2008 All-Star Game Starters
EAST
Dwight Howard, C
Orlando Magic
2,066,991
2nd appearance
Kevin Garnett, F
Boston Celtics
2,399,148
11th appearance
LeBron James, F
Cleveland Cavaliers
2,108,831
4th appearance
Dwyane Wade, G
Miami Heat
1,608,260
4th appearance
Jason Kidd, G
New Jersey Nets
1,246,386
9th appearance
WEST
Yao Ming, C
Houston Rockets
1,709,180
6th appearance
Carmelo Anthony, F
Denver Nuggets
1,723,701
2nd appearance
Tim Duncan, F
San Antonio Spurs
1,712,800
10th appearance
Kobe Bryant, G
L.A. Lakers
2,004,940
10th appearance
Allen Iverson, G
Denver Nuggets
1,203,152
9th appearance
2008 Reserves
EAST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Chris Bosh Toronto F 6-10 230 3rd
Caron Butler Washington F 6-7 228 2nd
Paul Pierce Boston G 6-7 235 6th
Chauncey Billups Detroit G 6-3 202 3rd
Richard Hamilton Detroit G 6-7 193 3rd
Joe Johnson Atlanta G 6-7 235 2nd
Antawn Jamison Washington F 6-9 235 2nd
Coach: TBD
WEST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Steve Nash Phoenix G 6-3 178 6th
Chris Paul New Orleans G 6-0 175 1st
Dirk Nowitzki Dallas F 7-0 245 7th
Carlos Boozer Utah F 6-9 266 2nd
Amaré Stoudemire Phoenix C 6-10 249 3rd
Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 1st
David West New Orleans F 6-9 240 1st
Coach: TBD
No real surpsrise .. for the most part i was right on the money on who should/would be chosen. However, they are a couple of decisions I don't agree with, and leading this pack is the non-selection of Baron "B.Diddy" Davis. WHAT??? How did the selectors manage to leave him off...to me it seems nothing short of crazy and delirium taking ahold of them. The player which should have been left off is Brandon Roy. Yes, he is having a great year but guess what Davis noto nly has better stats, on a way more competitive team, his team also has/had a better record at the time of selection. So how did the selectors manage to leave him out??? DUMBFOUNDED is what I am. In my point of view, even Deron Willaims could have been chosen over B-Roy, as with the case with B.Diddy, has the better stats and team(record)The biggest 'boo-boo' made on the East came in the form of Joe Johnson. Excuses can be made for why he made it but to leave off Hedo Turkoglu is easily the biggest snub on the East. Turkoglu is a 18-7-6 player, which easily outduels Joe Johnson's 20-5 line. He has improved tremendously and has been an incredible and integral part of the Magic organization.
Close calls/SNUBS:
Baron Davis & Hedo Turkoglu - MAJOR MISTAKE TO LEAVE THeSe TWO OFF.
Vince Carter - really didn't deserve it this year; way too shaky.
Marcus Camby - DEFINATELY DESERVED IT but didnt stand a chance against Yao and Amare.
Shawn Marion - not good enough this year.
Josh Smith - also a MAJOR SNUB!
Gerald Wallace - great player who would have a GREAT chance off making it, IF he played for a playoff contending team.
Andre Iguadala - same as Gerald, but to a lesser extent,
Al Jefferson - WONDERFUL PLAYER but, as it seems to be an unwritten rule/regulation, his team is WAY TOO BAD for him to have had a chance.
Surprises:
Joe Johnson AND David West - These were the only two I never really thought would make it or had a reasonable chance.
OTHER VIEWS HERE:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/allstar/rosters
http://community.foxsports.com/whoops.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/404.aspx
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Campion College's Xavier Thompson, gives us his formula for THE PERFECT TEAM:
STARTERS:
#C - DEFENSIVE, but with offensive capabilites and who is quick (can run the floor) - eg. Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, Andris Biedrins
*PF - VERSATILE,with an array of offensive ways to score - eg. Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer
#*SF - DRIVER-SHOOTER WITH DEFENSE, someone who is mainly a driver but can knock down the outside shot and has GREAT defense - eg. Gerald Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Manu Ginobli, Caron Butler, Ron Artest, Josh Smith
SG - OVERLOOKED THREAT, someone who is overlooked due to the stars at the PF, SF AND PG positions and who can easily and consistenly hit open jumpers - eg. Bonzi Wells, Deshawn Stevenson
#*PG - ASSISTING SCORER, a guard who has a pass-first mentality but who isn;t afraid to take over a game offensively (driving AND shooting) if needs be and who can also play defense - eg. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon
BENCH - in order of their roles(places of the bench - eg. the first name would be the SIXTH MAN)
*SG - flat-out shooter with lots of range - eg. Kyle Korver, Cuttino Mobley
#C - very defensive, with different (bulkier) body type than the starting C - eg. Erick Dampier .... this ensures that if the oppsoing Centre is too big for the starter, you will have size on the bench.
