesome. This will be a bit of a different team. Nash is still doing his thing but to state the obvious this team will miss Stoudemire in a big way. They made moves to try and replace him will Hakim Warrick among others but I don’t know if it will fly. Since we mentioned Warrick, it’s worth nothing he still dealt one of the greatest teabag dunks ever over Royal Ivey back in college. Grant Hill and J-Rich are still there. Hill still seems to have plenty of good years left while J-Rich perhaps isn’t flying as high, or maybe it was the outdoors thing, but both of these guys will get their points.
Wish: Hedo Turkoglu reverts back to his clutch form. You remember this guy, was super clutch for the Magic banging step back threes and off balance jumpers that have no business going in. Then he spurned the Trail Blazers for reasons I don’t get, I hear Portland is a great place to live, just ask LaRue Martin. He was dealt a strong dose of karma when he headed to the Toronto Raptors and had absolutely no fun, now he is back with a chance at redemption. To be continued.
5. Dallas Mavericks
Dish: The other team in that battle of Palm Springs which draws very well, the Mavericks. A lot of people make the trek to the desert. Best part of the game was the fan zone before that allowed people to dunk on hoops of varying heights. I did my best Kenyon Martin on the 7.5 foot hoop but it still stayed up. Dirk, J-Kidd, JTerry, Marion, Caron Butler and welcome Tyson Chandler. Not a bad five right there. Chandler, I’m sure much to his dismay went underused for Team USA this summer so he should be fresh. I like Steve Novak because the guy can flat out shoot. Not sure if he’ll get any burn. Last but not least, Bryan Cardinal alert! The bruising play under the basket, large knee pads, could it have been someone else, nope it is Cardinal. Did he not play last year? Kind of, he was on the Timberwolves which is why he wasn’t on my radar. Now he is back with a chance to shine.
Cardinal was actually in the NBA last year
Wish: Outside of a massive breakout season by Cardinal, how about Chandler getting back to being an alley-oop catching machine. The right point guard is in play with Kidd and if you remember back to when Chandler was on the Hornets, easily his best years, he was all about catching pick and roll lobs. That would add a new dimension down low that Dallas hasn’t seen since Shawn Bradley. If Cardinal had an apprentice it would be Iowa grad Adam Haluska. We will have to wait and see if Haluska embraces protective gear and elbows.
6. Toronto Raptors
Dish: This is the first roster I’ve looked at that kind of bums me out. You can count on DeMar DeRozan for several quality dunks this year, but what else can we count on. Let’s first tout DeMar for perhaps being the only NBA player to have four capital letters in his name. Also I feel very safe saying this team is not making the playoffs. And that Mr. Tuttle is how you principal, and go out on a limb.
Mr. Tuttle seen here with Slater and Morris
Wish: The mean thing to say would be give this team to Seattle so the Sonics can return but I’m not going to say that because there are definitely some devoted Raptors fans that would be crushed to lose their team. Instead I suggest they do a reverse Buffalo Bills and play a few games in Buffalo. The Bills have been moving to Toronto to play a few games why not repay the favor. Do the people of Buffalo even enjoy the Raptors? Who knows, but let us find out.
7. San Antonio Spurs
Dish: Stop me if you heard this one. Tim Duncan is getting old. We know, we know he can’t do it like he used to do it, yet all the guy does is just continually produce. Outside of the whole Richard Jefferson situation which many people feel doesn’t make sense, as in he doesn’t fit in their system, the Spurs make great personnel decisions. Parker and Ginobili are still part of the foundation and role players like DeJuan Blair, George Hill have made a big difference. Blair is just fun to watch. Keep an eye out for Tiago Splitter, made an impact in the World Championships and if I had to describe him in one word, I’d use “active.” Just a lively guy.
Wish: Matt Bonner gets a show on the Food Network. Enough cake shows please. I’ll have another column about how the minute you put fondant on a cake, it ceases to be cake. In the meantime Bonner does an excellent blog on the Spurts website where he chronicles sandwich shops all over the country in NBA cities. It’s fantastic and as a sandwich lover myself I’d happily watch a show of him bopping around NBA towns sampling great eats. He’s hit some solid spots including everything from Bay Cities in Santa Monica to a regular Subway.
