Everyone's a winner???

ESPN.com - NBA - Van Gundy wants to open NBA lottery to all teams

Jeff, it's called "Free Agency" and it works like this: You wait a few years, after the draft busts bottom out, then you get to sign any talented player you want.

And honestly, there ain't nothing wrong with tanking. Philly should do it more often. But this is Philly, where we can win at losing.

Size DOES matter

Came across an interesting piece today on the greatest pro centers of all time. As the Sixers loom on the verge of the draft lottery (despite their 3-game win streak; fellas, what are you doing??? more ping pong balls >>>>>>>>>>>> W's), the question is whether to take Odom or Durrant (if they both come out). They say you can't coach size. And the article shows that every great big man to lace 'em up has at least one ring to show for it. Every one, except Patrick Ewing, that it (thanks to Charles Smith... and some guy named Mike).

Is Durrant the next MJ? Is Odom the next Kandi man (where is he, anyway... not that it matters), or the new big man to build around? Guess we'll find out over the next 5 years or so.

Conspiracy Theory of the Day

So... word in the sand dunes is that Saddam's kicking it with 'Pac and Biggie. Probably heading to Miami right now to check the Superbowl.

Peep this site for the dental proof.

I dunno. Maybe (and this is a stretch), dude's teeth got messed up from living in a dirt hole with no toothbrush.

Early (or LATE) Black History

This past weekend, the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears both won their divisional championships, earning the honor of playing each other in one of the world's greatest sporting events (they don't call it the Super Bowl for nothing). As I watched the games, I realized that this would be the first time that both Super Bowl coaches were Black. Then I thought about it a little longer and realized that this may very well be the first time than ANY Black coach has taken a team to the big one.

Any doubts about this were quickly confirmed by virtually every sports media outlet after the late game (the Colts), and throughout the next few days to follow. It will be the talk of the nation for a while. And maybe that's why people are trying to downplay it already, on some "character over color" equation. Like this one I read today... I see where dude was trying to go with this, but it just doesn't sit right with me. It reminds me of something that Tavis Smiley said following the government's failures during Hurricane Katrina. Smiley said that "Black people have a very short memory." Maybe it's a product of so much past pain in American history. Maybe we want to forget. But why are WE the ones trying to minimize THIS moment? Yes, Smith and Dungy are great character guys, but a few years ago, all the character in the world wouldn't have gotten them a job in the league. A whole bunch of great character folks were enslaved, beaten, raped, lynched, disenfranchised, and treated as subhuman, second-class citizens in an unspoken caste system. Look around. We still live under the same basic rules. We act like just because a few brothers have a Bentley now, whether they got it from Wall Street or a 4.4 40, that race shouldn't be a factor. The Voting Rights Act was 1965, not 1865. Yeah, we've come far, but don't get it twisted. One of the reasons we haven't progressed further as a society is because we still don't have honest conversations about what's going on, and what our past represents.

Like, how's this for an honest question: Why the hell is this the first time a Black coach is going to Super Bowl? (Honest answer: Because white people think Black people are stupid. They've written books about it. And we all know, it takes a very smart man to tell people how fast to run, and who to throw a ball to. (No, I'm not belittling anyone, because I do believe that smart coaches have an edge, just as smart players. I'm just saying that when you have a systematic equation that becomes socially acceptable, it dangerously promotes typically unchallenged spoken and unspoken practices that simply make no sense. The limits on Black coaches and the complete lack of Black ownership is not a question of ability, but of power.))

Black people do have short memories. But I say, never forget. We need to remember our stories and tell them proudly, rather than change the subject. Why do you think Black History Month is only 28 days long? Because we barely remember enough now to fill up that slot.

Daaaaaaaaaammmmmmmn!

This is just for *listening* to music (unless dude is getting his 9th Wonder on w/ that laptop; doubtful).

More here. Crazy.

The Iverson Files

I've been wanting to write about the AI thing for a minute, but I haven't had the time with so much going on. I also think that part of me didn't want to come to grips with the reality of the situation. But the player profile now says Denver Nuggets, not Philadelphia Sixers. It doesn't get any realer than that.

THE SIGNS, PART 1
They've shopped Allen many times before, publicly and privately. This year, however, I knew was going to be his last. They harped on him being older last year (even though he still put up MVP numbers), but then, not making the playoffs and not showing up on time for Fan Appreciation night led to another publicity timebomb. I figured the explosion was going down over the summer, but Billy King, after dangling AI in front of every suitor, announced that he would begin the season in a Philly uniform. Key word = begin.

