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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Evidently Phil Jackson has been listening to me, because he finally inserted Andrew Bynum into the starting line-up last night. The result? An easy 103-88 win at New Orleans….

Lamar Odom becoming the sixth man makes the second unit stronger and Bynum starting means Pau Ga-Soft goes back to his natural position of power forward….

Andrew responded with 18 points in 30 minutes, but could have done much more if his selfish teammates got him the ball more often….

Every time I see him with good post position and watch Shannon Brown, Derek Fisher, Ron Artest or Steve Blake launch a three-point shot, my blood boils….

It’s one thing for Kobe Bryant to shoot while Andrew has his man pinned, quite another when one of those guys ignores him….

The big man needs to be involved on every possession and could be a consistent 20-25P, 10-15R player if his teammates quit ignoring him…..

Bynum should touch the ball regularly, because he draws defenders and is a very good passer out of the post.

I watched some idiot named Tucker Carlson on television yesterday, who said that Michael Vick “should have gotten the death penalty” for his involvement with dog fighting….

Evidently, this hypocrite has never seen video of the grotesque mistreatment of animals in slaughterhouses and innocent animals getting their heads blown off by the likes of Brett Favre….

Unless Carlson is a vegetarian, he should keep his mouth shut….

In my opinion, the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses is far worse than what Vick did, and so is the “sport” of hunting; where rednecks hide in trees, pour piss over their heads and then blow the heads off deer with semi-automatic rifles….

And the worst of this “sport” is bow hunting. I’ve seen video if this practice and it’s about as cruel and inhumane as you can get….

While these cowards hide in the bushes, they shoot deer with high powered arrows; which rarely kill them on impact. Then, while the poor creature suffers in incredible pain, these gutless “sportsmen” finish them off….

I’ve never heard of this guy Carlson, who looks ridiculous with his bow tie and plastic hair, but he needs to be called out for the hypocrite he is….

Yes, what Vick did was reprehensible; but he served two years in person, seems to have remorse and has done an admirable job rebuilding his career….

There is a picture on the internet of Favre holding a recently murdered deer’s head by its antlers, beaming with pride having just snuck up on the animal and putting a bullet in its head….

At least Vicks dogs usually survived one of their fights; but no deer has ever survived a bullet from Favre’s assault rifle….

What kind of “sport” is this?” And what kind of a heartless coward would hide in the bushes and blast defenseless animals in the back of the head?….

So if Carlson wants to give Vick the death penalty, then the same should apply to Favre, all hunters and the owners and employees of slaughterhouses….

Once again, I’m convinced Blake Griffin is on his way to superstardom. Another monster night against the Jazz, with 30P and 12R, and the 21-year-old is already the best athlete in the NBA….

I pray every night the “Curse of the Clippers” doesn’t strike Griffin, because he’s on his way to the Hall-of-Fame….

If I were him, I might just get the hell out of town as soon as my rookie contract expores. No point poking a stick at the basketball gods….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As Jack Buck once said “I can’t believe what I just saw.”….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

I’ve witnessed a lot of monumentally bad coaching blunders over the years, but Mike Smith of the Falcons leaps to the top of the class with his incredibly stupid decision in Atlanta’s loss to the Saints….

With 2:30 left and the ball near midfield, the Falcons trailed 17-14 and faced a 4th-and-3….

With Matt Ryan at the controls, there was no decision to make; they don’t call him “Matty Ice” for nothing and the only decision was to go for a 1st down….

Atlanta had foolishly wasted a time out earlier, so with only two left were in a dire situation if they punted: Because all the Saints needed was a first down to end the game….

And with Drew Brees and Sean Payton on the other sideline, there’s no way in hell I’m risking a punt. Payton has never been one to sit on the ball, so you had to expect he’d instruct Brees to throw a safe pass, get a first down, and end the game….

So when the Falcons punter jogged onto the field, I was shocked. And when the ESPN broadcast team agreed with the decision to punt, I was stunned….

You’re telling me that with the ball at midfield, only two time outs left and trailing by three it was the correct decision to punt? In what world do these idiots live?….

