Ten Athletes That Make You Say “Holy S#%@, That Guy’s Still In the League?!?”

Earlier this week I heard that Garrett Anderson retired and my first thought was “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league?!?” I thought the former Angels outfielder hung up his spikes years ago. So I started thinking of other old-timers most people would be shocked to know are still on a pro roster. Longevity or age by itself isn’t enough to make the list. Manny Ramirez and Jason Kidd are pushing 40, but everybody knows they’re still suiting up. I’m talking about guys who you had no idea were still playing.

Here’s a list of ten athletes that make you say “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league?!?”

10) Kurt Thomas

Kurt’s crazy-eyes were on both ends of the Knicks-Heat rivalry in the 1990’s and he was a starter on that Knicks team that advanced to the finals in 1999. He’s a product of bygone era, when teams needed an enforcer to throw some elbows and intimidate the opposition. Yet, somehow Thomas has survived and surprised basketball fans by logging big minutes for the Bulls this season.

9) Mike Modano and Teemu Selanne

I recognize that to NHL fans these are just two players in the twilight of their careers, but to people like myself whose most recent knowledge of hockey comes from NHL ’94, it’s startling to hear that these two former all-stars are still active. Modano is 4o years-old, in his 22nd season and Selanne, also 40, has 20 goals this year in his second go-around with the Ducks.

8)   Mark Brunell

We all remember Brunell as a poor-man’s Steve Young with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The lefty made three Pro Bowls, all of which were last century. After leaving Jacksonville in 2003, he spent four years in Washington, then backed up Drew Brees in New Orleans. There’s no doubt many fans did a double-take when they saw him lineup under center in place of Mark Sanchez – who’s young enough to be his son – in the Jets season finale.

7) Theo Ratliff

Does the name ring a bell? Ratliff was one of the premier defensive players in the game at the turn of the century as a member of the 76ers. He was named to the all-star team in 2001 and led the league in blocks per game three times. Knee injuries curtailed his career and he’s provided minimal production for eight different teams over the past six years. This season he’s played just 67 minutes for the Lakers.

6) Mike Hampton

Remember when this guy cashed in on a great post-season with the Mets by signing that mind blowing deal with the Rockies? That was 2000. After two years with Colorado he was traded to Atlanta, where he was hit by the injury bug. The hard-throwing lefty has started a total of 46 games since 2004. He missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons and threw just 4.1 innings last year, but still managed to secure an invite to Arizona’s camp.

5) Anthony Carter

Carter played big minutes for the rugged Heat teams of the late ’90’s, early ’00’s. Then he seemed to disappear. In fact, he was out of the league for one year, playing ball in Italy. Few hoops fans realized that he returned to the NBA and had been languishing on the Nuggets bench for five years, until his name popped up as a throw-in in the Carmelo Anthony trade. Suddenly, he’s getting some burn again in New York.

4) Omar Vizquel

Many American League fans lost track of this slick-fielding shortstop when he left Cleveland for San Francisco after the 2004 season. By 2008 he was 41 years-old, had lost his starting position and was expected to retire. But Vizquel wasn’t done. He served as a utility man for the Rangers in 2009 and at the age of 43 is back for his second season with the White Sox.

3) Juwan Howard

It kills me to say this, but anybody who played at Michigan before I enrolled there is ancient in athlete years. Juwan’s lone all-star appearance was in 1996, he hasn’t been an impact player for a long time, and his buddies Jalen and C-Webb joined the booth years ago. There’s no doubt that more than a few Heatles fans were shocked to see this former Wolverine at the end of the bench.

2) Matt Stairs

It’s remarkable for any athlete to play in the big leagues for 20 years, but Stairs’ staying power is that much more impressive because 1) He’s built like John Kruk and 2) He was never that good. He was a poor fielder and is a career .236 hitter. The portly pinch-hitter was nearly impossible to keep track of as he donned ten different uniforms over the past ten seasons. There will be some stupefied Nationals fans if he makes the team this Spring.

1) Todd Collins

This year’s NFC Championship Game between the Bears and Packers produced the the ultimate, “Holy s#%@, that guy’s still in the league” moment. When Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was knocked out of the game with a knee injury everybody watching wondered who his backup was. When they received the answer, their jaws dropped. Collins was a starter in the NFL for one season, in1997, and he’s started only four games since. Even die-hard fans didn’t know he was still carrying a clipboard.

Honorable Mentions:

Kwame Brown, Craig Counsell, Bartolo Colon, Mike Sweeney, Jason Kendall, Arthur Rhodes, Tony Richardson, Jamie Moyer, Brian Scalabrine

NBA News and Notes

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and with about a third of the season remaining teams are gearing up for a post-season run. I for one am in full playoff mode, taking in as many games as I can as teams jockey for position. Here are some of my observations from around the league.

I took two things away from Sunday night’s Knicks-Heat game: Dwyane Wade is a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands down the stretch than LeBron is and now I see what Danny Ainge was thinking. LeBron has always preferred to pass to the guy who takes the winning shot, rather than take it himself. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just is game. He took the clutch shots for the Cavs because he was by far their best player and was crucified when he didn’t. Now he has another superstar on his team who’s more comfortable in that role. Wade should be the finisher.

