Recently in Sports Category

"[I]f James, Wade and Bosh truly want to make history, they could do the unthinkable and split the Knicks' $33 million three ways. It would cost them salary money, but can you imagine how much they'd make on the back end if they started reeling in NBA titles? In New York?" No, I'm afraid I cannot imagine it. I'll have to see it for myself... ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski makes the case for the top tier of NBA superstars all signing with New York this summer. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

In a flurry of moves at the deadline, the Knickerbockers acquire Tracy McGrady in a three-team trade (for Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, and two draft picks), dump Nate Robinson on Boston (for Eddie House, basically), and end the Darko experiment (trading him to Minnesota for Brian Cardinal, who will likely be waived.)

The upshot here? We get Tracy McGrady for 31 probably meaningless games, and should have lots of money to play with in this summer's LeBron sweepstakes -- enough to sign two marquee free agents next year. All in all, well-played, New York. Here's hoping the post-Ewing decade of losing is at last coming to an end.

Snowpocalypse last December was only the beginning. Now, it's Snomageddon. (And unfortunately, I uncorked all my tauntaun jokes back in 2003.) Anyway, yeah, we in DC have taken a massive snow hit -- at least 2 feet already -- and it's still coming down strong.

As you can see from the pics above and below, at least Berk's been having great fun with it, although he may feel differently if I take him to the 2pm Dupont shootout.

Update: It's all fun and games until somebody bruises their brain. While the snowball fight was great fun (and a hearty gratz to New Awlins), slipping on the ice while walking Berk later that evening was less so. So I've been suffering a (hopefully) minor concussion since Saturday, which mainly means I've been lying on the couch with a headache, playing low-intensity xBox games like Lego Batman and Mass Effect while the snow falls. Only one night of nausea, fever, and other nasty symptoms, tho', so hopefully by this point, I'm on the mend.

"Although this is not yet confirmed, FIFA is expected to use a tried and tested formula for its finals draw for South Africa 2010. The system couples FIFA rankings with performances in the past two finals tournaments to create a group of eight seeds that also includes the hosts."

With fans of Ireland still smarting after Thierry Henry's egregious "Main de Dieu" handball last month, ESPN reviews the crop of futbol teams facing off in World Cup 2010. Here's hoping the unseeded France ends up in this year's Group of Death...and USA doesn't!

All's fair in (bromantic) love, war, and English football in Tom Hooper's (and Peter Morgan's) peppy and entertaining The Damned United, a character study of fast-talking seventies soccer manager Brian Clough. (Apparently, his legendary yapping even once drew the ire of Muhammad Ali.) Like writer Peter Morgan's earlier films -- The Queen and Frost/Nixon, both also featuring Michael Sheen -- The Damned United chronicles the fascinating back-story of a famous (at least in the Isles) television interview: In this case, the awkward 1974 meet-up between Clough and the man he despised and replaced, Don Revie.

Now, I would consider myself a casual soccer fan, but, going in, I had no sense at all of this tale. As a 5-6 year-old in England a few years after these events, I liked Kevin Keegan and Liverpool, mainly, I think, 'cause he was a superstar who had my name. And, when I heard this movie was called The Damned United, I originally presumed it referred to current Yankees-like powerhouse Manchester United, not Leeds, who, it turns out, was the premier squad of the early seventies. (To be honest, when I hear the word "Leeds," I usually tend to think "they've got us working in shifts!")

All of which is to say that you don't need to know the history here, or even be all that interested in soccer, I don't think, to get a kick out of The Damned United. (In fact, there probably should have been more football in this film -- there's really not much coverage of the actual games throughout.) Rather, like Morgan's earlier movies, this is less a sports movie (if anything, it's the anti-Hoosiers) than another tale of clashing personalities. And, like Morgan's last two flicks, Michael Sheen delivers with another engrossing bit of mimicry. His Brian Clough carries some of the flash and dazzle of David Frost, but Sheen has also taken on some definite Nixonian qualities here: Tricky Dick was an American football fan, true, but Brian Clough here possesses the same chip-on-the-shoulder drive to avenge minor slights; the same blue-collar work ethic, and the same Orthogonian loathing of (Kennedy/soccer) elites.

That would make the Kennedy of this story Don Revie (Colm Meaney), the winning manager of the Leeds dynasty, much-beloved by his city and his players, who moves to shape up the dismal English team when national duty calls in 1974. Surprisingly, Clough -- a bit of a dark horse candidate -- is announced as Revie's replacement...and promptly starts pissing his new bosses and players off by demeaning the Leeds legacy on the telly. (Like Nixon vis-a-vis Kennedy, Clough is convinced, probably correctly, that Revie and his team "won dirty.") Basically, Clough is a smarmy self-satisfied egotist from his first day in the gig, and one starts to wonder why he was ever considered for this position -- It's abundantly clear that the Leeds players, captained by Stephen Graham of Snatch and Public Enemies, consider him a first-rate wanker.

Flash-back to 1968, when Clough and his right-hand man Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) are coaching the lowly Derby County F.C, and the Chairman of their Club (Jim Broadbent) seems perfectly content with bottom-feeding in the second division. (In English soccer, the major and minor leagues are fungible -- the worst teams in the "first division" go down to the "second division;" the best teams move up. It's a kind of awesome idea that American sports should adopt immediately -- The Knicks would kill in the NBADL.) But, after a chance draw -- you wouldn't call it a friendly -- against the mighty Leeds United, and a perceived snub at the match, Clough becomes a man possessed. He will bring Don Revie and his squad of thugs back down to Earth...or at least drive everyone around him crazy in the trying.

The rest of the story plays out like Godfather II, basically, with Clough's rise with Derby told against his fall with Leeds, culminating (like The Queen and F/N) in the televised Clough/Revie mano-a-mano. As with those earlier movies, there's not a lot of suspense throughout, but it's all in the telling. (And good job by Tom Hooper in so well evoking the northern England of 1968-74. This entire movie has the gritty, working-class seventies feel of any number of wry and excellent Kinks songs.) A strange subplot involving the long-term bromance between Clough and Taylor, his talented #2, felt overwrought and belabored to me, particularly in the closing moments. But otherwise, The Damned United is another solid and entertaining outing by the Peter Morgan-Michael Sheen team. Steady on, lads, steady on.

"You know it. I know it. Worst of all, Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni know it. The slogan printed on the tickets this season should be 'BIDING OUR TIME' and not whichever metropolitan polemic that the MSG public relations department dreams up. We are a team of second-string transients and, like a young girl with a year to go until she gets her braces off, we will muddle through this next year with bigger dreams of what we can be, and will be, in 2010."

The 2009-2010 NBA Season starts tonight, and, um, the Knicks don't look very good. (I've been playing them this past week in NBA 2K10, and, yeah, they're terrible -- the simulator never lies. But hope springs eternal. And, hey, maybe that new point guard Murphy can right the ship...)

Sigh...From a 2-0 lead at halftime, the US falls to Brazil 3-2 in the Confederations Cup final. (And it really should've been 4-2 -- The refs missed a Brazil goal in the 62nd minute.) Well, we had a good run, and we'll always have the Spain win...onto 2010.

On a Draft Day deal with potential title implications, Shaquille O'Neal joins LeBron James in Cleveland. (Phoenix, giving up on their ill-advised Shaq experiment, pick up Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the 46th pick -- so, this is a money move, basically.) To my mind, this is a solid move by the Cavs. Shaq may be in the tail-end of his career, but he's still good enough and strong enough to draw double-teams down low, which is exactly what Cleveland was missing this past post-season. Pick up a pure shooter or two to spread the wings and keep the D on Lebron honest, and the Cavs are looking deadly.

Other than Shaq, the other major move of late was Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas, which puts a stop to San Antonio's slide in the West almost immediately, and should make them a contender again if everybody stays healthy. And ex-Knick and now-journeyman Jamal Crawford looks headed to Atlanta from Sacramento, where he'll undoubtedly put a lot of points on the board...but I don't really see him making that team a top-tier contender. At least in the Knick days, his D was atrocious.

Speaking of New York, they tried to move up the draft to No. 5, but now look to be hoping somebody decent falls to 8 tonight. They may also be trying to get Darko Milicic for Quentin Richardson, which sounds iffy on paper. But perhaps Darko has improved since his days as a notable draft day bust. In any case, we'll see how it all shakes out tonight at the Garden.

Update: The Knicks buy a late first round pick -- 29 -- from the Lake Show. "'Certain teams, they may want to preserve cap space for the next year or two and they may need to add players,' Kupchak said. 'A good way to add talent at a fixed price is to have a lot of draft choices and then you can still maintain cap space a year from now.'" And we all know what happens a year from now...

Update 2: Donnie gets Darko, and Arizona PF Jordan Hill at #8. [Full Draft.]

"The games are fluid. There's a good energy on the court. People talk on defense. When Salazar finally gets in, it's obvious he is actually pretty athletic, and he has a lot of hustle. He's not easy to cover. Someone yells, 'Who's got Secretary?'" By way of a college friend, ESPN looks at Pres. Obama's "Power Game," and the ensuing newfound popularity of hoops in DC. (Apparently, in the Big Game, they don't call fouls, but rather chalk them up as "enhanced defensive techniques necessary to Keep Our Lane Safe." [Rimshot] Thanks, I'll be here all week, be sure to tip your waiters.)

Anyway, the last time I lived in DC it was generally pretty easy to find a court on a weekend -- We usually set up shop on either end of Adams-Morgan (or later, after I moved to VA, right down by the King Street metro), and the other folks playing/waiting to play were locals of some variety, not just aspiring politicos. I did occasionally play in one "power game" of sorts back then, which involved a number of folks from a liberal-minded journal of some repute. It was probably the most Type-A athletic endeavor I've ever been involved in, and that's coming from a guy who played high school sports in the South and spent four years among Ivy League rowers. With all due respect, I prefer the random pick-up games, I think.

"The stunning 2-0 victory by the United States over Spain -- the best team in the world -- is probably the greatest victory by the men's national soccer team. And when you think of it, the victory Wednesday is probably the second-biggest upset by an American team, behind only the 1980 Miracle on Ice by the hockey team over the Soviet Union in the Olympics." The NYT's George Vecsey sings the praises of the surprising 2-0 US win over #1-ranked Spain yesterday in the Confederations Cup.

I happened to catch the entire game and, while Spain looked like the dominant team for most of the match (particularly the top of the second half, when they unleashed a barrage of quality shots on goal), USA definitely capitalized on their limited offensive opportunities -- I thought goal No. 2, above, was particularly pretty.

"All four playoff semifinalists are flawed in some obvious and fundamental way. The Lakers get pushed around. The Cavaliers desperately need one more skilled helper for LeBron James. The Nuggets come to play far too often without their thinking caps. And Orlando violates one of basketball's Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not live by the jump shot." Michael Wilbon assesses the NBA's Final Four. (FWIW, I got the four teams correct, but the series so far quite wrong. Neither Cleveland nor LA is winning in five.)

Also, I've seen pretty much every playoff game over the past few weeks, and the critics are right: the officiating is terrible this year. The whistles are wildly inconsistent, frequently game-changing, and all too often are stopping interesting games dead in the fourth quarter. I'm rooting for King James, and I hope Cleveland pushes Orlando to seven just for the sheer interest of it, but the end of regulation in Game 4 -- when the Cavs got a bailout superstar call for Lebron as he drove out-of-control to the hoop, followed by an exceedingly helpful no-call as Anderson Varajao put the hack on Howard in the final seconds -- seemed as blatant a fix as anything I've ever seen in the NBA. (Thankfully, Orlando pulled the game out in OT regardless.) Right the ship, Commissioner.

Update: "The NBA's failure to develop a new generation of decent referees might be its single biggest misfire of the past 20 years." By way of Twitter, ESPN's Bill "Sportsguy" Simmons just posted a long piece on the NBA's referee problem. "I don't know what the tipping point will be this time around. I just know it's coming."

These are actually a weekend late now, and my knowledge of the league now that I've left New York (and thus haven't been watching Knicks games) is at an all-time ebb. Then again, broadcasting uninformed opinions is pretty what much the Internet was created for, so, without further ado and as per tradition, some quick NBA playoff picks...

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Detroit Pistons (8): As per the last few years, I still don't think King James' supporting cast quite matches up to the moment. (I like Mo Williams, but he's no Scottie Pippen, and "Big Z" -- Zyldrunas Ilgauskas -- is definitely no Dennis Rodman.) That being said, Lebron is pretty much playing to his amazing potential and then some, and it's clear that -- while he may still be Jordan circa '89-90 at the moment -- his dynasty is right around the corner. Conversely, the Pistons look old, tired, and broken. Particularly without Allen Iverson on hand, they would seem to be in the shoes of the mid-00's Kings: a former title contender now obviously in eclipse. Cavaliers in Five.

Boston Celtics (2) v. Chicago Bulls (7): The Game 1 upset was a certifiable coming-out party for all-around player and Rookie of the Year PG Derrick Rose. (The facet of his game that most needs work: post-game interviewing.) But, let's remember: The Bulls won Game 1 because Paul Pierce uncharacteristically missed a clutch free throw. With Kevin Garnett reportedly out for the playoffs, I think Boston is dead in the water this year -- it's just a matter of time (And, to be honest, that's fine with me. They deserve some horrible mojo after swooping up Stephon Marbury as they did.) But they're still a better team than Chicago and, remember, they had trouble with Atlanta early on last year too. Boston in Seven.

(By the way, was anyone else annoyed with the dubious and oft-repeated stat that Chicago hadn't beaten Boston in a playoff game since 1948? Uh, well that may partly be because the Celtics were atrocious from the time Larry Bird's back gave out until Michael Jordan retired. It's not like the Bulls are the Bobcats, Wizards, or some other legitimately underdog franchise.)

Orlando Magic (3) v. Philadelphia 76ers (6): I'm fond of Superman (Dwight Howard), but, for all the hype surrounding Orlando mid-season, blowing an 18-point lead at home against the lowly Sixers is not something a real title contender would do. And, in the one (nationally-televised) Knicks game I have caught recently, the Magic looked terrible. But I'm not a particularly big fan of this Sixers crew either, so I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt and say Orlando in Seven.

Atlanta Hawks (4) v. Miami Heat (5): To be honest, I don't know the first thing about this iteration of the Hawks: I hadn't seen 'em play until yesterday, and the last news I heard about their franchise was when Josh Childress went to Europe. But they looked pretty dominant yesterday, and they've got a proven clutch performer, Mike Bibby, running the point. So, even though the refs love them some D-Wade, I'll go with Atlanta in Six.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Utah Jazz (8): Always a tough call, for, as longtime readers well know, neither Kobe Bryant nor the Mormon church tend to be in my Fave 5. (And Carlos Boozer is his own case of bad mojo.) Still, the Lakers are deep, Kobe is an undeniable talent, and he's got arguably the most underappreciated No. 2 in the league right now in Pau Gasol. I think, barring injury, this could very well be the Lakers' year. In any case -- sorry, Jerry Sloan -- Deron Williams, Andre Kirilenko, & co. won't stop 'em. Los Angeles in Four.

Denver Nuggets (2) v. New Orleans Hornets (7): This is one of those series where all my old intel isn't of much use. Chris Paul and the Hornets looked deadly last post-season -- exactly the type of team you didn't want to run into early on. But I haven't seen them play this year and don't know if they've lost a step or if they've found a way to score when Chris Paul gets triple-teamed. Meanwhile, on paper Chauncey Billups running the Nuggets seems like a huge boon for them -- he's had experience managing hotheads (Kenyon Martin, meet Rasheed Wallace) and can successfully distribute shots among a bunch of players who all need the ball. But is he really enough to stop a George Karl team from choking early on? Given that they're already one up, I'll say Denver in Six.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Dallas Mavericks (6): With Ginobli out, the aging, injured Spurs got a spot of luck when they matched up against another fading West Coast giant, the Mavericks. I doubt the Spurs are good and/or healthy enough to get to the Conference Finals this year, but I don't have much confidence in Dallas either. San Antonio in Seven.

Portland Trailblazers (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): I've gotten the impression from various sources that Portland is a much better team than they displayed in Game 1. And they've certainly got an impressive core of young talent in Roy, Aldridge, Oden, etc. (I kinda wish Channing Frye had continued to develop, but oh well.) Still, just by the law of averages, I think Yao et al are due to break out of the first round. (And there's a certain irony that they'd finally get to do it after perennial loser T-Mac sorta checked out on them.) Houston in Seven.

[Hmm. With one exception, I picked the top seed every time again. Way to go out on a limb.]

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Atlanta Hawks (4): LeBron and the Cavs have pretty much been playing a higher-level of basketball than the rest of the East this year, particularly at home. And I think King James is too focused this year to screw things up in the second round. Cleveland in Five.

Boston Celtics (2) v. Orlando Magic (3): Like the Spurs-Mavs, I don't have a lot of faith in either of these teams at the moment. But, while I had Boston winning this at first, I think I'm going to switch to the Magic. Perhaps the first round will work out the hiccups for Stan Van Gundy's team, and -- without Garnett on Boston -- I'll go with youth and energy over age and guile. Orlando in Seven.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Houston Rockets (5): I'm going to be rooting quite hard for Yao Ming and the Rockets here. But, as with the Cavs in the East, the Lakers are just operating at a different level right now. Los Angeles in Six.

Denver Nuggets (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): Unless they psychologically implode, and there's always a chance of it with this combustible squad, I have to think Denver has enough weapons to take care of injury-ridden San Antonio. Denver in Five.

EAST FINALS: Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Orlando Magic (3): Third verse, same as the second and first. The Cavs are playing better ball that most everyone in the East at the moment, and James will not be denied. Cleveland in Five.

WEST FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Denver Nuggets (2): With Phoenix, Dallas, and San Antonio on the way down, Denver now looks to be one of the premier contenders in the West. But, unless Carmelo has the type of break-out, monster playoff performance that many think he's capable of but that we've yet to see, I don't see this being all that close. Los Angeles in Five.

FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (1): If you read what's come before, you may have noticed that I deemed this the Lakers year a few paragraphs ago. And that's probably true -- they're hungry, they're experienced, and I don't see how Cleveland's going to manage once Phil Jackson uncorks his own version of the Jordan rules on LeBron. But, I've gotten pretty far in life rooting against the Lake Show...so, no reason to stop now. Cleveland in Seven.

So, there you have it -- Cleveland rocks. And, if they're this good now, just wait until James get some legitimate help...I just hope it all happens on the Knickerbockers' watch.

"'I don't know what's going to happen in 2010. I can't plan for it,' D'Antoni says. 'I just know I live with these guys. My focus is on them. I want to wake up in 2010 and have a couple of the players we have now be the guys we want.'" As his first season with the Knicks winds down (which can be roughly summarized as "Waiting for LeBron"), ESPN's "Outside the Lines" posts a long (and snazzily-designed) interview with Coach Mike D'Antoni.

"And now a madness began in me. The madness of a man splitting in half...I began to see a way -- a terrible way -- I could finally triumph over God!" Well, ok, I'll settle for winning a few of my pools. Yes, it's March Madness time once again. I'll post my bracket here once I've consulted the oracles (and the ghost of Leopold) further.

Update: And, after all that, I forgot to post my bracket. It's here. After the first weekend, I have 12 of the Sweet Sixteen and a possible seven of the Elite Eight. Final Four: UNC over Memphis, with Louisville and Pitt watching.

A good spot of news out of MSG the past week: After far too many twists and turns, the ignominious Marbury Era is at now long last over for the New York Knickerbockers. (Of course, the Celtics scooped him right up to replace Sam Cassell for their playoff run. Fine, take him, and good riddance.)

"Marijuana is California's largest cash crop. It's valued at $14 billion annually, or nearly twice the value of the state's grape and vegetable crops combined, according to government statistics...But the state doesn't receive any revenue from its cash cow. Instead, it spends billions of dollars enforcing laws pegged at shutting down the industry and inhibiting marijuana's adherents." Also in Slate: In the wake of California's money troubles, Daniel Gross makes the economic case for marijuana decriminalization.

"So what are the numbers? A national legalization effort would save nearly $13 billion annually in enforcement costs and bring in $7 billion in yearly tax revenues, according to a study by Harvard University economist Jeffrey Miron...That doesn't include any indirect revenues as, for example, rural farming communities grow or marijuana tourism, which has been lucrative for the Netherlands, takes off."

The obvious economic benefits aside, it's well nigh time to establish a sane drug policy in this country. And weed in particular is an easy call. We haven't had a drug-free American president since 1992 (at best), and yet we still pretend that a goofball like Michael Phelps ripping bong hits is some sort of egregious sin? Time to grow up, people.

Breaking over the weekend, thanks to Selena Roberts and David Epstein of SI: Yankees star Alex Rodriguez -- and 103 other MLB players! -- tested positive for steroids in 2003. Given what we already knew about the sea of performance-enhancers in baseball, this isn't really a huge surprise, and as I said of Barry Bonds, I'm not even sure juicing should be deemed a mortal sin anyway. Still, as pro-athletes go, A-Rod is almost as easy to dislike as Kobe, so I'll fess up to a bit of schadenfreude in this case.

That feeling also extends to the rending of garments now happening among the "Baseball is America's game!" crowd in the wake of the A-Rod revelation. This notion that baseball has some special place in our hearts -- a "unique paragon of American culture," as Jayson Stark effusively puts it in this example -- is a sentiment I've never shared and don't particularly agree with. (Besides, the sport survived the 1919 Black Sox. It'll survive the juice.) And, in my pantheon of annoying sports fans, the baseball purists are right up there next to the bandwagon jumpers. Take me out to the Ball Game...but please don't sit me next to the stats obsessives or self-appointed diamond historians.

"'Getting an MRI basically saved my life,' Mobley said. 'You have to thank the Knicks for this.'" Well, if nothing else comes out of New York's recent bench-clearing for LeBron, it still ended up being an extremely worthwhile trade. New tests revealed that Cuttino Mobley's heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) is much more serious than anyone knew, and thus Mobley is retiring from the game. "'The only thing I can tell the younger guys is life goes on, be a good person,' Mobley said. 'It's only 15 minutes of fame that you have and my minutes are up, but I can always still be a good person.'"

Said Knicks GM Donnie Walsh of Mobley's decision: "I was happy he arrived at that [conclusion] himself, because that's necessary for him. None of this is as important as somebody's life."

Following up on his stated intentions to free cap space and pave the way for acquiring LeBron James in 2010, Knicks GM Donnie Walsh pulls the trigger on two big trades, sending Zack Randolph (and trade-filler Mardy Collins) to the Clips for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley (pending a heart issue -- make your own joke here) and Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington, all of which will be off the books during the crucial free agent season in question.

I guess it seems a bit distasteful to embrace so openly the hired-gun philosophy of winning a championship...but, hey, that's the way the game is played. So, with that in mind, kudos to Walsh on a job well done (and good luck moving Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry.) Besides, we Knicks fans have slogged through the past eight years since the cap- and karma-destroying trading of Patrick Ewing. At this point, we can probably eat another two.

While Philadelphians wait one more day (they hope) to end their 25-year losing streak, basketball-inclined sports fans such as myself are now focused on Beantown, where the 2008-09 NBA season tips off tonight on TNT. (And, hey, with zero games played in the season, this newest iteration of new-look Knicks are tied for best record in the league!)

Seriously, tho, while I expect another, ahem, "rebuilding" year in New York despite the best efforts of Walsh and D'Antoni, it'll be good to have the NBA back in town -- and Kenny, EJ, and Charles back in the studio. Particularly now with Mad Men in mothballs again, Inside the NBA is probably my favorite show on television...even if they don't deign to show the Knicks this year.

"One observer from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. 'You could just feel the hate,' the person said." It's been rumored all summer, particularly since the Knicks acquired Bulls backup Chris Duhon. Now, according to the Daily News, the tortuous Marbury era in Madison Square Garden looks like it may be coming to an end this Friday. "Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the week...The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears, begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard."

On one hand, getting nothing in return for a player like Marbury seems like a loss for the Knicks. Then again, with his massive contract, Stephon basically has little-to-no trade value -- See also Zach Randolph. And if he's as much of a locker room cancer at this point as this article suggests, we might as well just cut him and start the D'Antoni era fresh. So, so long, Stephon. And if you start actually playing to your long-heralded potential this coming season for Miami, I'm going to be very irate.

Update: "This thing is initiated in the press and then I have to ask questions about it,' Walsh said, sounding somewhat perturbed. 'I haven't approached [Marbury] about a buyout.'" New GM Donnie Walsh says it's not so.

Round 2 of everybody's favorite party game: What do Berkeley and Seattle sports fans have in common this week? Answer: They both absolutely detest the sound of "Thunder." The Oklahoma City Thunder (nee Seattle Supersonics) officially unveil their new name and logo. (I guess the Oklahoma City Whirlwind might still have been considered in poor taste.)