Did they not watch the Super Bowl last season? Have they not seen Brees putting up Dan Marino-like numbers? Did they miss Payton’s history of playing to win and not being conservative? Did they actually believe it was a good decision to punt, when a single first down ends the game?….

And were they paying attention on the previous two New Orleans possessions, when Brees easily marched them down the field? The Saints offense was in rythym and there’s no way I’m giving the ball back to them….

Holy s***, these guys are stupid….

There’s nobody as down on the York family than me, but after reading 29-year-old owner Jed York’s quotes I’m actually kind of optomistic about the future….

I know the kid might be full of s***, but saying he’s going to consult former owner Eddie DeBartolo on the new GM and coaching hires gives me hope….

He also says the organization is going to do whatever it takes to win and nothing less than the Super Bowl should be the goal….

His cheap-ass father and mother have done everything in their power to ruin the organization and still have a huge say in the organization, but at least Jed is saying the right things….

Now let’s see how this GM and coaching search goes….

If it were me, I’d hire Jim Harbaugh and make a deal with the Panthers to acquire the #1 pick. The Panthers have holes everywhere and York and the new GM should put together a package of draft picks and players to make it happen….

Stanford QB Andrew Luck is, in my opinion, a can’t miss prospect and worth whatever the 49ers have to give up….

You simply can’t win without a QB and that has to be the first order of business if they’re going to become a Super Bowl contender….

Hire Harbaugh, make the deal for Luck and watch the franchise return to glory….

That is, if Jed York means what he says and his parents butt out….

It makes me think back to the glory days when DeBartolo owned the team. He was a generous, astute, innovative owner whose players loved him. He spared no expense making them fell like first-class citizens and rewarded them greatly for winning….

Unfortunately Eddie got invloved with Eddie Edwards, the former crooked Governor of Louisiana, in a casino venture and wound up getting indicted….

When the whole thing shook out, DeBartolo was given the choice of keeping his real estate holdings or the 49ers. And with his real estate empire woth over $1B, he chose that route….

The team was turned over to his sister, Denise York, and I’m sure Eddie thought someday she’s return the team to him and all would be right with the world….

Instead, she back stabbed him and gave control to her brother, John York, who turned out to be one of the cheapest and least liked people in the NFL….

The Yorks first two moves, Terry Donahue as GM and Dennis Erickson as head coach, were colossal blunders and set the franchise back 10 years. They haven’t had a winning season since 2002 and the reason is the incompetence of York and his sister….

Since Denise and Eddie continue to feud and DeBartolo buying back the team is not going to happen, it was exciting to hear Jed break away from his parents and publicly state he was going to consult his Uncle Eddie in the rebuilding of the franchise….

Could this mean the kid is his own man and committed to getting the 49ers back to elite levels? I have no choice but to believe and hope he means it….

The alternative is too horrible to imagine. Decades more of the York family….

Okay Jed, you’re on the clock and 49er nation is watching….

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WEEKEND NOTES

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There’s no doubt Phil Jackson is the greatest NBA coach of all time, since he’s on the verge of a fourth 3-peat and 12th World Championship. But one thing which has always frustrated me is his handling of Andrew Bynum….

Every time Andrew gets on a roll, the Zenmaster takes him out of the game and explains to the press that is was some defensive lapse….

Yet when it comes to Pau Gasol, one of the worst defensive centers I’ve ever seen, Phil had the patience of Job and allows him to make mistake after mistake….

The Lakers Christmas Day embarrassment at the hands ot the Heat was another example of Jackson’s inexpliclable handling of Bynum….

Early in the second quarter, with the Lakers already behind double digits and giving up lay-ups in bunches, Big Chief Triangle finally inserted Andrew into the game. On the first two possessions, Bynum got the ball in the post, scored easily and it seemed he was on his way to a big game….

As good as the Heat are, they have no inside presence and vulnerable against quality big men who attack the basket. And since Gasol was playing soft and settling for fall away jump shots, Bynum seemed to be the answer….