8. Houston Rockets
Dish: Let’s put a wrap on the great state of Texas with the Rockets. Yao Ming is easing his way back into the NBA scene after struggling mightily with foot problems. He is going to be on a limited play schedule, think pitch count in baseball, in an attempt to keep him healthy for the playoffs. That’s the thing, this team should be playoff bound. Kevin Martin is a scorer freed from the Kings now with some experience in the Houston system and Shane Battier is one of the great untangible or intangible guys in the league. Also Patrick Patterson joins the squad as a rookie. Big body that can finish around the hoop but also has some range.
Wish: Chase Budinger is picked for the slam dunk contest. Budinger had one of the great pre-season dunks, see here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ksYg-LwME and the guy can absolutely fly. One of the top high school volleyball players in his day, he would be a welcome sight at the slam dunk contest. Also while we are at it, add more people to the dunk contest. It needs to be 8 guys like back in the 80s. Also a bigger cash prize and things will get more interesting for sure.
9. New Orleans Hornets
Dish: As it turns out my invite to Carmelo Anthony’s wedding was lost in the mail, but had I been there I likely would have heard about Chris Paul heading to the Knicks. It hasn’t happened thus far and CP3 used back channels to make overtures out of town, but so far nothing. So in the meantime the group will give it a go under new Head Coach Monty Williams. Paul, back off injury joined by David West, Stojackovic, and Okafor. Not a bad four right there, but it’s a brutal road in the west and I’m not quite sure this group has enough to get over the hump.
Wish: More burn for Pops Mensah-Bonsu, I said this last year and well I don’t think much happened. Is it because I’m facebook friends with the former GW star? Perhaps, but actually he was a leaper in the A-10 and I like watching guys that can dunk, do likewise in the pros. Also nothing like seeing a small school guy get some run in the pros. SirValiant Brown, we hardly knew ye. Last pipe dream, if the season goes south, sign former Saints star Willie Roaf. I’ve often thought NFL lineman would make great power forwards in the NFL in limited minutes. Add to that I once saw Roaf dunk on television, it was truly amazing, and it all makes sense.
Roaf has got hops, put'em down low
10. Atlanta Hawks
Dish: The group remains pretty much intact, a group that has been knocking on the door of the Eastern Conference’s upper echelon. We remember the Hawks pushing the Celtics to seven, but things have only gotten harder in the East with the Celtics, Heat, and Magic all solid. The Bulls would be there too prior to Boozer’s injury. There should be something to be said for continuity as the group of Bibby, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Joe Johnson (big free agent re-sign), and Jamal Crawford return. Crawford is the definition of a streak shooter; he gets hot in a series and honestly watch out, because they have some other good pieces. It is just tough to say they are going to be better than the aforementioned teams.
Wish: Horford continues his rise to being one of the top power forwards in the game. His ppg has gone up in three seasons in the league and the guy just appears to be a worker. Our other wish, Jordan Crawford dunks on Lebron James in a real NBA game. I feel like there will need to be a perfect storm of events to have this happen anytime soon, but you never know. Also for the record, the first time around wasn’t a real deal facial, like this is a real facial:
11. Washington Wizards
Dish: Perhaps one of the more interesting teams to see unfold as you have the super new and exciting future Rookie of the Year John Wall, paired with the now sullen Sideshow Bob in Gilbert Arenas. For all the great things Krusty can do, including make it down court in less than four seconds, get to the hoop with ease, fly to the rim, and do the John Wall dance, is it enough to overcome the depression of Arenas. Gil changed to #9 which as the Beatles taught us can be a very boring number. I think Arenas has to snap out of this eventually, there is a happy medium between guns in the locker room antics and unhappy beards, he just needs to find it.