On the Knicks side of the ledger: As Patrick Ewing enters the Hall of Fame -- and his son, Patrick Ewing Jr., comes to Knicks training camp -- is new GM Donnie Walsh really thinking of picking up former Detroit bust Darko Milicic? I know we want to unload Zack Randolph's contract at all costs before 2010, but aren't we a big enough joke around the league without adding the Frederic Weis of #2 picks to our roster?

"'We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think,' U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said." Congrats to the US men's Olympic basketball team, who returned to golden form this morning by closing out Spain 118-107. (Now, Coach D'Antoni, get thee to the Knickerbockers. We have work to do!)

"'This is the worst nightmare one can encounter,' he said. Asked whether Georgia and Russia were now at war, he said, 'My country is in self-defense against Russian aggression. Russian troops invaded Georgia.'" Well, so much for that whole settling-differences-through-sports shebang. On the day of the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, Russia has apparently invaded nearby South Ossetia, next to Georgia, on reports (or is it simply the pretext?) of a Georgian incursion and ethnic cleansing in the region.

It's still unclear (to me, at least) exactly what is going on over there. According to Georgia president Mikhail Saakashvili (and the current CNN reports), Russian troops have "been amassing at the border for the last few months. They claimed they were staging exercises there and as soon as a suitable pretext was found, they moved in." According to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (and some witnesses in the AP story), Russia is going in to protect Russian citizens in South Ossetia from both ethnic cleansing and a Georgian attempt to retake the breakaway region, which apparently Saakashvili has been promising to do for awhile. "Russia 'will not allow the deaths of our compatriots to go unpunished' and 'those guilty will receive due punishment...My duty as Russian president is to safeguard the lives and dignity of Russian citizens, wherever they are. This is what is behind the logic of the steps we are undertaking now.'" So, somebody's up to no good here on Opening Day, and, with competing claims to the region at hand, matters could soon get much worse.

In any case, at the moment we're calling for an immediate cease-fire in the region, and have reasserted that "the U.S. supports Georgia's territorial integrity." More to come, I'm sure.

In a move that will likely rival MJ's ho-hum final years in Washington, the New York Jets sign quarterback Brett Favre from Greenbay. I'd say this was a panic move that'll clearly backfire, but, then again, the Jets were rolling with Vinny Testaverde for a few years there, and he was older than dirt too. At any rate, NYJ are as close to a NFL team as I have in my fan arsenal, so here's hoping it pans out.

The Knicks lose their Gamecock on the bench: Energy player Renaldo Balkman is traded to the Nuggets for peanuts (a 2010 second-rounder, Taurean Green, and Bobby Jones, both of whom will be waived.) "Balkman became expendable with the addition of first-round pick Danilo Gallinari. The Knicks also have an increased role in mind for Wilson Chandler at small forward." (What about Q-Rich?) That's too bad...I always liked Balkman. You can't teach hustle.

"'I'll be a kid in a candy store,' Artest said. 'I'll be a kid in a store with a lot of candy. I'm going to dance with the stars.'" T-Mac, Yao, and the Houston Rockets try to keep pace in a loaded West by trading for talented head case Ron Artest. (They gave up aging vet Bobby Jackson, new pick Donte Greene, a 2009 first-rounder, and cash.) Interesting...that's a pretty solid trade for Houston. It's not Boston's Big 3, but even in a crowded conference Artest should be enough defensive help to finally get 'em out of the first round. And so far he's saying all the right things.

Also, I don't really follow baseball until, I dunno, mid-October, but this even made my radar. The inimitable Manny Ramirez is gone from the BoSox. He's now a Dodger (and, the Grant Hill of the MLB, Ken Griffey is now on the White Sox.) Alrighty then.

"Tim acted in a completely selfish and unforgivable way, and has forever compromised the way people look at sports and officiating. However, NBA referees will continue to officiate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism." Disgraced NBA ref Tim Donaghy is sentenced to 15 months in prison. Meanwhile, the forthcoming "Pedowitz report" on referee fraud is still pending, and Commissioner Stern still insists Donaghy was an unfortunate outlier. "'The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI have fully investigated it,' Stern said on June 10, 'and Mr. Donaghy is the only one that's guilty of a crime.'" Oookay...but is fixing games to extend series a "criminal" act? That sounds rather lawyerly to me.

"Spokesman Andreas Dilschneider, who is also one of the chess trainers for Berlin's chess-boxing club, says the dual sport is primed to become 'the biathlon of the 21st century.'" En garde...I'll let you try my Wu-Tang style: Time peeks into the world of chess-boxing. "The matches work like this: competitors alternate between three-minute rounds of boxing and four-minute rounds of speed chess with one-minute breaks in between to get the gloves off and hunker down at the chess table. The winner is determined by knockout, checkmate, or referee decision."

"The chance for Chris to be a starter was too much to pass up." The Knicks sign Bulls backup PG Chris Duhon to a 2-year deal, meaning that the "Starbury" Era at MSG looks to be on its way out. "Bradbury said the Knicks have made it clear that Duhon could start, which could mean that Stephon Marbury's days with the Knicks are numbered. Marbury is in the final year of his contract." Update: Marbury talks the talk.

"'In a perfect world I would have liked to see Clay Bennett leave, without the team at all,' said Steven Pyeatt, the co-founder of Save Our Sonics." While the door isn't quite closed yet -- there's one more lawsuit to go -- a late agreement between new owner Clay Bennett and the city seems to suggest that Seattle has sadly lost their NBA franchise to Oklahoma City. "The settlement calls for Bennett and his Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay as much as $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the lease. The team's name and colors will be staying in Seattle."

"Tyson Homosexual easily won his semifinal for the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials and seemed to save something for the final later Sunday..." The wacko-right American Family Association has a little trouble with their auto-replace software. (It's been happening for awhile.)

"He'll be a 6-11,3-point shooting, ball handler and passer," D'Antoni said. "We think he has the potential to be above a good player. That's how you build a team. We're starting with him." The Knicks begin the D'Antoni/Walsh era by picking Euroleague star Danilo Gallinari with the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Like most of the Knicks fan in attendance last night, I'm not particularly sold on the choice -- an offense-minded, potentially soft swingman? Last I checked, we couldn't and didn't play D -- especially since it means we'll be bouncing David Lee. Then again, something had to give, I guess. Let's just hope Gallinari is Italian for "Detlef Schrempf" and not "Darko Milicic."

Looks like the gamble paid off. In an auspicious sign for all the cellar-dwelling teams out there looking to turn it around in one year, the Boston Celtics completely eviscerate the Lakers 131-92 in Game 6, clinching their seventeenth championship (and first for likable superstars KG, Allen, and Pierce.) Congrats to the Celts and to the Boston fans (Well, some of 'em)...and New York, take a gander. The draft is a little over a week away...

"'We just wet the bed,' Kobe said. 'A nice big one, too. One of the ones you can't put a towel over. It was terrible.'" A brief note regarding the Lakers' historic collapse at home last night in Game 4: I remain down on Bill Simmons, but he's got an excellent point here: "[L]et's just say MJ's teams never blew a 24-point lead at home in the Finals...The Kobe-MJ thing...done. Over. Jordan never would have let that happen in the Finals. Ever. Under any circumstances. Nobody is ever allowed to bring this up again."

"'My first thought [upon hearing Donaghy's allegation] was: I knew it,' [Scot] Pollard said Tuesday night. 'I'm not going to say there was a conspiracy. I just think something wasn't right. It was unfair. We didn't have a chance to win that game.'" If he's going down, he's taking the League with him: In court filings yesterday, disgraced ref Tim Donaghy insinuates that NBA "company men" refs fixed several playoff games, including the much-disputed Lakers-Kings Game 6 of 2002 (a.k.a. "the Nader game.") Uh oh...

A programming note: Game 1 of the throwback Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals is tonight at 9pm, and ESPN is setting the stage with several "Finals Factors": Kobe | The Celtics D | Paul Pierce | Home Court | The Benches. The smart money seems to be picking LA, and after watching most of these playoffs I'm inclined to agree with them: While Boston has been wildly inconsistent against suspect teams, particularly on the road, LA has been marching inexorably through the stronger, deeper West. Still, I'll stick with my original prediction (and my general rooting interests for the East, for Garnett and Allen, and against Kobe & the Lake Show) and say Celtics in 7, even if said outcome will make egregious Homer Bill Simmons that much more insufferable.

"If your catch needs work, both Ms. Guerette and Mr. Butt suggested practicing putting your blades in and out of the water while sitting in the catch position at full compression (legs bent, chest nearly touching thighs, arms extended). Ms. Guerette recommended doing this drill in shallow water, since there’s a chance you could fall into the drink." By way of several ex-rower friends: In the NYT, Charley Butt (my former HVL coach) and one of his current proteges, Olympian Michelle Guerette, offer pointers on how to improve your stroke, and sum up how I spent a good bit of time in college. (See also the accompanying slideshow and video.)

"After this season, we needed a break and I think we just got one tonight." Take that, D'Antoni: With only a 1.7 percent chance to procure the #1 pick, the Chicago Bulls beat the odds last night in the NBA lottery, thus knocking the Knicks down to No. 6. Well, bleah.

Meanwhile, as far as the NBA Finals go, I got three of the Final Four correct (So much for the Suns.) That being said, Lakers-Spurs in the West is sort of a worst-case scenario for me. And while I can't believe it's come to this, I may actually be rooting for Kobe and the Lakers in this series. Ugh, I feel dirty.

Has Donnie Walsh landed his first big fish? Word is NY has outbid Chicago, and the Phoenix Suns' Mike D'Antoni is our new Knicks coach. Um...gratz? Mike D'Antoni seems like a good coach and an amiable guy, but is an offensive-minded, fast-break specialist really what we need right now? It's really hard to envision Eddy Curry, Zack Randolph, and the gang running the floor for D'Antoni like the Suns did. And while we have many problems, and consistent offense surely ranks among them, defense is really where the Knickerbockers have stunk up the joint of late.

Well, it's an interesting pick, if nothing else. Let's see where it goes.

So, I noticed last night that my old GitM coxing columns at Rowersworld, written a decade ago, had at some point disappeared into the midnight realm of the 404, and that my writings page was thus featuring tons of dead links. But, with the aid of the trusty Wayback Machine, I was able to recreate them again here, where they can reside until this entire site falls into its inevitable disrepair. I'm not sure very many of my regular readers are of the rowing persuasion (anymore). Still, in case y'all are interested, the articles are back up.

Also, while searching for the lost articles, I found this essay on how to throw your coxswain correctly, which references the pic above. Just to clarify, I have "a blissful smile" on my face mostly because we won, yes, but also because I'm fully aware it's early May in Massachusetts, and the waters of Lake Quinsigamond won't immediately close down my bodily systems. Getting tossed at Dartmouth in early April is considerably less blissful.

Well, I'm sure you watched it too. But, anyway, to recap: In tonight's big contest, the two race horses started out neck-and-neck, and it looked in the early going that an upset might be in order. But, slowly but surely, the plodding, methodical contender pulled away for a small but convincing victory, and that's all she wrote. I'm referring, of course, to Game 2 of the Suns-Spurs series. Why, was there something else going on?

(By the way, in case you didn't know, I'm not sure of the Obama analogue yet, but the San Antonio Spurs are definitely the Clintons of the NBA. Tim Duncan's the Bill of the bunch, the natural talent (with past championships to his name) who whines and works the refs constantly. Bruce Bowen is Hillary, a less-talented workhorse whom people in the media describe with euphemisms like "tenacious", when he's clearly and obviously just a dirty player. And, like the rest of the Clinton campaign, Parker and Ginobli are basically slashers...but let's not belabor it too much.)

At any rate, so, yes, in a huge shocker Senator Clinton won Pennsylvania by ten this evening, 55%-45%. [Update: Since it seems to have confused some Clinton-leaning folk on other blogs, I meant "huge shocker" ironically. See below.] We'll know the delegate spread tomorrow, but, however it turns out and like Ohio six weeks ago, tonight is just another case of Clinton winning the battle and losing the war: There's no way at all she gets enough delegates to become viable again. Simply put, Sen. Obama's previously insurmountable delegate lead is now, to coin a phrase, even insurmountabler. Do I need to link the same post again?

Nevertheless, if you're looking for someone to blame for Obama's loss tonight, look no further than Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love broke from the rest of the state and went 2-1 for Obama. And, as every sports fan knows, Philly always loses despite themselves. You can't fight the curse.

In any case, I'd been girding myself for a 15-point margin for Sen. Clinton of late, so, in the grand scheme of things, 55-45 was fine with me (particularly given that the contest seems to have cost Clinton what was left of her bankroll.) So, now, on to Indiana and North Carolina in two weeks, where hopefully this primary -- finally -- comes to an end. Eat, drink, and be merry, Clinton folk, for tomorrow, your candidacy of choice dies.

Update: They're still tallying the delegates, but it's looking like Clinton will remain behind by around 150 pledged delegates overall. In the meantime, Al Giordano crunches the exit poll numbers: "Senator Clinton lost ground in every one of those key foundations of her former base vote...Whether or not the commercial media spins it that way - in her campaign’s lexicon - 'doesn’t matter.' And ye shall know the dumbest and slowest - and intentionally dishonest - political reporters, pundits, bloggers (and former presidential candidates and spouses) by those that argue otherwise."

Update 2: It ain't over yet. This (pre-PA) Youtube suggests a potential path to victory for Clinton. (Here's a hint: The Hartford Convention.)

In more basketball news, it becomes official: To noone's surprise (and to the relief of a grateful city), the Isiah Thomas era is over for the New York Knicks. "'He will have no official title, but he will provide meaningful input,' Walsh said during a conference call. 'Isiah remaining a part of the franchise is important for the organization.'" Hmm. I could see a freefloating Isiah still doing considerable damage to the team, particularly if he screws up the lines of authority and/or undermines whomever our new coach turns out to be. But, I have to concede, he has been a pretty solid drafter (Camby, T-Mac, Damon Stoudamire, Lee, Balkman.) So, if Walsh wants to send him out to look at prospects, have at it...just keep him away from the bench and the locker room. Update: Walsh got the message. Apparently Isiah isn't allowed to talk to the players.

Yep, it's playoff time again. As a lowly Knicks fan, I'm not sure I'm qualified to write up my picks this year. The only games I saw this season involved New York, and thus I haven't watched any of these squads play against a real defense. And I haven't seen the Chris Paul Hornets or the Pau Gasol Lakers play at all this season, among other teams. Still, tradition is tradition, so...

Boston Celtics (1) v. Atlanta Hawks (8): I can't say I'm all that pro-Celtics -- In fact, I generally find Boston homers, with a few exceptions, to be some of the more aggravating fans around. Still, I've always had soft spots for KG, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell. (I could take or leave Paul Pierce: I find him way too passive, tending to disappear in big games for quarters at a time.) And these Celtics are (sorry, Spree) not only the best team Garnett's ever played on, but the best team the East has seen in awhile. They're going to be tested at some point before the Finals, but it won't be lowly Atlanta that push them. KG's usual intensity alone will ensure no early slip-up, and Boston should scatter Bibby and the Hawks fairly readily. Boston in four.

Detroit Pistons (2) v. Philadelphia 76ers (7): A wily and versatile squad stocked with savvy veterans and playoff experience, Detroit is easily the scariest team standing between Boston and the Finals. But, they do have a tendency to coast...one hopes they've learned something from their playoff flameout against LeBron last year. Either way, I don't see Andre Iguodala and the Sixers mounting much of a threat to Motown. Detroit in Five.

Orlando Magic (3) v. Toronto Raptors (6): I haven't looked at the schedule yet, but I get the sense this and the Utah series are going to be the ones relegated to Wednesday nights on NBA TV. Regardless, Dwight Howard v. Chris Bosh should be fun to watch...and I feel pretty confident Howard has the edge. Orlando in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v. Washington Wizards (5): These two teams seem to meet every year in the playoffs of late. Unlike 2007, however, the Wizards are healthy, with both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler ready to play. That being said, and while the Cavs are still basically a bunch of journeyman scrubs, Cleveland has King James, who singlehandedly powered a similarly lousy Cavs squad to the Finals last year. This'll be a hard-fought contest, but my money's on LeBron (particularly given that Cleveland has beaten DC twice in a row -- he's in their heads.) Cleveland in Seven.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Denver Nuggets (8): As an inveterate and well-established Kobe hater of long standing, I'm still irritated with Memphis bailing out LA with that grotesquely lopsided Gasol trade. So, I'd like nothing more to see AI and 'Melo rise to the occasion and knock the Lakers out early. But, against a team as good as Los Angeles and a player with as much killer instinct as Kobe, I can't in good conscience back a George Karl-coached team. Los Angeles in Six.

New Orleans Hornets (2) v. Dallas Mavericks (7): As I said above, I have yet to see the Hornets in action, and there's not a lot of playoff experience on this team. And, now that Dallas has Jason Kidd, it's hard to see the Mavs folding as badly as they did last season against Golden State. But I still don't have a lot of confidence in Dallas, and Coach Avery Johnson seems like he's a net negative when the pressure's on -- at key moments, he just seems to wind up guys like Nowitzki further, instead of calming them down and getting them to play better. And, if Paul is as good and quick as everyone says he is, I'm not sure how Kidd is going to guard him. So, New Orleans in Seven.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Phoenix Suns (6): This should be fun. One would think I would know not to bet against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. Still, every dynasty ends at some time or another, and, particularly given their record over the back half of the season, I just have a feeling the Spurs have entered into that long twilight. (Plus, Big Shot Rob ain't getting any younger, and after last year's incident, the Suns have karma on their side.) Players like Barbosa will have to step up, and Shaq will have to find some of that playoff juvenation to help keep Duncan locked down and allow Stoudamire to thrive. But, I'm thinking Nash & co. weather a few big games from Ginobli/Parker and knock out the reigning champs in the first round. Phoenix in Seven.

Utah Jazz (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): I know Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer are apparently the real deal, but I still don't have much faith in this incarnation of the Jazz. That being said, despite their 21-game winning streak without Yao, T-Mac has had, uh, some trouble winning a playoff series. Until he finally breaks that curse, I guess I have to go with those Salt Lake City bluesmen. Utah in Six.

Boston Celtics (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (4): King James is amazing, but his retinue (Ben Wallace, Wally World) is still pretty pedestrian. And I just don't see the Celts getting caught as flat-footed by a monster LeBron game as Detroit did last year. Plus, Boston has too many options, even if they don't always know which one to go to in the fourth. But don't fret, LeBron, you'll be a Knickerbocker soon enough. Boston in Five.

Detroit Pistons (2) v. Orlando Magic (3): Unless Detroit has another one of their "senior moments," they should dispatch Orlando rather quickly. And they'll need to, in order to be at all competitive in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit in Five.

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Utah Jazz (4): Having to choose between Kobe and the Jazz is like choosing between the flu and measles. But I'll go with LA, partly due to home court, partly due to Kobe no doubt getting a Jordan-like shield from the refs (who, I'm sure, have been apprised of the value of a Lakers-Celtics throwback final to the NBA.) Los Angeles in Six.

New Orleans Hornets (2) v. Phoenix Suns (6): Again, N'Orleans is an X-factor to me. But, the deeper you go in the playoffs, the more prior experience helps. (As does D, of course, but it's not like the Suns are a defensive powerhouse.) So I'll go with Nash, Shaq et al. Phoenix in Five.

EAST FINALS: Boston Celtics (1) v. Detroit Pistons (2): Now, this'll be a great series. We have yet to see how Boston would handle having their backs to the wall, and given that [a] KG can sometimes get ratcheted up too tight and [b] Coach Doc Rivers is more than a little suspect in the strategy department, an early Detroit win could really scramble this one. But, even if he's older than the hills, Sam Cassell is a legitimate fourth-quarter assassin, and I'm betting he (like Robert Horry and Derek Fisher in years before him) puts Boston over the top in a key game here. Boston in Six.

WEST FINALS: Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Phoenix Suns (6): At long last, the main event: Shaq vs. Kobe for a post-Laker ring. Shaq's only a (very big) cog in the Suns engine now, of course, but I'm sure he'll find it sweet to have Phoenix knock off LA regardless. Phoenix in Seven.

FINALS: Boston Celtics (1) v. Phoenix Suns (6): It won't be the Celtics-Lakers series Commissioner Stern spends his nights praying for, but this should be a solid Finals regardless. The main difference between these two exciting squads is that Boston can totally lock teams down on defense. Defense wins championships, and it will here as well. So, congrats, Celts fans -- And don't forget to thank Kevin McHale for letting Minnesota take a gimongous dive! 2007-08 has been a banner year for Boston...well, except for that whole matter of 18-1...

"When the venerable Donnie Walsh arrived on Wednesday as the Knicks’ fourth president in seven years, he supplanted the least-loved incumbent since LBJ. During the four years and change of the Isiah Thomas era, the team lost more than 60 percent of its games, a ratio that got worse after Thomas added the title of head coach in 2006. Over that span, the Knicks have amassed the largest payroll (peaking at more than $160 million with luxury tax) and the third-worst record in the National Basketball Association. Never has so much been spent for so little in the world of sports. They’ve been called the worst team in the history of pro basketball, but they’re really much worse than that. These Knicks are worse than the fire-sale ’41 Phillies or the expansion ’62 Mets or the ’76 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were perfect in their winlessness. They’re the worst of the worst because of how they’ve lost, in petulance and complacency -- and with management that bulldozed any critic it could not ignore."

But how do you really feel? New York Mag's Jeff Coplon comes not to praise the Isiah-era Knickerbockers but to bury them, once and for all. The piece, entitled "Absolutely, Positively the Worst Team in the History of Professional Sports," is both exhaustive and withering in detail, and well worth a read, if you're of the rubber-necking persuasion.

Also, in basketball news, it looks like I got a B+ this year in bracketology. Thanks mainly to picking Kansas to win it all (a lucky guess, basically), my bracket scored in the 89th percentile overall.

In more Indiana related news, it seems to be official: Word is the Knicks will announce Donnie Walsh as the new team president later today, meaning, at long last, the beginning of the end for the Isiah era. Given the depths of our current situation, I'm still not sold at all on the notion that Walsh can turn things around for the Knickerbockers by next season. But, since the most involving Knick-related activity around of late has been toying with David Lee's hair, I'd think pretty much anything he does would be a step in the right direction.

"'I really didn't want to rehab and come back this season because I don't think that was possible,' Webber said. 'Plus, because the way the team is playing, the chemistry is great with these guys, they're on a roll. I feel like they're going to win, they have a great chance to go very far in the playoffs. I just felt it was time to let the game go and be able to be happy about what I accomplished without trying to keep coming back.'" Undone by knee injuries, longtime NBA forward Chris Webber calls it quits. (He had recently returned to the Golden State Warriors.)

I always liked C-Webb, and wish he'd won a ring with one of the early-00's Sacramento outfits. On the debit side of the ledger, there's his unfortunate timeout and, more importantly, his criminal contempt plea in his perjury trial (concerning loans he received from a booster while at Michigan.) But, still, you have to have some respect for a guy who parlays his NBA millions into an impressive and widely-circulated African-American history collection (probably the coolest basketball-related public project this side of fellow Warrior alum Adonal Foyle's campaign finance reform group.)

The light at the end of the tunnel? Rumor has it that longtime Pacers official Donnie Walsh is set to sign a three-year deal to become Knicks prez, meaning the dreadful Isiah Era is at long last ending here in New York. (Of course, we're still still stuck with terrible Knick owner Jim Dolan, but baby steps, I guess.) To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Walsh or the current state of the Pacers franchise (for which Larry Bird and the Artest melee also share part of the blame), but at this point it's safe to say Walsh will be greeted as a liberator around these parts. Update: Wrong answer, Dolan.

It's that time of year again: The madness has come upon us. Between the primary and real life issues (namely, working on the dissertation and looking for writerly employ for this summer and beyond), I haven't been paying near enough attention this season. But, that's usually when my bracket does best...

In the NYT, former Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy explains how to shut down the NBA's top players, with the aid of some nifty graphics. (Via Yglesias.)

By way of my sis-in-law Lotta, here's a funky animated gif: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton play the oldest game of all. (The text is early on from Neil Gaiman's Sandman, when Morpheus descends into Hell to retrieve his helmet and is challenged to a contest of wits to reclaim his prize, at the risk of unending torment.)

Strangely enough, just as she sent me this, I'd just grabbed an animated gif of a different game, which -- at least imho -- also has some metaphorical resonance for the primary season. (For those who don't follow basketball, that's virtually an automatic basket by 7'5" Yao Ming getting stuffed out of nowhere by 5'7" Knick Nate Robinson...Notice also (in the Youtube) how Yao tries to play the victim card after ignominious defeat...)

"What I got from talking to him is that he is a real sports fan and he knew about the Blazers. He said that when I come back Brandon, LaMarcus and I will be a force next year. He also asked me about my knee, and he said he wasn't feeling my mohawk." By way of TNR, Sen. Obama picks up the key endorsement of (much-touted) Blazer rookie Greg Oden.