#SF - defense-minded swingman who can hit open jumpers and 3-balls and who is POSSIBLY a better defender than the starting SF - eg. Bruce Bowen, James Posey...this ensures that if both the SF and SG of a team (eg. Boston Celtics with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) need to be marked heavily, the back-up SF can fill in.
PG - experienced back up for the youthful starting PG to help guide and mold him, with decent defense - eg. Anthony Johnson, Sam Cassell, Brevin Knight, Derek Fisher
*PF - though a "TENTH MAN" when put on the court should be a main source of offense and also should be a player able to play SF if needs be - eg. Al Harrington
11th and 12th man should be a tall, oversized backup C and a SF/SG rookie.
* - Meant to be the main sources of offense
# - Meant to be great defenders
Additional talents that should be taught to players:
STARTERS:
C - should be taught/train to be able to guard all the way down to a tall SF (eg. Peja)
SF - should be able to guard all the way down to a PG
PG - should be able to guard SG's and SF's and VERY lacklustre offensive PF's/C's
BENCH:
SG - should be able to shoot from just below halfcourt WITH EASE
MINUTES ALLOCATION AND IDEAL HEIGHTS:
Starters:
C - 28-30 mins 6'11/7'0
PF - 35-40 mins 6'9/6'10
SF - 35-40 mins 6'5-6'7
SG - 20-25 mins 6'5
PG - 35-40 mins 6'3/6'4
Bench
SG - 20-25 mins 6'5
C - 15-20 mins 7'0
SF - 15-20 mins 6'8
PG - 10-15 mins 6'3/6'4
PF - 10-20 mins 6'8-6'10
With a line up like this you will have a VERY GOOD balance of offense and defense.
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Shaun Pollock
What a great cricketer he is! The Sports Chronicles would just like to say farewell to such a fantastic player and contributor to the sport of Cricket.
Team: South Africa -
Greatest Bowler in SA history with 391 One Day wickets and 400+ wickets in Test matches.
Will be remembered not only for his wicket taking but his knack for having a great economy rate.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Campion College Basketball: Campionites upset Meadowbrook to remain undefeated at home
Date: 16/01/08 [38-37] {Record: 2-3} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)
Campion College upset Meadowbrook to record a narrow 38-37 win to remain unbeaten at home as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. The match was close from the get-go as their previous match, with Campion eventually pulling it out in a 'must win' match for the Campionites in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match went back and forth as both teams exchanged the lead. At the end of the first the score was tied at 9. At halftime the score remained close with Meadowbrook having a narrow 20-18 lead. The third quarter saw much of the same with both teams exchanging baskets and deseprately vieing for the win. In the end Campion got it together and kept their cool as they came away winners by one point.
LOST?
Campion was allowed to dribble away the last 18 seconds of the match witho Meadowbrook not seeming to have the presence of mind to foul in order to get back the ball.
CLOSING SECONDS OF THE MATCH
REBOUNDING MONSTERS
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels were monsters on the glass as they combined for a SEASON-HIGH 36 rebounds. Both had 10 rebounds each at the half and 18 rebounds (each)at the end of the match.
'MEN OF THE MATCH'
All starters contributed tremendously and all deserve an award for their outstanidng play.
REFUSED TO CHOKE
Even though they are well known for choking, the Campionites stuck to their guns and came away with an impressive victory.
BIGGEST HOME CROWD
Campion saw their largest crowd at a home match in a number of years. Campion is notorious for having away team crowds outnumber their own.
DAY OF CAREER HIGHS:
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels both had whopping 18 rebounds each which broke their previous career highs. Prior to this Xavier Thompson's carEer high was 13 rebounds and Samuels 11. This made it back-to-back career highs for Xavier Thompson who had only the match before recorded a new career high in rebounds. Jason Blankson also tied his career high in points with 8.
UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Campion remained undefeated at home with their second win from as many matches.
DOING WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED
The Campionites who will lose all but one member of their Under-19 squad next year are doing way better than many pundits expected. Last year they were expected to show real improvement as many thought they had the 'dream team'. However, with injury to James Deane and obvious inexperience they slumped to yet another disappointing season winning only one match. This year many thought that with second-leading scorer Raymond Wilson gone, they would not have much of a season. As you can see however they have already won more matches than last year and 2 of their losses came in very close encounters away from home. It is obvious the players want to leave with a bang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE PLAYERS :
We continue our look at the individuals on the team Point Guard, James Deane:
James Deane is known as the 'tactitian' of the team with a very high basketball IQ. This is why he is the captain. He leads the team with vigor and obviously knows what he wants out of the members of the team. He always plays hard and with passion and is somewhat of a perfectionist on the court. An essential asset to this team and its success.
STRONG POINTS:
Great passer and vision of the court, great scorer/offense, stealing, great defender.
We continue our look at the individuals on the team Center, Leighton Samuels:
Leighton Samuels has become a very depedable center playing with much gusto and willing to challenge the big men inside. He is a great rebounder and blocker who gives his all and his best.