Wish: I’m just looking forward to John Wall. If the preseason was any indication this guy is going to be very good. He always appears not that big, but then he attacks the hoop like a bigger guard. I would also like the Wizards to go back to being the Bullets, I read somewhere they might change their name. If it’s not on the schedule already, they must retire Manue Bol’s jersey. I said this last year but now with the big guy sadly passing away in the offseason, no time like the present.Finally, let’s see what Adam Morrison can do. He is two more jerseys away from official Joe Smith journeyman status, time to see if the guy who was a stud at Gonzaga can do it in the pros.
12. Portland Trailblazers
Dish: Did anyone watch the 30 for 30 about Petrovic and Divac? What a great film. I had forgotten that Petro had started with the Blazers but was buried on the bench behind the likes of Drexler, Porter, Jerome Kersey and a feisty Danny Ainge. An absolute bummer because had they known, he eventually could have helped them over the Bulls. Also who did scouting for the Blazers back in the day? They got Petro and Sabonis, but then also took Sam Bowie, I’m happy and angry at this person at the same time, kind of like when I found out mustard is on all McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Still tastes great, but now I know about the mustard.
Wish: Let’s address the current Blazers who appear to be ready to do some things out west. What if Greg Oden can actually stay healthy? He joins forces with the lights out Brandon Roy, Andre Miller, the Camby Man, LaMarcus Aldrige and the new addition Wesley Matthews. I know, I know, Matthews is drastically overpaid. But you know what, so was Magic Johnson when he signed his 25 million dollar deal, and then a few years later it was the team that had gotten one over on him. Am I saying the two guys are comparable talents? Nope, but let’s let the ink dry a little while before we crucify the Blazers on this one. I’d also like to see Patty Mills do well, so that Andrew Bogut isn’t having to carry the Aussie flag all by himself. Cheers. Lastly the Blazers have a guy on their roster named Raymond Sykes, this I’m told is not the person who killed Dr. Richard Kimble’s wife, but we should follow up on his ties to Devlin MacGregor.
13. Golden State Warriors
Dish: The Warriors made some huge moves over the summer, getting a new owner and saying so long to Head Coach Don Nelson who made the fish tie a must buy in Milwaukee department stores. David Lee, Monta Ellis, and Stephen Curry pilot a very young team in the Bay Area under the guidance of new skipper Keith Smart. Yep that baseline jumper Keith Smart. I’m pretty sure I heard first round pick Ekpe Udoh is already injured, which if he were playing for the Knicks would have led to a back page headline of Udoh Uh-Oh. Playoffs? It would take something really special.
Uh-Oh
Wish: Jeremy Lin has an actual impact on this team. That would be really fun. The Harvard star was huge in the Vegas summer league and with Lin being from Northern California it just makes for an all around good story. Add to that, from what I saw he can play, comes in not afraid of anybody and has a nice mix of shooting and getting to the basket. Granted this was in the summer league against as they said in Major League, “guys that’ll be bagging groceries next week” but still.
14. Indiana Pacers
Dish: I was going to try and put off the Pacers for a little while as I really wasn’t sure what to say about them, but I figured just best to get it out of the way. Let’s say this, if you were assembling a college all star team of the last 5-7 years, you’d have a nasty squad. TJ Ford, Hansbrough, Hibbert, Dunleavy, Granger, Stephenson. Speaking of which Lance Stephenson, super heralded out of Coney Island, leaves college after a year and I’m not sure it was the right choice. I, of course was not consulted. That said this could be a good opportunity as he should get some playing time. It will take something real magical for this group to crack the playoffs, even in the East.
Wish: James Posey went somewhere else. I have to ask, James what are you doing in Indiana? I thought this guy had figured out the role of hired gun, just lurking in the off-season waiting to sign with a heavy hitter that needed a veteran who could stroke the three. Granted he landed in Indiana against his will as part of a large trade, but go malcontent, sitout, make some moves. Here is where I expected Posey to end up. Heat, Celtics, Lakers, Magic, Spurs, Jazz, maybe even the Hawks. Not much else, so I’m a bit bummed for him. I also totally expect him to be moved before the trade deadline to one of said teams. He will use the first part of the season as a very lucrative cardio session.