Senators Obama and Clinton aren't the only people sending reinforcements to Ohio. At the trade deadline, Lebron James gets some much-needed help in Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, and Delonte West, giving up Drew Gooden and the underperforming Larry Hughes to Chicago and Donyell Marshall to Seattle. Elsewhere in the league, Bonzi Wells and Mike James went to N'Orleans, and former Knick Kurt Thomas ended up in San Antonio (which will help take the sting out of the Spurs winning another championship, if that's in the cards, around these parts.)

Speaking of the 16-38 Knicks, they...stood pat. I must say, it's been a tough season to be a Knicks fan. My TiVo conscientiously tapes all of their losses for me, so I caught the second half of Wednesday's 40-point stinker against the lowly Sixers, 124-84. Look away! It is hideous.

As the rumored Kidd-to-Dallas deal looks to enter its death throes (partly due to what might've been an illegal arrangement involving Stackhouse), the Sacramento Kings say goodbye to the final remaining piece of their memorable squad of early-00's contenders (Vlade, Webber, Peja, Bibby, Christie, Turkoglu) by sending Mike Bibby to Atlanta for Shelden Williams and a bunch of expiring contracts. I always kinda hoped that Kings team would won a title...(and I'm with Ralph Nader: preferably one of Kobe's.) Update: A revised Kidd to Dallas deal goes through.

"I don't like what the Republicans have done to our country." Obama supporter, former Republican, and 2014 Alabama gubernatorial candidate Charles Barkley is mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. "Every time I hear the word 'conservative' it make me sick to my stomach, cause they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are...They want to be judge and jury...These Christians are not supposed to judge other people, but they're the most hypocritical judges of people we have in this country. And It bugs the hell out of me. They act like they're Christians and they're not forgiving at all."

Another blockbuster NBA trade: Jason Kidd is set to go to the Mavericks for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, and a gaggle of expiring contracts. I don't ever want to count out the Spurs, but that should make a 7-game Phoenix-Dallas series in the West very interesting. Update: Wait a tic: Journeyman Devean George puts a damper on the trade.

"'I'm a historian of the game, so I understand that on this team I'm probably a big role player, and I have no problem with that...Kareem was fortunate enough to have those style of players around him toward the end of his career, and I sort of feel like him now,' O'Neal said. 'I'm no idiot. I'm not going to come in here trying to take over and take 30 shots. I'm going to fit in very nicely -- rebound, outlet to Steve, get some easy buckets, play some defense. That's all we need to do." Whether or not the Shaq experiment works out in Phoenix, the Big Fella seems to be saying the right things.

"'It looks like it's going to happen,' said one source close to the situation. 'We should know for sure by [Wednesday]." Is Shaq headed to the Phoenix Suns? Strange...and unexpected. Granted, Shawn Marion has been pushing for a trade, but -- in the manner of all great centers -- Shaq's aging in dog years at the moment, and he's not exactly what you'd call a master of the fast break. I guess Phoenix wants to get a ring before they become one of those classic contenders that never made it, a la the old-school Trailblazers or the Vlade-Bibby-Webber Sacramento Kings. Still, it wouldn't seem to make much sense on paper. Update: It's done -- Shaq's in Phoenix.

In easily one of the most exciting Superbowls in recent memory, Eli Manning and the NY Giants score an upset 17-14 victory over the seemingly inevitable New England Patriots. (The big losers? NE's offensive line and pass protection, which looked terrible last night.) Inasmuch as I'm an NFL fan, I root for the Jets. Still, I'm all for a good game, and backing the NY-area underdog against the (increasingly suspect) Patriot machine was an easy call. Besides between the Sox last year and arguably the Celts this summer, a perfect Patriot season would've made Hub-area fans totally insufferable. So, congrats to the Giants, and let's hope Sen. Obama benefits from a similar kind of underdog magic tomorrow...

In a potentially big NBA trade, the Lakers acquire Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton, and two first-round picks. Pau-for-Kwame, the chronic underachiever? That's a terrible trade for Memphis. Is Jerry West pulling a Kevin McHale here and helping out the old team?

"Cheering and screaming! Every Sunday I would cheer and scream for what?! How can they do this! 13-3 and home field advantage and they lost to the f**king New York Giants!...ELI SUCKS!" How did William Shirer miss this? As seen at TNR: From deep within his bunker, Adolf Hitler laments the Dallas Cowboys' season. Perhaps in poor taste, as jokes making light of the Nazis often are, but still, I found this pretty doggone funny. (And it brought back fond memories of Mr. Bimmler.)

"Isiah's rhetoric has always been persuasive. He's been dealt a bad hand. He had to make extreme moves. Every trade he's made, the Knicks have come out ahead on talent. No one, he implies, could've done any more. But to get a handle on what Isiah's done as a GM, I've evaluated every major move he's made during his tenure, from trades to free-agent signings to draft picks to coaching hires. The record seems to be seriously at odds with Isiah's claims." In a two-part series, ESPN's Chad Ford surveys the colossal wreckage made of the New York Knickerbockers, and suggests the way to start digging out.

"'Everyone involved in baseball over the past two decades -- commissioners, club officials, the players' association and players -- shares to some extent the responsibility for the steroids era,' Mitchell said in summation of his 20-month investigation. 'There was a collective failure to recognize the problem as it emerged and to deal with it early on.'" Former Senator (and go-to commission guy) George Mitchell's report on Steroids in Baseball is released. And, while outing a number of star players as users (including Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Eric Gagne, David Justice, John Rocker, Gary Sheffield, and Mo Vaughn), Mitchell instead argues for change and collective responsibility rather than the initiation of a witchhunt. It does seem obvious, based on the list of names, that steroids were rife throughout the sport and can't be limited to any one clubhouse (although there sure are a lot of Yankees named, aren't there?) Well, here's hoping they find a way to clean it all up. For my part, and as I've said several times now, major league baseball ranks somewhere down near hockey and golf in the list of sports I enjoy watching and following. Give me the NBA, or even the MLS, any day of the week (and the NFL twice on Sunday.)

"'Embarrassing,' Zach Randolph said...'I don't know what else to say.'" Sadly, the Knickerbocker meltdown continues. In an nationally-televised game on TNT, the Knicks get blown out in Boston, 104-59, "their third-worst loss and their second-worst scoring performance of the shot-clock era." (The only reason it wasn't the worst-ever was because Nate Robinson hit a 37-foot three-pointer at the final buzzer.) "In an incredible display of surrender, with 8:09 left and the Celtics mounting a 50-point lead on Eddie House's jumper, a Knicks fan sitting behind the basket ripped off his blue Knicks jersey, threw it onto the court in a rage and marched up the stairs and out of the building as Celtics fans applauded." I saw that guy (yes, I was watching this fiasco rather than the Cowboys-Packers game), and knew exactly how he felt. Really, how much worse does it need to get? Look at the picture above -- It's only the second quarter, and nobody's listening to Isiah. Fire him already.

"'Isiah has to start me,' Marbury fumed, according to the source. 'I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know.'" (Some choice suggestions on what Starbury knows in the comment thread here: I like "It was Isiah's call to cancel Arrested Development" and "Isiah does not care about black people.") Yep, the once-promising 2007-2008 Knickerbockers imploded early this year, with our overpaid, underachieving, untradeable "star" point guard Stephon Marbury leaving the team in a huff over coming off the bench -- at the start of a tough four game road trip -- and now threatening to expose Isiah Thomas's dirty laundry (as if we didn't get enough of that with this past summer's sexual harrassment case.) How will the saga of the Traveling Marbury pan out? Will Stephon be handled with care or sent to the end of the line? Either way, I expect the Knicks to stay moribund so long as this PG, this GM, and this owner are running the show at the Garden. (NY Daily News and Deadspin links sent to me via Ben of The Oak, who also birddogged a great find last week with these graphical representations of hip-hop.) Update: The prodigal Knick returns to a loss in LA, but something's still rotten at MSG.

"'Whether it's fair or not fair, the fact of the matter is that my colleague from New York, Senator Clinton, there are 50 percent of the American public that say they're not going to vote for her. I'm not saying anything that people don't know already. I don't necessarily like it, but those are the facts,' Dodd said." Edwards, Obama, and Dodd (finally) release the hounds at last night's Democratic debate in Philadelphia. Said Edwards: "I mean, another perspective on why the Republicans keep talking about Senator Clinton is, Senator, they may actually want to run against you, and that's the reason they keep bringing you up." (Update: Edwards' Youtube team pounces on the politics of parsing.)To be honest, I DVR'ed the debate and haven't watched it yet, partly because I'm rather dispirited about the whole process (among other things) these days, and partly because the NBA's opening-night double-header was on TNT...which means, if nothing else, there should be something on TV most nights from now until June. (The Knicks start Friday.)

I've been derelict in posting here the past week, but obviously there've been some pretty dismal stories in the news of late, from the fiery swath of destruction visited upon California to the horrifying house fire that claimed seven South Carolinians. To those who've lost friends or family (or homes) in the recent conflagrations, my heart goes out to you. (And one bright spot amid the tales of woe, congrats to the 2007 BoSox for their second World Series sweep this decade. The Curse is now assuredly laid to rest.)

"I've seen the Garden in some of its best moments, and I truly believe that this team is on the verge of experiencing that again." Allen Houston returns to the New York Knicks, two years after retiring with a bad knee. Well, ok. Houston was always pretty one-dimensional as a player -- he's a shooter, and not much else (I'd rather have Sprewell back, to be honest.) But when he's on, he's on, and the (2-0!) Knicks will need someone to spread the floor from outside in any case, with both Curry and Randolph clogging up the paint. Houston's no silver bullet for this squad, and he might not make the roster anyway, but let's hope it works out. "'If he's the Allan Houston we know, we haven't seen him in a while, but if he's that good a player, we want good players,' said Thomas." Update: Scratch that...aborted at the launchpad. "With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me." Sigh...not what you'd call a feel-good story.

"'What I did here, I did for every working woman in America,' said Browne Sanders, who came out of the courtroom beaming. 'And that includes everyone who gets up and goes to work in the morning.." The NBA's nightmare off-season continues with (just as during the regular season) a loss for the Knicks: A jury finds MSG, owner James Dolan, and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas guilty of sexual harassment and liable for $11.6 million in damages. The occasional Post headline screaming at me from the local deli notwithstanding, I haven't been following all the twists and turns of this ugly case, other than that I heard Stephon Marbury somehow got caught up in it too for having consensual sex with a Garden employee. Regardless, this is a total embarrassment for the NBA and for New York basketball, and one hopes Commissioner Stern will crack down hard on Dolan & co. if MSG doesn't clean house, and soon.

In a 4-0 rout, Brazil knocks the US out of the Women's World Cup in the semifinals. Arg, that's too bad. Despite the time zone issues, I caught several of the round 1 games (including US-Sweden and US-Nigeria, as well as a few random match-ups like Canada-Ghana and Denmark-NZ) and thought we looked pretty solid, give or take an occasionally lackluster offense. But it sounds like we ran into a brick wall here. At any rate, Brazil will face Germany, who beat Norway 3-0 on Wednesday in the Finals.

Speaking of the death penalty, it's a good thing David Stern wasn't prosecuting this case...Crooked NBA ref Tim Donaghy pleads guilty to two felony charges, and now faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. "Donaghy provided recommendations, called 'picks,' to co-conspirators about what team they should bet on, said U.S. District Court Judge Carol Bagley Amon. If he was correct, they paid him. The picks included information about games that Donaghy officiated, the government said." But did he actually fix those games? That's still an open question...

It's official: Notorious slugger and obvious juicer Barry Bonds passes Hammerin' Hank Aaron as the all-time home run leader. Ho-hum. To be honest, I still haven't figured out how I come down on the Bonds steroid thing (partly because I am at best only a casual fan of baseball, and thus don't really care all that much. As I said here, I'd rather watch basketball, soccer, or football on any given night than I would MLB, even before the league gave us Dubya. Take that, George Will.) But, regarding Bonds: On one hand, he seems like a jerk, and it's painfully obvious he's a user. On the other, the Baseball Hall of Fame is filled with unlikable people, many people in pro baseball are clearly using, a case could be made against other kinds of enhancements (contacts, for example), and I highly doubt I could hit 756 home runs even if I were ingesting three times the steroids Bonds did. So, it's a wash.

For MLS, it's Enter Beckham, Exit Freddy Adu. The young soccer phenom, who signed with MLS in 2003, has decided to play for the Portuguese club Benfica. "'Freddy, when we signed him, was one of most talented young players in the world. I think, today, he still is one of most young talented players in the world,' [Deputy MLS Commissioner] Gazidis said. 'What we've struggled with is the expectations, not that we've placed on him, but that the media has placed on him.'"

Lone Timberwolf Kevin Garnett to end up in Boston? (Marc Stein explains the math.) An Allen-Garnett-Pierce starting trifecta for the Celtics might just make Boston the team to beat in the East...for about a season and half. But, I guess the thinking is they weren't going anywhere anyway, so why not roll the dice on an all-or-nothing championship bid, while the Atlantic remains definitively dismal? Still, it reminds me of the ultimately failed Barkley-Olajuwon-Drexler experiment in Houston. Update: Sportsguy loves the deal, and also cites the Houston precedent. Update 2: It is accomplished -- KG is now the Beast of the East. (Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph better up their D...)

So, as you may have heard this past week, and as you may long have expected if you're a fellow pro basketball fan, it turns out several NBA games might well have been fixed by a crooked, desperate ref with mob connections, one Tim Donaghy. I run hot and cold on ESPN Sportsguy Bill Simmons, but his take on this growing scandal thus far is pretty solid: "When news of the scandal broke on Friday...every diehard NBA fan had the same reaction. They weren't thinking, 'I can't believe it!' or 'Oh my God, how could this happen?' They were thinking, 'Which one was it?'" (Yeah, I did that.) Also, consider this: "Tim Donaghy didn't just violate the integrity of the league and rig some games. There's a good chance he altered the course of the 2007 championship." Sigh...this is not good. Update: Commissioner Stern weighs in.

Also concerning the NBA (and along the lines of this post last year), friend and colleague Ben of The Oak sent along this noteworthy article on which basketball players are contributing to what 2008 candidates. Supporting fan of the game Barack Obama: NY Knick Stephon Marbury, Shane Battier, Billy King, and Baron Davis. For Edwards (in the past): Charles Barkley, Mike D'Antoni, and Travis Best. For Clinton: many NBA owners, including Paul Allen and the Maloofs. For Mitt Romney: Celtic exec Danny Ainge. For the Dems in general: The Commish, David Stern.

As expected, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant went 1 and 2 respectively at last night's 2007 NBA Draft. Bigger news on the local scene, however, was the Knicks acquiring Portland's talented, troubled PF Zach Randolph in exchange for sophomore SF Channing Frye (a good player, but he slumped considerably last year) and veteran "superstar" PG Steve Francis (a wildly overpaid underachiever with an awful, bloated contract -- I can't believe Portland took him, frankly.) All in all, I'm pretty happy with this trade. Randolph's clearly a bit of a loon, and a cluttered Randolph-Curry frontcourt makes about as much sense as the Marbury-Francis backcourt -- it's a fantasy team line-up with no sense for team chemistry. How are Marbury, Crawford, or Robinson going to drive into the paint with both Curry and Randolph drawing double-teams in the low post, and no real shooters to spread the floor? Still, losing Francis was addition by subtraction, and, while's Randolph's contract is also pretty hefty ($61 million over 4 years) at the very least, Randolph is still young. (The move was definitely better than the Celtics' obvious panic-trade for Ray Allen. I love Jesus Shuttlesworth, but shooting guards over 30 -- particularly those who just had two ankle surgeries -- age in dog years, and he, like Pierce, has a tendency to disappear sometimes.)

So, the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 83-82 to take their fourth NBA title since 1999 (and their third in five years.) Ho-hum. Not to take anything away from the Spurs: San Antonio was clearly the better team in this series and Cleveland, even with LeBron starting to coming into his own, was hopelessly outmatched. But, while I'm loath to agree with ESPN's Sportsguy too often, he's right this time -- these Finals were a total dud. Bring on next season already.

Spurred by Kobe Bryant's recent on-again, off-again trade demands (predicted by Ray Allen several years early), Knicks GM and coach Isaiah Thomas starts dreaming of a major shake-up in the Knickerbocker lineup. Oof, I really hope Bryant doesn't end up in New York (not that it's very likely anyway.) Despite his immense talent, he is easily my least favorite player in the league, and I'd have a hard time rooting for my Knicks with him jacking up shots all the time for the orange-and-blue.

"Before Rickey Green, a former NBA all-star, played with Mr. Obama in a 2004 Senate campaign fund-raiser, 'I didn't think he could play at all, to be honest with you,' Mr. Green said. But 'he's above average,' for a pickup player, Mr. Green said. 'He's got a nice little left-hand shot and some knowledge of the game.'" Baracksketball? A NYT piece from last week examines Barack Obama's fondness for the court. "Mr. Obama is left-handed, and his signature move is to fake right and veer left, surprising players used to guarding right-handed competitors." Hey, that's my move!

At any rate, my own appreciation for basketball-playing progressive presidential candidates is well-documented. In fact, this reminded me of a similar discussion about Al Gore on Meet the Press in 1999: "'What left Gore's hands and arrived at the basket was quite often, well, a brick, clanging off the rim or ricocheting off the backboard with regularity.' Jim Hudson, a high school teammate, adds, 'He tended to like the limelight. If he passed it to him to try and get something going, to get a better shot inside, Al would simply go ahead and shoot. When the ball got to him, that's as far as it got.'" Global warming or no, would you really want a chucker in the White House in 2008?

"That is asinine. It's no way to run a sport." Salon's King Kaufman (among others) has some harsh words for David Stern and the NBA concerning the recent 1-game suspensions meted out against Phoenix as a result of Robert Horry's body-check of Steve Nash. I'm inclined to agree. Why is San Antonio being rewarded for Horry's cheap shot? And, let's not forget, the same thing happened to the Knicks ten years ago when PJ Brown started a fight with Charlie Ward in the 1997 playoffs, and it was idiotic back then too. Will the league never learn?

Well, my two Finals contenders are still alive...still, the 2007 NBA post-season is proving once again that I know very little about basketball. I can't say I predicted the ugly Miami implosion, the Mavericks' brutal collapse or yet another first-round falloff for T-Mac and the Rockets. (Then again, not many did. I also wrongly had Toronto over NJ too, but, as I said, that was more due to wanting to see VC get his karmic just-desserts than any basketball sense. Ah well.) At any rate, here's hoping Phoenix and Golden State can keep moving forward in the West. Sorry to the Utah fans out there, but a Jazz-Spurs Western Conference Final really sounds too boring to contemplate, and either of them up against almost-assured Eastern winner Detroit doesn't sound all that relishable to me either (even if it would be nice, a la 'Zo and Payton last year, to see C-Webb get a ring.)

Back as of Monday from the Dominican Republic, where I enjoyed a crew reunion weekend in lovely Cabarete, a friendly backpacker-going-on-tourist town rife with European ex-pats and kitesurfing experts. With the local reputation in mind, we spent much of the weekend taking kitesurf lessons at Extreme Cabarete (kitesurfing, skate park...that's extreme in the Harold & Kumar sense), enjoying sun, surf, food, drink, and the rather underwhelming De La Hoya-Mayerweather fight at the many restaurants and nightclubs along the beach, taking in more of the local flavor in neighboring Sosua, and staying up into the wee hours at our hotel, the (highly-recommended) Cabarete East, indulging in marathon sessions of competitive backgammon. (Yep, that's how we roll.) All in all, a very fun trip...although unfortunately a sore throat I brought with me to the island on Thursday had metamorphosed into a full-blown virulent cold by Sunday, and I've been waylaid in bed the past few days trying to recuperate. I must say, it's more fun to feel sick under the Caribbean sun.

Our world has revolved around the sun once more, and just like that, it's time for the NBA playoffs again. As befitting tradition, here's the pretty much always patently useless GitM breakdown:

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Orlando Magic (8): I had Detroit winning it all last year, and I still think when they firing on all cylinders the Pistons are far and away the best team in the East, particularly now with CWebb joining Antonio McDyess as another quality back-up in the paint. They may not have stars along the lines of Shaq and D-Wade (which, sadly, means less love at the free-throw line), but they've got post-up people, they've got outside range, they've got tenacious defenders and they've got savvy veterans. Orlando, meanwhile, has Dwight Howard (young and untested), Grant Hill (aka, sadly, Mr. Glass), and Darko Milicic (who couldn't even break into the Piston's rotation back in the day.) Not much of a match-up here. Detroit has had a tendency to coast until fourth quarters this year, so I'll give Orlando a game. But that's it. Pistons in Five.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) v. Washington Wizards (7): Alas, the Wizards -- a fun team to watch with a talented and likable superstar in Gilbert Arenas -- are Dead Men Walking. With both Arenas and Caron Butler injured at the moment, Washington just doesn't have the firepower to hang with the Court of King James. As such, this series, which might've been a good test to see if LeBron can shake off his regular-season doldrums, will instead be a walk. If the Cavs are too, um, cavalier, DC might take a game. But I seriously doubt it. Cleveland in Four.

Toronto Raptors (3) v. New Jersey Nets (6): Now, this one's a little tougher. My gut tells me that New Jersey has the veteran experience to win this round against the young, up-and-down, better-ranked Raptors. But, however much I like Jason Kidd, I just can't bring myself to pick Vince "I phone it in" Carter over Toronto, the team he screwed over back in the day. So here's hoping Chris Bosh throws a coming-out party. Toronto in Seven

Miami Heat (4) v. Chicago Bulls (5): Until last night, I might've picked the Bulls to take this, just because Scott Skiles is a take-no-prisoners-coach and the returning champions have looked suspect this entire season, particularly now that Dwyane Wade has a busted shoulder. If former Piston Ben Wallace could keep an aging Shaq even slightly in check, one would think the young, hungry Bulls -- Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich -- might light up this series. But then I saw a flat Chicago team lose the second seed in a must-win game last night against New Jersey, and my opinion changed. In short, the Bulls are basically just a jump-shooting team with no real inside game to speak of. Jump-shooting teams can get hot and win a game or two, but they don't win championships, or even first rounds. (Funny enough, the Bulls could really use Eddy Curry these days, whom they gave to the Knicks for, in essence, several quality draft picks -- But Chicago might still get the last laugh if they pick up Greg Oden or Kevin Durant this summer with our pick. Stay tuned.) Miami in Six.

Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Golden State Warriors (8): With all due respect to Sam Cassell, who's a seriously clutch guy I've always rooted for (well, except in the Knicks-Rockets series back in '94), I'm glad Golden State ended up taking the eight-seed last night over the LA Clippers. With a big, talented backcourt in Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, and with former Mav coach Don Nelson manning the sidelines, the Warriors have a slight chance to make the first round in the West really interesting. Emphasis on slight. From Avery Johnson to Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas is one of my least favorite teams in the league (although, as a digression, I do kinda like Mark Cuban -- he's a good blogger, he's smart and passionate about the game, and, notwithstanding throwing money into the political process and behind social causes, which I'd like to think I'd do more of, he's doing what I'd be doing if I were uber-mega-rich.) That being said, Dallas has too many guns, and is too peeved from last year's loss in the Finals. Dallas in Six.



Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Lakers (7): A rematch of last year's 7-game series (where, it should be recalled, Kobe stopped taking shots in the second half of Game 7 as some strange form of protest.) That is, except this year Phoenix, with Amare Stoudamire and former Knick Kurt Thomas back at full health, is better, and Los Angeles, with Lamar Odom ailing, is worse. My inordinate dislike of Kobe is a matter of record around these parts, so I'll waste no more time presuming to be impartial here. Suffice to say, Phoenix in Five.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Denver Nuggets (6): What with the ignominious circumstances surrounding his trade to Denver Allan Iverson has had a rotten year. And, I'd like nothing more than to see he, Melo, Nene, Marcus Camby, and K-Mart take the boring San Antonio Spurs to school this year. (Although, give 'em credit, it was interesting to see Tim Duncan's inveterate whining finally send Joey Crawford over the border to Crazytown -- What, you mean NBA refs carry grudges against certain players? Who knew?) But, it's not going to happen, particularly with coach George Karl -- playoff choker par excellence -- still at the helm of the Nugs. I'll be rooting for Denver, but San Antonio in Five



Utah Jazz (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): Riding Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and a recently flailing Andrei Kirilenko, the Utah Jazz have overperformed all year. Struggling with injuries at various times to both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets have underperformed. In this series, I expect Houston to even the score. Van Gundy's a great coach, T-Mac is hungry, Yao is due, Houston in Six.