Xavier Thompson had this to say of Samuels
STRONG POINTS:
Great rebounding, blocking and defender.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Game Press Conference
Mikhail Mattis:
Russell Thompson
Xavier Thompson
Leighton Samuels
James Deane
Jason Blankson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS
Scorers
Russel Thompson 14 points
James Deane 11 points
Jason Blankson 8 points
Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 18 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 18 rebounds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels played all 40 minutes of the match.
James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
Graham Reid DID NOT PLAY (Coach's Decision)
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Jason Blankson were the main contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 36 rebounds [Thompson, 18 and Samuels, 18] - SEASON HIGH
This was the only match where ALL starters scored.
REMAINING SCHEDULE:
@ Ardenne - Wed. 23/1/08
vs. St. Catherine - Thu 24/1/08
vs. Tarrant - Mon 28/1/08
IN ATTENDANCE:
Ryan Brown, Audley Gordon, Miya Gentles, Kimberly Shaw, Steven Hamilton, Joni-Kay Johnson, Chad Brown, Steven Moore, Shaun Dufus, Patrica Taylor, Monique Smith, Sheree Henry
Campion College upset Meadowbrook to record a narrow 38-37 win to remain unbeaten at home as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. The match was close from the get-go as their previous match, with Campion eventually pulling it out in a 'must win' match for the Campionites in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match went back and forth as both teams exchanged the lead. At the end of the first the score was tied at 9. At halftime the score remained close with Meadowbrook having a narrow 20-18 lead. The third quarter saw much of the same with both teams exchanging baskets and deseprately vieing for the win. In the end Campion got it together and kept their cool as they came away winners by one point.
LOST?
Campion was allowed to dribble away the last 18 seconds of the match witho Meadowbrook not seeming to have the presence of mind to foul in order to get back the ball.
CLOSING SECONDS OF THE MATCH
REBOUNDING MONSTERS
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels were monsters on the glass as they combined for a SEASON-HIGH 36 rebounds. Both had 10 rebounds each at the half and 18 rebounds (each)at the end of the match.
'MEN OF THE MATCH'
All starters contributed tremendously and all deserve an award for their outstanidng play.
REFUSED TO CHOKE
Even though they are well known for choking, the Campionites stuck to their guns and came away with an impressive victory.
BIGGEST HOME CROWD
Campion saw their largest crowd at a home match in a number of years. Campion is notorious for having away team crowds outnumber their own.
DAY OF CAREER HIGHS:
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels both had whopping 18 rebounds each which broke their previous career highs. Prior to this Xavier Thompson's carEer high was 13 rebounds and Samuels 11. This made it back-to-back career highs for Xavier Thompson who had only the match before recorded a new career high in rebounds. Jason Blankson also tied his career high in points with 8.
UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Campion remained undefeated at home with their second win from as many matches.
DOING WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED
The Campionites who will lose all but one member of their Under-19 squad next year are doing way better than many pundits expected. Last year they were expected to show real improvement as many thought they had the 'dream team'. However, with injury to James Deane and obvious inexperience they slumped to yet another disappointing season winning only one match. This year many thought that with second-leading scorer Raymond Wilson gone, they would not have much of a season. As you can see however they have already won more matches than last year and 2 of their losses came in very close encounters away from home. It is obvious the players want to leave with a bang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE PLAYERS :
We continue our look at the individuals on the team Point Guard, James Deane:
James Deane is known as the 'tactitian' of the team with a very high basketball IQ. This is why he is the captain. He leads the team with vigor and obviously knows what he wants out of the members of the team. He always plays hard and with passion and is somewhat of a perfectionist on the court. An essential asset to this team and its success.
STRONG POINTS:
Great passer and vision of the court, great scorer/offense, stealing, great defender.
We continue our look at the individuals on the team Center, Leighton Samuels:
Leighton Samuels has become a very depedable center playing with much gusto and willing to challenge the big men inside. He is a great rebounder and blocker who gives his all and his best.
Xavier Thompson had this to say of Samuels
"I used to think of him as my protege a couple of years ago but he has really grown into his own. He is a great player to work alongside of."
STRONG POINTS:
Great rebounding, blocking and defender.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Game Press Conference
Mikhail Mattis:
"We played pretty hard, straight through the game. We were definitely active on the boards, which was a great advantage, and the main reason I believe we got the win. Our defence was good, but not great, as i saw that Meadowbrook was definitely not a good shooting team, so i think we should have pressured them to make more jump shots. I don't think we hustled how we ought to, but we still got the W, and at the end of the day thats all that counts. I would have liked some more minutes, but sometimes you, got make sacrifces and just work hard, and the minutes will follow. But that win was good, and now we look forward for our next opponent."
Russell Thompson
"It was a good team performance. I was impressed with how Deane created a lot of chances for us."
Xavier Thompson
"It was a match where everyone and i mean EVERYONE played well. We really put our heart into this and dug deep to pull off this deserving victory. It was also great to have some support at home for a change which I'm sure made a difference to our intensity. I'm just hopoing we can win at least two more matches, that would be incredible!"