Everybody knows that the Heat lack size and it was believed that the way to beat them was to pound the ball down low. That’s part of the reason it was so surprising that the Celtics traded their starting center Kendrick Perkins. However, the Knicks showed that the way to beat the Heat may actually be to go smaller. New York’s smaller lineup enabled them to switch on pick-and-rolls and stay in front of LeBron and Wade. Bosh never made them pay for their lack of size. He’s not a low post back to the basket type of player.

Even without Perkins, the Celtics are bigger and more physical than the Heat. Neither team is particularly strong at center and Garnett is much more assertive than Bosh. By trading Perkins for Jeff Green, the Celtics got younger and more athletic on the wing, which should help them keep LeBron and Wade out of the paint as the Knicks did. If the Celtics face the Lakers in the finals, that’s a different story.

There will be a few players hitting the market in the next 24 hours. After being traded from the Hawks Mike Bibby reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards, under which he forfeited the entire $6.2 million he had guaranteed next season. Bibby will clear waivers on Wednesday and wants to play for a contender. Sources say that he’s headed to Miami, where he’ll be a perfect fit. At 32, he’s lost a step since his days in Sacramento and is essentially just a jump-shooter now, but that’s exactly what Miami needs from its point guard. They have Wade and LeBron to create off the dribble and Bibby can knock down the open shots when they do. Plus, his playoff experience would be invaluable down the stretch.

Troy Murphy reached a buyout with Golden State after being trading to the Warriors from the Nets. The big fella languished on the bench in New Jersey this season, but just last year he averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds with the Pacers. He’s said to be interested in joining the Heat or the Celtics. He would add much needed depth to a Celtics team that’s too dependent on Shaquille O’Neal after the Perkins trade and his outside shot would set up pick-and-pops with Rajon Rondo.

Jared Jeffries also agreed to a buyout with the Rockets and is expected to sign with the Knicks today. D’Antoni liked his defense during his first go-around with New York and the Knicks could use him on their depleted front line. To make room for Jeffries and former Bobcat Derrick Brown, the Knicks waived Kelenna Azubuike and the recently acquired Corey Brewer. The Mavs and Celtics are among the teams who have shown interest in Brewer. The Pistons have stated that they have no plans to buy out disgruntled shooting guard Richard Hamilton.

Every time I watch Oklahoma City play I think they should have selected Stephon Curry. The Thunder opted for James Harden instead with the third pick in the 2009 draft. Harden was spectacular at Arizona State and is developing into a solid all-around player (He played great defense on Kobe on Sunday) but he isn’t the ideal fit for that offense. Harden is a slasher and OKC already has one of the best slashers in the league in point guard Russell Westbrook. What they need is a spot-up shooter to make teams pay when they double-team Westbrook or Durant. Curry would have been perfect for the role and his ball-handling ability would also have allowed Westbrook to work off the ball at times.

Forget about a franchise tag. Owners and fans of small market teams are up-in-arms over the recent migration of star players to big market teams. They’re rightfully concerned about holding on to their marquee players and maintaining a level playing field with the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and Heat of the world. Therefore it’s expected that many owners are going to push for a franchise tag in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) this summer, like the one that exists in the NFL.

The biggest obstacle to the franchise tag is that David Stern knows that LeBron’s “Decision” and this year’s “Melodrama” have only added to the league’s popularity. Another issue is that the NBA’s salary cap structure is very different than the NFL’s. In football there’s no maximum salary. If a player is franchised he’s compensated with the average salary of the five highest paid players at his position. In the NBA any player good enough to be franchised would already be in line for a maximum salary contract, so there would be no way to adequately compensate him for foregoing free agency. Individual stars wield a tremendous amount of power in the NBA and there’s no way they’ll go along with such an arrangement. The league will have to find another way to placate small market owners.

There also won’t be contraction. The subject has to be discussed because many teams have lost money over the past few seasons. There’s also a theory that’s been espoused by LeBron James and others that contraction would improve the competitive balance of the league. However, eliminating two teams would mean cutting 30 jobs and the players will take a strong stand against that. New Orleans would be the most logical team to go since they’re now owned by the league, but the NBA will want to avoid the negative publicity that would come with removing a team from New Orleans. That being said, would anybody outside of Sacramento and Charlotte even notice if the Kings and Bobcats were contracted?

This summer won’t be anything like last or next. Last year was the long anticipated “Summer of LeBron” and in 2012 Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard can opt out of their contracts. It’s likely that the biggest names to change location in 2011 did so last week, when Carmelo was traded to the Knicks and the Jazz sent Deron Williams to New Jersey. Several other quality players who might have been available this summer were traded prior to the deadline due to uncertainty regarding the CBA. The NBA draft is also expected to be very weak. There’s no consensus number one pick and scouts believe the talent pool is neither top-heavy nor deep.

The Rockets, Pacers, Kings and Grizzlies will have the most money to spend this summer. The top free agents available to them are David West (assuming he opts out of the last year of his deal), Zack Randolph, Tyson Chandler and Tayshaun Prince. Jeff Green, Rodney Stuckey and Wilson Chandler are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams can retain their rights by matching any offers they receive.

The most intriguing players on the market are oft-injured centers Yao Ming and Greg Oden. Yao, who turns 31 in September has said he’ll wait to see how the stress fracture in his ankle heals before deciding whether to call it a career. He’s made it clear that if he does play, he’d like to finish his career in Houston, though the Rockets have been non-committal on the subject. Oden, a restricted free agent, will garner more interest because he’s still only 23 years-old.