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Miami Heat (4): With Wade hurt and Shaq still dominant but aging in dog years (as all centers ultimately do), I'd be surprised if Miami has the wherewithal to beat the Pistons two years in a row. One hates to bet against the returning champions, but they've been too erratic all year, I think, to get past Detroit, who should be looking to rectify for last season. And, without Riley on the bench, Detroit in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) v. Toronto Raptors (3): Ideally, Chris Bosh would give LeBron James a run for his money here in the second round, and solidify his burgeoning superstar status for the 2007-08 season. But, even with a slightly suspect supporting cast (Eric Snow?), I expect LeBron will begin to taste the NBA Finals right around now, and show us an upside that's been AWOL for months. Cleveland in Five.

Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Houston Rockets (5): Dallas has been the best team in the league all year, and Nowitzki is a player who not only can get red-hot, but knows how to get his calls when he doesn't. I'd love to see Houston take this series, but I gotta say Dallas in Six.

Phoenix Suns (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): This will be the first really marquee match-up of the playoffs, and I'd argue the Suns are still rising. Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker will no doubt make it interesting, but Phoenix ultimately puts too many points on the board. Phoenix in Seven.

EAST FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (2): It makes historic sense -- LeBron has to get past the Bad Boys of Detroit, just as Jordan did back in 1991, to get to the NBA Finals. It won't happen this year, though:The Pistons are too deep and too experienced. Detroit in Six.

WEST FINALS: Dallas Mavericks (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): The two teams that gave us arguably the best game of the season will also end up choosing between themselves the 2007 champion. Dallas is probably a safer pick, since they've got a better half-court game than the run-and-gun Suns. But, I'm going Phoenix...I like 'em more as a team, and when they're in the groove they can't be stopped.

FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): Detroit is a better defensive team, and defense wins championships. But, with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire, and Shawn Marion, I'd guess Phoenix has more game-breaking X-factors than do Detroit, and, as noted before, the Pistons have looked sluggish to me this year. So, here's guessing Nash gets a ring to help quell the naysayers about his two-time MVP status. Phoenix in Seven.

Looks good on paper, but that's why the play the games. Let's play ball.

Well, it was another lousy season...as has been the case since, oh, about 2000 now. In the end, this year's 33-49 Knicks only garnered ten more wins than last year's dismal Larry Brown experiment. And, worse, they never lived up to the glimmers of promise at the midterm, going 4-15 after Dolan's woeful decision to extend Isaiah's contract for two years. True, much of that freefall can be attributed to injuries -- Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and David Lee all went down for a stretch there. And, I will concede, this team does play hard for Isaiah, as they never did for Larry Brown. But, even before the IR filled up, the Knicks were terrible on the defensive end. I can't tell you how many games I watched this year where New York would be down by double digits in the first half thanks to lackadaisical D, make a gritty run in the fourth, and lose by a bucket. (And, for all of Eddy Curry's improvement this year, the big fella still hasn't learned to box out.) As opposed to last year's obvious failure, I guess you could say these Knicks were comfortably mediocre. But, frankly, that's not good enough. If we're ever going to be a playoff contender again, we need to play both ends of the floor. And I'm not sure I see that happening with these players...or this coach.

But, this being sports, hope springs eternal. So...any of y'all other teams want to give up a solid defender for Steve Francis's contract? Anyone? Anyone? We'll throw in Jerome James while we're at it...

Congrats to Florida on their 84-75 victory over Ohio State last night, and their second NCAA championship in as many years. Not much of a surprise, really. Greg Oden had a better game than usual last night, but frankly, Ohio State has looked sorta suspect all tourney. At any rate, see you in the Big Leagues, Oden.

It wasn't looking so hot anyway -- still, Georgetown's 96-84 overtime victory over UNC put the final nail in my 2007 bracket...I had Ohio State and Florida in the Final Four (along with Kansas -- yes, all #1's, I know), but UNC holding the trophy at the end. Ah well, perhaps next year. (And, in the meantime, I shouldn't have a problem rooting for Baby Patrick.)

Yes, it's that time of year again: The Madness has come upon us, and, as per our yearly tradition, I've caught up with college friends for our annual reunion over the first weekend of the tourney. (I'm in San Diego at the moment, heading for Santa Barbara tomorrow.) So, updates around here may be infrequent over the weekend...if so, enjoy the first two rounds and be sure to knock back a pint for St. Paddy's.

At the halfway point and in their first-game after the All-Star Break, the Knicks knocked out their 24th win of the season against Orlando last night, 100-94, thus eclipsing last year's woeful 23-59 full-season record under Larry Brown. I haven't been posting about them much, but thanks to the magic of TiVo I've watched a lot of games this year, and there are definitely causes for hope among the Knicks nation, even if there's not much chance of a serious playoff run, or even a playoff spot, this year. No, I haven't climbed aboard the Isaiah bandwagon, and I think we'd be better if he was gone from the Garden next year. But, in the emergence of Eddy Curry as a semi-consistent offensive force in the post, and the solid play of the second-years -- most notably rookie/sophomore game MVP David Lee, who leads the league in shooting percentage and is a prime candidate for six-man of the year, the Knicks have a foundation to build on for the first time in a good long while. Let's just hope Isaiah doesn't make any more panic trades that lock us in with overpriced underperformers -- see Steve Francis, Jerome James, Jalen Rose, Penny Hardaway, Antonio McDyess, Vin Baker, Glenn Rice, Luc Longley, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley, all since Patrick left in 2000 -- for the next 4-6 years.

Lackluster game (the exciting first quarter turnover-fest notwithstanding), lackluster ads (mostly retrograde frat humor and talking animals -- bring on the Sonic guys and the Geico cavemen.) Still, the Indianapolis Colts won the Superbowl 29-17 last night. (Then again, if all the victory speeches are correct, Indianapolis was pretty much a lock anyway, having God on their side and all. Before invoking any Higher Authority, I myself might pin the victory on the choke-artist deluxe performance of Chicago Bears' QB Rex Grossman.)

"'The main thing for me is to improve the soccer, to improve the standard, and to be part of history really because I think soccer can be a lot bigger in the U.S.,' the 31-year-old former England captain said Friday morning on ABC's 'Good Morning America.'" I think so too, but is overpaying Becks really the answer? Soccer superstar David Beckham signs with the Los Angeles Galaxy for a cool $250 million.

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward." Perhaps it was the beneficiary of low expectations...Still, Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa, however fundamentally formulaic at its core, proved a much more satisfying moviegoing experience than the first half of Monday's double-feature, The Good Shepherd. I've never been much more than a casual Rocky fan: I was way too young to appreciate the first two, more nuanced movies when they came out, and have clearer childhood memories of Balboa trouncing cartoon boxing villains Clubber Lang (III) and Ivan Drago (IV) than I do of him going the distance against Apollo Creed. (Still, even when I was eleven, the Italian Stallion singlehandedly winning the Cold War in Rocky IV seemed cheesy, and Rocky V is, of course, best forgotten.) Nevertheless, more a character study than an 80's-style action flick, Rocky Balboa is -- thankfully -- a throwback to the early days of Philly's finest, when the big lug spent more time just wooing the nerdy-cute gal at the pet store than he did wrestling Hulk Hogan and sorting out geopolitical wrongs. Here, we're more often than not simply following a lion in -- if not winter, than in really late fall -- going about his day in the city he loves and searching for one more shining, meaningful moment before twilight beckons. And, I'm forced to admit: By the time Rocky gets his one last shot -- the big bout that takes up the final third of the film -- it would take a harder heart than mine not to be swept up somewhat by the ride.

As Rocky Balboa begins, we discover that the Italian Stallion has not only lost most of his money from previous films (Sorry, sports fans, Paulie's ridiculous robot is seemingly no more) but also his heart and soul, Adrian, who has succumbed to cancer. Clearly still very aggrieved, Rocky spends his days wandering around he and Adrian's old haunts with the still-vexatious Paulie (Burt Young), trying to establish a connection with his mildly prodigal son (Milo Ventimiglia, a.k.a. Heroes' Peter Petrelli), and recounting old war stories to bored patrons at his restaurant. Then, one day after reconnecting with Little Marie (Geraldine Hughes) from the first film (Spider Rico is kicking around too), Rocky gets a hankering to deal with his ghosts by fighting again. "Sometimes I feel like there's this beast inside me," he tells Paulie in one of the film's more affecting monologues. "I've got stuff in the basement." And, as it turns out, the money-hungry managers of the current champ -- Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) -- are looking to improve their client's public profile by setting up a friendly "sparring" exhibition with a still-popular has-been...

You can guess the rest (except perhaps the ending, which I won't give away here.) So, yes, the film is both predictable and wildly improbable, but somehow, it kinda works. Perhaps it's because Stallone here seems to emphasize Rocky, aged and bloody but still unbowed, as an exemplar of the Philadelphia spirit, an historic American city that's taken its share of knocks in recent decades -- from deindustrialization to those woeful sports teams -- but still keeps on keepin' on. Or perhaps it's because Sly, looking more beaten-up, bloated, and wounded than we're ever accustomed to seeing him, brings a measure of pathos to his tale of one last hurrah just by showing up. Rocky Balboa isn't one for the ages or anything, but it is very good for what it is -- a schmaltzy but well-written and enjoyable piece of uplift and a worthy last outing for one of cinema's most popular and enduring pugilists. In a surprise upset, the sixth and final round goes to Stallone.

As you probably heard, a recent Knicks-Nuggets game turned into a melee, with ten ejections, seven suspensions (including, most notably, Denver's Carmelo Anthony for 15 games -- the Knicks only lost their scrubs, with the possible exception of instigator Nate Robinson for ten), and another cloud of controversy surrounding coach Isaiah Thomas. (Please, fire him already.) To be honest, I have yet to see a quality video of the fracas, but it sounds like yet another embarrassment for my lowly Knickerbockers, who've been in freefall for years now, ever since Ewing and Van Gundy left town. In happier news for the other team involved, the Denver Nuggets trade for Allan Iverson, giving up Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-rounders in the process. Great trade for Denver -- they're an injury prone team, but with the Answer, 'Melo, K-Mart, Camby, and Nene, they have to be considered a serious finals contender, even with notorious choker George Karl at the helm.

"To put it simply, create an account, join a league, draft a team of real U.S. Members of Congress and have fun as you compete to score as many points as possible. As the Members of Congress you drafted put real legislation through the lawmaking process they will score points for your team." Fantasy Congress (by way of Triptych Cryptic.) I've shied away from Fantasy Basketball, just because [a] I see it becoming all-consuming and [b] I figure I'll end up rooting for players to put up great numbers rather than for actual teams to win...but this might be fun.

Up 19 with 9 minutes to go against a Memphis team playing without Pau Gasol, the Knicks needed all of three overtimes last night to eke out a win 118-117. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2006-2007 New York Knickerbockers. Ah well, at least we're over .500 for the first time since January 2005 (the Wilkins era), and we definitely would've lost this game last year. David Lee, Q-Rich, and even Eddy Curry looked good; Francis, Frye, and Crawford less so. Update: Sigh...Back to reality. That didn't last long.

With Larry sated and Rose wilted, I suppose the Knicks are as ready as they can be for the 2006-2007 NBA season, which starts tonight on TNT (although the Knicks don't play until Wednesday.) Hopefully, it won't get too ugly for New York too early. (Also, before embarking on basketball's future, a moment to honor its past: R.I.P. Red Auerbach 1917-2006.)

"Experts Warn: NBA Season May Begin Sometime In Next Three To Six Weeks." Yes, it's true. In fact, our first look at Isaiah's up-tempo tweaks to the Knicks will occur tonight, in a pre-season game against the aging New Jersey Nets. (Yes, I'll probably watch it, even though the Knickerbockers will no doubt once again be terrible all season. In fact, with that in mind, this may just be the year I finally break down and order the League Pass.)

"It's an exceptional show, and I'm not even sure 'exceptional' is a strong enough word." I've had considerable issues with Bill "Sports Guy" Simmons in the past, but, now that he's become a fellow Wire enthusiast (see the last few paragraphs), I'm inclined to feel more charitable towards him. "After plowing through the first 37 episodes of 'The Wire' in three weeks this summer, I agree with others who argue that it's the most important television show of all-time, surpassing even 'The Sopranos' because of its ambition and social relevance."

"On the court, Marbury has generally been the anti-Michael Jordan -- stuck with a reputation as a pouting, troublemaking nonwinner. Off the court, he wants to be the anti-Jordan, too." Slate's Daniel Gross takes a walk in Stephon Marbury's new $15 shoes.

Defensive-minded swingman Jared Jeffries is now a New York Knick, after the Wizards declined to match Isaiah's $30 million offer and picked up DeShawn Stevenson instead. Not exactly what you'd call a silver bullet (6.1 points, 4.8 boards), and we almost definitely overpaid...still, it'll be nice to have at least one player on the floor who plays D and doesn't require the ball all the time.

"The word conservative means discriminatory practically. It's a form of political discrimination. What do the Republicans run on? Against gay marriage and for a war that makes no sense. A war that was based on faulty intelligence. That's all they ever talk about. That and immigration. Another discriminatory argument for political gain." Basketball legend Charles Barkley sets the story straight about his political affiliation: "I was a Republican - until they lost their minds." (Via Now This.)

In soccer news, after an eight-year stint, Bruce Arena is out as coach of the national team. "Speculation will center on Jurgen Klinsmann, who coached the German national team to a third-place finish in this month's World Cup. Klinsmann, who lives in California with his family, stepped down from the German post earlier this week, saying he felt, 'burnt out.'" And, hey, Larry Brown is looking for work...

A belated congrats to Italy on winning the 2006 World Cup. I was rooting for France, and a PK shootout is a truly terrible way to choose the Cup champion, but -- after headbuttgate and the Baggio mishap in 1994 -- Italy seemed karmically due. At any rate, see y'all in 2010. And, now, alas, we've hit the sports dead zone until September...perhaps it's time to give MLS another go, what with Red Bull United now on the pitch... Update: Zidane speaks.

For any sports gambling aficionados (or stock market junkies) out there who happen to venture by the site, a very good friend of mine from college has just started MLBcharts.com (although he also covers the NBA, NHL, NCAA, and soccer therein.) Basically, he's been applying stock market valuation principles to sports gambling, with positive results (for him, anyway -- a few March Madness games notwithstanding, I've been watching his success from afar.) At any rate, go check it out!

"He has one year, one season to do that. At this time next year Isiah will be with us if we can all sit here and say that this team has made significant progress towards its goal of eventually becoming an NBA champion. If we can't say that, Isiah will not be here." More post-Larry fallout: The Knicks' freakshow owner, James Dolan, badmouths Brown and lays down the law with Isiah for next year.

At long last, it's official: After a nightmare 23-59 season and several weeks of "dead man walking," Hall of Famer Larry Brown has finally been fired from the Knicks. (In fact, the team isn't even planning to pay out his contract, although Brown may be able to pay the bills in Charlotte in short order.) Worse still, in his place the team's woefully inept owner, James Dolan, has -- Oh No! -- put the even more woefully inept GM, Isaiah Thomas, in charge of the bench. Ok, Larry clearly wasn't meshing with the ghastly hydra-headed line-up of shoot-first, one-dimensional, no-d-playing guards Thomas has constructed...still, I have to think we were probably a better team with him at the Garden. And with Isaiah in charge now, hoo boy. It's gonna get ugly at MSG next year.

Well, that's that, then. Ghana knocks the US out of the Cup with a 2-1 victory that may have hinged partly on a questionable PK. (Being in research mode, I didn't see the game -- Still, it seems like a lot of the games this Cup have swung on bad calls, and we needed a win, not a tie, regardless.) Oh well, there's always 2010, I guess. At any rate, congrats to Ghana on getting through, and here's hoping the Togo Sparrow Hawks can play spoiler to France tomorrow...

Ugh. And I thought Miami's performance last night was bad: America's hopes for this Cup pretty much wither away entirely after an egregious 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic this morning. The US now must beat -- or maybe tie -- Italy this Saturday to have any chance of moving on to the second round...It's not looking good.

As if the Dallas-Miami NBA Finals (ok, I was way off) weren't sports bliss enough 'round these parts, the 2006 World Cup has begun, with host Germany defeating Costa Rica 4-2 and Ecuador besting Poland 2-0 on Day 1. Alas, since I have to maximize my research time while I'm briefly back in the 202, and since the Manuscript Reading Room of the Library of Congress aggravatingly keeps bankers' hours (and charge $0.20 a photocopy, but that's a whole 'nother rant), it looks like I'll be missing much of the first round. But I promise to make it up on the back end.

"'We are engaged in a battle with people who hate our team and our way of playing basketball,' Thomas said in an interview Tuesday. 'We cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. You are either with the New York Knicks or you are against them.'" It is as we feared. As The Onion reports, Isaiah Thomas has no exit strategy for the New York Knickerbockers.

What can Brown do for you? If you're the Knicks, not much more, it appears. As the playoffs continue apace, owner Jim Dolan appears to be on the verge of firing Larry Brown (and thus eating his $40 million contract.) True, Larry hasn't worked out at all...but don't get too excited, fellow Knicks fans: Dolan is apparently thinking of replacing Brown with the fearsome vortex of egregious decision-making that is GM Isaiah Thomas.

"Rasheed Wallace is the GOB of the Pistons...When watching the Pistons, I keep expecting him to unleash an earth shattering 'COME ON!!' after a bad call, then, after the ensuing technical, go to the bench and tell Flip Saunders 'I've made a huge mistake.'" By way of a friend in the program, Rob Deer's Mustache compares the Detroit Pistons to the Arrested Development Bluths.

If it's late April, it must be time for the NBA playoffs. And, while the Knicks' sheer terribleness made it especially hard for me to evaluate the rest of the league this year (since all the halfway-decent teams generally just ran right over 'em), a tradition is a tradition. [2000|2001|2002|2003|2004|2005] So, without further ado:

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Milwaukee Bucks (8): Ok, they didn't crack 70 wins -- Still, with four All-Stars on hand (Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince), championship experience, the best team mentality in pro basketball right now, and an unsatisfied hunger after the Game 7 Finals loss last year, this Pistons squad has the look of a Team of Destiny. I actually watched Milwaukee completely dismantle the Knickerbockers from near-courtside at the Garden last Friday (Thanks, Gill and Ethan), and they definitely have some weapons -- Michael Redd from behind the arc, TJ Ford in the open floor. Still, they're overmatched against Detroit. Pistons in 4.

Miami Heat (2) v. Chicago Bulls (7): Scott Skiles seems to be a great coach, and Chicago is an exciting young team. Plus, they're bound to get even better next year, since (grumble, grumble) they're getting a Top-5 pick from the Knicks. But the Heat is home to two superheroes in Superman and Flash (who get along better these days than do Supes and Batman [via DYFL]), and Alonzo Mourning (albeit hurt) is no slouch either. Provided the Glove doesn't revert to his terrible-LA days, and 'Toine or White Chocolate don't shoot 'em out of it, the Heat should get through the first round with little trouble. Heat in Five.

New Jersey Nets (3) v. Indiana Pacers (6): I still haven't forgiven Vince Carter for his folding on Toronto a few years back -- Still with he and Richard Jefferson on the wings and the inimitable Jason Kidd manning the point, New Jersey look to be a frightening playoff team, and I doubt they'll have much trouble moving past Indiana, a squad who, post-Reggie and post-Artest, seems as if their time has passed. (That being said, I haven't seen all that much of the Peja Pacers.) Nets in Six.

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v. Washington Wizards (5): Will the District's ballers manage to topple King James,or will LeBron make the Wiz look like the Washington Generals? Gilbert Arenas' big-game tendencies notwithstanding, I tend to favor the Cavs here. LeBron has already shown he can pretty much do it all, at least during the regular season. And while he alone probably isn't enough (yet) to get this somewhat second-rate squad past the second round, I expect he should be able to carry Cleveland past the lowly Wiz. Cavs in 7.

San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Sacramento Kings (8): Like Indiana, their partner in the Peja-Artest trade, the Kings feel like a team whose time has come and gone. Sure, Mike Bibby is a playoff performer, but the Kings just don't have enough weapons to get past the returning champions, even with Duncan and Ginobli slightly gimpy these days. Spurs in Five.



Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Lakers (7): The fast-break-happy Phoenix Suns are easily the most watchable team in the NBA, but let's face it -- I'm really just looking forward to rooting against Kobe. Is there a pro athlete less likable this side of Barry Bonds? Particularly given that Phoenix tends not to play D (and are missing their strongest defender with Kurt Thomas out), Kobe will undoubtedly find a way --remorseless gunning, perhaps? -- to score his points. Still, I expect even the Amare-less Suns can carry the day against this iteration of the Lake Show. (Yes, LA beat Phoenix by 20 last week, but Steve Nash sat out that game.) Suns in Six.

Denver Nuggets (3) v. Los Angeles Clippers (6): Here's where the West gets screwy. Not only are the Clippers -- the Clips! -- actually in the NBA playoffs, but they also have home court over the higher-seeded Denver Nuggets. This one's really a toss-up. On one hand, Denver has proven playoff performers in K-Mart and Marcus Camby and the NBA's best clutch shooter in Carmelo Anthony. On the other, the Clippers have Sam Cassell at the point, who -- like Robert Horry and Nick Van Exel -- is one of those take-no-prisoners fourth-quarter guys who can pretty much singlehandedly will a team to victory. And all that being said, it may ultimately come down to who's a bigger playoff choke artist -- Nuggets coach George Karl or the entire Clipper franchise. My money's on Karl. Clippers in Seven.



Dallas Mavericks (4) v. Memphis Grizzlies (5): The other strange seeding in the West -- by records alone Dallas should be the #2 seed -- the Mavs probably won't be challenged very much by Memphis, although Nowitzki versus Gasol should be a fun matchup. Dallas still doesn't buckle down on D, but they should have enough O to tame the Grizzlies. San Antonio, however, is another story... Dallas in Five.

Detroit Pistons (1) v. Cleveland Cavaliers (4): The bottom five teams in the Eastern bracket can't really hold a candle to New Jersey, Miami, and especially Detroit, and it'll show in this series. I expect a variation on Detroit's old Jordan Rules will more than suffice in keeping Lebron in check. Pistons in Four.

Miami Heat (2) v. New Jersey Nets (3): This should be a fascinating series. Still, if Shaq is close to playoff form, I think Miami should pull through...While Flash should be able to run with Jefferson and Carter, the Nets don't really have anyone who can match up with the big fella in the paint. Heat in Seven.

San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Dallas Mavericks (2): The Western Finals may seem like they're coming early this year...still, we've been here before. If it's San Antonio's defense versus the Mav's offense, advantage San Antonio. Spurs in Six.

Phoenix Suns (2) v. Los Angeles Clippers (6): Sorry, Clips fans. You got to the second round for the first time since 1976. But, even with Sam Cassell, that's all you get. Suns in Six.

EAST FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. Miami Heat (2): As with the second round, if Shaq's feeling it and the Heat start clicking, Detroit could be in serious trouble. But all-in-all, I'd say the Pistons are too deep, too experienced, and too hungry. Pistons in Seven.


WEST FINALS: San Antonio Spurs (1) v. Phoenix Suns (2): If Amare and Kurt were healthy, this could be a contentious series...but I just can't really see Phoenix knocking off San Antonio without better interior defense. Spurs in Six.

FINALS: Detroit Pistons (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (1): Wow, two #1 seeds -- looks like I'm going out on a limb again. At any rate, this match-up has been in the cards ever since last season's seven-game Finals, in which the home team won every game. And given that this year Detroit has home-court advantage and Duncan's playing through serious pain...well, you do the math. Detroit in Six.

And, in related news, the Knicks end their thoroughly depressing 23-59 season with a meaningless win over the playoff-bound New Jersey Nets. (Of course, the nightmare won't fully be over until Chicago uses our possible #1 pick, which it scored in the Curry trade after Isaiah Thomas, not the best GM out there, neglected to lottery-protect it.) And now, the post-mortem begins: Larry Brown sounds like he'll be back for now, which means many of the more recalcitrant Knicks this year (I'm looking at you, "Starbury") are likely as good as gone. Still, one small bit of consolation for Garden fans this season, courtesy of swingman Jalen Rose: "I put together our roster on 'NBA Live,' and we're pretty good."

"Across nearly 50 years, the coaches of the best Knicks teams -- Joe Lapchick, Red Holzman, Hubie Brown, Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy -- sucked every ounce of talent and effort from their troops. They didn't always win it all, but they emptied the tank in the attempt. When they lost, they lost without disgrace. Even when the Knicks were truly bad, the scent of those years didn't rival the unbearable stench of this one." With the Knickerbocker freefall continuing apace, ESPN's Ken Shouler lays the blame squarely on Larry Brown. Well, when you're 19-54, there's a lot of blame to go around.

Congrats to the Florida Gators, who defeated UCLA handily tonight 73-57. According to Yahoo, I ended up in the whopping 34th percentile this year with my Final Four (Duke, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Ohio St.), which is my worst showing in several years. But, I suspect this was a tough year for a lot of people, given the George Mason phenomenon. At any rate, now to the NBA playoffs...