Leighton Samuels
"I was hoping we could've beaten them by more. I think we depend too much on Russel and James. It was an overall good effort but we need to beat the zone offense for the Ardenne and St. Catherine."
James Deane
"It was a splendid match and everyone played very well."
Jason Blankson
"I think it was a very good, hard fought match."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS
Scorers
Russel Thompson 14 points
James Deane 11 points
Jason Blankson 8 points
Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 18 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 18 rebounds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels played all 40 minutes of the match.
James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
Graham Reid DID NOT PLAY (Coach's Decision)
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Jason Blankson were the main contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 36 rebounds [Thompson, 18 and Samuels, 18] - SEASON HIGH
This was the only match where ALL starters scored.
REMAINING SCHEDULE:
@ Ardenne - Wed. 23/1/08
vs. St. Catherine - Thu 24/1/08
vs. Tarrant - Mon 28/1/08
IN ATTENDANCE:
Ryan Brown, Audley Gordon, Miya Gentles, Kimberly Shaw, Steven Hamilton, Joni-Kay Johnson, Chad Brown, Steven Moore, Shaun Dufus, Patrica Taylor, Monique Smith, Sheree Henry
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Campion College Basketball: Campionites lose close encounter to St. Jago
Date: 14/01/08 [32-37] {Record: 1-3} Venue: De La Vega Arena (St. Jago)
Campion College came up unlucky yet again, away from home, as they lost a close encounter to St. Jago, as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. From the opening whistle the match was closley contested with both teams playing great defense. The teams were tied going into the half, at 16. The Jagonians extended their lead in the third quarter as the quarter finished 30-25. The game came down to the wire with Campion within a 3-point shot from the lead. However this did noot materialize and though coming close, Campion fell short going down 32-37.
Best Defense
This was the best defensive tactics used by Campion. It was very effective and St. Jago had a arduous time scoring.
3 pointers
Campion's offense was not as effective as it might have wanted to be due to St. Jago's disciplined defense but kept close with perfectly-timed three point shots. Russel Thompson went 4 of 7 behind the arc and scored a timely three in the closing seconds of the match.
Rebounding Tossle
The first half saw St. Jago outrebounding Campion. However, the second half saw Campion turning the tables and outrebounding the home side.
Career High
Xavier Thompson had a career high in rebounds as he recorded 13.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highlights and Stats:
Scorers:
Russel Thompson 16 points
James Deane 13 points
Xavier Thompson 3 points
Rebounders:
Xavier Thompson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 7 rebounds
Main highlights
James Deane driving and hitting critical free throws.
Russel Thompson's 3 point shooting.
Xavier Thompson's circus 'ballerina' shot.
Leighton Samuels opening block.
Graham Reid's surprising burst of energy of the bench.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson played all 40 minutes of the match.
Leighton Samuels had played the majority of the match before fouling out.
Jason Blankson played majority of the match.
Graham Reid and Mikhail Mattis saw substantial minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson were the only contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 20 rebounds [Thompson, 13 and Samuels, 7]
Kim Sing Yung was sick and only able to play a few minutes of the match.
Campion's coach was not present at the match and they were coached by a stand-in coach.
Mikhail Mattis made his debut for Campion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESCHEDULED MATCH - The match against was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.
Campion College came up unlucky yet again, away from home, as they lost a close encounter to St. Jago, as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. From the opening whistle the match was closley contested with both teams playing great defense. The teams were tied going into the half, at 16. The Jagonians extended their lead in the third quarter as the quarter finished 30-25. The game came down to the wire with Campion within a 3-point shot from the lead. However this did noot materialize and though coming close, Campion fell short going down 32-37.
Best Defense
This was the best defensive tactics used by Campion. It was very effective and St. Jago had a arduous time scoring.
3 pointers
Campion's offense was not as effective as it might have wanted to be due to St. Jago's disciplined defense but kept close with perfectly-timed three point shots. Russel Thompson went 4 of 7 behind the arc and scored a timely three in the closing seconds of the match.
Rebounding Tossle
The first half saw St. Jago outrebounding Campion. However, the second half saw Campion turning the tables and outrebounding the home side.
Career High
Xavier Thompson had a career high in rebounds as he recorded 13.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highlights and Stats:
Scorers:
Russel Thompson 16 points
James Deane 13 points
Xavier Thompson 3 points
Rebounders:
Xavier Thompson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 7 rebounds
Main highlights
James Deane driving and hitting critical free throws.
Russel Thompson's 3 point shooting.
Xavier Thompson's circus 'ballerina' shot.
Leighton Samuels opening block.
Graham Reid's surprising burst of energy of the bench.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson played all 40 minutes of the match.
Leighton Samuels had played the majority of the match before fouling out.
Jason Blankson played majority of the match.