WAIT A SECOND
Philly's out the gate 3-0 to start 2006-07. Steve Mix (long-time Sixer's broadcast commentator) is talking about this squad playing "team ball" and sounds excited about how they close out games. Maybe AI can work some more magic. Maybe training camp abroad did cause this team to gel. Maybe AI and C-Webb (the #1 scoring combo in 2005-06) can translate their savvy into some W's. Maybe Iggy, Kover, and Dalembert will round us out to becoming a competitor in the wide-open Atlantic Division.

CRASH AND BURN
Three weeks later, 5-17. Webber's complaining about not getting tick in the 4th (like he's going to stop somebody on the defensive end) then his back starts hurting so he's rocking sports jackets on the sidelines (thanks to David Stern). Al is taking all types of bad shots (once again, the same question we've asked for 10 years -- who is he supposed to pass to?). To top it off, in a game against the T-Wolves, Randy Foye went around Iverson like he was standing still, and some other cat blocked AI's step back jumper, the bread-and-butter shot of the last 3 years. Either dude watched hella film or Al wasn't getting the same lift. Either way, it didn't matter. Philly wasn't going to the playoffs this year, despite having the #2 scorer in the NBA. The formula wasn't working. He'd be gone to a contender before the trade deadline. The writing was chiseled on the wall.

SUDDEN IMPACT
After an apparent blow-up with Mo Cheeks, word comes out that AI has been asked to stay home. The quick follow-up report is that a trade is expected within days. When Ed Snider trumps Billy King's typical "no comment" coy ploy and says, "yes, he will be traded," there's no backstepping. (We saw how he just took his finger off the Flyer's reset button). Without warning, we'd seen Iverson play his last game as a Sixer.

THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, SMILES AND FROWNS
I've written about Iverson often, for many reasons. At under 6ft (no matter what they list him at), he's done remarkable things on the basketball court. I've watched him from his G-Town days. I knew he was good then, but didn't know he would do all that he has as an individual. He's been the face and heart of the Sixers for a decade. He kept fans interested, because you never knew what you were going to get. He might drop 50. Or he might shoot 20% and force the other guys to play some D. Most seasons, he kept us in the playoff hunt. Kept fighting, despite the odds and injuries. Despite the offcourt issues (you never knew what you'd get there, either), and the public scrutiny. In so many ways he took on Philly's "eff you" attitude. That's why he was love and hated. That's how we do it here. Fortunately, he got that, and lasted 10 years. Maybe it was 10 years too long. Maybe he was too stubborn to leave before. Maybe if the team had more pieces, they could have made another run. Or maybe his game is suited for another style. There's always a maybe. The only certainty now is that things have changed, and the changes were needed.

THE HARD WAY
There's no easy way to trade Allen Iverson, even despite the general public sense that Philly ain't too mad to see him go. So I guess it's fitting that he didn't end up in a summer deal, as expected, but went out in this cloud of smoke that the media created. Still, it's messed up that it had to go down like this. He recently told Stephen Smith that he didn't request the trade. I figured as much. The Sixers just wanted to take advantage of the situation, and the room for interpretation that his dissatisfaction left. While they were doing him dirty, saying he demanded to be moved, he was still bent on playing for them, despite injuries and a 5-17 record. He had to be banned from the team. I've never seen a player demand a trade then be upset about not being able to play. To add the period to the sentence, Philly cleared his locker for him, since they wouldn't let him in the building. How that for ten years of All-Star service? It's a business, nothing more.

RESOLUTION
I'm going to miss watching AI play 3-4 nights a week (I'm not investing in the NBA League Pass so I can stay up late and mess up the morning routine that took me 1 year to get used to). I held out hope that he could be a winner here. That apex happened 5 years ago. Despite the critics saying that he would slow down, he hasn't much. Even this year, he's still dropping 30+. But the team has dropped considerably.

On the flipside, when you put AI in an All-Star game (or on an Olympic team), he distributes with the best, and keeps everyone honest. If he's going to get a ring in Denver (or somewhere else), he's going to be a complimentary piece. They said in the beginning that he was too small to carry a team. He had to prove everyone wrong. Now, he has to convince himself that he doesn't need to carry a team, then prove himself right.

On Campus: Bowling alley gets robbed of $12,000 - News

What Bowling alley has $12,000? The kind that charges a $10 cover. (But seriously, this dude has $12,000 sitting in a 0% interest shoe box? He needs to head down the block and take a class).

School Violence

Earlier today I had to walk through a metal detector to enter the school where I did my student teaching 10 years ago. Fortunately, that wasn't a part of my experience when I worked there. I thought about how commonplace it must be for the kids to go through the daily shuffle of putting their keys and change in a basket, and having the coats and backpacks scanned on a conveyor belt. It's not the type of environment I'd like to have in my school. It's just a daily reminder that we're losing control of the world around us.

