Is There a Draft in Here?

Didn't seem like it. With the death of the King of Pop, the 2009 NBA Draft took a back seat to the emotional news of Michael Jackson's passing. And rightfully so. MJ's music was not only a huge influence on generations of fans, his monumental career paved the way for so many artists to follow in his footsteps. Radio and TV halted their coverage of the conflict in Iran to air tributes to the fallen musical genius. Candlelight vigils were held, videos and comments flooded the Internet, creating an overload not even the world wide web could handle. His impact was felt around the globe as world leaders issued public statements on the sadness of their loss.

Here in the States, fans came together outside the hospital where the Jackson family gathered in support of Michael for one final time. On the east coast, the WaMu theater in Madison Square Garden was abuzz with whispers and phone calls, not on the draftees, but rather on the shocking news of Jackson's sudden death. In DC, Michael Jackson was the story; the draft was not. The legendary chart-climber, musician, dancer and entertainer was honored without draft news interruption. Because in Washington, we didn't need the draft.

In one of the smartest moves made in DC area sports since the Capitals drafted Alex Ovechkin in 2004, the Wizards organization traded their 5th pick, along with Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Olesky Pecherov, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Mike Miller and Randy Foye.

I say it was a smart decision because Flip Saunders, an effective, offensive-minded coach, is looking for a ring now. Tomorrow is too late. And by stacking this team with veteran players and not wasting the team or the district's time developing a foreign teenager or a weak guard, the Wizards went ahead and skipped the nonsense and got right down to business.

One of the top three draftees - Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet or James Harden - definitely would have looked nice in a Washington uniform. But let the ping pong balls fall where they may and you leave the future of your organization to chance. Yes, trading away the first, second or third pick would have been ludicrous, but trading the fifth pick was somewhat of an intuitive move that will pay off in the immediate future.

While the new-look Wiz kids won't have nearly the moves of the late great MJ, or the star power to captivate an audience like MJ did, they certainly Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' that will be talked about, if not worldwide, at least state wide, and in part of the conversation in the WaMu theater this time next year.

Gold Glover

Bethpage State Park -the par 70 Black Course - the first public course to host the U.S. Open. Long Island, New York - home to some of the drunkest golf fans I've ever seen on national television - and some of the worst fescue grass known to man. And all this was already there. Now, bring in the weather and the drama.

This wasn't your typical U.S. Open. If fact, it couldn't have been more left to last year's right. Last June was West coast; this was mostly certainly East. Private course vs Public. Sunshine vs rain. All-stars vs all the rest. But it's still golf and their was still a major to be played. So we play on.

Thursday kicked off with some familiar faces. Tiger, Rocco and Mickelson came ready to play; unfortunately so did Mother Nature. The gallery looked like a gumball machine as the round, colorful umbrellas became the backdrop for most of the afternoon. The rains came and suspended play as many wondered how they would squeeze four rounds of golf into three stormy days. For now, they would try to squeeze the water from the soaking greens.

Virginia Tech grad Drew Weaver enjoyed the lead for about as long as Bethpage enjoyed sun; ACC standup. The biggest emotional roller coaster was rode by both fans and players alike. Riding shotgun, bearing the biggest burden, was Phil Mickelson, who's wife Amy was at home awaiting surgery for breast cancer. Lefty's phenomenal putting was on display Sunday afternoon, nailing two long birdie putts on both 16 and 18 with ease. While unable to hoist the trophy, Phil's triumphant comeback on Monday, which took him to -4 for a share of the lead, was good enough to feed the New York crowd's hunger for some competition.

The darker side of the story came straight from the Tiger's mouth. Sitting at home on Father's Day Sunday watching golf, as I'm sure several father-son/father-daughter duos were, I noticed something different about Tiger. His concentration fell apart, anger boiled over and the world's number one golfer became human, if only for a day. Forget Tiger's putting, which was a disaster, his attitude was worse. Throwing clubs. Cussing audibly on national television. Tiger was throwing a 2-year-old temper tantrum as 26-year-old Ricky Barnes rose to the occasion. If it weren't for Tiger's repeat chip-in on 17 - which saved his dignity and most likely his caddie's life, who became Tiger bait when play turned ugly - the defending champ would have left New York a total loser. Instead, he left New York the 6th place loser with some coin in his purse and in serious need of an attitude adjustment. Dear Tiger, America likes their freak-show athletes to be just that. Please check your human qualities at the door.