Graham Reid and Mikhail Mattis saw substantial minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson were the only contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 20 rebounds [Thompson, 13 and Samuels, 7]
Kim Sing Yung was sick and only able to play a few minutes of the match.
Campion's coach was not present at the match and they were coached by a stand-in coach.
Mikhail Mattis made his debut for Campion.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESCHEDULED MATCH - The match against was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.
Monday, January 7, 2008
It’s a crime to be a Knicks fan - literally. An Interview with Ivan Cash
This interview was not conducted by me, but i decided to post it as it corresponds with my Knick post last year
A few weeks back, our Knicks Trade Game generated interest, and some good suggestions, but, surprisingly, no one suggested keeping the Knicks as is and just arresting/banning all fans who disagreed. It is a simple but brilliant strategy. Find those fans who enjoy a 8-23 record and make the rest just go away.
In case you haven’t heard, the New York Knicks have expanded their Isiah Thomas protection net from inside MSG, where hecklers and posters are forbidden, to the streets outside. Ivan Cash a student at SUNY was arrested Wednesday for selling a t-shirt that expressed his feelings at the direction the Knicks are headed in. “Don’t hate player or the game. Hate the coach” reads the shirt which is embossed with a picture of the now infamous Thomas.
I sat down via email with one of those fans who, by way of expressing his opinion, was made to go away.
How long have you been a Knicks fan?
Ivan - I’ve been a Knicks fan for as long as I can remember. In middle school, I listened to EVERY single game on my walkman. Lately though, I just check the box score.
At what point did you start to consider selling the shirts (a specific loss or last season etc . . .)
Ivan - It was actually for a screen printing class I took in the Fall of 2006. I had to come up with a t-shirt idea and, as a Knicks fan who, like everyone else, was frustrated with Isiah’s lackadaisical coaching job, I decided to make it Knicks-themed.
Do you plan on selling the shirts in the future?
Ivan - I don’t plan on going back to MSG any time soon, as I go on vacation soon and then I return back to school in Geneseo, NY near Rochester. (I’m a communications major, graphic design minor by the way.) I do plan on continually selling the shirts through my website though. If Isiah’s still around next year, and I’m able to hook up with another vendor, I’d love to sell the shirts again.
What was your jail experience like?
Ivan - Jail time certainly was an experience! The cell was filthy and smelly, and I felt like an animal trapped in a cage. What a degrading experience—especially since I was charged with a bogus crime!
What do you see that is good about the Knicks right now?
Ivan - I see young energetic players that play with passion: David Lee, Nate Robinson, Rolando Balkman are really the only Knick players I like.
Do you play Fantasy NBA?
Ivan - I do play Fantasy Hoops; I play on SportingNews, and am in 2nd place out of my 21-team division.
How many Knicks are on your roster(s)?
Ivan - *Laughs* Very Funny. (No one)
Do you plan to fight the ticket?
Ivan - While I don’t agree whatsoever with how I was arrested or the reasoning of my arrest, it will probably be too big a pain to fight it, especially seeing as there are virtually no repercussions, aside from having to waste my time getting to NYC from my college which is 7 hours away.
Do you feel like you were targeted because the Knicks made a request to stop the anti-Isiah movement like they did when banning the fire Isiah posters and handing out warnings to fans who heckle the players or Isiah?
The cop at the precinct admitted that MSG anticipated me, and called the police to do something about it. My arresting officer however, who didn’t hear this conversation between me and the other cop, denied any MSG connection. I just find it EXTREMELY fishy that I was arrested literally 2 minutes after getting to my destination, near the Garden. When I sell, I’m holding posters of the shirts as well as shouting catch phrases like “Love the franchise; hate the coach!” or “Give me a draft pick for a T-Shirt.” Up to the point I was arrested, I was doing NONE of those things. I was literally standing, chatting with my friend who would be helping me sell. I was waiting for my vendor to come and put the duffle bag of shirts and poster with the shirt against the sidewalk wall. The cops argued that I had intent to sell since the price was on the poster, even though we weren’t selling nor would I have sold to anyone offering me $ before my vendor arrived. (At one of the prior games, I actually did turn someones $ down because I wasn’t with my vendor.) I was trying to sell everything legitimately, and the cops were really just busting me, despite my compliance and politeness during our interaction before they actually handcuffed me and took me to jail. As I was being hand-cuffed, our vendor arrived. Before even looking at his papers, (which turned out, according to my arresting officer, to be ‘tax papers’ rather than a ‘vendors license’) the cops put me in the van and told me I was going to jail. [Interesting side note: The previous 3 games I’d been selling at, the cops looked at my vendor’s license, which apparently may have been a tax paper, and approved us selling there. So why this sudden extreme disparity in judgement? I blame MSG.
Does this arrest make you feel differently about free speech, the Knicks and the NYPD?
While in the freezing-cold, smelly, ridiculously dirty jail cell, I had an epiphany. What has our society come to where we put people in cages not because they are murdering or stealing but because they are expressing themselves by either selling a product or writing on a wall? I don’t want to get overly political, but it definitely raised my interest in anarchistic ideology. What gives cops the right to lock people in a cage, when the cop themselves could just as easily be morally corrupt.