I can’t help but feel sorry for Blazers fans. They’re some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the country and have endured more than their share of grief. A few years ago the future was so bright in Portland. Oden and Brandon Roy were the cornerstones of a team that expected to be a serious contender in the Western Conference for ten to twelve years. Now it looks like both of their careers may be over. Oden has suffered three season-ending knee injuries and Roy’s knees are bone on bone. Worse yet, Oden is the third franchise center the Blazers have lost due to chronic leg or foot injuries, Bill Walton and Sam Bowie being the other two. Nate McMillan has to be in consideration for Coach of the Year for holding the team together despite the injuries and keeping them in playoff contention.

Here are a few other names to consider for Coach of the Year: Greg Popovich (San Antonio), Tom Thibodeau (Chicago), Doug Collins (Philadelphia) and George Karl (Denver). This is a tricky award because it’s very difficult to determine if the coach did a great job or the team was just severely underrated heading into the season. At this point I’d probably vote for Pop. The makeup and quality of his team was well established and he made adjustments to get more out of the same personnel.

Quick hits:

The Nets and Raptors are playing a doubleheader in London later this week. Is this really the best the NBA has to offer its fans overseas?

Check out this clip of the world’s youngest Sasha Vujacic fan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTyReubo_FY

The Timberwolves really dropped the ball with the fifth and six picks in the 2009 draft. Ricky Rubio is still in Europe and Jonny Flynn can’t beat out Luke Ridnour for the starting job.

I’d love for the Heat to sign Eddie Curry and set the record for most washed up big men on a roster. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire, Erick Dampier and Juwan Howard are already on the squad.

It will be interesting to see if Michael Redd has anything left after his serious knee injury. He’ll be a free agent this summer and could be a great bargain for a team in the market for a shooter like the Bulls.

I still wonder how many championships Portland would have won in the late 1980’s – early 90’s if Arvydas Sabonis had joined the team when they drafted him in 1986.

Ozzie vs. Jenks

After signing with the Red Sox in December, former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks criticized the way his old manager Ozzie Guillen handled him and the bullpen in general. A few days later Guillen’s son Oney tweeted that Jenks used to cry in the manager’s office.

Round two began on Friday, when Jenks claimed that there’s a problem between Guillen and the White Sox front office. Naturally, Ozzie had plenty to say in response. He initially dismissed the comments, then alluded to dirt he and Oney have on Jenks, and concluded with…

“I’m not even mad. I wish I was mad about it because I will rip his throat.”

Jenks has 18 years, 5 inches and probably over 100 pounds on his former skipper, but you don’t mess with crazy. So who you got?

20 Most Athletic Families

by Paul Knepper

As I watched TNT’s coverage of the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night, I was struck by how remarkable it is that two individuals as talented as Cheryl and Reggie Miller grew up in the same house. In fact, countless families have produced more than one professional athlete, whether it be siblings, father and son, or in some cases three generations of ballplayers. So I decided to countdown the 20 most athletic families in sports history.

To clarify the criteria I used; the athletes had to be blood relatives. Married couples such as Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi and Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra weren’t considered. Neither were sister-in-laws Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Griffith-Joyner. I also didn’t count NASCAR families like the Earnhardts, Andrettis or Pettys because I don’t believe driving around in a circle requires athleticism.

20) Perry – Jim and Gaylord

Gaylord was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young award in both leagues. The master of the spitball won 314 games and was elected to Cooperstown in 1991. Older brother Jim won 215 games and a Cy Young award of his own. They made eight all-star appearances between them.

19) Niekro – Phil and Joe

The knuckleballers combined for 539 wins, a record for a brother combo. Phil won 318 of those and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. Joe was an all-star in 1979 and a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.

18) Sharpe – Sterling and Shannon

Shannon was the first tight-end to amass 10,000 yards receiving and won three Super Bowls as a member of the Broncos and Ravens. His brother Sterling would have joined him in Canton had it not been for a career-ending neck injury. The elder Sharpe was a five-time All-Pro selection as a wide receiver for the Packers and led the NFL in touchdowns twice.

17) Griffey – Ken Sr. and Ken Jr.

The Griffeys were the first father-son combo to play in the Major Leagues at the same time and even hit back-to-back home runs with the Mariners. Junior was one of the premiere players of his generation and ranks fifth on the all-time home run list. Senior won two World Series with the Reds and was a three time all-star.

16) Alomar – Sandy Sr., Sandy Jr., Roberto

Sandy Sr. played several positions over his 15 year career and was named an all-star in 1970. Junior made the all-star team six teams as a catcher and was named the game’s MVP in 1997. Younger brother Roberto was one of the best all-around second basemen to ever play the game. He’ll be inducted into Cooperstown this summer.

15) Spinks – Leon and Michael

Both brothers won a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics. Leon became heavyweight champion when he defeated Ali in 1978 and Michael was the light heavyweight champion. Michael also won the IBF heavyweight title after beating Larry Holmes, though he’s best remembered for his pathetic showing against Mike Tyson.

14) Robinson – Mack and Jackie

In addition to breaking baseball’s color line, Jackie Robinson was named N.L. MVP in 1949 and won a World Series with the Dodgers in 1955. His older brother Mack won a Silver Medal in the 1936 Olympics in the 200 meters, finishing just .4 seconds behind the great Jesse Owens.