Sure enough, he immediately scored twice, the momentum seemed to change and it seemed the Lakers could get back in the game….

Instead, Bynum never touched the ball again, the Zenmaster took him out and he only played 18 minutes….

I know Andrew is coming off knee surgery and maybe Phil is being careful with him, but for God’s sake the guy is making over $10M a year and the team need stop babying him….

Since Gasol is a soft, no-defense-playing center, it’s time for Bynum to re-enter the starting line-up and play 30+ minutes per game. It’s also time for his teammates to get him the ball….

The past twpo years proved that the Lakers can’t win a championship without him, even when he’s not 100%. Even when he’s not right, he’s still effective defensively and moves Gasol back into his natural position….

But when he doesn’t play, you have the 2008 Finals; when Pau played center while the Celtics big men took turns making Gasol their girlfriend….

All that was missing was Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins smoking a cigarettes after they finished with the soft Spaniard….

It’s time to move Lamar Odom back to his 6th Man role and get Bynum back into the starting line-up….

As a lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan, I was happy to see them lose to the Rams and get eliminated from the playoff picture….

Had they snuck into the playoffs at 7-9, it would have been a disgrace to the NFL and they would have been blown out in the first round. It also might have resulted in Mike Singletary keeping his job, which would have been a disaster….

Now, they’re out of the playoffs, Singletary has already been fired and it’s time to rebuild….

Singletary changed QB’s every week and yesterday fought with Troy Smith on the sidelines; embarrassing the organization….

In Singletary’s defense, there is plenty of blame to go around; starting with the incompetent ownership group….

They’re the ones who took Alex Smith with the 1st pick in the draft, with Cal’s Aaron Rodgers right across the Bay Bridge….

While Rodgers has blossomed into a star, Rodgers has been a complete bust….

The York family are the Moe, Larry and Curly of the NFL and if they had any respect for the fans of San Francisco would sell the team back Eddie DeBartolo….

Since that’s not going to happen, they need to hire a good coach, find a QB and butt out….

Singletary was in way over his head and needed to go, but now who is going to be the replacement?….

Here’s my list:

1) Jim Harbaugh: If he takes the job, Andrew Luck might demand to go with him; which means the 49ers would have to engineer a trade. If he pulls an Eli Manning, it could happen.

2) Bill Cowher: His record speaks for itself and it would be an instand turnaround.

3) Jon Gruden: Not a huge fan, but a hell of a lot better than what they’ve had.

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Good to see David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko have appeared to agree on a 50-50 split and could unify the Heavyweight Championship in the spring….

I know not many people in the States care, but this will be the biggest fight in European history….

I know Haye is undersized and doesn’t have the best chin in the world, but I believe he’ll knock out Wladimir in a huge upset….

The Hayemaker is a great athlete with fast hands and a thunderous right cross. He’s not a great fighter and a little unpolished, but I think he’ll reach Klitschko’s chin early and get him out of there….

Wladimir has improved since getting knocked out by Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster and getting knocked down repeatedly by DaVarryl Williamson and Samuel Peter, but there’s no exercise to imporve his greatest weakness; a glass jaw….

He’s been fighting a collection of stiffs for the past five years, who are in there only to survive. They stay on the outside of Wladimir’s long jab and take a prolonged beating before getting stopped….

Yes, Haye might get knocked out by Klitschko, but there’s no way he’s going to fight scared and sit on the outside. He’ll come right at Wladimir and with his superior hand speed will drop a right hand on him. The we’ll see that Klitschko still has no chin….

Wladimir’s brother Vitali, however, will be a different story….

After Haye knocks out Wladimir, he’ll get taken to school by Vitali and either lose by late knockout or lopsided decision….

Unlike Wlad, Vitali is a tough guy with a good chin and he’ll control Haye all night long….

LeBron James is taking a lot of criticism, especially from his fellow union members, for having the temerity to suggest contracting a few NBA franchises….

In his spiel, he mentioned that the NBA was a lot better in the 1980′s, “When you could have three or four All-Stars, three or four Hall-of-Famers, on the same team. The league was great then and not watered down with 30 teams the way it is now.”….