I was standing for something I believe in—something that is supposed to be a constitutional right in America.
I’m not a cop hater; I have a lot of respect for the men and ladies who put on their lives on the line to battle criminals while most people sit at desks doing office work. I’m just disappointed with the NYPD’s judgement and attention to superficial issues. As a Knicks fan, it’s disheartening to know that they are indirectly responsible for my arrest. I still love ‘em, but it’s sad.
Who would be your choice to run the Knicks?
Ivan - I wish someone like Mark Cuban came in as owner. As for coach? Anyone who’s ambitious, level-headed, and possesses good fore-sight. I don’t want someone who has unrealistic goals and expectations. I wouldn’t mind the Knicks losing for a few seasons if it meant rebuilding from the ground, ensuring a better team in future years to come.
_______________________
An funny interview brought to you by:
M.T.M-M
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Trade deadline needs for each team (Adapted from Msn Foxsports)
Now that we've survived a disturbing throw-back fashion statement from the L.A. Lakers, it's time to zero in on the NBA's next crucial event.
We're going to pass on All-Star Weekend, which has fallen under the purview of law enforcement. So with gimmicky skills contests out of the equation, I suppose we're left with to build the hype crawling up to the NBA trading deadline.
Scheduled to expire Feb. 21, the trading deadline has cobbled a fine history of underwhelming basketball around across the globe. But despite its potential for letdown, the NBA trading deadline has provided enough juice to move hotshots of the caliber of Baron Davis and Gary Payton.
Anyway, while the countdown continues and creative sharpies find myriad landing spots for Jason Kidd and Ron Artest, I've taken the liberty of identifying the immediate needs of every stinking (and non-stinking) team in the league:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
# Boston Celtics: Their wish list begins with a back-up point guard capable of handling the ball and running an offense better than Eddie House and ends with a reserve center with more offensive skill than Scot Pollard. Gee, that could be anyone.
# Toronto Raptors: Since nobody seems to be giving away starting-caliber centers, it might be nice if the Raps could acquire a wing shooter who is also capable of guarding someone (yeah, that's a shot Jason Kapono).
# New Jersey Nets: They need to find a team within range of contender status that's still willing to give up a good young player or two for Jason Kidd.
# Philadelphia 76ers: It might help if the Sixers had the resources to acquire a power forward who is good enough to nudge Reggie Evans over to his proper role — backup power forward.
# New York Knicks: Short of hiring Harvey Keitel's character (The Wolf) from Pulp Fiction to clean up this mess, it might be interesting to see how much some other high-minded team might cough up for center Eddy Curry. Sure, 7-footers with skill are rare, but 7-footers with skill and an interest in rebounding don't reside in New York. It also could be worth a shot to bestow most of the inside minutes to a couple of power forwards (Zach Randolph and David Lee) who actually hit the glass.
Central Division
# Detroit Pistons: Personnel man Joe Dumars has done a pretty nice job of setting up the Pistons bench, although it might be swell to add another big capable of giving them more than young Amir Johnson has provided.
# Indiana Pacers: This is another team screaming for a backup point guard with enough quickness to get into the lane and keep the guy he's defending from doing the same.
# Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs fans have been grouchy about adding another shooter, but it might be a fine idea to employ a guard with the ability to create a few scoring opportunities if LeBron James has to sit down. Can they tempt anyone by offering Larry Hughes at two years and $13 million?
John Paxson would jump at a deal for a big that could score. ( Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
# Chicago Bulls: If any team was prepared to unload a low-post scorer, we no longer have faith that general manager John Paxson would have the chutzpah to pull off such a deal.
# Milwaukee Bucks: It would be tough to find any team with worse defenders at the forward positions, so the Bucks might be wise to sniff around the D-League for anyone hungry enough to guard somebody.
Southeast Division
# Orlando Magic: When your No. 2 rebounder is Hedo Turkoglu, the hole to be filled is big enough for you to be standing in.
# Atlanta Hawks: I've never been much for mathematics, but yet remain convinced that one rookie backup point guard plus two veteran backup point guards does not equal one starting point guard.
# Washington Wizards: Their challenge is to find someone willing to give them what Etan Thomas gave them or convince Andray Blatche that a commitment to the dirty work might be worth more than 18 minutes per game.
# Charlotte Bobcats: They could use help everywhere, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to remind their famous personnel guy that not every athletic 6-foot-6 player is worth trading tall prospects to acquire.
# Miami Heat: Man, what this team wouldn't give for a 7-2, 320-pound center who felt like dominating at both ends. That may be tricky to attain, so Pat Riley could consider upgrades for playmakers (ahem) Jason Williams and Smush Parker.