13) Ali – Muhammad and Laila

Muhammad Ali was the three-time heavyweight champion of the world and in his own words, “The greatest of all-time.” The champ’s daughter won the Super middleweight title in 2002 and never lost a professional fight.

12) Waner – Paul and Lloyd

The Waner brothers starred in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield in the 1920’s and both went on to the Hall of Fame. Paul was named NL MVP in 1927 and compiled over 3,000 hits. Lloyd was a lifetime .316 hitter and had close to 2,500 hits of his own.

11) Bonds – Bobby and Barry

Barry holds the single season and career home run records and was named N.L. MVP seven times. His father Bobby wasn’t too shabby either. The elder Bonds became only the second player to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases over a career and reached the 30-30 mark five times in his career.

10) DiMaggio – Joe, Vince and Dom

The “Yankee Clipper” was one of the greatest all-around ballplayers to ever step foot on a baseball diamond. His 56 consecutive game hitting streak is a record that may never be broken. Joe’s younger brothers Vince and Dom also played center field in the big leagues. Dom made seven all-star appearances as a member of the Red Sox and Vince smacked 125 career home runs.

9) Howe – Gordie, Mark and Marty

“Mr. Hockey” was an all-star 23 times. He won four Stanley Cups, six Hart Trophies and is the second leading scorer in NHL history. His son Mark made the Stanley Cup finals three times during his 16 seasons in the NHL and his older brother Marty bounced back and forth between the NHL and minors over seven seasons.

8)  Boone – Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron

Ray played thirteen seasons in the Major Leagues during the 1940’s and 50’s. His son Bob was an excellent defensive catcher and grandson Aaron sent the Yankees to the World Series with his 11th inning blast in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. When Aaron’s brother Bret was named an All-Star in 1998, the Boones became the first family to have three generations of all-stars.

7) Barry – Rick, Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew

Rick was named NBA Finals MVP in 1975 and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. His oldest son Scooter won the 1988 NCAA championship with Kansas. Jon, played 14 seasons in the NBA. Brother Brent won NBA Championships with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007 and Rick’s fourth son Drew also played three years in the league.

6) Matthews – Clay Jr., Bruce, Clay III and Kevin

Clay Jr. made four Pro Bowls as a linebacker with the Browns and his younger bro Bruce is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen ever. Their father Clay Sr. played four seasons with the 49ers in the 50’s. Clay III just won the Super Bowl and finished second in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year this season. His younger brother Casey, a linebacker at Oregon is a pro prospect and his cousin Kevin (Bruce’s son) plays center for his father’s old team, the Titans.

5) Sutter -Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, Ron, Brandon and Brett

Six Sutter brothers: Brent, Brian, Duane, Rich and Ron reached the NHL in the 70’s and 80’s. None of the brothers were stars, but collectively they played closed to 5,000 games, scored 1,320 goals and won six Stanley Cups. Darryl’s son Brett and Brent’s son Brandon now play for the Carolina Hurricanes.

4) Miller – Darrell, Cheryl and Reggie

Reggie’s big sis once scored 105 points in a high school game and many basketball insiders believe she was the greatest female basketball player ever. Reggie was the NBA’s all-time three point leader until last week and little known older brother Darrell was a catcher for the California Angels for four seasons.

3) Hull – Bobby, Dennis and Brett

Bobby is probably the best left winger to ever play the game. He led the NHL in scoring three times and won the Hart Trophy twice. His brother Dennis was his linemate for several seasons in Chicago and scored over 300 goals of his own. Bobby’s son Brett led the league in goals three times and ranks third all-time with 741 for his career.

2) Williams – Venus and Serena

Not only have they dominated the women’s game over the past decade, they’re arguably two of the top ten greatest players of all-time. Serena has 13 Grand Slam titles to Venus’ 7. The sisters have also won 12 Grand Slams as doubles partners.

1) Manning – Archie, Peyton and Eli

Archie was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Saints and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, but he wasn’t able to accomplish what two of his sons did, win a Super Bowl. Peyton will own a slew of NFL records by the time he retires and Eli was MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

Honorable Mentions:

Gus, Buddy, David and Mike Bell; Cal Jr., Cal Sr. and Billy Ripken; Felipe, Matty, Jesus and Moises Alou; Ramon and Pedro Martinez, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sr.; Bengie, Jose and Yadier Molina; Ken Norton Jr. and Sr.; John and Patrick McEnroe; Calvin and Grant Hill; Cecil and Prince Fielder; Howie and Chris Long; Bill and Luke Walton; Kellen Winslow Jr. and Sr.; Dizzy and Daffy Dean; Yannick and Joakim Noah

Breaking Down the NBA Trade Deadline Deals

The NBA trade deadline came and went at 3:00 PM Eastern Time and news of trades trickled in over the hour that followed. Due in large part to the uncertainty surrounding the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, it was one of the most active deadlines in recent memory. While the biggest trades involving Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams went down earlier in the week, several very good players were on the move today. Here’s a breakdown of all the deadline deals.

Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks

Details:

Denver sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter to the Knicks.

Knicks sent Danillo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, 2014 first-round draft pick, two second-round picks and cash to Denver – The Knicks also sent Eddie Curry and Anthony Randolph to Minnesota.

Minnesota sent Corey Brewer to the Knicks.