15. Denver Nuggets
Dish: Another reason I wish I went to Melo’s wedding. Outside of what I bet was an amazing spread of just everything, food, people, drinks, we all could have learned more about his desire to play for the Knicks. We now know it to be a wide open blatant desire but that’s good info to be on the ground floor for. At the moment he remains on the Nuggets which for the foreseeable future will be like driving a car you know has a nail in the tire. This is a tough group because on paper they look good with Melo, Billups, K-Mart, JR Smith, Birdman, Nene, and even Al Harrington who is guaranteed to pick up 5 uncalled for techs this year. All that combined I do they have the feeling they aren’t getting past the Lakers among others in the West. Won’t know much with this group until the Melo deal is resolved.
Wish: Ty Lawson wins gold in the 400 meters in 2012. This guy is fast, some serious end to end speed, and also some hops. I’d be curious to see what he could do in say D’Antoni’s system. What do I of course wish for? Somehow Melo and Lawson head to NY for say Felton, Danilo and a draft pick we could be promised won’t hurt us. Do the salaries add up? Not even close, which is why it is a wish.
It’s that time of year. The air turns colder. The leaves change colors. The first pink slips start being delivered. And bad football games still get better ratings than the baseball playoffs.
Here are some quick hit observations on the week that was.
Oops If there’s a record for “combined number of untimely fumbles and dropped touchdown passes,” I’m pretty sure Nebraska shattered it beyond recognition last weekend.
Fumbles and drops. Meet Nebraska athletics’ newest corporate sponsors.
Speaking of Big Money . . . How many zeroes would be on the loser’s check if Warren Buffett and T. Boone Pickens had a bet on this weekend’s Nebraska/Oklahoma State game?
Buffett’s got the bigger bankroll ($45 billion vs. only $1.4 billion). But Boone’s got the stadium named after him.
Not Football Related, but Timely. Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton and Iron Chef Bobby Flay.
Separated at birth?
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before Look, we all know that college athletes get preferential treatment when it comes to off-field issues. No secret there. But, as the Wiz of Odds noted, the University of Tennessee is taking the discrepancy between football players and the rest of us to whole new heights. Recently, a 60-year old graduate student at the University of Tennessee was arrested for suspicion of DUI, pled guilty to reckless driving charge . . . and was promptly kicked out of school. Meanwhile, UT and former coach Phil Fulmer (who I just learned has a satirical award named after him, going to the school with the worst criminal record) kept punter Dustin Colquitt on the field even after at least four alcohol-related run-ins with the law. Riddle me that.
Wait, college football players get special treatment? I am shocked and appalled!
Not Ready for Prime Time Much to the surprise of pretty much no one, North Texas just announced the firing of head coach Todd Dodge. Dodge leaves with a career mark of 6-37 after coming the Mean Green following a successful stint at Southlake Caroll, one of the nation’s top high school football teams. Yes, you read that right. An (admittedly small) FBS program hired a high school coach. High school might (and I emphasize might) be a stepping stone to a college career someday. But if picking a high school coach is the best option your school can come up with, you have bigger problems than just picking a coach.
Oklahoma women’s basketball coach Sherri Coale. The exception to the rule. From Norman High School to three Final Fours.
Waiting for Dickie V. With North Carolina’s off-field scandals and Kansas’ on-field ones, which fan base is most looking forward to basketball season?
Probably not the best move if you're from DENVER and trying to score votes in DENVER, because you want to represent DENVER, which is part of COLORADO and that team from DENVER is playing a team from NEW YORK...It could only mean one thing: you must be wishing for a massive injury to DENVER'S starting quarterback--well either that or John Elway is a Republican.
-Blue Pulaski, HHR's Senior Political Correspondent
Republicans rebuked Michael Bennet late Friday for bringing in a New York Jets all-pro linebacker to phone bank for the Democratic senator — when the Jets are in town to play the Broncos — asking in a press release whether Bennet wants Broncos QB Kyle Orton to get hurt Sunday. "There is no greater proof that Michael Bennet is grossly out-of-touch with his own constituents than the fact that he would rather abandon the Denver Broncos to suit up with Jets linebacker Jason Taylor this weekend," said Republican National Committee spokesman Bill Riggs."Michael Bennet seems to be totally oblivious to the values and loyalties of the people he hopes to represent. Colorado deserves a Senator who won’t turn their back on the Broncos when it’s politically expedient."