"Inside the sprawling yellow brick home with the massive wooden jungle gym in the backyard resides the best basketball player in the world without a job, an athlete who could help some team win an NBA championship three months from now if it could just get a reading on whether he's willing and/or able to set aside his shame and lace 'em up for the first time since the Minnesota Timberwolves played their final game last season." ESPN's Chris Sheridan tries to ascertain what's up with Latrell Sprewell these days. I'd take Sprewell back in a New York minute over the ungainly gaggle of underachieving shoot-first guards Isiah's assembled for the Knicks. If nothing else, Spree left it out on the floor most every night.

George Mason? Wow. My bracket is deader than dead, but then again so are those of the rest of America. Congrats to the history-making GMU Patriots.

"The congressman's tastes were eclectic and a little ostentatious. The man drove a Rolls (a bribe). His furnishings have a similar plea for attention: They shout 'antique,' even when they are reproductions." So pass the wages of sin: As Randy "Duke" Cunningham's ill-gotten lucre is auctioned off, the Pentagon announces an investigation into how Duke managed to wrangle earmarks for MZM. (Speaking of the demise of Dukedoms, I think my NCAA bracket is now officially busted.)

Yes, sports fans, it can get worse. The woeful 19-47 Knicks lose rookie Channing Frye for the rest of the season to a ligament sprain in his left knee. Since New York was already way out of contention for the playoffs, playing the rookies (Frye, slam-dunk winner Nate Robinson, David Lee) would've been the only positive aspect of the remaining games. Sigh...now, it'll just be Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury endlessly jawing at Larry Brown.

(Like I needed to another reason to think less of A-Rod.) By way of my friend Mark, here's an interesting list of campaign contributions made by sports figures since 1978. Some of the bigger Democratic donors include Hank Aaron, Andre Agassi, Michael Jordan, Robert Kraft, Alonzo Mourning, Bud Selig, Dean Smith, and David Stern. As for athletes buttressing the GOP, they include several football (Troy Aikman, Bobby Bowden, Mike Ditka, Peyton Manning, Roger Staubach) and racing (Mario Andretti, Brian and Bill France, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Richard Petty) stars, along with Jerome Bettis, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Lute Olson, Rafael Palmeiro, A-Rod, and Marge Schott.

Once again, the Madness has come upon us...My bracket is still in flux at the moment, but -- contrary to Michael Wilbon's advice -- I'm leaning toward skimping on major upsets this year, even if it does mean having Duke go far.

In a happy collusion of one of my favorite sports and one of my favorite drinks, the New York Metrostars are now Red Bull New York. Mmm, Red Bull. I'm not usually one for blatant corporate sponsorship, but I think I may have to buy some RBNY paraphernalia close to immediately. Now if only we can get Guinness to buy the Revolution...

Now bidding for the 2014 Winter Olympics (past the deadline), Hoth. That'll never work. Even notwithstanding the wampa attacks, the tauntauns would freeze before they reached the first marker. (By way of Webgoddess.) Update: In very loosely related news, Landocalrissian Butler? (Via Cheesedip)

"A player who has the ability to make it to the NBA can come from anywhere...In very much the same way, politics should give all of our gifted and talented citizens an equal chance to compete to serve in political life." Wow, you learn something new every day. Before entering the NBA, Golden State Warriors center Adonal Foyle began an organization called Democracy Matters, dedicated to getting college students more involved in the fight for campaign finance reform. You can read Foyle's speech about the connection between the NBA and the issue here. (By way of his adopted brother at Crooked Timber.)

"So, what do you do when you find out your effervescent childhood hero is a violent, potentially evil man? You can repudiate him, forgive him, or try to compartmentalize and love the ballplayer while deploring his actions." Friend, colleague, and baseball fanatic Jeremy Derfner remembers Kirby Puckett for Slate.

On the day after the untimely death of Kirby Puckett, Sports Illustrated publishes a devastating case against Barry Bonds, chronic steroid user. Not a huge surprise, of course, but sad nonetheless.

Yo, Adrian...The new teaser for Rocky Balboa, a.k.a. Rocky 6 is now online.

Kevin Bacon Game alert: The TNT midnight movie after Thursday's NBA marquee match-up of Dallas versus San Antonio -- it's on in the background right now -- is Next of Kin (1989), a rednecks-versus-the-mob Patrick Swayze vehicle that's surprisingly chock-full of stars. Husband to Helen Hunt and brother to Cletus-ish psycho Liam Neeson, Swayze's a cop out to discover who killed his other brother, Bill Paxton. And whodunnit? Mob thugs Adam Baldwin and Ben Stiller in the opening moments, both of whom report to mafiosi Andreas Katsulas (R.I.P.) and Del Close. Swayze notwithstanding, I wonder if this is on any of their resumes these days.

"And so the Knicks press on into a future roughly as promising as the fate of Iraq. In the near-term, it's hard to foresee anything but a slide further into anarchy. And no one -- not Brown, not Thomas, and not Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who marched into the team's locker room on Tuesday night and demanded that they start winning (now, there's a strategy!) -- seems to have a plausible exit strategy." Slate's Michael Crowley laments the demise of the New York Knickerbockers under GM Isiah Thomas. Update: Dolan: "Stay the course." Sound familiar?

The King of the World adds another project to his very full plate: Apparently, post 880, James Cameron will take on The Dive, "the true, tragic love story of freediver Francisco "Pipin" Ferraras and his wife Audrey Mestre."

As expected, the Knicks have pushed the panic button, acquiring Steve Francis for Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway's contract. Well, we're not giving up much other than cap flexibility (I like Ariza -- he's a hustle player -- but he also makes bad decisions, and hasn't been gelling under Larry Brown.) Still, how is a backcourt of Marbury and Francis (backed up by Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson) going to work? They're like five iterations of the same offensively talented, defensively deficient player (5.5 if you count Quentin Richardson), and every one of them needs the ball in their hands to be productive. At any rate, there's a good bet that the Knicks haven't finished yet, with Crawford for Theo Ratliff or Darius Miles a distinct possibility. "Crawford even polled the team's beat writers after Wednesday morning's shootaround to ask them where they believed he would be headed."

Little Man Nate? Not hardly. All of 5'9" going on 5'7", Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks won the Slam Dunk competition last night, with an impressive repertoire that included dunking over 1986 champion Spud Webb. (Yes, Sports Fans, I just managed to use the words "Knicks" and "won" in the same sentence.) Update: "Both Dolan and Bush are sons of powerful men, more products of name than actual qualifications. Both were pretty much appointed to their present jobs in the first place, Dolan by Dad, President Bush by Justice Scalia. Dolan has the Madison Square Garden network, Bush has Fox News." Veteran sports columnist Mike Lupica compares the Dubya and (Knicks owner) Dolan regimes.

Steve Francis? Kenyon Martin? Lamar Odom? Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson? With the season a wash, the Knicks seem hell-bent on making at least one more panic trade. I get the sense this will all end very badly.

Oof. Having lost 9 games in a row and 15 of the last 16, the 14-36 Knickerbockers are now the worst team in franchise history after 50 games. Was it really only a month ago, after that six-game winning streak, that I was trying to climb aboard the Larry Brown bandwagon? I think I may have broken it.

The Knicks make a panic trade in procuring Jalen Rose and a draft pick (Denver's) for the expiring contract of Antonio Davis. Hmmm. Rose is a talented player on the offensive end, but he brings little to the table that we don't already have in Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. And that contract...ugh. Somebody should tell Isiah the first rule in getting out of a hole: Stop digging.

Another Superbowl has come and gone (Congrats to the Steelers, some of the calls notwithstanding), and -- while I personallly preferred the FedEx cavemen and Hummer monsters -- some new movie ads were scattered throughout the game, including new looks at V for Vendetta, MI:III, Poseidon, and Pirates of the Caribbean. (And, also in movie news, the increasingly over-stuffed Spiderman 3 picks up another marquee name with James Cromwell as Capt. Stacy, Gwen's father.)

See what you've wrought, Kobe? Local prospect Epiphanny Prince puts up 113 points in a high school game. (Final score: 137-32.) "'It's an amazing thing when an individual does that,' NBA star LeBron James said when told about Prince's performance. 'I don't know who she is, but maybe we'll see her in the WNBA. For that matter, the NBA.'" Doesn't sound like the other team was all that competitive...But, heck, I'm sure we could find a spot for her on this current Knicks squad.

Nothing if not textbook and by-the-numbers (Coach Haskell would be proud), Disney's Glory Road -- the story of the 1966 NCAA Champion Texas Western Miners, the first basketball team in tournament history to feature five black starters -- still makes for a decent genre matinee. It's not a movie that'll light the world on fire by any means, but it hits its beats decently, and benefits from amiable performances from Josh Lucas and Emily Deschanel right on down the bench. I wish the movie had stayed more with the historical game plan it marked out in the opening credits -- and that the basketball scenes were more engrossing -- but, all in all, Glory Road is a journeyman sports pic.

A synopsis here is probably overkill, suffice to say that a well-meaning disciplinarian coach (Josh Lucas) rides into El Paso, circa 1965, to try to mold a championship basketball team out of a triracial group of college athletes. Do these youngsters overcome their cultural differences, learn there's a method to Coach's madness, and become a Team? Do they play well enough to get to the Big Dance? Well, I'll leave that for you to discover. The main -- ok, the only -- thing that differentiates Glory Road from its many predecessors is its period flavor. These players don't just have to worry about the usual assortment of college problems: They're also caught up in the middle of the civil rights revolution -- and the white backlash -- across the South, and have to contend with brutal acts of racism off the court as well as the usual opposing teams. George Will recently questioned whether this team was as history-making as it's made out to be here. Well, ok, but, in a way, that's beside the point. By bringing race and the civil rights struggle to the fore here, Glory Road acts as a corrective to the main flaw in what's otherwise a better basketball film, Hoosiers. As Spike Lee points out in Best Seat in the House, it's hard to watch that film, particularly its final game, and not feel at times that its an uncomfortably white basketball flick.

Speaking of Spike Lee's book, it also kinda ruined some of Glory Road for me. Therein, Lee (pre-He Got Game) spends a chapter calling out ridiculous basketball scenes in movies -- watching unathletic actors dunk on 6-foot rims, etc. And, while the rims look the right height in Glory Road, I have to admit, none of the basketball scenes are all that engaging. They're cut too close, there's barely a sense of plays developing, and very few shots seem to leave the actors' hands to go into the basket. (For that matter, you don't really get a sense of what various players' strengths or weaknesses are here, other than that Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke) has a nice handle and Nevil Shed (Al Shearer) has a tendency to disappear in the paint. What's more, Coach's advice throughout basically can be summed up as "You can do it!" -- Not a lot of play-calling going on.) Still, for what it is -- an uplifting vignette of sports history -- Glory Road is solid enough. Formulaic, sure, but no harm, no foul.

Peja for Artest? That's one more nail in the coffin of the Kings team of old, and, to my mind, probably a bad move on Sacramento's part. I always had Latrell Sprewell's back when he came to the Knicks after the Carlesimo episode, but Ron Artest -- unlike Spree -- seems like both a legitimate head case and a locker room cancer. As for Peja, he should have no problem filling the Reggie Miller role in Indiana's offense, but that still probably won't put the Pacers in contention with Detroit. At any rate, hopefully this going through will break the gridlock on trades, and we'll start to see some movement around the league. Update: It begins, with Wally World for Ricky Davis. Advantage: T-Wolves.

I must admit, between the relentless, team-killing ego and that highly suspect night in Colorado, Kobe Bryant is far and away my least favorite player in the league. But, 81 is 81. Even given that Kobe never passes up a single shot and clearly makes his teammates worse, that's a pretty impressive night of work against any NBA team, even the lowly Raptors. (And, oh yes, congrats to the Steelers and Seahawks on lopsided victories...see y'all in Detroit.)

Hey, don't look now, but the New York Knickbockers, the worst team in the league in late 2005, are "starting to percolate" as Walt Frazier would put it, and are now undefeated five games into 2006, including impressive wins against Phoenix, Dallas, and Cleveland on the road. And, given that at 12-21 we're only two games out of the eight-spot in the woeful East, we may actually have a season on our hands. Is it too late to get on board the Larry Brown bandwagon? Update: Make it six.

The current number of Van Gundy's in the NBA has dropped to one, as Stan Van Gundy abruptly leaves the Miami Heat "for family reasons." That's really too bad...I've always rooted for the Van Gundy boys since Jeff's Knicks stint (which ended almost four years ago to the day.) At any rate, Pat Riley will take the helm once again in Miami.

The groups for World Cup 2006 are drawn, and while there's no "Group of Death" this time around, the USA will face some tough competition in Group E: Ghana, the Czech Republic, and Italy. Update: Salon's Andrew O'Hehir sees trouble ahead for the USA.

As the Knicks front office roll the dice yet again with SF Qyntel Woods (who will replace the recently waived Matt Barnes and likely back up Quentin Richardson), ESPN's Frank Hughes surveys the 7-foot dud that has been the Jerome James Era in New York (so far).

Say what you will about the Larry Brown era in New York...at least we won't go 0-82.

"Who knew? We all knew: the trainers who looked the other way as they were treating a whole new class of injuries; the players who saw teammates inject themselves but kept the clubhouse code of silence; the journalists who 'buried the lead' and told jokes among themselves about the newly muscled; the GMs who wittingly acquired players on steroids; and, yes, owners and players, who openly applauded the home run boom and moved at glacial speed to address the problem that fueled the explosion." ESPN Magazine surveys the ascent of baseball's Steroid Era.

A closely-fought game at the Garden Formerly Known as Fleet for 48 minutes, followed by the worst overtime loss in Knicks history...oof, it's going to be a long season. Tighten the screws, Larry...we need some defensive boards in the worst way.

While Larry Brown's New-Look Knicks might not be ready until January, the NBA 2005-06 season nevertheless begins tonight with a TNT western conference doubleheader: Spurs-Nuggets and Mavs-Suns. Well, dress code or no, I love this game...and particularly if the Knicks can end their post-Ewing slump this year.

A hearty congrats to the Chicago White Sox on sweeping the Astros last night and reversing their own curse (but no more throwing games, ok?) Between this and the Red Sox last year, one has to wonder: Will next year be all about the Cubs?

"If you look at NBA players. White, black, brown, yellow, whatever color or nationality, regardless of how they dress, and think thug. You are an idiot." As seen at Caught in Between, Mavs owner Mark Cuban eloquently dissects the reasons for the NBA dress code (with additional comments) over at Blog Maverick: "'Unfortunately we have gotten to the point where some, but not all, owners, or which ever executive is in charge of the team, have lost the ability to communicate with their players. In a nutshell, they dont talk to their players... I explained that a couple corporate customers of the league...were uncomfortable with the appearance of some players. That unfortunately, in those cities, they didnt feel comfortable having a discussion like this and that their ownership didnt feel comfortable asking those players to work with the teams for the best of the league. Since the teams couldnt deal with it, they had asked the league to step in and deal with it."

Houston, we still have the same old problem. And thus, longtime Knickerbocker guard Allan Houston retired from basketball today, as a result of his lingering injuries (and as a condition of his not being Allan Houstoned this past summer.) Good luck to ya...and thanks for the memories.

"'Rocky Balboa' is about everybody who feels they want to participate in the race of life, rather than be a bystander...You're never too old to climb a mountain, if that's your desire." Sylvester Stallone returns for Rocky Balboa, a.k.a. Rocky VI. I guess what he's trying to say is, if he can come back, and you can come back, everybody can come back! (Cue Gorby-lookalike clapping.)

On the the first day of training camp, the Knicks partially rectified their guard-heavy line-up by stealing center Eddy Curry from Chicago (due to the furor over his arrhythmia), along with veteran PF Antonio Davis. And better yet, we got rid of Tim Thomas, who's underachieved from Day 1. (The Knicks also purportedly give up Michael Sweetney, Jermaine Jackson, and a contingent first-rounder...the only loss there is Sweetney.) I must say, this is a nice catch to start the season, if Curry's condition is as benign as hoped. Update: ESPN's John Hollinger disagrees.

"''I think the majority of Knick fans have said that this trade was the start of the downfall of the franchise, that this was the first step toward the morass that everybody has been entrenched in since,' Checketts said. 'I just think that's silliness. It was only the first in a series of very bad moves.'" Although Dave Checketts demures, the NYT retraces the sorry state of the Knicks -- 5 years and counting -- to the Ewing trade. I can see their point, although that in no way absolves Scott Layden or Isaiah Thomas for some seriously lousy decision-making over the past couple of seasons.

In happier news, the US qualifies for the 2006 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over archrival Mexico.

Well, so much for the "Allan Houston Rule." Word is Houston will not be waived by the Knicks (although he will likely be retiring.) A semantic distinction, perhaps, but one that looks to save the New York organization quite a bit of money.

"'He's a friend,' the president said...'He's testified in public, and I believe him.'" In a roundtable with Texas journalists, Dubya backs Karl Rove and Rafael Palmeiro, as well as (somewhat half-heartedly) the teaching of "intelligent design." A bit of a gullible sort, ain't he?

It's official...Larry's coaching New York next year, and Knickerbocker fans are already dreaming big. Well, he'll have his hands full with our current gaggle of undersized forwards and shoot-first guards.

With MSG head James Dolan paying his respects last night, it's looking increasingly likely that Larry Brown will coach the Knicks next season. I'm not on the Brown bandwagon as of now, but I might just become a believer if he can shape a quality basketball team out of our lousy and unbalanced roster. Speaking of which, in other Knickerbocker-related news, ESPN's Marc Stein evaluates the potential impact of the new "Allan Houston rule."

Well-traveled supercoach Larry Brown is cut loose from the Pistons. Are the Knickerbockers next?

Two centers with unproven upside switch coasts: Washington's Kwame Brown to the Lakers (for Caron Butler), and Seattle's Jerome James to the Knicks. And, with Cuttino Mobley heading for the Clips, it seems the NBA offseason is already in full swing. (My thoughts on the James acquistion -- Well, we desperately needed a true center after losing Kurt and Nazr (and rookie Channing Frye doesn't seem like he'll have an immediate impact), and James had a few big playoff games last year. That being said, he's no silver bullet.)

Looks like, if all goes well, hockey's back.

On the eve of the 2005 NBA Draft, SI offers their take on the 20 biggest busts of all time. Sam Bowie was a given, but where's Frederic Weis? Update: The Knicks get their man.

"All the hand-wringing among Democrats about why liberals don't go to NASCAR races or duck hunts misses the fact that Tom DeLay and Bill Frist don't go to monster-truck night with the guys from Deliverance either. They hit the links at exclusive country clubs with rich donors and corporate lobbyists." Slate's Michael Crowley surveys the implications of the GOP's predisposition for golf. In related news, apparently Republicans aren't all that bad at baseball, either (which may help explain this.)

So, in a Game 7 that only Tim Duncan's mother could love, the Spurs rallied past the Pistons 81-74. I really doubt the league won over too many new fans with last night's ugly performance, the third lowest-scoring Finals Game 7 ever. But, hey, the draft is right around the corner, and it looks like the Knicks have picked up Quentin Richardson for Kurt Thomas. So, here's to next season...

Just in time for Game 6, the NBA sorts out its labor issues for next year, with an agreement that will "institute a new 19-year-old age minimum, reduce contract lengths and raise the salary cap." Booyah.

"'I like Kobe, O.K.?,' Albert Arce said, referring to Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star. 'But I like to play him because I can make him pass to the other guys. When I see him on TV, it's like he doesn't know how to pass.'" The NYT wonders if sports video games are eclipsing the real product. (As someone who enjoys both, I wouldn't really think so.)

While the Finals haven't made for the most scintillating match-up so far (although thankfully Detroit finally showed up in Game 3,) there's a good deal of NBA news happening off the court of late -- namely, the Zen Master's back in Kobeland of all places and Der Kommissar is threatening another lockout, mainly because team owners want shorter maximum contracts so they can be protected from their own lousy decision-making. (*cough* Allan Houston.) Work it out, people.

"'He literally carried the league,' Boston Celtics great Bob Cousy said. 'He gave us recognition and acceptance when we were at the bottom of the totem pole in professional sports. He transcended the game.'" R.I.P. George Mikan 1924-2005.

In very primary-friendly fashion, John McCain announces a federal anti-steroids bill for all professional sports, to be administered by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

"Stringy beanpole players who are long in the arm and short on energy will say anything to convince you that it's a bad idea to run back and forth. Half-court basketball is their evolutionary niche—they can stand under the basket gobbling up rebounds and tapping in misses without ever moving their size-19 feet. Shawn Bradley is just one rule change away from being the NBA Finals MVP." Slate's Felix Gillette compares NBA players to those guys you play pick-up with. Speaking of hoops, it was nice to see two competitive playoff games again last night. Ever since the Game 7 implosions by Houston and Boston last weekend, the playoffs have been Mismatch City.

With the Knicks stinking up the joint even worse than usual, the NBA posts have been few and far between this season, despite the league having a banner year. But that doesn't mean I'm not greatly enthused about the NBA playoffs beginning this weekend. So, in keeping with GitM tradition (2000/2001/2002/2003/2004), here are my picks for the 2005 postseason:

Miami Heat (1) v. New Jersey Nets (8): I think it's safe to say most of the NBA fan base was looking forward to the Shaq/Flash v. King James matchup here. But, give 'em credit: Jason Kidd and Vince Carter -- proving this season he flat-out gave up in Toronto -- made a run and knocked Cleveland out of contention. If Shaq stays gimpy, the Heat could be in a spot of trouble. But Dwyane Wade is one heck of a player and Stan Van Gundy is one of the league's top coaches, and I'm willing to bet they and the Big Fundamental take care of business in the first round. Miami in Six.

Detroit Pistons (2) v. Philadelphia 76ers (7): I love AI -- the guy's all heart. And, with his quickness and lethal shooting touch, he once again put a sub-par Sixers squad (even after picking up an underachieving C-Webb) on his back and carried them to the playoffs. But they're running into the 2004 Champions here, and I just don't see them getting past the precision team-basketball of Larry Brown & Ben Wallace's crew. Detroit in Five.

Boston Celtics (3) v. Indiana Pacers (6): This one's tough. To his credit, Reggie Miller helped right the ship after the Ron Artest fiasco and got Indiana back on pace for his final season. Meanwhile, the return of 'Toine to Boston has given the Celts the much-needed fire they missed most of the year (and which the intermittently disappearing Paul Pierce seems unable to provide.) Jermaine O'Neal et al are a formidable bunch, and I'm willing to bet Reggie wins at least one game on his own for old time's sake, but I think I'm going to go Boston here, particularly as Gary Payton, so terrible last year, should play better on a Kobe-less team where he's allowed to touch the ball. Celtics in Seven.

Chicago Bulls (4) v. Washington Wizards (5): Bulls-Wizards? This is a playoff match-up? Apparently so -- both teams have finally started to thrive after their respective post-Jordan eras. I haven't seen much of either squad this year, although I've heard amazing things about Chicago's Ben Gordon, and DC's Gilbert Arenas was a stud in Golden State in 2004. I get the feeling this'll be the NCAA-style match-up of the playoffs, and just for the heck of it I'll take Washington in Seven.

Phoenix Suns (1) v. Memphis Grizzlies (8): With Steve Nash leading the break and Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudamire on the wings, the Suns are an extraordinarily fun team to watch. That being said, Phoenix's type of speedy O-first play generally ends up looking suspect in the D-oriented playoffs -- just look at Nash's old Mavs teams. But, Memphis doesn't have the talent or the firepower to expose the Suns -- if Minnesota had gotten their act together a few games earlier, this could have been a great first-round matchup. As it is, Phoenix in Four.

San Antonio Spurs (2) v. Denver Nuggets (7): The Spurs are as dull as Phoenix is exciting, but you have to hand it to them -- they win games. Denver is loaded with talent and players I tend to root for: Carmelo, K-Mart, Andre Miller, Marcus Camby, the 5'5" hellion Earl Boykins. But, with notorious playoff choke artist George Karl at the helm, I just don't see Denver getting by the Spurs...unless more trouble befalls Duncan's ankles. San Antonio in Six.

Seattle SuperSonics (3) v. Sacramento Kings (6): Just as Seattle's star is rising this season under Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, the much-loved Sacramento team of the early '00's has been dismantled, with Vlade in LA, Christie in Orlando, and Webber in Philly. Sacramento still has a lot of playoff experience on this outfit, and Mike Bibby is remorseless come the post-season, but I'll wager the Sonics get by Sactown with relatively little furor. Seattle in Six.

Dallas Mavericks (4) v. Houston Rockets (5): This one should be interesting. Dirk Nowitzki's been having a banner year, but the Mavs are still too soft on D, and picking up the likes of Keith Van Horn doesn't help in that regard. On the other hand, Jeff Van Gundy teams specialize in D, but will Yao and T-Mac be able to score enough to get past the Mavs? I for one hope so. Rockets in Seven.