The Knicks gave up a lot, but they came away with a superstar in the prime of his career. Melo puts them one step closer to being a championship contender. Now their eyes turn to the summer of 2012 when Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard become free agents. The Knicks also got the second-best player in the deal in Chauncey Billups, whose contract expires in time for the 2012 bonanza. Melo and Amar’e are both isolation players who need their shots, so it remains to be seen how well they’ll coexist, though it helps that they’re good friends off the court. Lack of size was a major concern for the Knicks before the trade and now they’re even smaller.

Denver didn’t get the deal they wanted. They were sold on the Nets package centered around Derrick Favors and multiple draft picks, but Melo forced their hand. That being said, they received a number of solid pieces in return. Felton had a breakout season this year and is underpaid for what he brings to the table. Gallinari’s one of the top long-range bombers in the league and his size creates favorable matchups at the small forward position. Chandler will be a restricted free agent this summer and Mozgov is a project who should develop into a solid backup center.

Minnesota gave up relatively nothing to acquire a talented player who a lot of teams are high on in Anthony Randolph.

Deron Williams to the Nets

Details:

Jazz send Deron Williams to the Nets.

Nets send Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round picks and some cash. They also sent Troy Murphy’s expiring contract and a second-round pick for Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright.

Not a bad consolation prize for the Nets. Melo’s a bigger name, but there’s not much of a gap in their games. The Nets hope other stars will want to play with one of the best point guards in the league, though they’re gambling that they can convince D-Will to re-sign after next season. It was a chance they had to take considering they’re moving into a new arena in 2012.

Great job by the Jazz of getting ahead of this situation. They knew that Williams wasn’t going to re-sign next summer and avoided the Melodrama that Denver endured this season. Favors was the third pick in the draft last year and the 2011 pick they got from the Nets will be a lottery pick. Devin Harris isn’t too shabby either.

Celtics Trade Kendrick Perkins

Details:

Celtics sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City in return for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

This was the shocker of the trade deadline. Many people believe the Celtics would have won the championship last year if Perkins didn’t get hurt early in Game 6 of the finals, and Boston was waiting all season for him to come back from his knee injury. In making this trade the Celtics gave up their biggest advantage over Eastern Conference teams like the Heat and Knicks, which was size, and it could come back to haunt them in the playoffs against the bigger teams like Orlando, Chicago and the Lakers.

The Celtics also dealt valuable reserve Semih Erdin and Luke Harangody to the Cavs for a second-round pick. They do still have a number of big bodies up front, but they’re unreliable. The two O’Neals, Shaq and Jermaine are never healthy. Krstic will help. There’s already speculation that Rasheed could come out of retirement, though that’s unlikely, and the Celtics would certainly be interested if Golden State buys Troy Murphy out of his contract.

I suppose their thinking was that Perk will be a free agent and they either weren’t willing or able to meet his contract demands. Jeff Green is a very good ballplayer who was underutilized in Oklahoma City due to the presence of Durant and Westbrook. He’ll be a great backup to Pierce and Garnett.

The Thunder are the big winners of deadline day.They desperately needed some muscle inside and Perk is one of the best defensive big men in the game. They also acquired a solid backup in Nazr Mohammed from Charlotte for Morris Peterson and D.J. White.  If Perk can get fully healthy they may compete for a championship this year.

Gerald Wallace to Portland

Details:

Charlotte sent Gerald Wallace to Portland for Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham and two first-round picks.

This is a nice addition for Portland. Wallace is a great athlete who can play both forward positions. It will be interesting to see how they use him, since they have Nicolas Batum at the three and LaMarcus Aldridge at the four. Wallace will likely come of the bench and coach McMillan can go with a smaller lineup at times, playing Batum, Wallace and Aldridge together.

Charlotte appears to be in cost cutting mode. They didn’t get a lot back for their former all-star other than the two draft picks and they also dumped Nazr Mohammed for Mo Pete’s expiring contract.

Rockets Deal Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier

Details:

Rockets sent Aaron Brooks to Phoenix for Goran Dragic and a first-round pick. They also sent Shane Battier to Memphis for Hasheem Thabeet and a first-round pick.

The Rockets have been trying to trade Yao’s expiring contract and acquire a star player for a year now and they’ve been unsuccessful on both fronts. So they decided to acquire more pieces in hopes of making a run at another star in the future. The team had grown tired of Brooks, who will be a free agent this summer and Battier is getting older. Dragic is a decent backup point guard who has been great at times, but is inconsistent. Not a bad idea to give Thabeet another chance in new situation.

Aaron Brooks brings some explosiveness to the Suns off the bench, though I don’t know that it was worth giving up a first round pick for a free agent to be.

It was a smart of the Grizzlies to reacquire Battier, especially since Rudy Gay is out for another month or so. He’s a respected veteran who can defend several positions. Reportedly, a deal to send O.J. Mayo to Indiana for Josh McRoberts and a first-round draft pick fell through at the last minute.

Hawks Swap Bibby for Hinrich

Details:

Hawks sent Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and first-round pick to Washington for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong.

The Hawks felt Bibby had lost a step defensively and he’s become purely a jump-shooter. Hinrich is a little more athletic and should do a better job of distributing the ball to the scorers on the team, but he’s not good enough to push the Hawks past any of the top four teams in the East.