According to the New York Daily News, Taylor is a Democratic contributor and gave $10,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2008.
We're right about at the halfway point of the season. Some things we know (Oregon is good. The Pistol is football's newest craze. Les Miles has replaced Nick Saban as Satan's pet project). Some things we don't (How will Taylor Martinez fare against stronger competition? Is Ohio State really the #1 team in the nation? How bad will things get for Penn State? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?). But things are definitely getting interesting. With Alabama proving to be mortal after all, the national championship race is as wide open as I can remember. You could make a pretty good case for any one of 8 or 9 different schools winning it all. We've got a bunch of really good teams, but none that are without their faults. So buckle up everyone. The next few weeks could be a wild ride. Now on to this week's observations.
You Suck. Yeah, You. I don't care how much you can bench, how many Monster energy drinks you can chug or how many Affliction shirts you own. Unless you've lost a body part during a game-and stayed in the game-you are a great big steaming pile of pansiness compared to Virginia Tech OL Greg Nosal.
Game tape of Nolan in action.
Now That's Motivation By now, everybody knows that New Mexico State football is really bad. But, on the plus side, the Aggie players still had the luxury of being football players, with all the girls, parties and other perks that went along with that stature. Until now. As Sports by Brooks alerted us last week, an unnamed person or persons distributed thousands of NSFW flyers around the NMSU campus, urging the local co-eds not to engage in, um, extracurricular activities with any of the football players until they won a game. (As the flyer so eloquently put it, "Once you score a win, then you can get it in.")
Crude though it might have been, the extra motivation apparently worked, as the Aggies snapped their 11-game losing streak with a 16-14 win over in-state rival (if you can call an 0-6 team who's even worse than you that) New Mexico.
I'm guessing Coach Walker's postgame press conference wasn't the highlight of the celebration.
New Math Les Miles is 49% football genius and 51% bats*%t insane. Or vice versa. Depending on the week.
"Les, did you remember to take your meds today?"
When the Lawyers Win, We All Lose Earlier in the week, the U. of Texas Athletic Department cracked down on an internet company that was selling Nebraska-themed shirts with the famed Longhorn logo upside down in preparation for this week's grudge match between the Huskers and the 'Horns. (FYI: Texas made over $10 million in royalties off of the Longhorn logo last year. I've always wondered how much of that came from Oklahoma fans who bought the Texas logo just to put it upside down. Never made sense to me. You do know you're aiding your enemy, right? OK, moving on.) But it raised a bigger question: shouldn't the makers of Angry Birds be paying royalties to Ball State?
As mentioned earlier this week, the former Oiler, Titan, Eagle and Charger's campaign bid for Congress in South Jersey heated up when charges were lobbed against his opponent for apparently planting a bogus Tea Party Candidate.
Yesterday, Runyan released a 2nd TV spot on his Blog, Facebook and YouTube pages.
Lady Dunbar and I had an unintentional private screening of Secretariat last night. I guess Tuesday nights are not Disney family nights.
Rarely do I venture out to the movie theater, let alone for a movie that is rated below R and does not feature any crotch shots in the previews. Nonetheless, with Breeders’ Cup knocking at the door and with a movie based on horse racing, I decided that I needed to spend an outlandish amount of money to go see it in the theater.
It is difficult captivating an audience when 90 percent of the viewers already know the outcome and when the storyline is the exact same as Seabiscuit (2003), but I have to say that the movie was engaging and hopefully will bring in some horse racing fans.
Some of the critiques: Diane Lane – No doubt she is a sexy old lady, but I have no clue what age she is trying to pull off in this movie. Husband looks 15 years her junior. Wig works as well as a toupee.
I am woman, hear me roar theme – eh. Stick with the racing and add a gambling is wicked fun theme, Disney.