Miami Heat (1) v. Washington Wizards (5): After slogging past the Nets in a tough first-rounder, the Heat's series against the inexperienced Wizards should be relatively simple. Miami in four.



Detroit Pistons (2) v. Boston Celtics (3): Boston overperformed to beat Indiana, while Detroit justs keep doing what they do. Advantage: Pistons. Detroit in Six.

Phoenix Suns (1) v. Houston Rockets (5): I still think Phoenix is flash over substance for the most part, but they're probably too quick for the aging, offense-limited Rockets. I want to pick Houston here, but my head says Phoenix in Six.

San Antonio Spurs (2) v. Seattle Supersonics (3): Not a very TV-friendly match-up here...but, despite their being my least-favorite team in the playoffs, I'll go with the Spurs. San Antonio in Five.

EAST FINALS: Miami Heat (1) v. Detroit Pistons (2): Shaq's been waiting for this match-up all year, and if he's healthy I see him having a monster series. And I'd also expect a 'Zo sighting or two -- they'll need him to bang under the boards against the Wallaces. Still, it'll be tough. Miami in Seven.

WEST FINALS: Phoenix Suns (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (2): Having hated on them somewhat in the past two rounds, I'd really like to see Phoenix get past Team Duncan. But, I'm just not sold -- perhaps they'll prove me wrong beginning this weekend. San Antonio in Six.

NBA FINALS: Miami Heat (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (2): It's Shaq v. Duncan all over again (provided they can both stay off the IR), with Dwyane Wade and Manu Ginobli providing the speed and flash we've come to expect from the Finals. And, what with Shaq's renaissance, the prospects of a Van Gundy title, and the sheer Kobe schadenfreude of it all, I pretty much have to go Miami in Seven.

So, that's that, then: The East celebrates its second title in two years, with a little help from Finals MVP Shaq. Either way, with all the new faces and teams around in this transitional year -- Miami, Phoenix, Seattle, Washington, Chicago, etc. -- it should make for a very enjoyable postseason. Let the games begin!

"If the andro that helped McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998 was an unnatural, game-altering enhancement, what about his high-powered contact lenses? 'Natural' vision is 20/20. McGwire's custom-designed lenses improved his vision to 20/10, which means he could see at a distance of 20 feet what a person with normal, healthy vision could see at 10 feet. Think what a difference that makes in hitting a fastball. Imagine how many games those lenses altered." Drop the juice for a sec -- Slate's Will Saletan wonders aloud if optical enhancements also constitute cheating in baseball, football, and golf.

"Here is where I should describe for you my mixed emotions as a Sox diehard, how my very nature as a fan has been transformed, how much this means to me on countless levels both as a Red Sox obsessive and as a human being. But I won't force you to endure that. Suffice it to say the ceremony was a thrill." Old friend Seth Stevenson achieves the closure he's been waiting for all his life at the BoSox ring ceremony.

"Before the season, the Knicks were going to take New York back again. They were so sure of it...Now, [Isaiah] Thomas simply stands in the tunnel between the locker room and the court, arms folded, watching this mess unfold night after night." As another dismal season wheezes to a close, Adrian Wojnarowski sees no respite ahead for the Knickerbockers.

March Madness draws to a close tonight with the marquee matchup: Illinois v. UNC. (I chose these two in the final game in my bracket last month, but, then again, so did most of America.) As for my rooting inclination, it's an easy call -- When in doubt, go ACC, and particularly when Carolina Pride is involved. Update: As y'all know, it was Carolina...booyah.

Amidst the quality (and all-natural to boot) college hoops, I haven't been following the story very closely. But apparently, Congress was shocked to discover on Thursday that Mark McGwire probably used steroids and that MLB is drowning in juicers. Wow, you think? For his part, Bud Selig feigns equal amazement at the flagrant cheating that has characterized baseball for the past decade...but, really, should we expect any less from the leadership of the GOP pastime? Ho-hum.

Greetings from a friend's laptop -- March Madness in Santa Clara continues apace...my bracket remained in decent shape until last night's 2OT Wake-WV thriller, which knocked out one of my Final Four. (That and the Vermont-Syracuse match-up have probably been the two best Games of the Tourney so far.) Otherwise, my weekend's been split between pick-up basketball games and convalescing. The good news is I think I've finally turned the corner on my recent flu (thanks to plenty of rest and liberal application of Jamba Coldbusters)...hopefully, tonight's Red Eye flight back East won't precipitate a relapse.

"Tell me, 'friend,' when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for Madness?" Why, in Mid-March, of course...another year has gone round, and it's time once again for The Big Dance. I'll admit, I've been following this year's college scene even less than usual, so I expect my picks to be highly suspect. Still, ya never know...

With Spring right around the corner, Hollywood serves up a twin helping of lousy little league coaches: First, Billy Bob Thornton turns on the Bad Santa in Richard Linklater's Bad News Bears remake, and then Will Ferrell channels Mike Ditka (and Victory) in the full trailer for Kicking and Screaming.

TNT announcer and former 3-point specialist Steve Kerr traces the Knicks' current mediocrity back to the Ewing trade in 2000. Ah well, at least we (barely) beat Kobe and his Sidekick Lakers last night.

Trades galore today in the NBA, with C-Webb off to Philly, 'Toine back in Boston(?!), Baron in Golden State, Big Dog to N'Orleans, Van Horn in Dallas, and the Knicks...well, they picked up Malik Rose, Mo Taylor, and a couple of picks, which, well, probably isn't going to get the job done. But, then again, we didn't give up much either (Nazr, Vin Baker, and Moochie). I'm just glad I'm not writing the checks.

Well, there may have been no nipple sightings during this year's somewhat sloppy Superbowl (McCartney, you tease) -- nor, as Seth Stevenson points out, were there much in the way of memorable ads -- but we did get another look at Batman Begins, which included what appears to be our first glimpse of The Scarecrow, as well as a disaster-movie moment from War of the Worlds. I was hoping for more, but ah well.

After what looks to be a season-killing losing streak (9 of 10 games) for the Knicks, Lenny Wilkens gets the boot. (Ok, ok, he "resigned"...yeah, right.) For now, Knicks stalwart Herb Williams is in charge, but both Larry Brown and Phil Jackson are already waiting in the wings, and it seems clear Herb's tenure will be a short one.

I dunno. Sure, there were several mental mistakes made in recent games by the coaching staff...but let's face it: The Knicks are a bad (and badly-constructed) team. Without a single front-line player who merits a double-team in the post, our offense is basically reduced to hoping two of our three perimeter shooters (Marbury, Crawford, Houston) have a good game. That's not going to win a championship, no matter who's coaching. It wouldn't even get us in the playoffs if the Atlantic Division wasn't so terrible across the board. To my mind, Lenny was made the scapegoat for an unwinnable situation.

In other sports news, the Superbowl is set: New England v. Philly. I usually root for the AFC, but I'm over the Pats at this point, and Boston already had the Red Sox win in October...any more sports mojo for New England and Bostonians will become absolutely insufferable. So, with that in mind, I'm pulling for the underdogs, Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. (Take that, Rush.)

After several years of trying to gripe his way out of Toronto, Air Canada has landed in Newark (in exchange for 'Zo, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two draft picks.) If he stays healthy, that's probably a good deal for the Nets...although I still don't see them going anywhere this year.

What?!? Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi used steroids?! Man, I've been thinking all this time that they both just subscribed to a rigorous neck-thickening regimen. (Next thing you'll be telling me there's no WMDs in Iraq.) Well, I guess odds were that at least a few members of the medicated 44% in America would play baseball.

So, while I was at home this weekend, Ron Artest et al completely lost it (to say nothing of my two home college-football teams.) Clearly, Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jermaine O'Neil should never have broken that inviolate line between the court and the bleachers of (rude, inebriated, schmuckish, asking-for-it) Piston fans...but we already knew Artest was a terminal head case. Now, he's gone for the year, and, for once, I have to say I concur with the crashing-down of David Stern's iron fist. This cannot happen again.

That being said, while I thought it was interesting to see normally sports-agnostic sites like Drudge suddenly take on the mantle of shocked-and-appalled basketball enthusiasts, I can't say I see the fracas in Detroit as the end of the NBA, or of Western Civilization in general, for that matter. Then again, I wasn't all that perturbed by last week's MNF intro either, so perhaps I'm just a reflection of the sad consequences of a too-permissive society.

Perhaps the strangest fact of that night in Detroit? Rasheed Wallace didn't get in any trouble (although he's now making up for lost time.) Ah well, in happier NBA news, at least the no-D-playing, .500 Knickerbockers are inexplicably in first in the awful, awful Atlantic right now.

Sorry about all that, Mrs. Lincoln...do you wanna catch a game? The Knicks regular season has started tonight against KG, Spree, and the T-Wolves.

Well, we're through the looking glass now, folks. After 86 years of trying, the Red Sox have won the Series! The sweep was a bit anti-climactic after the surprising Yankee-beating last week, but, still, an awesome feat nonetheless. Just think of all those terminally depressed Sox fans out there, who now have to find a new locus for their discontent. (By the way, Dubya, Massachusetts is coming for you next.)

Once in a blue moon? Not even. As it turns out, Game 4 of the World Series will be played under a lunar eclipse. I think the Series will go more than four, but if it doesn't...

"[I]t would be impossible to overstate the impact on any team of losing back-to-back extra-inning games after saves were blown in regulation time. To do it twice with the pennant in your hands is unprecedented." 1918? Try 10/18. I still think the Sox are dead in the water after their lousy 0-3 start in the ALCS, but at least the past two games have made it interesting. Update: Verrrry interesting...I've got members of the BoSox Nation flying in from the West Coast just for tonight's Game 7. One way or another, it should be a hot time in the old town tonight.

"The meeting with Kobe reinforced an idea I had been contemplating since July, since Colorado, since everything changed. I decided to enlist a therapist to help me cope with what will surely be the most turbulent season of my coaching career. After receiving a few recommendations, I selected a therapist who has dealt with narcissistic behavior in the Los Angeles public school system. He'll be right at home here." Sports Illustrated publishes some revealing excerpts from Phil Jackson's forthcoming book on the 2003-2004 Laker season, and it's already clear this tome won't do much for Kobe's tattered reputation around the league...he comes off here as a hopelessly arrogant prima donna, as well as an out-and-out terrible teammate.

With the sports world rightly focused on the baseball playoffs right now -- I'm rooting for the BoSox as usual, but that's more a tip-of-the-hat to my many friends among the Nation than it is a deeply-felt affection on my part -- some news of the coming NBA season has nevertheless begun leaking out with the start of training camp. Despite rumblings to the contrary, Gary Payton showed up in Celtics Green on time and ready to give it a go, as did Vince Carter (still) in Toronto. Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen gave notice and the Knicks signed Tracy Murray, who's a pretty one-dimensional 3-ball shooter when you get right down to it, and who probably won't make much of a dent in the Power Rankings.

It's official...MLB has returned to DC after 33 years. Bad news for Montreal and Baltimore, good news for Maryland-DC commuters, as this should cut down on the Beltway/Camden Yards traffic significantly.

In a salacious document dump of Ken Starr-like proportions, the Vail Daily News received the transcript of Kobe's police interview yesterday. I must say, I'm sure he was very flustered at the time, but what with the lying, the backpedaling, and the constant fretting about "my career and my image," Kobe comes across as both thoroughly unlikable and exceedingly guilty here. He's fortunate this never went before a jury.

Toronto Raptors guard Vince Carter becomes the latest high-profile NBA player to demand a trade. Bad news for the league, good news for the Knicks.

He may not be able to stay awake during the Superbowl, but Dubya loves him some baseball...and, as it turns out, baseball owners love them some Dubya. "More than a dozen current and former owners and family members are among the president's top re-election fundraisers...Seven are Bush 'Rangers,' each raising at least $200,000, and six are 'Pioneers' who have brought in $100,000 or more.
" In contrast, Kerry received a paltry $2000 each from Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and Padres owner John Moores. Hmmm...between this and the Tim Robbins Hall of Fame fiasco last year, I must say I'm feeling pretty proud to be an NBA fan right now. While baseball lines Dubya's coffers, basketball puts up a Dem for president (albeit one who appears to have fallen off the radar at this critical political juncture.)

As November 2 nears, the rhetoric and name-calling continues to heat up between these two increasingly irate contenders, particularly on the controversial questions surrounding their past records of service. I am, of course referring to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. "Even with wings you never as fly as me ... you remind me of Kobe Bryant trying to be as high as me ... but you can't ... even if you get me traded ... wherever I'm at, I'm Puffy; you Mase and you're still hated" contests the recently-slimmed down Shaq on his new (and, um, probably not-so-good) hip-hop CD. In a related story, Vice-President Cheney declared today that, if you root for the Miami Heat, the terrorists will kill you.

Kobe gets off. Good news for the Lakers, better news for Bryant (even though, as Dahlia Lithwick points out, he didn't even have the courage to read his own apology.)

After two previous losses to Puerto Rico and Lithuania, the US Men's Basketball team are knocked out of gold medal contention by Argentina (and Manu Ginobli.) I saw some of the earlier games, most notably the US-Germany scrimmage which A.I. won on a buzzer-beater 3, and the team definitely seemed confused. I don't really see this as the death knell of American basketball it's being made out to be, though. As many others (including Mark Cuban) have noted, the team was just poorly constructed...it needed less All-Stars and more NBA-level role players in the worst way.

Iraq's Olympic soccer team ask to be removed from Bush re-election ads. "'My problems are not with the American people,' says Iraqi soccer coach Adnan Hamad. 'They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything.'" Sorry, y'all...it's just that Dubya has very little to fall back on these days. It's not like he can campaign on his domestic record.

The Glove balks at Boston. Said Payton of his former team, the Lakers: "It's about respect. They didn't respect me. Why should I respect them? They used me so they could get other players." Well, you know, Glove, that's the problem with Faustian bargains...

Wally Szczerbiak for Kurt Thomas? I'm not sure that makes much sense...the Knicks are already rife with guards, even assuming Allan Houston is out again for awhile. We need more Bigs.

Also in NBA news, Gary Payton is traded to the Celts. The Glove seemed to lose a couple of steps out there in La-La-Land last year, so hopefully Boston will provide a return to form. At least I can root for the guy again now that he's an ex-Laker. (Yes, I'm talking to you, Vlade...for shame.)

After a relatively quiet offseason, the Knicks finally get in the game, giving up Mutombo, Harrington, Frank Williams, and Cezary Trybanski to acquire shooter Jamal Crawford and rebounder Jerome Williams from Chicago. A cap-killer, sure, but I don't think it's a bad trade at all...New York needed more scoring in the worst way.

"Now every meathead who ever blew a whistle has a lesson about that next corporate takeover, keeping your marriage healthy, or your relationship with God. They won a game. You'll win the game of life." Friend and colleague Jeremy Derfner reviews coach actualization lit for Slate.

After months of little public movement, the assault case against Lakers star Kobe Bryant hits a crossroads of sorts. On one hand, because Judge Ruckriegle's court apparently leaks worse than the Titanic, the accuser is contemplating dropping criminal charges against Bryant (but will still make a civil case.) On the other, another woman has emerged to corroborate a pattern of "aggressive" behavior on Kobe's part. Hmmm.

Well, thank goodness the GOP Congress has finally done something to alleviate the financial burden of sports team ownership in this country. When I think of all the pain, misery, and degradation that Mark Cuban, George Steinbrenner, and other multi-millionaires have been subjected to by the tax code of late, my heart just sickens. Now hopefully Congress will turn their attention to eliminating the IRS entirely, and I'll be able to sleep knowing that no corporate CEO or energy baron will ever again be unduly harrassed in this great nation.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns joins with civil rights leaders, John McCain, and - oddly enough - Orrin Hatch to obtain a retroactive pardon for Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion in history. A hero to black America during the Progressive Era, Johnson was convicted under the 1913 Mann Act for the then-heinous crime of dating a white woman. You'd think Jackson's story might cause Senator Hatch to reflect on the appropriate role of the State in private relations and persuade him to rethink his support of the pathetic Marriage Amendment. Baby steps, I guess.

The Lakers implosion becomes the Heat's opportunity, as Shaq gets set to move to Miami, in exchange for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, and Brian Grant. That's a great pickup (and a gimme) for Pat Riley's club. The Lakers should have had the sense to hold out for Dwayne Wade.

"Dear Roger Clemens: Let me offer my hearty congratulations on starting the All-Star Game. Wow, that is really terrific. I'd like to note, however, that I hate you. Also: You are fat. They say you've got this hard-core training regimen, with calisthenics and whatnot. I'm not seeing it. You're wicked fat." Slate's Seth Stevenson exercises (and exorcises) his contempt for the Rocket.

As NBA teams around the league rush to SoCal to prostrate themselves before Kobe, ESPN columnist Frank Hughes wonders aloud about Bryant's rumored interest in the Denver Nuggets. "Could it be that [Denver GM Kiki] Vandeweghe, in his attempt to garner positive public relations for his own organization...has unwittingly contaminated a potential jury pool of Bryant's 'peers?' Could it be that Bryant, whether intentionally or unintentionally, either on the advice of his lawyers, agent or neither, is playing a card that may have desired affects [sic] beyond the basketball court?" Hmm. That sounds entirely too conspiratorial to me. But, then again, there's a reason Team Kobe gets paid the big bucks...

It's official: Tracy McGrady has landed in Houston. All in all, I think this is a great trade for Jeff Van Gundy's Rockets, provided T-Mac doesn't forget about Yao in the paint. As for Orlando, at least they got Steve Francis for their troubles, which is better than they made out when Shaq left town.

Antawn Jamison to DC (for Stackhouse, Laettner, and No. 5) is a done deal...is T-Mac to Houston next? Or will the Diesel do Dallas? Last year's NBA Draft Day was a bit of a dud as far as big trades go, but I have high hopes for tonight's festivities, even if the Knicks don't have a first-rounder and will probably stand pat.

"It looks like Buss, the Lakers' owner, has made his choice: Kobe stays; the others can go. In other words, he is not averse to trading Shaq and is willing to build his franchise around a narcissist who's on trial for rape, doesn't make his teammates better and is in denial over all of it." Well, it looks like my concerns about Kobe joining the Knicks were unfounded. At the behest of Bryant, Lakers owner Jerry Buss sends Phil Jackson off, with Shaq soon to follow. I never really bought into the Zen Master hype, but Phil Jackson is assuredly a better coach than Rudy T. And letting Shaq walk to appease Kobe? That's just ludicrous...The big guy may be on the downslope of his career, but he's still in a league of his own.

In less happy NBA news, Marv Albert and the Knicks part ways, apparently because he ran afoul of owner James Dolan for calling out New York's spotty play. Terrible news...Marv is not only the best in the business - he is the voice of the Knicks. This does not augur well for next season.

Detroit D's up again, and are now only one game away from knocking off the vaunted Lakers in 5. This should've been a sweep, if not for Game 2's ugly last minute. Still, I'll play it safe and continue believing Pistons-in-7. LA is too good and Shaq too dominant not to have at least one breakout game. Or at least I used to think so. With Kobe sabotaging his own team, who knows?

They were up 6 with 40 seconds to go. They were up 6 with 40 seconds to go. I'll admit, the last-minute Piston collapse in Game 2 has me distraught. Hopefully, Detroit rights the ship in tonight's Game 3, because the thought of Kobe and the Lakers dancing around the Staples Center with another championship this year makes me ill. So I'll stick with my pick - this series goes back to LA with Detroit up 3-2, and the Pistons win in 7. Please? Update: Ric Bucher, who to his credit picked Detroit from the start, makes a compelling case that the Lake Show are still the ones in trouble. Let's hope so.

So the NBA Finals are finally set, and it's Detroit v. LA. I ended up doing decently well in my pre-playoff picks: I got the East champion right, and I think I would've gotten the West too if not for Sam Cassell's injury. At any rate, I loathe the Lake Show, and particularly in its current incarnation, so I'm hoping against hope that these Pistons pull it out. With that in mind, (gulp) Pistons in seven...I guess we'll see on Sunday.

Word is BBC's new Dr. Who will face David Beckham and a handful of other celebrities when the Autons take over Madame Tussaud's in the forthcoming new series. I hadn't heard that Christopher Eccleston has been confirmed as the ninth Doctor before, either. That's not bad, although he'd probably have made a better Master.

Robert Earle sings the praises of pick-up hoops in the Washington Post (although, to be honest, his doesn't sound like the funnest crowd, what with all the foul-calling shenanigans on display.) The outdoor summer hoops are just getting started over in these parts, although I'm still nursing an ankle sprain from the spring season.

So, despite my earlier wishful thinking, the Knicks stunk up the joint, getting swept in the playoffs and being completely exposed as the one-dimensional squad they are by the high-flying New Jersey Nets. Sigh. Well, hopefully Isaiah Thomas will be able to somehow coax a quality free agent to the Garden this summer, as I'm not feeling too good about rooting for Allan Houston's banged-up knees and Tim Thomas's incredible disappearing game for the next few years. But, in happier sports news, at least the Yankees are terrible...

Also in the trailer pipeline of late, "Jesus" Jim Caviezel channels Bobby Jones in Stroke of Genius (Not in a million years...this feels like a Lifetime movie, right down to Claire Forlani as the long-suffering wife...and where's Bagger Vance?), and Bernie Mac rests on his hitting laurels in Mr. 3000 (Nice of 'em to condense the entire movie into a three minute viewing experience.)

Sent by way of my friend Tim, here's an attempt to apply Moneyball's marginal product to the NBA. The results seem...confused. According to this data set, Hedo Turkoglu is the best player in the league, followed by Vince Carter (doubtful), KG (ok, this makes sense), Brad Miller (no, not really), and Manu Ginobli (maybe someday, but not quite yet.) Hmmm...sounds like the formula hasn't been perfected yet. Shouldn't Big Shot Rob Horry be somewhere at the top of this list, given that he or the since-retired Steve Kerr has won the championship every year over the past decade?

So it's that time of year again, the NBA playoffs...which it means it's time to post my consistently wrong postseason predictions. [2000/2001/2002/2003] I generally do ok in the East, but I've had Sacramento in the Finals three years running and I think I've finally soured on them (which is probably good news for Kings fans). At any rate...

THE EAST

Indiana Pacers (1) v. Boston Celtics (8): A rematch of one of last year's first-round surprises, this series will be a rout. The Pacers are a better team this year and they now have a real coach in Rick Carlisle. (Thankfully for the Knicks, Isaiah is a much better front office guy than he is a game-time decision-maker.) Conversely, the Celtics are much worse -- They've lost all of their key role players (Battie, Kenny A, etc.) and picked up the only guy in the league with worse shot selection than 'Toine, Ricky Davis. Unless Boston is on fire from behind the arc (like they were last year), this one'll be ugly. Pacers in Five.

New Jersey Nets (2) v. New York Knicks (7): Ok, I'm picking the Knicks here 'cause my heart tells me to. I know they got run off the floor two weeks ago by a Nets team that didn't have Kidd and K-Mart. I know that Allan Houston is sidelined and that the Knicks O can't compete with New Jersey's fast break onslaught. And I know the Nets are basically just a better team. I will say this, though -- there'll be at least one game in this series where Marbury totally outplays Jason Kidd. So, like I said, New York in Seven.

Detroit Pistons (3) v. Milwaukee Bucks (6): With Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace manning the paint, Detroit are the defensive Beasts of the East. And with TJ Ford injured and Keith Van Horn ever suspect, this one'll be a walk for the Pistons. The only way to beat a D-structured team like Detroit is sheer offensive firepower, and the Bucks don't have it, unless Van Horn puts up career numbers. Detroit in Six.

Miami Heat (4) v. New Orleans Hornets (5): Miami's been playing amazing ball since the All-Star Break. N'awlins has been sucking it up. And, in playoff situations, it takes something special for me to bet against one of the Van Gundy boys. Miami in Seven.

THE WEST

Minnesota Timberwolves (1) v. Denver Nuggets (8): KG, Cassell, Spree...I'm loving this Minnesota squad. Garnett has a tendency to be too selfless with the ball in pressure-cooker playoff situations, but Cassell and Latrell should right the ship, particularly against Carmelo, Camby, & Co. Minnesota, welcome to the second round. Minnesota in Six.

Los Angeles Lakers (2) v. Houston Rockets (7): I'd love to see Jeff Van Gundy's Rockets systematically dismantle the top-heavy, prima donna Lakers. I'd love to see Yao outplay Shaq and Stevie Franchise go nuts in this series. I'd love to see Kobe the inveterate ballhog shoot them out of the series. I'd love to see Gary Payton get sick of this outfit and move to another contender. But, unfortunately, none of this is going to happen. Lakers in Six.

San Antonio Spurs (3) v. Memphis Grizzlies (6): The Memphis Grizzlies? I've only seen Hubie Brown's boys play once or twice, and they've never looked as dominant as the Spurs can at times. And, while the Grizz are 3-1 on San Antonio, I have to give the edge to my second least favorite contender. Unless Gasol comes up big, it'll be the Duncan & Ginobli show. Spurs in Five.