And now, a few hours later, I see this article about a suicide at a local suburban high school. It reminded me of the news clips you see of white parents talking about "this never happens here" or worse, "this isn't supposed to happen here" (as if it's supposed to happen anywhere). I'm assuming there weren't any metal detectors at the door.

School violence is an issue that is relevant everywhere, no matter how we try to paint it. It's extremely disconcerting to have to think about whether I'd feel safer for my child to go to a school that had metal detectors, or to how that she'd be in a place where "these things don't happen." The pessimistic part of me tends to believe that that place simply doesn't exist anymore.

Ed Bradley, Rest in Peace

from Okayplayer.com, Friday November 10.

Ed Bradley, Rest in Peace

from Okayplayer.com, Friday November 10.

ESPN.com - NCF - Rare miss: Paterno will not attend Penn State game

This headline should read, "Paterno remembers that they are playing Temple."

Raise up off me

While I found this hilarious (they'll never be able to say that TO didn't have an excuse for ANYTHING), it begs the question, "are they paying a little too much attention to TO?" Who hasn't fallen asleep in a team meeting (aside from obviously far more intelligent white quarterbacks)? I've fallen asleep during plenty of GAMES (granted, I'm not on the team, but you get my point).

How do we go from TO trying to kill himself to TO falling asleep in team meetings, in a matter of 4 weeks? Will Parcells make it through the season, dealing with this?

What are the Eagles trying to do?

Give Philly fans a heart attack?
Divert attention away from the Flyers as the worst team in town?
Sneak into playoffs WAY below the radar?

Well, whatever it is, it ain't winning.

More Eagles commentary from me over at Okayplayer.com

Same old...

When you throw 2 picks that get returned for scores, and you botch your golden opportunity to put points on the board before the half, you're supposed to take an L. Having it come on a 62 yard field goal just makes it a "feel good" story for the other team. (But the Bucs almost looked like busters in the 4th... That last Westbrook run looked like he was gaming Georgia Tech).

The blog is back. At least for today (even if it's only for my personal enjoyment).

Raja Bell - Who Kknew?

I knew. Of course I knew. I was there when his NBA career launched w/ the Sixers. Dude came in during the playoffs, wasn't afraid, and become a critical piece to the Sixers championship series puzzle.

But I had no idea that five years later, the Western Conference Championship would hang on Raja Bell being back in the Sun's starting line-up. That's kinda crazy, but good for him. It shows you, in today's NBA, if you work hard and get in with the right system, you can find your calling. Lessons in life with Raja Bell - who knew?

Dead Man Coaching

I've tried to leave Larry Brown alone. But this is symbolic of the headline-grabbing drama that keeps him in my radar. He's dirty. There's no other way to put it. For the "coaching" job he did last year in NYC (give me a backcourt of Steph & Francis, and 3 other guys over 6'5" and I can book you 35 wins, minimum), he should be GIVING MONEY BACK. Instead, he's cashing in his Piston's check, and making New York fire him so he gets paid in full for doing nothing (which is close to what he did last year). When this type of thing happens in Black neighborhoods, someone usually ends up stabbed or shot, and there's very little media coverage, aside from a mugshot and the yellow-taped crime scene. It's called ROBBERY.

Larry, if life's so bad, walk away. No one is making you do anything, other than your ego. (Ego wins. Knicks lose.)

"That's what happens"

I find myself saying this to my kids often. "That's what happens." It spills from my mouth when they are playing with their juice, and it spills on the table, or when they are jumping on the sofa, and they spill onto the floor. They look at me, sometimes with a tear in their eye. Then they get it. "That's what happens." You can call it tough love. I'll stick with "the truth," cuz that's what it is. Life is about cause and effect. It's never too early to learn this lesson. Sometimes, it's too late.

The competitor that Allen Iverson is, I know he can't take these last 2 games of the season, basically playing for nothing because his Sixer's squad has been eliminated from the playoffs. A man that's every season believed that he could will them back to the title, and somehow slay a giant. Now, his offseason fate is already sealed. But you know what Allen? That's what happens.

The Sixers were simply a bad team this year. And for me to say this, being a Sixers fan for 20+ years, a Mo Cheeks fan, an AI fan, and a C-Webb fan (you gotta respect his skillset)... that's saying a lot. I'm the dude that thought they could maybe figure out a way past Detroit in the first round last year, and shock the world. Having AI on the squad gives you at least an inkling of hope. And I guess living in a championship-starved city for so long, you tend to hold onto whatever you can. It's been AI's mantra these last 10 years. This year, for me though, I broke the spell. I saw this team for what they were very early on. Despite a few bursts that made me raise a brow, I never second-guessed myself. The signs were too clear. This team was not that good.