Western Conference
Northwest Division
'Melo would be happier with a pass-first PG. (Rocky Widner / Getty Images)
# Denver Nuggets: With plenty of double-team-demanding hotshots in their lineup, the Nuggets are advised to acquire a guard with the credentials to make their lives easier. Hey, we have a theme — pass-first point guards. We now advise moms and dads to pull their kids out of the tennis academies and have them study Steve Nash (on offense only).
# Portland Trail Blazers: They have plenty of guys to handle the point, so while the NBA's hottest team waits for Greg Oden, someone who bangs with more gusto than Channing Frye might be in order.
# Utah Jazz: The addition of Kyle Korver might persuade teams to think twice about zoning, so the next move would be a hypnotist to convince Mehmet Okur that he's a rebounding and defending beast.
# Seattle SuperSonics: Yeah, having a 6-foot-10 guard is really neat, but GM Sam Presti and coach P.J. Carlesimo should find a two-guard, then move Kevin Durant to small forward ... where he might stand a chance on defense.
# Minnesota Timberwolves: Here's another team with no center and a GM who (among other things) drafted Brandon Roy and traded him for Randy Foye. Maybe the rhyming confused Kevin McHale.
Pacific Division
# Phoenix Suns: The solid reserve play of veteran "big" Brian Skinner means the Suns' first priority should be a spot-up shooter with a reasonable chance to guard another team's back-up, spot-up shooter, right? Well, based on the recent scoring salvos against the Suns by Andrew Bynum, Chris Bosh and Al Jefferson (just for starters), it seems that Skinner either needs to play much more or Amare Stoudemire should look in the mirror. Oh, I would mention backup point guard, but only 24 or so other teams need one.
# Los Angeles Lakers: Well, they have a back-up point guard, so the pressing need is to resist the urge to deal Kwame Brown's valuable and expiring contract unless a real player is offered in return.
# Golden State Warriors: The Warriors have everything they need to thrive in coach Don Nelson's system. Unless defense is added to the system, I doubt there's any deadline deal that can get them where they want to be.
# Sacramento Kings: Trade chips Ron Artest (bone chips in his elbow) and Mike Bibby have been hurt, but they still should be more than enough to bring back a player or two who can REBOUND.
# Los Angeles Clippers: With high hopes for the returns of Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, now is not the time to make any deal that might harpoon their lottery status.
Southwest Division
Manu Ginobili and the Spurs just need to stay healthy. ( Rocky Widner / Getty Images)
# San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs have plenty of depth; they just need to keep the graybeards healthy.
# Dallas Mavericks: When a team's leading dime-dropper averages less than six per game on a team like this, the Achilles' heel in Dallas is obvious.
# New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have a decent starting lineup, but don't seem to have the resources to grab the kind of reserves they lack — a wing shooter and a serious rebounder.
# Houston Rockets: The league's most puzzling team didn't solve PG and PF issues by adding Mike James and Luis Scola, so the Rockets might as well take a stab another glaring weakness — perimeter shooting.
# Memphis Grizzlies: After trading down at the GM spot, should we even care what the guy who drafted Kedrick Brown at No. 11 (for Boston) might accomplish? We probably shouldn't, but Pau Gasol might.
by Randy Hill
Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7629258
We're going to pass on All-Star Weekend, which has fallen under the purview of law enforcement. So with gimmicky skills contests out of the equation, I suppose we're left with to build the hype crawling up to the NBA trading deadline.
Scheduled to expire Feb. 21, the trading deadline has cobbled a fine history of underwhelming basketball around across the globe. But despite its potential for letdown, the NBA trading deadline has provided enough juice to move hotshots of the caliber of Baron Davis and Gary Payton.
Anyway, while the countdown continues and creative sharpies find myriad landing spots for Jason Kidd and Ron Artest, I've taken the liberty of identifying the immediate needs of every stinking (and non-stinking) team in the league:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
# Boston Celtics: Their wish list begins with a back-up point guard capable of handling the ball and running an offense better than Eddie House and ends with a reserve center with more offensive skill than Scot Pollard. Gee, that could be anyone.
# Toronto Raptors: Since nobody seems to be giving away starting-caliber centers, it might be nice if the Raps could acquire a wing shooter who is also capable of guarding someone (yeah, that's a shot Jason Kapono).
# New Jersey Nets: They need to find a team within range of contender status that's still willing to give up a good young player or two for Jason Kidd.
# Philadelphia 76ers: It might help if the Sixers had the resources to acquire a power forward who is good enough to nudge Reggie Evans over to his proper role — backup power forward.
# New York Knicks: Short of hiring Harvey Keitel's character (The Wolf) from Pulp Fiction to clean up this mess, it might be interesting to see how much some other high-minded team might cough up for center Eddy Curry. Sure, 7-footers with skill are rare, but 7-footers with skill and an interest in rebounding don't reside in New York. It also could be worth a shot to bestow most of the inside minutes to a couple of power forwards (Zach Randolph and David Lee) who actually hit the glass.