Hinrich was expendable in Washington with John Wall at the point and they were happy to unload his contract, receiving a pick in the process.

Clippers Ship Baron Davis to Cleveland

Details:

Clippers trade Baron Davis and a first-round pick to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon.

Baron Davis’ enormous contract was considered to be untradable. L.A. was thrilled to unload that $28 million over the next two years and B-Diddy has to be the first player to be upset about being traded away from the Clippers. The Cavs were thinking long term and made the deal for the first-round draft pick. None of the rumored deals involving Antawn Jamison came to fruition.

Hornets Acquire Carl Landry

Details:

Sacramento traded Carl Landry to New Orleans for Marcus Thornton and cash.

This is a great addition by the Hornets. Landry is one of the more underrated big men in the league. He’s a rugged player who will provide them with much needed rebounding and defense off the bench. For whatever reason, he never fit in well in Sacramento and the Kings made some cash by shipping him to New Orleans.

On an interesting note, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has made a valid objection to this trade. He argued that since the Hornets are now owned by the NBA, the additional $2 million they’re taking on in salary is essentially being covered by the other 29 owners, some of whose teams may have to compete against them in the playoffs.

Clyde In the Spotlight

One of the benefits of the Knicks revival is seeing Walt “Clyde” Frazier back in the spotlight.

The only thing better than the tiger-print jacket he wore to Melo’s Knick debut was his response when asked what it was like to face Earl “The Pearl” Monroe…

Said Clyde, “He’s the only man I’ve ever dreamed about.”

The Pearl and Clyde





The Game is Back in the City

by Paul Knepper

Basketball may have been invented in Springfield, Massachusetts, but for nearly a century it’s been the city game. From the blacktops of Harlem to the Mecca on Seventh Avenue, the beats and rhythms of the game have embodied the hustle and bustle, ingenuity and artistry that is the very pulse of New York City. Residents take great pride in their basketball, from the legendary street ballers at Rucker Park, to the collegiate game, to their beloved Knicks.

Over the past decade New Yorkers have been brooding as the city has tumbled to the depths of irrelevancy in the hoops world. Two events took place this week which changed that: St. John’s cracked the top 25 and the Knicks landed Carmelo Anthony.

St. John’s success seems like small potatoes compared to the Melodrama which has dominated sports talk shows for the past few months, but don’t underestimate the city’s love affair with college basketball. For years the college game ran through New York, beginning with the NIT at Madison Square Garden, initially the biggest tournament in college basketball. The city always had an elite team – from LIU and CCNY to St. John’s – comprised of New York City kids.

When the Big East ruled college hoops in the 1980’s, St. John’s was a national powerhouse. The Redmen (now Red Storm) played the majority  of their home games before sellout crowds at the Garden and produced stars like Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and Mark Jackson. However, they began to tail off after the retirement of legendary coach Lou Carnesecca in 1992 and the past decade has been disastrous for the proud program.

SJU has been marred by scandal and unable to recruit the top New York City talent, resulting in many losing seasons. They haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2002 and prior to this week, hadn’t been ranked since the closing polls of the 1999-2000 season. The Garden grew barren during Red Storm games, even when top programs were in town.

Last March, the university fired coach Norm Roberts after six unsuccessful seasons in Queens and replaced him with former UCLA Coach Steve Lavin. Lavin inherited a team of nine seniors and he has them playing a brand of rugged, unselfish basketball which New Yorkers can relate to. More importantly, they’re winning again.

The Storm are 17-9, including 9-5 in the Big East, and have made a habit of knocking off top teams. They thumped third-ranked Duke in January, followed it up by pounding a talented Connecticut team, then beat #9 Notre Dame and #13 Georgetown. Their most recent victory came over the #4 ranked Pitt Panthers on Saturday, when guard Dwight Hardy tip-toed the baseline before laying in the game-winning basket. Notably, most of their signature wins have come at the Garden and there was a real buzz in the crowd during the Pitt game Saturday night.

This week, the Red Storm were rewarded with their first national ranking in 11 years, coming in at 23 in the Associated Press poll and 25 in the coaches poll. Barring a complete collapse, SJU should make the tournament for the first time since 2002. Though most of the team are seniors, the squad will be replenished with the second ranked recruiting class in the country, leading many New Yorkers to believe that the Johnnies are back.

Of course, the Garden faithful will have something else to cheer about tonight when Carmelo Anthony makes his Knick debut in the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” The Knicks, like St. John’s, fell on hard times over the past decade. And like the Red Storm, they’re rising again.

New York fell in love with the champion Knick teams of the 1960’s and early ’70’s, comprised of Reed, Frazier, Bradley, Monroe and DeBusschere. Then the franchise struggled in the early to mid ’80’s, before climbing back into contention when a ping-pong ball with Patrick Ewing’s name on it bounced their way. The Knicks went to the playoffs fourteen consecutive seasons from 1988-2001, including two trips to the NBA Finals (1994 and 1999).

New York is a passionate sports town. The fans are dedicated and very knowledgeable about their teams. Whenever the Yankees, Mets, Giants or Jets make it to the playoffs they’re the talk of the town, but they don’t capture the entire city. Most New Yorkers aren’t fans of both baseball and football teams. The city is split between them. When the Jets are losing, football is still alive and well in New York if the Giants are winning. The same goes for the Yankees and Mets.