Reaction: LeBron is 100% correct and I’d like to see three or four teams kicked out….

Then you could have a dispersal draft and a lot of teams get stronger….

A great idea….

On draft day a few years ago, I stated that Kevin Love would be a bust and Timberwolves management were fools to draft him in the lottery….

True, he was fat and slow at UCLA; which I thought was a lack of discipline and desire….

But before the draft Kevin lost 30 lbs, got into great shape and has now developed into an All-Star and elite player. He’s averaging 22P and 6R, numbers which haven’t been seen in the NBA for quite some time….

I think I need to draft a letter of apology, as I did for Mitch Kupchak a few years ago….

Question: Why is it that Michael Vick goes to jail for his role in dog fighting, is universally condemned and not allowed to own a dog; while Brett Favre poses for a picture with an deer he shot in the head and not receive any criticism?….

In the picture, Favre is holding a deer by the antlers and smiling broadly for the camera; with the animal’s head half blown off from Favre’s assault rifle….

If that’s not cruelty to animals, I don’t know what is….

At least a pit bull has a chance to win, and even if he does lose it’s rare he’ll lose his life….

There’s no doubt dog fighting is barbaric and Vick killing dogs who lost fights got him exactly what he deserved….

But what about a guy who hides in the bushes, pours deer piss over his head, waits for a deer to walk by and then shoots him in the back of the head? Where’s the sport in that?….

To me, anyone who does that is just as guilty of cruelty to animals….

Anyone else see the hypocrisy?….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I know it’s not a politically correct thing to say, but comparing the UConn women’s 89-game win streak to the 88-game streak of UCLA is ridiculous. Yet that’s what some are trying to do….

There is absolutely no comparison, because the games are completely different and the women’s game is light years behind the men’s….

Any good boys high school team would beat the UConn women by 20 points and the elite of the country would blow them out by 40 or 50….

All credit to UConn for a remarkable achievement, but it should be classified as a women’s record, not a basketball record….

Since I could get on the phone right now and within 15 minutes assemble a group of friends who would beat the UConn, how legitimate is that record in comparison to the men?….

Call me sexist, anti-woman or whatever you want, but it’s the truth and the cowards in the media are afraid to say what they know to be true….

Shane Mosley is being called disloyal by his former business partner Oscar De La Hoya, but he did the right thing in leaving them for Bob Arum….

There is no doubt Golden Boy Promotions did a great job promoting Shane and made him a lot of money, but they were pushing Juan Manuel Marquez for the May 7th fight against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand….

Shane realizes, at 39, that the million dollar paydays are coming to an end and this might be his final opportunity to make huge money. He didn’t look good in his loss to Floyd Mayweather and his draw with Sergio Mora, so waiting in line for Pacman didn’t make sense….

Sure, Golden Boy was upset he left after all they’d done for him, but the fight game is a life-and-death business….

Only by leaving and signing with Bob Arum would Shane get this deal, so it was a no-brainer….

With Arum already promoting Pacquiao, he can now make this fight and not have to co-promote and split the money with Golden Boy….

If the PPV buys are strong, Mosley will probably make $10M on May 7th; which beats the hell out of making nothing while watching Marquez fight Pacman….

Shane is also going through a divorce, which is devastating for two reasons: 1) The dumb-ass didn’t have a pre-nup and 2) His father-in-law handled all of his money….

Ouch….

So why would anybody criticize Shane for looking out for #1 and getting a $10M payday?….

Who among us wouldn’t have done the same?….

And if pulls off an upset, he’s going to make countless millions In the future….

I know nobody is giving Shane a chance, based on his age and past two performances; but here’s why the experts are wrong….

Yes, he lost big top Mayweather, but the same thing would have happened to Pacquiao. If Mayweather-Pacquiao ever happens, Floyd will deliver a boxing lesson and win with shocking ease. Manny has never faced an elite black American fighter and would see hand speed, reflexes and boxing skill like he’s never seen before….