All in all after a wet and wild weekend, golf gave away their trophy to a no-name who gets enough props from me with the title of this blog, Ricky Barnes' choke job will go down as one of the best (at least he placed in something) and the obnoxious, rained-out fans got their money's worth, even if they had to bitch about it. It just goes to show, you can take New Yorkers out of the city but you can't take the city out of New Yorkers.

Dear Mr. Stern:

I am orange and black and made of leather. I have "the logo" tattooed on my chest and "Spalding" slammed across my forehead. I have been in the hands of a King and palmed by Superman, and I've been kissing the glass since I can remember. I make dreams come true and shatter high hopes; I get so much air the atmosphere is jealous.

I'm closer than court side and nothing but net. I'm in your grandfather's trophy case, hiding out in your garage and hanging out with the kids on the playground. I've watched boys become men, athletes become elitists, and icons become untouchables.

I'm the game-winning, buzzer-beating, last second jumper in the hands of the closer. I've been jammed, slammed, dunked, bounced, laid-up and thrown down. I've been taken to school, coast to coast. I am definitely official.

I represent the game. As a fellow icon, you represent the game. I can't talk, but if I could, I would have a lot to say. Last night, Lebron James was eliminated from the postseason. I watched him walk off the court, leaving his fans, teammates and coaches behind. I watched as he bypassed the media room, slipped on his earphones, and slipped out the door. He became mute to the world. It's funny, because during the season, he had so much to say. And now?





It's your job as the commish to lead these men. I am the official game ball. Lebron is the official league hero. And his actions were a complete embarrassment. I sit in the bedrooms of the dreamers next to posters of Lebron. I put in countless hours at the gym shaping young children into their idle... A 23-year-old man who doesn't have the dignity to lose with respect. It's not easy, being me. I see a lot, but last night I wish I hadn't witnessed such a performance. Next to the game ball, the handshake is one of the most time-honored traditions in this sport. And it eluded the chosen one? That's not acceptable.

Winning isn't everything, Mr. Stern, but it was the only thing that could have gotten you one step closer to the Kobe-Lebron finals you've been dreaming of. And winning is only second to respect. Without respect, you have no fans, or dreamers, or sponsors or players. It might just be about money to you. But tell that to the six-year-old in the front row who I saw looking up to King James all night. Who does he look up to now? You need to give him someone to look up to. Your job depends on it. And frankly, so does mine.

For the Love of the Game,
The "Official" Cavaliers-Magic Game 6 game ball

To the City of Brotherly Love

Andre Igoudala and Co. just got some of the best news they will hear all off season. They have a new head coach, but not just any head coach, a phenomenal athlete, leader and role model who will excel in this position. Six months and 5 days ago Eddie Jordan was fired from the Washington Wizards. Today, the Philadelphia 76ers hired Jordan to lead them to the top of the Eastern Conference and beyond. And they will get there. They hired the coach who can take them there. Just don't think the Wizards are going to stand in his way.

Catch you on the Flip side

Two disappointing losses to close out 08-09 were the culmination of a basketball season that left the Wizards' players, fans and organization asking one question.. What now?

With a 1-10 record to start, the embarrassment of entering December without a second win was too much for Ernie Grunfeld to stomach. Instead of chalking up the season to injuries and a young squad, Grunfeld took out his anger on one of my favorite coaches in the league. On November 24th, Grunfeld made the decision to fire head coach Eddie Jordan. It was a day I will remember very well. It was my birthday.

With an inexperienced interim coach, detrimental injuries, and at times the worst record in the NBA, the Wizards season was filled with disappointment. Despite Jamison's 38 double-doubles, Caron's 2 buzzer-beaters, McGee's dunking antics, and Crittention's quick skills, the Wizards matched their worst mark in an 82-game season. Their longest losing streak?: 8 games. Back-to-back wins?: Twice, December and Feburary. Largest deficit? 32-points to the Suns, who failed to make the playoffs. And to top it all off... Butler and Jamison weren't even considered as alternates for the All-Star game.

For the Wizards, it was a season that started badly and ended badly. No Arenas or Haywood to start. No Arenas or Haywood to end. Although Gil did return to play in two contests, his double-doubles against Detroit and Cleveland weren't enough to assure victories over both squads. And after the promise of playing in every home game for the rest of the season, Gil's return fell short of expectations.

The one silver lining to this rain cloud: President Barack Obama entered Verizon Center to watch his Chicago Bulls win. The Wizards put on a show, salute and all, and proudly sent the President and his team packing without one.

In their final game at Verizon Center, a 13-point lead over the Raptors, which looked like their 20th win of the season, quickly became the opposite as Chris Bosh hit an uncontested 3 to stun the Wizards in a one point victory.