Lafayette from True Blood was the horse’s handler. Sorry Lafayette, you are type-casted. See Neal Patrick Harris for some pointers. [picture of Lafayette]
The horse racing shots were good; seemed much faster and real life than Seabiscuit’s, which were also good.
The movie inspired me put winning a Grade 1 race on my bucket list. Would like to boost that up to a Triple Crown race, but I think Grade 1 is more realistic for a guy with no money and has no clue how to purchase or train a horse. Who wants in?
Speaking of which, sadly the humble beginnings horse story is all too rare this day and age and is the only way to garner excitement in the sport. I hope this movie excites some horse loving for the action, but I doubt you will see something like this again. I don’t think people are going to get excited for: sheik becomes millionaire after string of bad luck, but then is saved by his horse and becomes a billionaire again. There is enough action in horse racing for you to get engaged.
All around, a fine movie for PG. I will pair it up with Seabiscuit for my annual horsie movie before the Derby as Lady Dunbar will inevitable buy it.
New York Giants D lineman Justin Tuck hosted a roundtable with bloggers yesterday in Manhattan as part of Subway's "Build Your Better Breakfast" campaign while Ndamakong Suh did the same in Detroit and connected with NYC via Skype.
While I try to sift through some of the Tuck footage, here's a clip of him talking about Tom Coughlin's change of emotion and a particular display of euphoric camaraderie during last weekend's big win.
Former Philadelphia Eagle Jon Runyan's bid for US Congress in South Jersey's 3rd District took a turn in the big guy's favor this past week when the Courier Post reported that his opponent John Adler and his camp allegedly planted a fraudulent Tea Party candidate to siphon off votes from the left tackle - an accusation Runyan's campaign had been making ever since the 3rd party candidate's name first surfaced when results from the incumbent's internal poll were first released.
Sources said Adler’s congressional and campaign staff carried out the plan with the help of CCDC staffers and volunteers.
“The goal was to take 5 percent of (Republican Jon) Runyan’s vote,” said one South Jersey Democrat. “Steve Asycue designed the plan with Geoff Mackler following his lead.”
Ayscue, 40, is a high-profile Democratic consultant who runs CCDC operations. Mackler, 34, is Adler’s campaign manager. The Washington, D.C., resident worked for DCCC prior to coming to South Jersey earlier this year.
“From the beginning orders have flowed from Cherry Hill,” said one Democratic operative, referring to CCDC headquarters at Garden State Pavilions shopping center.
Ed boards and news orgs are jumping all over it, including the influential Asbury Park Press:
Installing a “plant” candidate in an election is not illegal. But it is underhanded and deceptive, to say the least. It calls into question the judgment and principles of the candidate whose campaign orchestrated the plant.
An article by TJ Corbs Corbs, which a source in-the-know tells us is a fictitious and satirical author on Bleacher Report (a content partner with CBS), was featured On the main page of the CBSSports.com college basketball page.
Clearly, Wildcat fans are in on the joke. Comments include:
TJ Corbin is a compelling journalist. His career began 2 days ago and already he is an internet sensation.
Buzz Bissinger's head would explode if he knew about these journalistic shenanigans.
Remind me never to go to cbssports for sports news.
Can someone post this link on PirateScrew?
Finally broken through. This is an unbelievable development - one that we will look back on in ten years as a major accomplishment.
Thats unbelievable. CBS sports is a joke.
it's official - reliable, credible journalism is dead - long live the internet where fans can author articles made from whole cloth for no reason other than to tweak fans of rival teams
please make Providence your next victim - a buddy of mine went there and it would make my year
"On Thanksgiving some families sit around and talk about what makes them thankful while some families videotape their father shadowboxing with American Flag boxing gloves."
Today marks the anniversary of one of the most infamous days in college football history (more below). So, I thought it might be a good time to do a now-and-then theme for this week’s Cynic’s Guide.