So the question is, what went wrong? Here are some answers.

1. David Aldridge, you write good stuff, but this one is wrong, at least partially. AI and C-Webb don't have a problem on offense. But they do on defense. Especially when...
2. Samuel Dalembert plays like he's lost. Which was often. Sam, the season's over, and you never showed up. At least, unlike Larry Brown, you didn't blame your point guard and then get a tummy ache. But you didn't blame yourself too tuff either. I thought I told you last year, Sam, watch Ben Wallace film. You're a better athlete, so if you get half of his basketball knowledge, you could be a beast. ("Could be" - how I hate relying on those 2 words).
3. Kyle Korver, you did what you could do. If this experience motivates you to being a consistent contributor, it will probably be with another team. Somebody's got to go. (That goes for you too, John Salmons).
4. Andre, you have to be a superstar. It's a lot of pressure, but the only adjustment that needs to be made is in your mindset. Webber should only be taking 14 shots per game, tops. Less dribbling and more shooting is what they needed from you. Check the W column when you dropped 19 or more. One loss. But you might be on the way out, too. You don't add w/o subtracting (But typically w/ this team, the subtractions heavily outweigh the gains. It's going to be a long summer).
5. I beat around the bush long enough... Mo, this one rides a lot on you. Granted, Billy King (you're next) may not have given you the necessary parts, but you sure as hell didn't make the best use out of what you had. Matt Barnes shouldn't be playing, let alone the 4. Kevin Ollie isn't a starter. Randolph was doing work, then got inconsistent time. You don't have to put Bradley in, ever, especially when he can't do anything with the ball. Willie Green is not the answer, either. And most importantly, when you have two seven-foot shot-blockers on your team, one of which has a max-contract and is supposed to your cornerstone in the middle, you don't play small ball for the entire fourth quarter then wonder why you can't eek out close games. Mo, you called Moses Malone to teach rebounding, and you still got outrebounded. Why? Cuz in the 4th quarter, Moses was on the bench, sitting behind Dalembert and Hunter. As the coach, you never established a rotation. Basketball is not a guessing game. Every man on the Pistons knows what he's supposed to be doing. Rip curls, Prince pops, Ben bounds, Sheed stabilizes (imagine that, but if you build a system, it's possible), and Chauncey calls the shots. Even Darko knew he wasn't going to play until he got traded. Your squad, aside from AI, had no idea what they were doing, if and when they would be playing, how many minutes, what position,... or for Stephen Hunter, what TEAM he was playing for (by the way, his knee looks fine, New Orleans).
6. Billy, it's time to go. You're not going to make any good deals this summer, especially not with your back up against the wall. Look at what you've done thus far, with a potential playoff contender. This team is a huge question mark. Keeping you around any longer is just digging a deeper hole.
7. Too many minutes for C-Webb. We all know he's getting older, but he still got us 20-10. Frankly, that's too much. It's an inefficient 20-10, at the price of a poor FG%, less fast-break opportunities for the back-up 4, and extra minutes of pourus defense. I like him in the first and third quarters, and as the setup man at the end of the game. Last shots, no.
8. Couldn't close out games. They could rarely turn it up when they had to, or maintain control of a game. They were often the victims of the other team's will. This breeds a mentality of failure. The squad bought into, and it's hard thing to let go of. The only cure is a string of W's, and those are hard to come by when you roll the red carpet down the lane for the competition.
9. Jamal Mashburn. Any way we can travel back in time and get him, pre-injury, plus the agile C-Webb? Imagine AI's 1 and 2 at the guards, the Ben Wallace influenced Samuel Dalembert clogging the middle, and Young Chris and Mash at the forward, w/ Korver and Hunter off the bench. That's a solid 7. I liked Shav, so make it 8. Give me a couple of guards for spot minutes. Some guys who can run the break and produce, plus make a stop. That could have been a contenda. If they played D like it meant something. Cuz bottomline...
10. Defense wins. Which is why this team will be watching the playoffs. That's what happens.

Dilla, Rest in Peace

I don't even know what to say. I'm sitting down, about to prep for Saturday school tomorrow, but I first dip into OKP.com to see what's what. You know there's always some new news, commentary, a download, something. I was not expecting this. But really, I can't even say that. Because I think, deep down, I was. We all were. We saw the pictures. Heard the news from ?uestlove. This was real. What made me realize it even more was when I heard dude was going on stage in Europe in his wheel chair. It's like, "yo, I don't know when I'm gonna be able to do this again, so put me on." Maybe he didn't say that to his homies, or maybe he did. Maybe not in words. But I think they knew. And then came Donuts. When I heard it, I said to my homey that this album followed no script; that Dilla did what he wanted to do, as if... as if he knew.