In their final game of the season, the Wiz kids traveled to Boston to watch a 99-91 lead vanish in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, despite a season-high 39 points from Caron Butler. The Celtics big three sat out in anticipation of the playoffs which left the door wide open for Washington to grab win number 20.

Instead, Eddie House took advantage and set a C's single-season 3-point percentage record. That's the insult. The injury? As if the Wizards haven't suffered enough, Javaris Crittenton left the game late in the third with a sprained right ankle, and the Wizards left The Garden with their heads hung extremely low as they sauntered off the court for the final time.

Now, the Flip side.

The Wizards finally have a real head coach. Say what you will about Flip Saunders. Yes, he's 54-years-old. Yes he has trouble coaching teams past the first round of the playoffs. And yes, he is still without a title. But this isn't the time to think big. Saunders led the T'wolves to the playoffs 8 of the 9 seasons he was there. Following his time in Minnesota, his 3 seasons with the Pistons resulted in 3 Eastern Conference finals appearances. As a coach, you can lead a team to the post season, you can't make them drink the water.

And the golden ticket. The Wizards (potentially) have the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. With the second most balls in the lottery, the Wizards odds of drafting a stud (See: Blake Griffin) are extremely high. I can't do the math but when the 09-10 season begins, and the new-look Wizards walk out of the tunnel, led by Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, followed by Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood and Blake Griffin or likewise, and coached by Flip Saunders, there will be something for Washington fans to believe in. They won't be wearing their gold jerseys, but they will look more like a Redeem Team than the USA Olympic Gold Medalists. And they will play like it too. Agent Zero guarantees it.

Simply the Best.

About eight months ago, I was at the beach. The sun was hot, the water was warm and I was sitting inside watching one of the greatest athletes ever, do what he does best. It was a Sunday and Tiger Woods was on TV. Normally I would choose a day at the beach over a televised golf tournament, but something about this tournament intrigued me. On what was thought to be the final day of the US Open, Tiger Woods entered the 18th hole one stroke behind a 45-year-old veteran named Rocco Mediate. Rocco was an average golfer at best. Little did he know this hole would be the defining moment of his entire golfing career. After Rocco parred the 18th, Tiger followed up with a 12-foot birdie putt to send the two men into an 18-hole playoff the very next day.

Monday came, the sun was still out, and I was still inside. Glued to my TV, I watched as Rocco and Tiger battled it out for hours on a sunny California golf course. But it wasn’t so much a battle between the two men as it was a battle between Tiger and himself. The 32-year-old pro athlete was dealing with an excruciatingly painful left knee that desperately needed surgery. He was barely able to stand-up. With every follow-through, pain sliced across Tiger’s face, and rolled down his lower body. His whole physique would compress towards the turf as his shot soared through the air. It was painful to watch, and it got worse as the day went on. Again, Tiger’s birdie and Rocco’s par left the two tied at the end of an 18-hole playoff, forcing sudden death. Tiger’s mental toughness allowed him to remain focused on winning, as he let everything else fall by the wayside, including Rocco. After 91 holes of mastery, Tiger won the tournament, hoisted the trophy and bid the game of golf a temporary adieu.

Today I was at work. Gus Johnson was calling a thriller between Michigan State and Louisville, while Blake Griffin was gearing up against Ty Lawson and the Tar Heels, and I was watching one of the greatest athletes ever, do what he does best. Today wasn’t the US Open. But to an average golf fan it was something special. It was the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with the legend himself in attendance. Now I say average golf fan because in the absence of Tiger, I’ve seen maybe 3 holes of golf all season. The average golf fan watches to see Tiger, and that’s about it. And today, with Tiger 5 strokes behind the leader, you were either a skeptic hoping for a repeat miracle, or a pessimist ready to change the channel. Not many fans were willing to re-open their hearts to a phenomenon who left us wanting more. After all, the whimsical nature in which golf fans were magically won back over into the sport was briskly swept away after a storybook ending. We hibernated our golf fandom and we weren’t ready to come out for spring in the event Tiger would fall short of our monumental expectations. We needed to be re-caught up in the suspense, and Tiger’s determination would be the bait.

His back-nine rally today led him and his fans to a familiar place, the 18th hole in need of a birdie putt, but this time, to win. In complete Tiger fashion, all eyes were now glued to the TV as the 14-major champion surveyed the 15-foot uphill putt. And in complete Tiger fashion, the ball found the bottom of the cup. Game over. No playoffs. No sudden death. Hand him the trophy and hand over our hearts because for just the second time in eight months, Tiger’s focus and skill have single-handedly revived the game of golf and our belief in the strength of the human spirit. Now fans can come out of hibernation and continue to believe in the greatest their ever was, ever is, and ever will be.