Basketball is different. This is the Knicks town. The Nets are a Jersey team. When the Knicks are winning the city rallies around them more than any other New York team. When they’re bad it feels like pro basketball is dead. And prior to this season, they were bad for a long time.

They made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons and haven’t finished with a winning record since 2001. Worse yet, a sexual harassment suit, horrendous personnel moves and the Isiah Thomas saga made them the laughing stock of the NBA. Knicks fans were devastated.

The ship began to change course three years ago, when the team hired Donnie Walsh as President of Basketball Operations and Mike D’Antoni as coach. Walsh spent two years unloading Isiah’s overpaid players and cleared enough cap space to sign superstar Amar’e Stoudemire last summer.

With Amar’e leading the way, the Knicks are much improved this year, sitting at two games above .500. Stoudemire represented the team as a starter in the all-star game this past weekend and fans have been serenading their new star with chants of “MVP.” The Knicks were respectable again, but still not legitimate contenders.

That changed Monday night when they landed Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster deal with the Denver Nuggets. It’s not hyperbole to say Melo is the best natural scorer in the world and the most talented offensive player the Knicks have had since his idol Bernard King. He and Amar’e together will put on quite a show and be nearly impossible to stop. Add former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to the mix – he was part of the Anthony trade – and the Knicks have the nucleus for a championship contender.

New Yorkers were starving for competitive basketball for a decade. Suddenly, the Johnnies are knocking off one top ten team after another and the Knicks two superstars are the talk of the town. Fans are making pilgrimages to the Mecca of basketball once again. The game is back in the city.

Melo Takes His Hat Off

You have to admire Carmelo Anthony’s humility throughout this entire ordeal, which will culminate with him signing an extension for $65 million over three years, wherever he lands. He told a reporter a few days ago:

“I take my hat off to myself for dealing with all this stuff that’s going on and still be able to go out there and play at the high level that I can play at. I really don’t think an average person can walk in my shoes. I don’t think that.”

How to Improve NBA All-Star Weekend

I think all basketball fans would agree that NBA all-star weekend has lost some of its luster over the past several years. There are some obvious ways to improve the festivities, like adding incentive for the players to play hard in the all-star game and requiring participation by those selected for the three point shootout and slam dunk contest. I’ve come up a few additional ways to add a little sizzle to the show.

Playground Ball

I realize there are several obstacles to this proposal, but how great would it be if the all-star game were played like a pick-up game, outside, on a playground? Instead of the game being East vs. West, they can do what the NHL did this year, select two captains and have them choose sides. Make it the two elder statesmen in the game or leading vote getters.

In order to give the game an authentic playground feel the players could wear whatever clothes they want. There’s no need for names on the back of jerseys. These are all-stars we’re talking about. Everybody knows who they are.  Plus the announcers profile the competitors throughout the game. This ghetto game shouldn’t have any refs either. The players could call their own fouls. They did it as kids, so we know they’re capable, and it would add intensity to the game. Every player should be miced up too. The playground will bring out the trash talking and the fans will want to hear it.

Rucker Park would be the ideal location for such a game, but the weather in New York is prohibitive. Realistically, the playground game would have to be restricted to all-star weekends in warm climates, like this year in Los Angeles. The game can be moved to an indoor arena if rain is in the forecast.

Temporary seating can be installed and the owner of the local arena will be compensated with the profits from the tickets and concessions. The decrease in ticket sales with be compensated by an increase in advertising dollars due to a spike in viewership. Think about how successful the NHL’s Winter Classic has been.

More Competitions

Part of what made the dunk contest so exciting in the 80’s was that the best dunkers, who also happened to be among the best players in the game participated. The 1987 showdown between Jordan and Dominique was legendary. Dr. J competed in the first NBA dunk contest and he was about to turn 34 at the time.

The participants in this year’s contest are Blake Griffin, Serge Ibake, JaVale McGee and DeMar DeRozen. Not very intriguing is it? What if we returned the contest to a field of eight, kept Griffin, and replaced the other three with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant and previous winners Nate Robinson, Dwight Howard and Josh Smith? Now that’s a dunk contest. It’s within the league’s ability to make participation mandatory for players who are selected.

As suggested by ESPN’s Bill Simmons a few years ago, the NBA should add a different type of dunk-off to determine which player can leap the highest. The way it would work is they would raise the rim a couple of inches every round until there’s only one guy remaining who can throw it down. It would require a different talent than the dunk contest. Height, wingspan and vertical leap would be the key factors. JaVale McGee and Kevin Durant would be two of the early favorites.

I also have a suggestion for an additional skills competition event: a dribble-off. Let’s see some of today’s best ball handlers put on a show. Choose four contestants, maybe Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and give them each 30 seconds to do their best Curly Neal impression. Two players advance to the finals and then a winner is chosen.

NBA Hall of Fame

This is really an article unto itself; the NBA should start its own hall of fame. Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame includes amateur and international players and coaches. The hall employs four screening committees to identify prospective nominees: one each for American candidates, female candidates, international candidates, and veterans candidates. As a result, the hall has inducted too many high school and college coaches and obscure foreign players, while neglecting former great NBA players in recent years.

In 2005, college coaches Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, NBA coach Hubie Brown, female Brazilian player Hortencia Marcari and female college coach Sue Gunter were inducted, while Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins were denied admission (They did get in the following year).  Bob Hurley Sr. is a great high school coach, but should he really be in the Hall of Fame over Chris Mullin or Bernard King. If you have any doubt that the Naismith Hall’s system is flawed, consider the fact that Reggie Miller wasn’t even selected to be among the 12 finalists up for induction this year.