Sacramento Kings (4) v. Dallas Mavericks (5): Hard to believe this match-up is coming in the first round. The Kings have been playing pretty badly lately, but then again, so has Dallas. I don't think the Mavs would've won this series last year without the injury to C-Webb, so I'll go Sacramento. Still, which Kings team will show up? If they're clicking, they could win in five...but more likely it'll be Sacramento in Seven.

THE REST

Indiana Pacers (1) v. Miami Heat (4): Other than the Knicks, which I admit was a goofy pick, I didn't take any upsets in the First Round. And it won't happen here...Indiana is a team on a mission, and they'll at least make it to the Eastern Finals. Indiana in Six.

New York Knicks (7) v. Detroit Pistons (3): Ok, so we're at a crossroads here. Do I venture into Bracket fantasyland and have the Knicks going all the way? Or do I admit my first pick was suspect and choose Detroit? I'm with the people who think the Pistons, with their plodding O and tight D, would've been a better match-up for New York in the first round than New Jersey, who just kill you with offensive numbers. Still, if the Knicks get this far without Allan Houston, they've overachieved. Detroit in Seven.

Minnesota Timberwolves (1) v. Sacramento Kings (4): These are the two teams I wanted to see in the Western Finals. Unfortunately, due to the Kings freefall, it has to happen now. The Kings have more playoff experience, but the T-Wolves have been playing much better ball. And I want to see Spree in the Finals again. Minnesota in Seven.

Los Angeles Lakers (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): Boo hiss. I'm sick to death of both of these teams. But, since the Spurs seem to have the Lakers' number of late, I'll go with San Antonio. Spurs in Six.

EAST FINALS: Indiana Pacers (1) v. Detroit Pistons (3): It's the match-up everyone in the East has been waiting for, and I would've picked Indiana until watching 'em go head-to-head two weeks ago. Now, I'll say 'Sheed makes the difference and it's Detroit in Seven.

WEST FINALS: Minnesota Timberwolves (1) v. San Antonio Spurs (3): The Spurs definitely have more experience and the big game edge. But they're lousy free-throw shooters, and the T-Wolves backcourt are savvy veterans. Oh, why not? Minnesota in Seven.

FINALS: Minnesota Timberwolves (1) v. Detroit Pistons (3): Detroit finally confronts a team who can score more points than they can possibly stop. The only Eastern squad who can legitimately run against the Best of the West is Indiana, and that's on a good day. KG, you're the MVP...enjoy the ring. Minnesota in Six.

So there you have it. Of course, I'll be delirious if the Knicks win, but I'd be very happy to see Minnesota, Sacramento, or any Eastern team take the championship too. The point is, anyone but the Lakers or Spurs. Please?

Congrats to Connecticut, who dismantled Georgia Tech relatively easily last night. (I put UConn in the Final, but, alas, I had 'em losing to Kentucky. So, with Ok. State, I only pulled two of the Final Four this year.) Now, on to more important matters...only five games left for the seventh-seed Knickerbockers...

It's that time of year...So who'd you pick? I've got Kentucky, UConn, UNC, and Oklahoma State as my Four, with the Wildcats over Connecticut in the finals. Alas, I'm in no pools this year, which probably means I'm more on the money than usual.

According to his friends, his agent, and everyone else, Rasheed Wallace really wants to be a Knick, either by the trading deadline later today or as a free agent this summer. Well, I say let him. And, heck, let's get Doleac back while we're at it. Update: The Pistons get Wallace...for now.

Removing the last vestiges of the Layden era, Knicks GM Isiah Thomas makes another big trade, sending Keith Van Horn to Milwaukee for Tim Thomas and Atlanta's Nazr Mohammed. (We also gave up Michael Doleac and a second-round pick.) Hmm. True, Van Horn is inconsistent, but he's been playing well lately...and better than Thomas. Still, Thomas and Mohammed are both athletic players, and this might end up turning out for the best if Isiah can light a fire under 'em. (As for reports that we'll pick up a troubled Vin Baker off waivers, all I can say is, I hope not.)

It's a fire sale on coaches in the Atlantic division, with New Jersey's Byron Scott and Boston's Jim O'Brien leaving their franchises on the same day (This means that every Atlantic division coach has been replaced this year.) Well, between Allan Houston's bum knee and the Knicks clutching with bloody fingernails to the eight spot, I'm all for some Eastern conference turmoil right about now.

The Dems held one more for the road last night in New Hampshire and, given that a rather bland Kerry didn't stumble, it's starting to look dire for Dean, who was subdued and chagrined most of the evening and only now seems to be turning the corner on his Muskie Moment. Edwards did reasonably well despite invoking states' rights (which never sounds good with a southern accent) to support his convoluted gay marriage position. And I actually liked Clark better than usual, and thought he handled his recent party switch as well as he could.

But, I have to say, I was extraordinarily irritated by the way the whole Dubya Deserter thing played out last night. First Peter Jennings tells Wesley Clark that Michael Moore's deserter comment was "a reckless charge not supported by the facts" and asks him if it'd have been "a better example of ethical behavior" to contradict him. Clark doesn't go either way on it, claiming not to know all the facts. (Which is lame -- What's the point of having a General in the running if he's not going to call out Bush on exactly this question?) Then, once the show's over, Fox News pulls out Team Bespectacled White Guys (Mort Kondracke and Fred Barnes), who both immediately argue that Clark irreparably damaged his candidacy by not refuting this baseless charge, yadda yadda yadda.

Um, am I missing something? It's been substantiated quite well that Bush seems to have gone AWOL by the Boston Globe and others, and I'm not talking about the six or seven critical hours on September 11 when he was toodling around above the Heartland. While absence of evidence isn't necessarily evidence of absence, Dubya seems to have disappeared from the Air National Guard for almost a year between 1972-73, conveniently right before a drug test (an offense for which he was grounded), and, to this day, he has never satisfactorily explained where he was. (In fact, as the Straight Dope notes, later reports in The New Republic (by Ryan Lizza, if I remember correctly) even cast doubt on the half-hearted "some recollection" explanation Dubya gave during the 2000 campaign. (By the way, this all happened several years after Bush scored in the underwhelming 25th percentile on the pilot's aptitude portion of the entrance exam, thus having to rely on his congressman-daddy's connections to jump the year-long waiting list for the Air National Guard in the first place.)

Does all of this prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Dubya pulled a Cold Mountain? Well, no, but it's definitely enough to suggest that Bush has some serious explaining to do. (And he revoked any "youthful indiscretion" type-defense when he began parading around in flight gear on the USS Lincoln.) So, I mean, c'mon, now, a baseless charge about Bush? At this point it seems more correct to say that the bases were "Bush-less." Next thing you'll know Fox News will be screaming at John Kerry for perpetuating the "vicious rumor" of Dubya's DUI.



At any rate, regarding other matters, I didn't see Diane Sawyer or Letterman last night so can't ascertain how Dean damage control went there, but I did catch the Dallas-Laker game on TNT, and during Inside the NBA EJ, Kenny and Charles must have played the Dean Scream about thirty times...in fact Ernie had it connected to his desk button. "Nash kicks to Dirk, Dirk from the corner...YEEEEEAAAAGH! Sacramento's up big in the third...YEEEEEAAAGH!" And so on, so on. Pretty much the first political content I've ever seen on the show, and, yeah, it was funny every time. Poor Dean.

Well, it's not official quite yet, but this agreement today probably means the New Jersey Nets are Brooklyn-bound. I'd think most of Brooklyn is Knickerbocker country, but if it means NBA games will be cheaper and easier to get to for yours truly, I'm all for it.

Despite word from the NY Daily News this morning that the Czar might be coming to town, Knicks GM Isiah Thomas kicked Coach Don Chaney to the curb and instead hired Lenny Wilkens in his place. Well, if we're going to switch horses in midstream, I much prefer Wilkens to Fratello. As for Chaney, it just so happens that I was at the Mavs game where he was so mercilessly booed. And, while I didn't join in, I was definitely wondering why nobody was fouling Michael Finley for eleven long seconds in the crucial overtime. In sum, Chaney's way out the door was handled classlessly, but it was also probably well overdue.

Ok, let me apologize again to Isiah Thomas. While I'm a bit concerned about all the draft picks locked up here (to say nothing of losing Macej Lampe and Milos Vujanic, two possible big-time players in the not-so-distant future), the Marbury/Penny for McDyess/Ward/Eisley trade today has to go down as another impressive move by our new GM. Starbury has been a bit of a hit-or-miss head case on his first three teams, but it's been his dream to play for his hometown Knicks, so hopefully he'll make the most of it. Penny ain't what he used to be, but I'd expect him to score points in bunches off the bench every fifth game or so. As for what we gave up, it's kinda sad that the McDyess experiment never amounted to much...but it already seems clear that it's going to take at least the rest of the year for him to play to form again. Charlie Ward had a good decade with the Knicks, but he's been trade bait for so long that I doubt he's surprised. And the sheer fact that Isaiah found a taker for Howard Eisley and his glutted contract is amazing to me. So all in all, a great trade here for New York, even if we may get burned in the long-run by all the disappearing draft picks and projects. Update: Aldridge weighs in.

Ok, clearly I owe Isiah Thomas an apology. In the past week, the revitalized Knickerbockers have won four in a row, and three of 'em were extended garbage-time blowouts (20, 28, and 29 points respectively.) Moreover, Thomas somehow convinced the Rockets to take Clarence Weatherspoon for Moochie Norris, which is a great deal for NY any way you cut it. Of course, the real test will come against real opponents (not just Miami and Orlando) early next month...but still, I'm quite surprised by the way Thomas has engineered this turnaround so quickly. Let's hope it lasts.

On the verge of effectively ending another season before the new year starts, the Knicks finally fire Scott Layden. This'd be great news for Gotham if his replacement weren't Isiah Thomas, who's recently run the CBA into the ground and treaded water for years with the hyper-talented Pacers. Hmmm. Well, at least Thomas isn't coaching, and perhaps he can manage to draw some top talent back to the mecca of basketball.

My old friend Seth Stevenson discusses Curt Schilling and the Sons of Sam Horn. I'm not even much of a Sox fan, and I've been known to lurk on SOSH...It's a funny, funny place.

(Ok, I cribbed that from the Post, but it's still a great headline.) After two years recovering from injury, former All-Star Antonio McDyess returned to the Knicks last night in their OT loss to the Pistons. He looked pretty lost out there (2 points, 3 boards), but I'm sure he'll find his sea legs after some more minutes. In the meantime, Scott Layden has just lost his last excuse. If we can't make the playoffs in the lEast now, heads should roll.

In something of a coup, MLS signs 14-year-old Freddy Adu, widely considered to be a potential soccer superstar, to a six-year deal. (Dallas had the first pick, but he'll play for DC United, the closest team to his MD home.) Suddenly, LeBron seems like the old guy in the club.

After a 2-5 start and two dismal games Cleveland (not exactly the powerhouses of the league), the Knicks look for deliverance from Antonio McDyess, who will probably play Friday for the first time in almost two years. If he plays to old form, he could be exactly what the Knicks have needed since LJ retired -- a guy who can command double teams and create open shots for Allan Houston and Keith Van Horn. But...three knee surgeries? Still, after Vin Baker's comeback this year, I'd say anything is possible. If nothing else, McDyess's return injects some interest in what's fast turning out to be another mediocre Knicks season.

Taking a page from FIFA's soccer extravaganza, Major League Baseball preps for a 2006 Baseball World Cup. Sounds like a plan...I'm a very casual baseball fan, but I'd probably watch.

It's brother against brother in the NBA tonight as the Van Gundys meet in Houston. Even without the Knicks connection, my money's on Jeff...but, what with the Miami Heat's 0-6 start, so is everyone else's.

So, after blowing an 8-point lead with two minutes to go against the Magic and phoning it in against the Spurs, the Knicks are now 0-2. Is it too early to call the season?

Finally, the NBA season is here. (The Knicks start tonight against Orlando, but frankly I've got no illusions about this squad - it's clear the Knicks' idiot management chose them for their "character" rather than for their basketball skills.) I must say, I was hoping the recent Shaq-Kobe feud would mean the beginning of a full-on Lakers collapse this season...but, alas, the Mailman and the Glove looked dominant last night against Dallas. Although I thought one of 'em might end up being a locker room cancer, it looks for now like Payton and Malone will instead be a stabilizing force at the Staples Center, despite whatever develops between the big fella and the possible felon.

In a surprise move the weekend before the season, Pat Riley steps down as coach of the Miami Heat (he remains in the front office.) Well, I'm not sure what Riles was thinking but another Coach Van Gundy has got to be a good thing for the NBA.

To the delight of many, the Marlins dismantle the Yanks in six. Instant Karma's gonna getcha, George.

The NBA world is abuzz over the trading of Celtics PF Antoine Walker for Mavs C Raef La Frentz yesterday. While my Celts-fan friends are currently aghast, I actually think this not all that bad a trade for Boston. Yes, Walker is a much better player than La Frentz. Still, 'Toine's not the type of guy to lead you to the Finals...if anything, he's more likely to shoot you out of the first round. The Celts are basically taking the hit now to rebuild a contender around Paul Pierce, and I think in the long run that makes sense. As for the Mavs, I know Walker's an All-Star, but his weaknesses -- soft D and undisciplined O -- are the Mavs' weaknesses. If I were them, I'd have looked for a more tenacious defender and rebounder...I like Danny Fortson, but frankly he ain't gonna cut it in the West.

On the eve of the 2003-04 season, the NBA announces its upcoming realignment (the upshot is six divisions, with New Orleans relocated to the West to make room for the Charlotte Bobcats.) To my mind, the NBA can't start soon enough...especially after Thursday's baseball misery. Count me among the vast majority of Americans who (a) thinks Grady Little is an idiot (b) prefers this early Post editorial to all other ALCS post-mortems, and (c) will not be watching a Yankees-Marlins series.

My old friend (and inveterate Boston fan) Seth Stevenson makes the case for the Sox over the Cubs in the battle of underdogs.

The Sixers appear to pass on Mutombo, meaning he's probably Knicks-bound as rumored. Well, since the Post thinks this will actually facilitate the Van Exel trade, I'm all for it. Update: It's official...Deke's a Knick.

Congrats to the Red Sox on their comeback win over the Chokeland A's last night (and to the Cubs for breaking their 95-year losing streak the night previously.) As y'all know, I don't normally talk baseball in this space, but Sox-Yankees is one of the classic rivalries in sports. And just in case anyone got the wrong idea from my love for the Knicks, I think Yankee fans are Laker fans are 90's Cowboys fans are Jordan-era Bulls fans are Man. U fans...i.e, some of the most aggravating, bandwagon-jumping, fair-weather-only hordes in all of sportsdom. Go BoSox all the way. Update: Speaking of the Lake Show, Phil Jackson hints at signing Jordan to replace Kobe for the duration of his trial. Ugh...how bad would that be?

With their earlier designs on Nick Van Exel apparently stalled, the Knicks plan (once again) to try for Dikembe Mutombo. Hmm. I guess having Mutombo around would help the height-challenged Knicks...but if we were looking for a 40-something center, why'd we ever trade Patrick Ewing in the first place?

See, this is why you don't hire right-wing throwbacks to cover football games...Rush Limbaugh invokes the "black quarterback" canard during an Eagles game, claiming that Donovan McNabb has been overhyped because "the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well." I presume he also thinks the media was behind the respective successes of Randall Cunningham, Kordell Stewart, Steve McNair, and Michael Vick (currently the most exciting QB in the game.) In keeping with his jackass nature, Rush is naturally standing by his comments. (For their part, Clark, Dean, and Sharpton have also weighed in.) ESPN should do the right thing and let Limbaugh dangle, but I doubt that's going to happen...even with whatever dirt the Enquirer's drudged up on him. After all, as this story notes, "Limbaugh once said he felt guilty about telling an African-American caller to 'take that bone out of your nose and call me back.' He still uses the mock dialect 'ax' instead of 'ask' when discussing black leaders on his syndicated radio show and often plays the theme song 'Movin' On Up' from 'The Jeffersons' when referring to Carol Moseley Braun." Does this racist buffoon have any business covering the world of sports? Update: Well, that's then...Rush resigned. Smart of him to try to nip this Lott-sized bud now before everyone starts taking a closer look at his long history of questionable racial remarks.

In a sad day for soccer fans across the nation, the WUSA goes under. I'm a bit annoyed with myself about this - Every time I saw an ad for the WUSA, I thought about going to a match (even if it meant getting off the island), and I never did. I'd have much preferred it if the WNBA had folded and the WUSA - where the level of play was much more comparable, if not superior, to that of MLS - had continued. One forgets how tenuous the beautiful game's hold is here Stateside.

Word is from Frank Isola that the Knicks are Warriors are discussing a trade that would bring Nick Van Exel to NY. As y'all know, I've been really down on this incarnation of the Knickerbockers, particularly with Spree gone for (ugh) Van Horn. But this proposed trade - Van Exel for Thomas and Ward - might turn me around right quick. To my mind, Nick Van Exel is the clutchest guy in the league. There's nobody - nobody - I'd rather have shooting a last-second fadeaway 3 to win the game. Look at the playoffs last year - he single-handedly willed the Mavs past Portland and Sacramento. Dallas were idiots to trade him...At any rate, I very much hope this goes through - it sounds like such a great trade for NY that I have my doubts.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to witness some decent ball at the Garden. With Spree's departure marking the lowlight in another sorry Knicks off-season, NY fans pin their longshot hopes on Maciej Lampe. Hey, you can't teach height.

Jeremy Derfner, a consummate baseball fan and one of my good friends and colleagues in the Columbia program, offers an historical overview of Little League, Inc for Slate. And, to paraphrase Billy Joel, it appears we didn't start the sellout.

3-point bomber and 5-time NBA champion Steve Kerr retires to join the TNT television crew. Hopefully, they'll phase out Thunder Dan Majerle...he's pretty bad in the booth.

At his official introduction as a Minnesota Timberwolf, Spree makes peace with Knicks brass. I have very little doubt that he'll end up having the last laugh about this dubious Keith Van Horn transaction.

It's official...the most dynamic Knick since Bernie King has left the Garden. Consider me among the legions of Knicks fans who're bummed to see him go...and who aren't psyched at all about Keith Van Horn. This lousy trade reeks of Layden.

ESPN is reporting as breaking news that the Knicks have basically traded Sprewell for Keith Van Horn in a 4-player deal (Latrell goes to the T-Wolves, Terrell Brandon goes to the Hawks, Glenn Robinson goes to the Sixers.) While this emphatically makes Minnesota a better team (particularly with Sam Cassell and Michael Olowokandi also joining KG), I can't say I'm very happy about what's happened to the Knickerbockers. Spree was the only high-octane guy on a team of one-dimensional choke artists...it's going to be really hard to root for a team fronted by Van Horn and Houston.

"When I hear that a professional athlete is being charged with rape, my first thought isn't that he's the victim. Nor do I immediately envision some sort of vexing vixen preying on poor unsuspecting millionaire athletes in a hotel lobby. No, my first thought is to fear that a horrible crime has occurred ... and to hope that I'm wrong. And, yes, that's my first thought no matter how well I 'know' the athlete -- whether that athlete is a 'thug' like (fill-in-the-blank with your NBA bad boy of choice), or a 'solid citizen' like Ray Allen or Kobe Bryant." I haven't said much about the Kobe case around here, and that'll probably continue -- It looks like it's already degenerating into an ugly he-said-she-said type of case, with Kobe's lawyers trying their damnedest to destroy the accuser's credibility. I will say this, though: I agree with this column about the borderline-misogynist way sportscasters have been covering the case so far, and, legal presumption of innocence aside, I for one do think he's guilty. In his scripted television denial, Kobe couldn't even look at the camera (or at anybody but down) when he twice proclaimed his innocence. This is not the body language of an innocent man.

Free agent signing began in the NBA today, and it's already dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. As per usual, talented ballers are fleeing en masse from the Clippers, with Elton Brand signing in Miami, Corey Maggette going for Utah, and Andre Miller heading for Denver. (The Clips can possibly stave off the defection by matching the new contracts.) Elsewhere, Juwan went to Orlando, Nesterovic to San Antonio, and Kandi Man to the Wolves. (So far, as New Yorkers feared, the Knicks haven't picked up anybody.) And, of course, the Mailman and the Glove's Faustian bargain with the Lake Show has now been signed, sealed, and delivered...

The veiling shadow that glowers in the West takes shape. There is a union now between the Two All-Stars, Payton and Malone. I love the Glove, but, for the League's sake, at this point I have to hope that one of these two mercenaries turns out to be a locker-room cancer. And, while I'm on the subject of the Lake Show, perhaps I should be glad that the media has taken innocent-until-proven-guilty to heart. Nevertheless, I find it somewhat troubling how the press has circled the wagons around Kobe before all the facts get out. These are the same writers who jump all over Sprewell, Kidd, and/or Iverson, to take just three examples, whenever the rumor mill starts a-churning. What's good for the gangsta is good for the golden boy.

Sick of corked bats and sausage attacks? The NY Times delves into the return of base ball, circa 1866. I wonder if the Knickerbockers are doing any better in that century...

I'd heard rumors of this a few days ago, but assumed if I didn't blog it it might not come true. Alas, Gary Payton is joining the Lakers. Bleah. Particularly if LA succeeds in signing Karl Malone too, I'd say next year's season is all but ruined. That is, unless Kobe's in jail...

While the NBA draft this year was slower than usual and surprisingly free of interesting trades (with the exception of Cassell to Minnesota, which happened the next day), I thought the Knicks did reasonably well this year. The Sweetney pick at No. 9 was a terrible, Laydenesque call, but picking up the free-falling seven-footer Maciej Lampe at No. 30 sounds like a steal (presuming his contract negotiations work out.) The 7'4" Slavko Vranes sounds like a decent second-round choice too, far better than Frederic Weis at any rate. Now the question facing Knicks fans is how the trade winds will blow.

With the 2003 NBA draft coming up on Thursday, the Knickerbockers are starting to sound desperate and - sadly - it looks like the Sprewell Era might be over. Can't we just get rid of Dolan and Layden instead?

So, the Spurs won it all, thanks to a 19-0 Nets collapse in the fourth. Bleah...can't say I'm too excited about that. To my mind, San Antonio is flawed and boring. But I do find it interesting, as the Sportsguy pointed out, that either Steve Kerr or Robert Horry has won a ring each of the past ten years. With that in mind, I wonder who the Knicks'll be drafting. Chris Kaman, perhaps?

The new Bob Johnson-owned NBA franchise unveiled their name, logo, and uniforms on Wednesday, and they're the Charlotte Bobcats. Hmm...I dunno. I know Bobcats works well with the Carolina Panthers (who sport a very similar logo), but I much prefer Dragons or Flight to the chosen name. Then again, I still wish the Washington Wizards (ugh) had become the Washington Monument - I'm all for the singular team names.

Word on the street is Jeff Van Gundy has decided on the Rockets over the Wizards. To my mind, Houston just became a dangerous team to meet in the first round. Rudy T may be the nicest guy in the world, but Houston's offense this past year was embarrassingly bad...basically Steve Francis, Moochie Norris, or Cuttino Mobley would speed to the hole and try to score 1-on-5 while Yao stood around looking confused. With a disciplined O and Van Gundy's trademark tenacious D, the Rockets could turn a few heads next year.

Bleah...so much for ABC's "Old School" advertising strategy. Game 3 was some of the worst NBA basketball I've ever seen, and this is coming from a guy who really enjoys watching Knicks-Heat series. Just plain ugly...Kinda sad when the most memorable part of the game is the halftime show. Speaking of which, I'm more out of it than I thought. From what alternate universe did this Lil' Kim version of Jewel come from? I remember her as an adorable snaggletoothed and deadly earnest folk chanteuse. She's the last person I ever expected to drop the acoustic guitar and start hip-hopping to a Britney bounce. Well, I can't say I've ever been a big fan, but with its infectious hurdy-gurdy backbeat, "Intuition" seems like it might just be this summer's "Get this Party Started" - the bubble-gum pop song you can't get out of your head. And from Jewel too...Who knew?

While the baseball world copes with Sammy's corked bat, basketball fans prepare to gather around the telly for the start of the NBA finals tonight. I expect the Spurs will take it, but I want to root for New Jersey, so I'll go out on a limb and say Nets in 6. JKidd, this is your hour.

With NBA coach firings coming fast and furious, Slate takes a moment to burst the Larry Brown bubble. I have to say I'm inclined to agree. Given both his own coaching tour and his often inexplicable trades every year, it seems Brown's got a terminal case of basketball ADD. Is he really the right guy to take Detroit over the hump?