Central Division
# Detroit Pistons: Personnel man Joe Dumars has done a pretty nice job of setting up the Pistons bench, although it might be swell to add another big capable of giving them more than young Amir Johnson has provided.
# Indiana Pacers: This is another team screaming for a backup point guard with enough quickness to get into the lane and keep the guy he's defending from doing the same.
# Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs fans have been grouchy about adding another shooter, but it might be a fine idea to employ a guard with the ability to create a few scoring opportunities if LeBron James has to sit down. Can they tempt anyone by offering Larry Hughes at two years and $13 million?
John Paxson would jump at a deal for a big that could score. ( Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
# Chicago Bulls: If any team was prepared to unload a low-post scorer, we no longer have faith that general manager John Paxson would have the chutzpah to pull off such a deal.
# Milwaukee Bucks: It would be tough to find any team with worse defenders at the forward positions, so the Bucks might be wise to sniff around the D-League for anyone hungry enough to guard somebody.
Southeast Division
# Orlando Magic: When your No. 2 rebounder is Hedo Turkoglu, the hole to be filled is big enough for you to be standing in.
# Atlanta Hawks: I've never been much for mathematics, but yet remain convinced that one rookie backup point guard plus two veteran backup point guards does not equal one starting point guard.
# Washington Wizards: Their challenge is to find someone willing to give them what Etan Thomas gave them or convince Andray Blatche that a commitment to the dirty work might be worth more than 18 minutes per game.
# Charlotte Bobcats: They could use help everywhere, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to remind their famous personnel guy that not every athletic 6-foot-6 player is worth trading tall prospects to acquire.
# Miami Heat: Man, what this team wouldn't give for a 7-2, 320-pound center who felt like dominating at both ends. That may be tricky to attain, so Pat Riley could consider upgrades for playmakers (ahem) Jason Williams and Smush Parker.
Western Conference
Northwest Division
'Melo would be happier with a pass-first PG. (Rocky Widner / Getty Images)
# Denver Nuggets: With plenty of double-team-demanding hotshots in their lineup, the Nuggets are advised to acquire a guard with the credentials to make their lives easier. Hey, we have a theme — pass-first point guards. We now advise moms and dads to pull their kids out of the tennis academies and have them study Steve Nash (on offense only).
# Portland Trail Blazers: They have plenty of guys to handle the point, so while the NBA's hottest team waits for Greg Oden, someone who bangs with more gusto than Channing Frye might be in order.
# Utah Jazz: The addition of Kyle Korver might persuade teams to think twice about zoning, so the next move would be a hypnotist to convince Mehmet Okur that he's a rebounding and defending beast.
# Seattle SuperSonics: Yeah, having a 6-foot-10 guard is really neat, but GM Sam Presti and coach P.J. Carlesimo should find a two-guard, then move Kevin Durant to small forward ... where he might stand a chance on defense.
# Minnesota Timberwolves: Here's another team with no center and a GM who (among other things) drafted Brandon Roy and traded him for Randy Foye. Maybe the rhyming confused Kevin McHale.
Pacific Division
# Phoenix Suns: The solid reserve play of veteran "big" Brian Skinner means the Suns' first priority should be a spot-up shooter with a reasonable chance to guard another team's back-up, spot-up shooter, right? Well, based on the recent scoring salvos against the Suns by Andrew Bynum, Chris Bosh and Al Jefferson (just for starters), it seems that Skinner either needs to play much more or Amare Stoudemire should look in the mirror. Oh, I would mention backup point guard, but only 24 or so other teams need one.
# Los Angeles Lakers: Well, they have a back-up point guard, so the pressing need is to resist the urge to deal Kwame Brown's valuable and expiring contract unless a real player is offered in return.
# Golden State Warriors: The Warriors have everything they need to thrive in coach Don Nelson's system. Unless defense is added to the system, I doubt there's any deadline deal that can get them where they want to be.
# Sacramento Kings: Trade chips Ron Artest (bone chips in his elbow) and Mike Bibby have been hurt, but they still should be more than enough to bring back a player or two who can REBOUND.
# Los Angeles Clippers: With high hopes for the returns of Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, now is not the time to make any deal that might harpoon their lottery status.
Southwest Division
Manu Ginobili and the Spurs just need to stay healthy. ( Rocky Widner / Getty Images)
# San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs have plenty of depth; they just need to keep the graybeards healthy.
# Dallas Mavericks: When a team's leading dime-dropper averages less than six per game on a team like this, the Achilles' heel in Dallas is obvious.
# New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have a decent starting lineup, but don't seem to have the resources to grab the kind of reserves they lack — a wing shooter and a serious rebounder.
# Houston Rockets: The league's most puzzling team didn't solve PG and PF issues by adding Mike James and Luis Scola, so the Rockets might as well take a stab another glaring weakness — perimeter shooting.
# Memphis Grizzlies: After trading down at the GM spot, should we even care what the guy who drafted Kedrick Brown at No. 11 (for Boston) might accomplish? We probably shouldn't, but Pau Gasol might.
by Randy Hill
Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7629258
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