The NBA should start its own Hall of Fame for NBA participants only, in a location more accessible to fans than Springfield, Massachusetts, where the Naismith Hall is located. The NBA could announce the inductees or host the actual induction ceremony Sunday afternoon of all-star weekend. More old-time greats would attend the festivities and it would add another level of intrigue and excitement to the weekend.

Entertainment

I have a couple of ideas to entertain the crowd during Saturday afternoon of all-star weekend. Remember those WWF battle royals you used to love watching as a kid? How about a battle royal with all of the NBA mascots? Can you imagine the ratings for something like that? Who wouldn’t love to see Hugo the Hornet exchange blows with Benny the Bull? How about the Phoenix gorilla piledriving the San Antonio Coyote? On a side note, does anybody know why the Suns mascot is a gorilla and the Spurs a coyote?

These days every NBA team has a cheerleading/dance squad that performs at their home games during breaks in the action. Let’s see which crew is the hottest… I mean best. Have a dance-off with former NBA players as judges (current players would be biased towards their own girls). The Laker Girls would probably be the early favorites, but I’m willing to bet the Knick City Dancers would put up quite a fight.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget the PCP

The NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire on March 4th and a player lockout is looming. Owners and players are deliberating several key issues, including; an 18 game season, rookie salaries, player safety and retirement and disability benefits. Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), DeMaurice Smith, should be contesting the deeply flawed Player Conduct Policy (PCP) as well.

In order to protect the players’ rights, any conduct policy in a professional sports league must be clear, consistent and subject to review by a neutral party. The current NFL PCP falls way short of those standards.

In April 2007, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell instituted the current PCP in response to several highly publicized off-the-field incidents involving NFL players. It states in part:

“It is not enough simply to avoid being found guilty of a crime. Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the League is based, and is lawful. Persons who fail to live up to this standard of conduct are guilty of conduct detrimental and subject to discipline, even where the conduct itself does not result in conviction of a crime.”

The NFLPA should have been up in arms over the arbitrary policy which tramples on the rights of the players, but then Executive Director Gene Upshaw endorsed it instead.

The above passage is confusing and problematic to the players for several reasons. For starters, it specifies that a player doesn’t need to be convicted of a crime to be punished, which was the standard under the previous PCP instituted by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, but fails to identify any specific criteria for under what circumstances or to what extent a player can be punished. There’s simply a vague reference to the players responsibility to “promote the values upon which the league is based.”

Without a clear trigger for applying the policy, such as an arrest or conviction, players are subject to the whim of the commissioner, leaving them susceptible to unfair and arbitrary punishment. This lack of guidelines or any reliance on precedent has led to an inconsistency in the punishments rendered.

For example, the late Chris Henry was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season after committing six offenses, including; five arrests (marijuana possession, concealed weapons charges, DUI, providing alcohol to minors, and assault and disorderly conduct) and three driving citations.

Compare that to the rap sheet of Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who was arrested 4 times (DUI and Domestic Assault three times), charged two other times while in college, involved in seven additional domestic abuse calls in which no charges were filed, and once fired a gun at his father. The then Denver Bronco received three game suspension in 2008, which was reduced to just one game on appeal.

Several players committed multiple offenses and were not suspended at all, such as, former Lions safety Dwight Smith (arrested for indecent conduct, charged of brandishing a handgun, misdemeanor marijuana position and arrested for pulling a fake gun on fans) and Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh (arrested three times, two of which involved driving with weapons in the car.)

On the other hand, Giants linebacker Michael Foley and and Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington were suspended a game each after just one offense; both were arrested for domestic abuse. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season, and while the accusations made against him – sexual assault and rape – are very serious, he was never even charged for either alleged incident.

How does the NFL reconcile these discrepancies in punishment? It doesn’t have to because suspended players aren’t provided sufficient recourse. The policy states “Any person disciplined under this policy shall have a right of appeal, including a hearing, before the Commissioner or his designee.” So basically, a player who is suspended by the commissioner has the right to appeal the suspension to the commissioner – which is essentially no right of appeal at all.

In other sports, punishments handed down by the commissioner’s office are subject to review by a neutral arbitrator who ensures that the punishment fits the offense and has the ability to strike down or decrease an overly aggressive or seemingly arbitrary disciplinary action against a player. This prohibits the commissioner from punishing a player excessively in order to send a message to the rest of the league, which seems to have been at least part of Goodell’s motivation for suspending players like Henry and Roethlisberger.

Another problem stemming from the current PCP is that in order for the commissioner to punish a player who hasn’t been convicted of a crime the NFL must rely on its own investigations of reported incidents. Investigators hired by the league are likely not as qualified as law enforcement officers to investigate the facts and reach a proper conclusion as to the player’s culpability. That player is then essentially put on trial by the league without all of the safeguards that come from the judicial system, such as, the ability of the accused to call witnesses on his behalf or contest the evidence against him.

The main issue of contention during the ongoing labor negotiations is the distribution of profits, with player safety a distant second, though DeMaurice Smith shouldn’t stop there. It’s time for the NFLPA to protect the rights of its members by demanding an equitable Player Conduct Policy.