Let the Madness Begin...

These are my picks based on what I know.
Bonus: Chick Picks... cause not everyone is basing their brackets on skill.



MIDWEST
Play in Game - Alabama State over Morehead - ASU won 13 of their last 14 games.. and their 7 foot center "Chief" blocks shots left and right. Chick Pick: Morehead. What a ridiculous name for a school.

#1 Louisville over #16 ASU- Big East regular season title/Tournament Champs.. nuff said. Chick Pick: Cardinals cause Kurt Warner is a cardinal and hes hot so there ya go.

#8 Ohio State over #9 Siena... Ohio State beat #7 Mich St in the Big Ten Tournament. Siena has no big out of conference wins and even their wins in conference are unimpressive. Chick Pick: Siena since it shares its name with Siena Miller and shes pretty sexy.

FIRST UPSET: #12 Arizona over #5 Utah - Zona has 3 top-25 wins over the Zags, Kansas and Washington... plus the Pac-10 is a much better conference than Mt West Chick Pick: Wildcats cause a wildcat will mess up a Ute.. whatever that is

#4 Wake Forest over #13 Cleveland St - After choking to the Terps... look out for the Demon Decs to make a run deep in the tourney. Chick Pick: WFU cause Dino Gaudio is Wake's coach and hes such a cool dude.

#6 West Virginia over #11 Dayton - West Virginia got screwed by Syracuse in the Big East Tournament with a late no-call on Devendorf, who's trailer-park trash anyway.. vengeance will fuel the Mountaineers, at least out of the first round. Chick Pick: Dayton cause they sleep with their relatives in West Virginia.

#3 Kansas over #14 North Dakota State - Defending Champs got this one. Chick Pick: N. Dakota State cause face it Toto... were not in Kansas anymore.

SECOND UPSET: #10 Southern Cal over #7 Boston College - I regrettably hate choosing a Pac-10 team over an ACC team.. but USC had back-to-back wins over No. 17 UCLA and No. 19 ASU to win the Pac-10 Championship... BC's only hot wins late this season were No. 5 Duke and No. 16 FSU but they then lost to Duke in the ACC tourney... It will be a close game, but USC takes it. Chick Pick: Trojans.. need I say more?

#2 Michigan State over #15 Robert Morris - The Colonials should be happy with the Northeast Conf Title and keep it moving.

WEST
#1 UConn over #16 Chattanooga - 7 foot 3 Hasheem Thebeet and the Huskies will go far this year and then hopefully the Wizards will scoop him in the draft. Fingers crossed, Wiz Kids.

THIRD UPSET: #9 Texas A&M over #8 BYU - This is a repeat from last years tourney and will have the same outcome. A&M has too many big guys and BYU can't finish. This game will be close, but ultimately the Aggies prevail. Chick Pick: If you're a cougar in the making, BYU's your team.

#5 Purdue over #12 Northern Iowa - The Big Ten Champs have been battle-tested. Northern Iowa, not so much. The Panthers have gotten themselves in the tourney for the past several years but thats about it. Chick Pick: "Make it four Boilermakers."

#4 Washington #12 Mississippi State - Washington has a "home advantage" in this match-up. If you watched Miss St win the SEC title you know they didnt earn it, Tennessee basically laid down.

#6 Marquette over #11 Utah State - The Big East prevails over a weak conference champion... Marquette has seen the 3 #1 seeds from the Big East (UConn, Louisville and Pitt) in their last games of the season.. and while losing to all three, they hung in there and will go far this year.

#3 Missouri over #14 Cornell - This isn't even a real basketball game. The Ivy League shouldn't be allowed in the tournament.

FOURTH UPSET: #10 Maryland over #7 California - Terps did exactly what they needed to do to get here and they won't back down now. Expect high emotions and a Maryland W in the first round.

#2 Memphis over #15 CS Northridge - Grizzlies are going far after being snubbed for the #1 seed.

EAST
#1 Pittsburgh over # 16 East Tenn. St - DaJuan Blair and the Panthers are locks for this region. Duke doesnt stand a chance.

#8 Oklahoma State over #9 Tennessee - The Volunteers gave up against Miss St and dont deserve to step out of the first round.

#5 Florida St over #12 Wisconsin - Tony Douglas is strong enough to pick up the W here but the Badgers aren't far behind. Beating UNC in the ACC tourney and getting crushed by Duke basically put FSU back to square one. Plus Big Ten basketball is soooo sloowww.