A Long Time Coming Today is the 20th anniversary of arguably the all-time worst officiating job in the history of college football. In the waning seconds of their game at Missouri, Colorado was not only given an extra down, but replays clearly showed that the Colorado QB carrying the ball on 5th down never got the ball across the goal line but was awarded a touchdown anyway. CU went on to win a share of the national championship, becoming not the first, nor the last, but certainly one of the most obvious beneficiaries of bad officiating. But football karma always catches up with you. And how far has CU fallen in the last 20 years? Instead of competing for national championships, this last weekend their fans rushed the field . . . after beating Georgia . . . who is 1-4.
“Gotta get pumped to help tear down the goal posts when we play Baylor in a couple weeks.”
Les Miles: The New Homer. In 1991, there was an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer saved the Springfield nuclear plant from a meltdown when he just happened to push the right button by playing Eenie Meenie Miny Moe. Later, the term “pull a Homer” was added to the dictionary with the definition “to succeed despite idiocy.” As such, I propose that LSU replace its mascot Mike the Tiger with Homer Simpson. I mean, what better representation of the term “pulling a Homer” is there than Les Miles? The man makes more boneheaded decisions and clock management blunders (see Exhibit A: the last minute of last week’s LSU/Tennessee game) by Week 5 every year than most coaches do in a career. And yet he still manages to pull out wins. It’s uncanny.
Previous mascot experience? Check.
Keep Your Friends Close . . . Earlier this week, North Carolina head coach Butch Davis said, “I’m sorry that I trusted John Blake.” Funny. That’s the same thing Oklahoma fans were saying in 1998.
“Remember that time when I was just a 12-22 coach, instead of a crook?”
Too Early to Pull the Plug? In 1983, Turner Gill was the triggerman for one of the most prolific offenses in college history. Gill, Heisman winner Mike Rozier and #1 overall draft pick Irving Fryar were the cornerstones of the "scoring explosion" that dominated football that year, but came up one play short in the national championship game. My, how things have changed. I’m usually a firm believer in giving new coaches at least 3-4 years to get their own players and systems in place before making any drastic moves. But I’ve gotta say that rule may be getting more flexible all the time in Lawrence, KS. Turner Gill’s tenure as the Jayhawks' head coach started off rough with a home loss to FCS North Dakota State. And, aside from an upset of Georgia Tech, has kept going downhill, most recently getting blown out, 55-7, by Baylor. (Yes, Baylor.) Gill has made more news for his “no cell phones the night before games and no girls after 10 pm” rules than anything the Jayhawks have done on the field.
Don’t worry, Jayhawks. Basketball season is almost here.
A Simpler Time Amazing fact of the day, courtesy of ESPN’s Ivan Maisel: Before this week, the last time Texas was unranked was October 15, 2000. Today, more coaches of ranked teams in that poll (Mike Bellotti at Oregon, Dennis Franchione at TCU, Lou Holtz at South Carolina and Bob Davie at Notre Dame) work for ESPN than are still at the same schools (Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Bill Snyder—who left but has now returned—at Kansas State).
The last time UT was unranked, Meet the Parents was the #1 movie in America, the economy was good and most people had ever heard of BALCO, hanging chads, Al Queda or Justin Bieber. Ah, the good ol’ days.
Bernie offered candied anecdotes, on, among other things: the contrasting managerial styles of Buck Showalter & Joe Torre; his early years stepping in to replace the popular (injured) Roberto Kelly; the roles Maas, Stankiewicz and the like played in paving the way for him, Jorge, Jeter and Mo; his music career; and, of course, Yankees-Red Sox.
Asked whether he and his teammates recognized and bought into the rivalry or whether it was simply a product of the media and fan bases, Williams acknowledges there “was something going on between players,” crediting Pedro Martinez as the lightning rod that sparked it, and laughing, “It wasn’t pretty.”
How else do you explain this other than flat-out insulting? This wasn't for the game, this was for the weekend. They awarded LT the Outstanding Ground Performance.
HHR contributor Kevin Owens will travel down to the IMG Training Academy in Bradenton, Florida for SLAM where he will be getting a first hand look at a new training system collaborated on by both IMG and Under Armour entitled "Combine360." While there he will be talking to several notable professional trainers, former athletes and nutritionists. Follow his daily journal at SLAM Online as he is put through different stages of the workout to determine how strong his gag reflex truly is.