As for the Mora fight, Mosley took him lightly, didn’t train hard and looked horrible. I guarantee you he will be in great shape for Manny….

Even though he’s not what he once was, Shane will be the first good black fighter Pacman has ever faced and will pose some problems….

Remember, nobody gave Shane a chance before his fight against Antonio Margarito and all he did was take Antonio apart and knock him out in the 8th round….

True, Shane was younger than and nobody knew Margacheato was loading his gloves with cement….

But the fact remains Mosley has a granite chin, excellent hand speed, knockout power and will pose a serious challenge to Pacman….

I’ve been waiting years for Pacquiao to face an elite black fighter and the day is finally here….

I just wish it was Mayweather….

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HIGHWAY ROBBERY

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Yes, I’m a big fan of Bernard Hopkins and loved getting to know him over the years. And I know I’ll be accused of bias when I discuss his Light Heavyweight championship fight Saturday night against Jean Pascal….

But Hopkins clearly won that fight and was robbed of his rightful place of being the oldest fighter to win a World Championship….

Getting knocked down in the 1st and 3rd rounds certainly didn’t help, but the 1st round knockdown was an illegal rabbit punch and shouldn’t have counted. If anything, Pascal should have lost a point….

The knockdown in the 3rd was legit, but Bernard was up in less than a second and wasn’t hurt. He also won the round, which meant he should have lost it 10-9, not 10-8….

Other than that, Bernard won every round and dominated the fight….

In the end, however, it was another in a long line of robberies against Bernard and Pascal kept his title with a majority draw. The American judge had it 114-112 for Hopkins, but he was overruled by the Canadian and Belgian judges, who scored it a draw….

Since the fight was in Pascal’s home town of Quebec, a draw means Hopkins scored a convincing victory….

From the first round through the 12th, the 45-year-old Hopkins took Pascal to school: He outboxed him, outpunched him, hurt him to the body and delivered a boxing lesson….

For a man who will turn 46 next month, it was a remarkable performance and he should have been rewarded with the World Championship….

It was the 28-year-old Pascal who tired late, was battered around the ring and ran for his life; not the old man….

The hard headed Hopkins, who has always managed himself and managed to succeed outside of the boxing power structure, has been punished for his independance over the years; losing fights he clearly won against Jermain Taylor and Joe Calzaghe….

In his two losses to Taylor, he dominated late and won both fights 117-111 on my scorecard….

The Calzaghe fight was closer, but I had it 115-112 Hopkins. Bernard delivered another boxing lesson that night and schooled Calzaghe for 12 rounds. Sure, Joe was busier, but he never hit Bernard….

He threw a million punches, but all of them were on the arms or gloves. As usual, Hopkins didn’t have a mark on his face; because Calzaghe never hit him cleanly….

Unfortunately, two things worked against Bernard in the Taylor and Calzaghe fights: 1) HBO’s slanted, biased coverage and 2) The boxing establishment looking for any way to screw Bernard because of his being an independant contractor….

Points are scored with “effective aggressiveness,” which means you have to actually be doing something when you throw punches. Coming forward and “being busy” means nothing if your opponent is blocking everything you throw….

While Jim Lampey, Harold Lederman and Larry Merchant misled viewers by praising Taylor and Calzaghe’s “agressiveness” and “being busy,” they failed to point out the rules of boxing state it must be “effective aggression” to win you rounds….

Simply throwing more punches which land on the arms or gloves should not win you any points….

Effective aggression and landing the cleaner, harder punches are how you determine the winner….

But in the Taylor and Calzaghe fights, the HBO team never once mentioned this….

For every three punches Bernard took on the gloves, he landed a clean counter; which should win you the round. He knocked down Calzaghe and landed the cleaner, harder shots gaainst Calzaghe and Taylor; yet got screwed by the judges….

So with HBO slanting their coverage and the powers-that-be determined to end his career, Bernard must totally destroy his opponent, a la Felix Trinidad and Kelly Pavlik, to win….

And that’s a shame….