#4 Xavier over #13 Portland State - Xavier will run over the Vikings because Portland State forgets how to play basketball against anyone good.

FIFTH UPSET: #11 VCU over #6 UCLA - I've watched Anthony Grant and Senior guard Eric Maynor a lot this season and this kid is the real deal. This is going to be the upset not many will see because they haven't watched this kid do what he can do. Trust me, he's fire. Chick Pick: UCLA, I wish they all could be California girls.

#3 Villanova over # 14 American - This is basically a home game for Nova. American keeps making the tournament and I keep hoping they will go away. Chick Pick: Nova cause Jay Wright, Villanovas head coach, is sexy as hell.

#7 Texas over #10 Minnesota - Hopefully Tubby Smith will come through for Minnesota. This will be a great defensive and coaching match-up. Chick Pick: Long Horns.

#2 Duke over #15 Binghamton - Duke will win this one and Tony Kornheiser will cry in his green-sleeved Binghamton t-shirt.

SOUTH
#1 UNC over #16 Radford - I would only pick this as an upset because UNC is a weak #1 but the Tar Heels live up to the madness in March and this is Radford's first invite to the dance. Carolina will only win because they play in Greensboro, albeit they have the easiest road to the finals, but could easily be stopped by the Zags.

#8 LSU over #9 Butler - The SEC isnt a great conference but the Tigers shouldn't be overlooked. They will take this game easily.

SIXTH UPSET: #12 Western Kentucky over #5 Illinois - WKU's Chester Frazier has a broken hand and we all know what injuries mean in the postseason.

#4 Gonzaga over #13 Akron - The Zags are underrated this season. Their stellar defense and flashy point guards will breeze by Akron and could go further than expected.

#6 Arizona St over #11 Temple - Temple's Dionte Christmas scored 29 pts to win the A-10 Title. But this is as far as they come. Chick Pick: Temple, cause the owls will show you their hooters.

#3 Syracuse over #14 S. F. Austin - The Orange's Jonny Flynn is a beast of a point guard playing 147 out of 155 possible minutes in the Big East Tournament. Cuse deserves to go far in this tournament and have the heart if they so choose. Chick Pick: S.F. Austin because sweaty lumberjacks are oh so fun.

#7 Clemson over #10 Michigan - Trevor Booker is a human highlight reel and if he plays to his full potential, it will make you forget the Wolverines beat Duke earlier this season. Chick Pick: Clemson Tigers.. grr baby.

#2 Oklahoma over #15 Morgan State - Blake Griffin will dominate this match up and continue to outperform everyone else in the tournament. Syracuse-Oklahoma will be very interesting.

Viva Venezuela.

He’s 2nd in the ACC in assists. He’s the leading Junior in minutes played in his conference. He owns his school's first triple-double in over two decades... And he’s a total menace on the basketball court. I'll admit it, I didn’t like him at first either. He was a showoff in the worst way, with little or no stats to back it up. He was a talker, a distraction, and I wanted him off my team. But then something strange happened. This annoying showboat started to score. He hit 3-3's to become the 7th ranked MD 3-point field goal shooter vs VT, scored the first 16 pts on his way to a triple-double against then-ranked #3 UNC and put up a game-high 33 pts on the road vs the Wolfpack. I started to realize that Greivis Vasquez was not only a headcase, he was a talent, and one the Terps couldn’t turn their backs on. Quite the opposite. He's taken this young group of athletes and put them on his shoulders, carrying them through conference fire and back and has never once mentioned their lack of effort. When Gary Williams' job was in question, Vasquez turned the attention on himself, and instead wrote the theme of the story the way it should have been written all along; Maryland is still a contender, and Gary Williams had helped lead them there. Vasquez's passion for the game is exhibited through his emotional tirades. In reality, coach and player are one in the same. When the Terps screw up, Gary turns to his bench and gives them an earful. When Vasquez hits a three, he turns to the opposing bench and does the same. In a decade where we say that stats have become meaningless, scoring celebrations excessive, press conferences humorous, and heroes corrupt, who are we to tell a 22-year-old kid with NBA dreams that his intensity is too intense, his emotions too raw, and his self-esteem too cocky? When today's definition of success has an asterisk next to it, those who have become successful, even in the smallest of arenas, should be allowed to walk through life with a conceited swagger that screams, "Look at me. I'm who you want to be." Because when it comes down to it, it’s not the fact that you hate Greivis Vasquez, you hate the fact that he doesn't play for your team.

MY First Blog

Well hello there internet world. Never done this before but im giving it a shot!