Can't say I was rooting for the Spurs last night, but it was kinda heartwarming to see Steve Kerr get in a final three-ball spree. Now this should actually make for an interesting Finals, as the Spurs are worse than last year's Lakers and the Nets are better than they were last year. Here's hoping Jason Kidd leads the East to glory.

"For years, black ballplayers were stereotyped as not being interested in playing defense. When black players became very good at defense and began to dominate the league on the defensive end, the NBA loaded the dice. And this is precisely where the Euro players stepped in." Dan McGraw talks about race and the foreign invasion of basketball in the Village Voice. I'm not sure I buy the zone defense conspiracy theory being promulgated, but there's some interesting food for thought here nonetheless. And it is pretty sad to see how far the league will go to pander to white people -- For example, the Frank Sinatra ad mentioned, or the ridiculous soft-focus Finals ads ("This is old school basketball.") on ABC right now.

I weep for Sacramento, but so what? It was like betting on a three-legged horse. Dr. Thompson checks in from the NBA finals.

The Lakers fall to the Spurs in six. (Woohoo!) But, amid the rejoicing (outside of LA, of course), let's take a moment to remember Dave DeBusschere, one of the all-time Knick greats.

Mike Fratello notwithstanding, it appears that TNT continues to be the best place for basketball coaches to spend time between gigs. A week after Danny Ainge joined the Celtics, the cellar-dweller Cleveland Cavaliers ask New York if they can speak to Jeff Van Gundy. Hiring Van Gundy would be a great move for Cleveland, but I'd think he'd want a more high-profile and talent-laden club. (Of course, they might always get LeBron...) Ah well. I still wish Van Gundy had never left the Knicks. (As for playoff news, Chris Webber's injury has greatly depressed me, but I'll stick with my earlier picks for now.)

I know I haven't been posting much about them here, but trust me - I've been watching the NBA playoffs religiously, and will post my revised second round predictions in short order. Right now, I'm 5 for 6 on my original first round picks (Boston played better - and Indiana played much worse - than I had expected), and I'm feeling much happier about calling Portland over Dallas in 7 than I was when the Blazers were down 3-0. Then again, Portland deserved some karmic recompense after Coach Mo Cheeks' star-spangled save before Game 3.

I gotta say, last night's Lakers-Wolves Game 3 had the worst officiating I've seen since...well, since Sac-LA Game 6 last year. With the ticky-tack 4th, 5th, and 6th fouls on KG, the phantom foul on Kobe's 4-point play, and that egregious call in OT when Wally World shadowed Pargo (a rookie...a rookie got that call) on the full-court break and never touched him, it was clear the league was angling for the Sacramento-LA rematch. Fortunately, Wolves got the win anyway...nevertheless, the reffing was flat-out egregious. Update: The league fesses up.

Twenty minutes until my favorite sporting event of the year kicks off, so I had best hurry up and get my NBA playoff picks in order. Even the dismal news about McDyess's third knee surgery can't ruin this day's excitement. (On a side note, did anyone else find it fitting that our final image of Michael Jordan was at the free throw line? Back in his heyday, he basically lived there, with the refs sending him to the line every time another player dared to breathe wrong on His Airness.) At any rate, here goes:

The (L)East - First Round: In previous seasons, I've gotten annoyed by people hating on the caliber of the East. But this year I have to admit, all the real action is in the West. That being said...

Detroit Pistons v. Orlando Magic: Despite their stellar D anchored by Big Ben Wallace, I really don't think the Pistons have the offense to go all the way to the Finals. That being said, I'm pretty sure they'll get past the Magic, despite what is sure to be crazy numbers by Tracy McGrady, the scoring leader this year. With a little luck, T-Mac could've carried Orlando through in a five-game series. But now that the league has gone back to seven games in the first round, there's less room for upsets. Pistons in five.

New Jersey Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Probably the most exciting matchup in the East. Two up-tempo, no-D-playing squads led by the two best point guards in the league, Gary Payton and Jason Kidd. I could see this one going either way, but I'll give it to New Jersey - the Bucks just haven't been playing that well since acquiring the Glove, and in any type of playoff situation, the safe bet is always against George Karl. Nets in six.

Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics: Ho-hum. With the loss of Rodney Rogers and Kenny A and the pickup of Vin Baker (a trade that was Knicks-like in its wrongheadedness), this Celtic unit is worse than the 2002 version. But the young Pacers make a lot of bad decisions, and I haven't seen them play to their potential in months. I have a feeling this'll be an ugly series (turnover, 'Toine jacks a 3, turnover, Pierce jacks a 3, etc.), but Indiana's inside game trumps Boston's threeball assault. Pacers in six.

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Hornets: I've become an Allan Iverson believer ever since catching the Kings-Sixers game earlier this month - in a game filled with talent (at least on the Kings side), AI was the speediest, most dominant player on the floor. With the occasional exception of Keith Van Horn, the rest of the 76'ers are scrubs, but I think AI will get his team through the first round, particularly as Jamal Mashburn has a history of fading in the clutch. Sixers in five.

The West - First Round: Now here's where the real excitement is, with the top 5-6 teams in the league all vying for the same spot in the Finals...

San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns: Even though the Suns won the season series, I just don't see Phoenix having much of a chance if Tim Duncan is on the floor for the Spurs. And, while he's definitely better than Tony Parker, I'm still not sold on Stephon Marbury being much of a floor leader. It'll be fun to see rookie Amare Stoudamire do his thing in the playoffs, but, frankly, experience wins championships. Spurs in five.

Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz: Stockton-to-Malone might've worked against the Timberwolves, but even then I doubt it. While the Lakers have the dynasty mojo working for them, the Kings are the most unselfish, talented, and exciting team in the league, and I for one think they're going all the way this year. While Stockton and Malone's durability is undeniably impressive, I have a feeling they're going to look their age this series. Kings in four.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trailblazers: As I said before, the seven-game first round is going to cut down greatly on the freak upsets. That being said, I think this one is a tossup. Whatever their record, Dallas has proven time and time again that, despite their enormous reservoir of talent, they're a choke-artist team. Only Nick Van Exel can be said to be truly clutch, and only he, Eduardo Najera, and Michael Finley have the ability to shut down their man. And given the media circus surrounding the "Jailblazers," I think Portland's going to come out with something to prove, particularly as they've finally drawn somebody else other than the Lakers in the first round. (LA has owned them ever since that Game 7 fourth quarter meltdown in 2000...the one where Shaq brutalized Steve Smith in the lane while the refs sucked on their whistles, but I digress.) Portland in seven.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers. It's the Minnesota Bowl as the Lake Show returns to their former home. Everyone thinks the T-Wolves are already dead in the water against the three-time champions, but I think they'll hang tougher than anyone suspects. Sure, Shaq and Kobe present match-up problems, but so does KG, who deserves MVP for the way he's put this team on his back this year. In fact, I'd almost like to pick Minnesota to get past the Lakers, but Shaq is still the most unstoppable player in the league, and - much to everyone else's dismay - he gets better every year. (As for Kobe, I think the only difference between Kobe and a player like Ray Allen is that Kobe plays on Shaq's team. I'd make a lot of shots too if I had that kind of force in the paint erasing my mistakes. But I know most people disagree with me on this front.) At any rate, the world is waiting for the Sacramento-LA rematch. LA in seven.

The Rest of the Story:

Detroit vs. Philadelphia: This is where Detroit's suspect offense starts getting them in trouble. Sure, Ben Wallace is a force in the paint, but the Answer is quick and wily enough to cause him trouble. Philly in six.

New Jersey vs. Indiana: As I said before, the Pacers are talented enough, but they're also young and uneven. Reggie will come up big in at least one game, as is his wont, but in the end Captain Kidd will lead his team safely through the straits of peril. New Jersey in seven.

San Antonio vs. Los Angeles: I for one think the Spurs are a boring team to watch, and they've been folding against the Lakers ever since they swept them in their 1999 title run (against the, sigh, Knicks). So, having dodged the Minnesota bullet, I say the Lakers get past San Antonio relatively easily. Besides, the league wants Sacramento-LA, and will be calling the games accordingly. Lakers in six.

Sacramento vs. Portland: It'll be an exciting series, but Portland has already overachieved and shut up the naysayers. As I noted earlier, Portland has their own LA demons to exorcise, but the Kings not only are a better team, they want it more. Sacramento in five.

***

East Finals: Philly vs. New Jersey. AI will battle mightily, but the rest of his team are going to drag him down. New Jersey in six.

West Finals: Sacramento vs. Los Angeles. It's the main event. The Kings have been building to this point for awhile, and they already went to a Game 7 OT against the Lakers last year. (In fact, take away either Horry's miracle shot in Game 4 or the suspect officiating in Game 6 and the Kings already have a ring.) The Lakers won't give up the title easily, but it's the Kings' hour. Sacramento in seven.

Finals: Sacramento vs. New Jersey. As usual, the NBA finals will be an anticlimax. And, now that the Kings have gone through rather the Lakers, the Mutombo trade will have proven to be an absolute bust for New Jersey. The Kings took the Nets apart during the regular season, and the same thing will happen here. Unlike last year, the Nets will win a game...but that's about it. Kings in five.

To sum up, Sacramento wins it all. So there you have it. Let's see how wrong I can be. Right now, the Nets are up 21 on the Bucks. (54-33) Good to see George Karl living down to expectations.

True to form, the Knicks lost their final game of the season last night 109-93, and will be watching the playoffs on TV for the second year in a row. I dunno...obviously, it would've been nice to see them sneak into the 8-spot, but given the preseason injury to McDyess, I'd say the Knickerbockers pretty much overachieved this year. Hopefully a lucky lottery bounce and a rebuilt Dice can put the Knicks back in contention come 2004. As for the playoffs, they should be quite interesting this year, particularly in the West...I'll post predictions sometime in the next few days.

I knew there was a good reason I didn't like baseball. Apparently the Hall of Fame has cancelled a Bull Durham retrospective because (gasp!) Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are against the war. (The Hall of Fame only allows in all-American racists, drunks, and wifebeaters, not peaceniks.) Tim Robbins wrote a nice reply: "Your subservience to your friends in the administration is embarrassing to baseball and by engaging in this enterprise you show that you belong with other cowards and ideologues in a hall of infamy and shame...Long live democracy, free speech and the '69 Mets; all improbable, glorious miracles that I have always believed in." You go, Tim. As Spike Lee pointed out in the first five minutes of He Got Game, basketball is the true American pastime nowadays anyway.

I'm taking a day trip to Philly tomorrow to catch the Sixers take on the Sacramento Kings with some friends in the program. AI v. Webber and Bibby in a possible finals matchup...should be grand. So, see you Monday, and remember to set your clocks back.

As March Madness draws to a close, John McCain leads a move in Congress to ban betting on college sports. Perhaps this isn't the best time to mention that I win my pool if Texas loses today. (No worries, Senator, there's no money at stake...this time.)

In happier news, the brackets have been set for the NCAA tourney beginning next week, which means I have some thinking to do. I caught the opening day of the Big East tournament last week at the Garden, but none of the eight teams I saw made the Big Dance. So, as per usual, when it comes to filling out the bracket, I'm basically flying blind, particularly as my attention has been more spent following the up and down fortunes of the Knickerbockers. In fact, in my first-ever Knicks home game at the Garden (I'd previously seen them a number of times in DC and Boston), I got to see Allan Houston go for 50. Might be too little, too late, but at least it made for a memorable evening.

Clips win it all! Clips win it all! Ok, maybe not.

The Knicks honor their 15-year man in the pivot as Patrick Ewing's 33 is retired tonight at the Garden. Despite the diatribes by Jordan-jocking naysayers like David Halberstam, Ewing was truly one of the greats, along with Hakeem the best center of his generation. If Johnny Starks hadn't stunk up Game 7 in '94 or if David Stern hadn't gotten suspension-happy in '97 after PJ Brown (of the Heat) attacked Charlie Ward, we wouldn't even be hearing all this no-title nonsense every time Pat's name comes up. Ah well...I just wish Ewing could've finished his career in NY. However bad he looked in those last two seasons in Seattle and Orlando, he could've brought more to the Garden every night than Glen Rice and Luc Longley ever did...and we wouldn't be saddled now with overpaid, underachieving players like Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley. At any rate, so long, big fella. It's your night. Update: Thanks to some triple-double heroics by Spree, the Knicks won in double OT on Ewing's night. Other than the somewhat tacky gift of a 2003 Humvee, a nice night all around.

So the NBA trade deadline passed with only one mega-trade: Gary Payton for Ray Allen. I know the Glove is in his waning years, but I still think this is a great trade for Milwaukee, despite the point guard glut. GP is a out-and-out baller, and he single-handedly makes the Bucks serious contenders in the East. As for Seattle, they're clearly calling this year off. The Knicks made no moves again, but I'm glad we didn't pull the trigger on the rumored Spree-for-Cassell trade.

In the midst of finding the appropriate Knicks beat Lakers at home link, I discovered that ESPN.com's gone hi-tech. I'm really not too big on registering for anything, of course, but since I'm there pretty much every day I'll give the Motion bit its chance. Hopefully it's more useful than the annoying Bottomline they were offering a few months ago.

So who else watched the NBA All-Star game last night? In case you missed it, the West defeated the East 155-145 in 2OT, after the East spent entirely too much time trying to get Jordan the last shot. In fact, I'll go ahead and incur the wrath of Bulls fans the world over (a solid percentage of whom I'm sure are now avidly following the Lakers, since they're the winning team these days) by saying the level of MJ-jocking last night was ridiculously excessive. It'd be one thing if the league hadn't already said its goodbyes before the Wizards return last year. And it'd be another if this is the usual protocol for sending off long-time hardfloor warriors (Stockton, Malone, Olajuwon, and Ewing all come to mind.) But it seemed as if even Jordan got sick of all the kudos being sent his way by the end of the night. To say nothing of the fact that the East blew the game because Jordan had to take every game-deciding shot rather than T-Mac or AI. Look, I'll be the first to admit that MJ was a history-making athlete, one whose only peers may be Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. But this will be his third retirement. Can we please stop treating him like the pope? Update: David Aldridge concurs.

George Willis of the NY Post makes the case against trading Latrell Sprewell. Amen.

The NFL admits they botched the biggest call of the Giants-49ers game on Sunday, allowing San Francisco to escape to the next round against Tampa Bay. I remember thinking the game ended screwy, what with the offsetting penalties on third down. Ah well, at least the Jets went through. They're the NY team I root for anyway.

Usually wrong about most things basketball, the Sports Guy gets one right with his apology for underestimating Yao Ming, the Chinese Tower of Power.

Lost in the bad news and pessimism of this election week was one glimmer of hope...at least the Knicks have lucked into a bench scorer with Lee Nailon. Gotta take heart in the little things these days.

Angels win the series. I thought Game 6 was quite exciting. Game 7, on the other hand, was pretty dull. At any rate, it's finally time to focus on more important matters, like the NBA, which starts tomorrow...

The Knicks' season ended before it began yesterday, when new acquisition Antonio McDyess reinjured his knee in an exhibition game. It's gonna be a long year...without Farscape or a decent Knicks squad, I might as well turn off my cable.

Scott Layden and the Knicks throw the book at Sprewell for failure to disclose his yacht party punch. Put simply, Layden is a moron. The worst thing you could do right now is separate Spree and the rest of the team. Plus, broken hand or no, Spree works hard. If you want to start throwing around exorbitant fines, why not charge holy-rollin' model citizen Allan Houston a quarter-mil for constantly disappearing in the clutch?

Consider this the first Knicks-griping post of the 2002-03 season. Said season hasn't even started yet, of course, and we've already lost Sprewell for six weeks. Bleah. Update: And it's already getting worse. Apparently Kurt Thomas has been arrested for hitting his wife. Bleah Bleah.

The good doctor returns for another NFL season. Not a very good effort this time around, but with HsT, you never know.

After seventeen years in the league, longtime Knicks center Patrick Ewing calls it quits. So long, big fella. You earned a break, despite what all the haters have to say. (I still think if Riley had benched Starks in Game 7, the no title albatross wouldn't be a factor, but ah well.)

I've definitely been in a work hole, 'cause I'm just now finding out that Jerry Stackhouse got traded to the Wizards yesterday. I dunno...I personally think Whackhouse is suspect with regards to shot selection, and without Ben Wallace to clean up the boards, that means a lot of turnovers. In more serious news, 'Zo's kidney condition has worsened, and it looks like he's on the verge of missing another season.

For those who dismissed the international presence in the 2002 NBA Draft, are you listening now? America loses to Yugoslavia 81-78, and now will not medal in the World Championships. That's just pathetic. I didn't happen to catch this game, but from what I've heard it was more of the same - a lot of hastily jacked threes and a complete lack of team D.

As I'm writing this, the US basketball team is down 9 to Argentina with 10 seconds to go, meaning they're about to lose their first international game since the 1992 Dream Team...Yep, 87-80, it's over. Wow. Guess we shoulda seen this coming when they made George "the choke artist" Karl head coach.

#1 pick Yao Ming looks decent in yesterday's US-China matchup, going for 13 and 11 in a 30 point loss. More to the point, he didn't let Antonio Davis dunk on him, which should bolster his ego a bit coming into his first NBA season.

While I've been busy the past couple of days, apparently MLB players decided to strike. Well, you know what? I really couldn't care less. At the risk of alienating all the stat-keeping baseball lovers out there, baseball before October just bores me, unless I'm playing or at the stadium watching. Ranks right up there with golf as the sport I most like to nap to on weekend afternoons. I do have a mixture of pity, fascination, and irritation for the legions of Red Sox fans out there, who constantly act like (a) winning a World Series is more important than world peace and (b) Boston is somehow a cursed sports town, despite their winning 16 NBA championships over the years. But otherwise, I have no vested interest in baseball at all...During the summer, I'd rather watch MLS any day of the week and twice on Sunday. And now it's almost September, so bring on the hoops.

Many NBA trades went down in my absence, including Miller to the Clips, Big Dog to the Hawks, and - the biggest - Mutombo to NJ for Van Horn. While that's a great pickup for Jersey (and losing Van Horn is addition by subtraction), I'm actually kinda glad the Knicks-Mutombo trade fell through. Much as I'd love to see Travis Knight off the roster, I gotta think Kurt Thomas has more upside than Mutombo these days. I'd say Mutombo's probably a season or a slight injury away from looking Ewing-tired. We've already been down that road with Glen Rice and Mark Jackson.

ESPN tries to reinvent the Knicks. Houston for Van Horn sounds better than any of the Sprewell trades I've been hearing.

Sportsguy Bill Simmons pens the Michael Myers' Sportscentury. Pretty lame, I know, but the Hubie Brown bit really cracked me up. "OK, you're Michael Myers. You have a tremendous amount of upside for a serial killer, but you have to understand, you've been locked up for the past 15 years..."

The NBA and the Houston Rockets try to figure out how to market Yao Ming. Looks like Agassi's just psyched Yao doesn't play tennis.

In the first big NBA deal since draft day, the Celtics trade underachieving head case PG Kenny Anderson for underachieving head case F Vin Baker. I dunno...but I'll wager it was a terrible call for the Celts. I would have stuck with Rodney Rodgers, but perhaps Baker can turn it on in the East. At any rate, thank goodness the Knicks didn't end up with him.

In deciding to pay big bucks to keep emerging superstar Mike Bibby at point for the Sacramento Kings, the Maloof brothers are making a significant gamble that may end up as a lithmus test of the respective importance of basketball vs. business decisions for small-market clubs.

Looking for a team to call his own, Larry Bird tries to bring the NBA back to Charlotte.

Mitch Lawrence doesn't like the McDyess trade.

Scott Layden gambled big last night in the NBA draft, trading away the seventh pick, Mark Jackson, and Marcus Camby for All-Star PF Antonio McDyess and the 25th pick (PG Frank Williams.) I like it...if McDyess can play a full season, it's a great trade, at least for the short term. (Camby was great when he was healthy, but he was just Mr. Glass too often, and Mark Jackson has had a fork in his back the past two seasons.) Plus, Dice is a legitimate low-post option, while Camby was more of a clean-up guy on the offensive boards...McDyess will draw double teams and open it up for Spree and Houston. Now, if the Knicks can sign free-agent C Keon Clark and actually trade PF Kurt Thomas and PG Charlie Ward to Dallas for PG Nick Van Exel, we're suddenly a contender again. Not a championship contender, mind you, but good enough to represent in the East until we can get back under the salary cap. All in all, a much better night than the Frederic Weis fiasco of 1999. By the way, I thought it a nice parallel that the same summer US joins the world in competitive soccer, the NBA opens its doors to the world...six of the first round picks, including obviously the first pick (Yao Ming of China), were international players.

The NBA Draft is tonight at 7pm on TNT (good historical recap here)...here's hoping for lots of crazy trades accompanied by zingers from Sir Charles, the Jet, and EJ (Inside is far and away the best sports program on television.) As noted yesterday, Knicks pick seventh.

Germany defeats South Korea 1-0, and will face either Brazil or Turkey (Brazil) in the Final. Ah well, it was a great run for the Koreans.

With trade winds blowing around the NBA, ESPN offers its final mock draft before the real deal tomorrow night. Looks like the Knicks may indeed pull off a legit big man in Maryland's Chris Wilcox or (possibly) Brazilian phenom Nene, although I'd think "baby Iverson" Dajuan Wagner is still on their list too. Either way, I'm expecting NY to unload at least half their litany of undersized PF's (Thomas, 'Spoon, Harrington) and backup PG's (Jackson, Ward, Eisley) sometime this summer.

As everyone knows, England and the US went down together in World Cup action Friday. A very disappointing evening, although at least we Yanks can hold our heads high (unlike the '98 fiasco.) I'd say it's Brazil's to lose at this point, although South Korea is clearly exhibiting great mojo this Cup. In other sporting news, the NBA draft is on Wednesday, which along with the final four Cup games should proved oases of sporting excitement amid another long baseball summer. Ah well, at least there's always the MLS.

Michael Davies of ESPN offers World Cup Power Rankings for the final eight squads. In related news, Italian club Perugia cuts Ahn Jung-hwan (the Korean player who scored the Golden Goal that knocked out Italia) in a fit of self-destructive nationalism. At the rate Ahn's going, I'm sure he'll find a job.

While the US gets better at soccer, the rest of the world catches up in basketball. Looks like NBA GM's had better brush up on the language skills.

The US defeats Mexico 2-0 in a North American grudge match, and a new era begins for American futbol. Well, at least a lot of us hope so. At any rate, I'm glad we got the second goal to nip the "Hand of God" conspiracy theories in the bud. Alas, Ireland, Belgium, and Sweden - the three other teams (along with England) I've been rooting for -- weren't so lucky.

You've got your own problems. Another Cup favorite falls as Sweden and England take 1 and 2 in the Group of Death. Meanwhile, over in Group B, Paraguay joins Spain in the winner's circle.

World Cup 2002 sets new records for soccer in the US. Good to know I'm not alone in the dead of night.

Ireland's in, France's out, and that's just the beginning of this week's qualifying madness.

Lakers take a 3-0 lead in the Finals. Ho-hum...when's the draft again?

The US get lucky and pull out a 1-1 tie against host nation South Korea. Bascially, the American keep played off the hook, including stopping a penalty kick in the first half. The US team now controls their fate going into their final first round match against (already knocked-out) Poland...a win or a tie will send 'em through. Said match would have been much more enjoyable if everyone in the bar wasn't forced to listen to the two wankers at the pool table complain about American ball the whole night. Guess what, mates? Nobody cares what you think.

England defeats Argentina on a Beckham pk. It's too bad about Nigeria falling, but if I had to pick two teams I'd like to see get through the Group of Death, it'd be England and Sweden.

With a slew of aerial volleys, America upsets Portugal 3-2 in their World Cup opener. And, unlike the fluke Colombia win in 1994, the US actually looked dominant throughout the game. With Ireland mustering a 1-1 tie against Germany, it's been a good day for my teams.

Who knew Ralph was a Sacramento fan? Nader gets on the NBA about the lousy officiating in Game 6. Great stuff.

I must say, the Laker OT win over Sacramento kinda put a damper on my week. Despite Bibby's heroics, both Christie and Peja deserve consideration for the All-Choke Hall of Fame. Ah well, at least it's easy to know who to root for in the Finals.

Senegal upsets France in the opening morning of the World Cup and New Jersey defeated Boston in the NBA...Nevertheless, for all the early underdog wins, the Lakers victory kinda took the edge off the evening (and the Avalanche...what happened to them?) Ah, well - Sacramento still has the floor in Game 7. All I know is getting up at 7am for the Cup opener was rough. And tomorrow's game is at 5...

Mike Wise surveys the global take-over of the NBA. (I find it amusing the rest of the Kings call Turkoglu "Justin Timberlake.")

Y'know, between the World Cup beginning in the morning and two NBA conference final elimination games in the evening (in which both of my favored choices are up,) tomorrow might just be the best sports day ever. I'm going to have to rearrange my desk so it faces the TV or something.