Since Saturday night’s fight was on Showtime, it was a different set of announcers. Al Bernstein and Jim Gray had Bernard winning, while Antonio Tarver had Pascal up by a point….

Looking around the boxing websites and unofficial boxing writers scorecards confirmed what I witnessed; because almost all of them had Bernard winning….

At this point of his career, Hopkins is not a knockout puncher, especially at Light Heavyweight, so he’s up against it if he doesn’t knock these guys out….

He hurt Pascal to the body and shook him several times with straight rights and left hooks, but couldn’t get him out of there. So even though he dominated the fight, he got screwed again….

After the fight, Golden Boy’s Richard Schaeffer was livid and called for an investigation. Hopkins was also in rare form at the press conference, demanding a rematch and rightfully claiming he was robbed….

Hopefully, Bernard continues his career, but it looks like he hasn’t lost anything, even at 46….

If I were him, I’d challenge England’s David Haye for his share of the Heavyweight Championship. Yes, Haye is a lot bigger and hits hard, but he’s amateurish and throws wild, winging punches….

In my opinion, Hopkins would take him to school and win the Heavyweight Championship. If he came into the ring around 190 lbs, he’s be strong anough and fast enough to win….

While Haye would be swinging wildly, Bernard would counter, make him miss and dominate the fight….

Then, of course, the judges would screw him and he’d lose another bulls*** decision….

And that would be a shame….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kudos to Mark Cuban for offering to bankroll a college football playoff season. According to the Mavericks owner, it will take a pool of $500M to get it done and he’s “the guy who can do it.”….

Unfortunately it’s not going to happen; because the University Presidents, Athletic Directors and Conference Commissioners are dead set against a playoff….

There is only one way it will happen; a complete blackout of coverage by the networks and media….

If all of them got together, refused to televise the bowls and agreed not to print a word about the games, we’d quickly break them….

But as long as ESPN runs “Bowl Mania” and “Countdown to the BCS” specials, we’re fighting a losing battle….

And as long as ESPN, Fox and the rest give the BCS tens of millions of dollars for rights fees, the crooks who run college football only get stronger….

I’m just one man with little power, but I urge all of you to do the following: Boycott the BCS….

Don’t watch a single bowl game, don’t talk about it with your friends, don’t watch the ESPN specials and completely ignore the whole damn thing….

Otherwise, we just feed the beast….

As if there were any doubt, Mike Singletary needs to be removed as coach of the 49ers….

At 5-8, he was on thin ice anyway. But after last night’s 34-7 embarrassment to the Chargers there can be no doubt he needs to go….

I think Singletary is fine as a defensive coordinator and was a Hall-of-Fame player; but he’s in way over his head as a head coach….

In his defense, he didn’t draft Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers and it’s nearly impossible to win without a QB….

But Mike is too conservative and doesn’t have a clue how to run an offense. And he never should have fired Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator….

Sure, Martz is a horrible head coach, but there’s not a better offensive coordinator in the NFL and Singletary should have butted out and let him run the offense….

Instead, Singletary’s philosophy of not turning the ball over and playing for field position flew in th eface of what Martz was trying to do….

His ego got in the way and now he’s going to lose his job….

The amazing thing is the 49ers still aren’t eliminated from playoff contention; because the Rams and Seahawks are equally inept….

If they win their last two, they finish 7-9, which might be enough to sneak in….

Even if that happens, Singletary still needs ot get s***-canned….

And by the way, the NFL needs to change the way they run the playoffs. Instead of division winners automatically qualifying, they should take the 12 best teams and seed them 1-12….

I don’t care if 10 teams are from one conference, the best teams qualify. Nobody from the NFC West deserves to play after Week 16 and it’s a shame a more deserving team will be left out….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

After watching the Knicks-Celtics game last night, I’m convinced of two things: 1) Mike D’Antoni is a magnificent coach and the Knicks have arrived as one of the NBA’s best teams. 2) I wouldn’t make the Carmelo Anthony trade if I were the Knicks; not if I have to give up Danilo Galinari or Wilson Chandler….

Those two are very impressive, 22 years old and could be part of a great Knicks run over the next few years. For a Euro, Gallinari is very athletic, evidenced by his two-hand reverse dunk off a baseline drive last night….

Gallinari is 6’10″, averaging 16PPG and on the cusp of becoming a very good NBA player….

He’s doing Italy proud….

Chandler, at 6’8″, had 18P and 12R against the Celtics and averaging 17P for the season….

No way I’m parting with with either of those guys, because they’re the foundation, along with Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire, for the future….

Now if the Nuggets would be willing to take Landry Fields (Another good young player), Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and a couple of #1 picks, then we might have a deal….

But since Carmelo’s wife, attention-whore LaLa Vasquez, says he has to play for the Knicks, there’s no point giving away any young talent or draft picks….

Just sign him as a free agent in the off-season and keep your draft picks and young core of players….

I’m telling you, if they add Anthony to this mix next season, they’ll be the best team in the East and a threat to win the NBA Championship….

Kudos to D’Antoni for putting all this together so quickly…

Already, the return of Andrew Bynum is paying dividends. He only played 18M and scored 3 points, but again his presence allowed Pau Gasol to reduce his minutes; which will be huge come playoff time….

With Pau cutting his minutes and not having to wrestle with centers every night, the Lakers should end up with w three-peat come June….

The Lakers won the second of a back-to-back last night, 109-94 against the Pacers. And with their next three against the 76ers, Raptors and Bucks, the Lakers should have a nice six-game win streak going into their Christmas Day encounter with the Heat….

Speaking of the Heat, they have won 10 straight, but will face a stiff test tomorrow night against the Knicks….

After last night’s heartbreaker, the Knicks should be primed in front of their home crowd. And with Miami having nobody to guard Stoudemire and Felton, New York should win….

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NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It’s been a long wait, but Andrew Bynum made his debut last night in the Lakers 103-89 win over the Wizards. In only 17 minutes, Bynum had seven points, four rebounds and two blocks, which bodes well for the team’s chances to three-peat….

The most important stat, though, was put up by Pau Gasol; and it didn’t have anything to do with points or rebounds….

The number I’m referring to is Gasol’s 31 minutes played, thanks to Andrew’s return….

It’s only 25 games into the season, but already Pau was looking exhausted and having a difficult time defending opposing centers….

But with Bynum on the floor, Pau moves back to forward, plays less minutes and will hopefully be fresh for the playoffs….

As for the proposed Sasha Vujacic for Joe Smith trade, that appears to be a salary dump for the Lakers. Now they’re out of Sasha’s $13M the next two years and Smith is finished at the end of the season….

And what the hell, if Smith has anything left in the tank it’s another big body to reduce Gasol’s minutes and strengthen the bench….

The Nets are acquiring as many first round picks as possible to make a run at Carmelo Anthony….

As for Andrew’s debut, I thought he moved well, played effective defense and performed the role the Lakers need to win another championship: Defend, rebound and score 15-20PPG….

They can’t win a championship without him and hopefully this will be the year he goes into the post-season 100% healthy….

I’ve been watching baseball all my life and I’m trying to think of a starting rotation as strong as the 2011 Phillies….

Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton give them two #1 starters, two guys who would be #1 starters on most teams and a #5 guy who might be a #1 on a team or two….

Wow….

Of course, looking good on paper doesn’t mean much and we’ll see how effective they are once the season starts….

But this group just might be the best I’ve ever seen….

The Yankees were blindisded by this, because they were certain Lee would sign with them. Now they have the same pitching problems which resulted in an early exit from last season’s playoffs….

And with the Red Sox acquiring Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, they have to be the favorites in the A.L. East….

Which means they’re the favorites for the World Series….

Good thing they have to play 162 games, because it sure looks like a Phillies-Red Sox World Series….

Not too many people predicted the Giants would win the World Series last season, with the middle of their line-up consisting of two guys claimed off waivers and another acquired in a mid-season trade. But there they were, pouring champagne over each other in October….

You can spend all the money you want, but it still comes down to good organizations, a strong farm system and plugging in a free agent who’s a good fit….

The Yankees have spent like crazy the past decade and have one World Series win to show for it….

Another point: Baseball doesn’t have a salary cap yet there are more teams with a chance to win than any other sport. On September1st, 20 teams were still alive for the playoffs and ther is more competitive balance than in the other sports….

So spend all you want, Yankees and Red Sox, because it doesn’t translate to a World Series win….

Just ask the Giants….

Filed Under: Dave Smith Tagged With: ,

NOTES ON A SCORECARD

December 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

With 2:54 remaining and the Ravens leading 28-20, they were in very good position. Their opponent, the Texans, had foolishly wasted all of their time outs and unable to stop the clock….

Baltimore had a third-and-2 at the Houston 44 and all they needed was a first down to close out the game….

Of course, with the Texans out of time outs, the Ravens would run the ball, hopefully get a first down and go home. Even if they didn’t get a first down, they could go for it on fourth-and-short or run 45 seconds off the clock and punt….

The one thing you didn’t want to do was throw, because an incomplete pass stops the clock, effectively giving Houston a time out they didn’t have….

Incredibly, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh decided to throw the ball, which fell incomplete and put his team in an unnecassary, dangerous situation….

Now, instead of either running out the clock or milking an extra 45 seconds, Harbaugh left 2:45 on the clock for Matt Schaub to work his magic….

As the Texans marched down the field like Dave Smith through someone else’s alcohol, I kept thinking about the idiotic move made by Harbaugh….

And after Houston scored and then converted a two-point conversion with 21 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, I wondered if Harbaugh would be allowed on the team plane….

Fortunately for the Coach, the Ravens’ Josh Wilson intercepted Schaub in O.T. and returned it for a game winning T.D; bailing out his inept coach….

But it still doesn’t excuse Harbaugh’s stupid decision which nearly cost his team a sure win….

Clock management, clock management, clock management….

Sorry to see Brett Favre’s 297 game consecutive streak stopped due to injury, because in my opinion it’s one of the great records in sports history and a testament to his toughness….

Cal Ripken reached legendary status with his 2500+ game streak, but that pales in comparison….

All Ripken did was play baseball, followed by a five month vacation. Hell, I did 20 years of sports-talk radio without ever missing a day and nobody threw me a parade….

And that was with no five-month breaks….

To play almost 20 years in the NFL at QB without missing a start is mind boggling. With the punishment quarterbacks take, especially guys like Favre, who refuse to slide and take on tacklers twice his size, never missing a game is beyond belief….

I would say it’s a record which will never been broken, but a look at the record book shows Peyton Manning has a streak of 205….

With the league going to an 18-game schedule, Manning should break the record in five years….

Assuming, of course, he stays healthy….

Even if Peyton does break the record it won’t be as impressive; because Manning was never one to tuck in the ball, race downfield and attempt to run over defenders….

Considering Favre’s reckless style, his record will always remain one of the greatest in the history of sports….

Can you believe Donald T. Sterling sitting courtside and heckling his own player? I know Baron Davis has been a disappointment and The Donald is probably regretting the 5-year, $55M contract he gave him, but berating your own player publicly is yet another classless act by Sterling….

And if Donald T. wants to heckle anyone, he should start by holding up a mirror. He’s the one who gave the injury prone, perpetually overweight Davis a long term, huge money deal….

When Baron is motivated and has his weight down, he’s one of the best players in the NBA; evidenced by his dominant performance in the Warriors first round win oover #1 seed Dallas a few years ago….

Unfortunately, Davis has a lot of outside interests and usually shows up to training camp fat and out-of-shape; which is why he’s always injured….

He could get away with it more often earlier in his career, but at 31 he can’t play his way into shape anymore….

I don’t blame The Donald for being upset, but he should express his displeasure privately and man-to-man; not screaming in his courtside seat….

And when you had to settle a sexual harrassment complaint, admit to using prostitutes and settle a housing discrimination suit for $27.5M, you have no room to criticize anyone….

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