Hoopsworld Free-Agent Breakdown Magnifies Basketball Revolution

This all happened didn't quite happen overnight, but it feels that way. Hoopsworld.com, an in-depth source for all things NBA basketball, rated the Top 10 free agents and the status of their free agency. Will they stay on their team, or leave for a new one? Will they resist a team's lower offer, or know they can't nab the money they want anywhere?

Hoopsworld introduces a new, not-so-freshing option, to this NBA fan anyway. European clubs. Europe has been on a basketball high for some time, but the notion that LeBron, for example, might leap across the pond to play for Olympiacos is daunting. Why? Because there are outstanding advantages for each player that considers European ball. First, how Hoopsworld evaluates the advantages:

"On the other hand, what if - as our own Steve Kyler suggested - Olympiacos offered LeBron $50 million tax-free?

What if LeBron decided the pressure of the whole "Witness" campaign, which set expectations for his career so high he has to win a title and MVP to even begin to realize his imagined potential, just isn't worth it? What if he decides that being incredibly wealthy (even by pro athlete standards) is better than wallowing in mediocrity, which is largely brought about by the size of his own contract? There is no salary cap in Europe . . .and did I mention no tax? Instead of pulling in half of whatever the Cavs offer, LeBron could rake in all of his European paycheck. They'd even provide a house, transportation, and plane tickets home."

Yes, money would be most players' motivation. But, the tax breaks and benefits are so overwhelming that buying up LeBron might be feasible. Plus, as Hoopsworld notes, Lebron would be that much more of an international hero.

And, to run on my own tangent, consider the shift in how the fan views you, the NBA player who's just joined a European league. Your game will instantly look better. Europeans will see you struggle in footage of your NBA career, but you'll blow by most of the defenses in Europe. You won't be beat off the dribble nearly as often. The fans will respect your game that much more - whether you're Josh Childress, Karl Landry...or LeBron James. Any player's game would flash brighter. Well at least until so many players come that...the competition evens between European and American leagues? Lord, I hope we don't see that day.

See the noted Hoopsworld pieces:

Lebron to Olympiacos

Free Agent Top 10

Madison Square Garden a.k.a The Inferno

God bless journalists and the absent-minded people we often confront. Most times we can overcome roadblocks, but this is something:

Now The Knicks Are Pummeling The Reporters

In November, we told you about the pure bliss that went into being a beat reporter following the New York Knicks. (Note: We are employing The Sarcasm there.) But covering the Knicks doesn't just involve hating yourself and your choice of career; it can actively mean being beaten up by security.

Some New York Giants players were interviewed by media at halftime of the Knicks-Celtics game yesterday, but when reporters tried to talk to a fan who was being ejected -- you'd be amazed how often this is happening at Knicks games right now -- matters went dangerously awry.

I would estimate that a dozen ushers surrounded the three reporters, including myself, physically blocking our path and berating us for not listening to their orders, not "respecting" them and not letting them do their jobs. I explained that, in truth, it was the other way around. The security staff was keeping us from doing our jobs. One reporter was physically restrained and had his credential torn off his neck.

I've gotten to know a few ushers and security people at the Garden over the past couple of years, and like them. But I don't envy their jobs. I don't envy anyone who has to work in this place, under these conditions. It's sad, really, is the best way I can put it.

Honestly, this might be one of the most depressing sentences we've ever read in sports journalism: "I don't envy anyone who has to work in this place, under these conditions." Sigh. For months, we've encouraged the Knicks to hang onto 2007 SHOTY winner Isiah Thomas for raw entertainment value. But we dunno; he's turning that place into a toxic swamp. Maybe we should get him out of there before the Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers arrive.

Clip of the Day

Bear with me. I'm a little more than a week through my final semester of school, but will try to keep posting as much as possible.

Here's a Clip of the Day for the last week or so - and it's worth that many. This is one of the funniest YouTube videos I've seen.

Enjoy ya boi, Bo Ryan, do SOULJA BOY.

Farewell Andy Roddick, Also

I'll always root for Andy Roddick, but it gets hard at times.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

I sometimes feel Roddick's passion for an athlete's nightlife supersedes his court success. I want to blame him for that, but it's not fair. I don't know how I'd handle the celebrity life. He doesn't seem to embarrass himself in the public spotlight, he just enjoys himself in it.

His third-round loss at the Australian Open is a disappointing start to the 2008 season, but he may rebound. He has in the past and this time, I'll hold out hope that he does.

Andy Loses Out to Kohlschreiber

January 18th, 2008 11:42 am

By Andyroddick.com Staff

Andy’s Australian Open campaign came to an end at the hands of Philipp Kohlschreiber on Friday night in Melbourne, the German produced an outstanding performance to win 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-7(3), 8-6 in three hours and 53 minutes.

World No. 27 Kohlschreiber played a magnificent match, hitting 104 winners in total and 32 aces to finally edge out Andy in the fifth set at 2:05am in the morning at Melbourne Park.

Serving was a big factor in the match, with Andy hitting a career-high 42 aces throughout, and he lost the first set with just one poor service game which Kohlschrebier capitalised on to then go on and close out the set 6-4.

Throughout the first set, Kohlschreiber had been dominant and aggressive from the back of the court, and this did not relent. However, Andy was able to get a foothold in the German’s serve in the fourth game of the second set and after securing the break of serve, as Kohlschreiber netted a half volley, he raced through the set to level up 6-3.

The serve continued to dominate in the third set, with no breaks factoring at all, despite both men having opportunities late on. Andy had chances at 5-5, but brave play from Kohlschreiber, including a a backhand down the line winner, saw off the danger. Similarly, Kohlschreiber held set points when leading 6-5 but a huge serve and fine net play from Andy ensured the set went to a tie-break.

The tie-break was a tense affair, though Andy got the first break through at 5-3 with a forehand passing shot to earn a mini break. However, at 6-4, he couldn’t convert either set point he held as a backhand winner and a lob from Kohlschreiber brought them level. Set points continued to be swapped between both men, neither able to convert until, at 9-9, a forehand cross court return winner gave Kohlschreiber a set point on his own serve which he converted with an unreturnable serve. It was a set the 24-year-old German arguably deserved to win after hitting a remarkable 32 winners in the set to just eight unforced errors.

Andy’s frustrations began to tell in the fourth set, so desperate was he to pull level and fight into a fifth set. His determination told ultimately when the duo arrived at another tie-break after Andy had staved off early break points in the third game of the set.

This time Andy did not miss his chances in the tie-break. He played a blinder to take it 7-3 after a fantastically worked point finished with a cute volley had earned him the mini break at 3-3.

By 4-4 in the fifth set, both men had dropped just two points on their respective serves in the set as the serve once again came to the fore. But that was about to change as Kohlschreiber earnt himself four match points with Andy serving at 4-5.

The first came about as Andy hit close to the baseline and after Kohlschreiber had sent up a lob which was going long he challenged the call. Andy rightly argued that this shouldn’t have stood as the German had already played the ball, but the call stood anyway as Hawk-Eye showed the ball to be plum on the line. The following three match points were saved wonderfully with three aces (one at 147mph) onto the far sideline. “Go! Go! Go!” was the cry from Andy and his team as he raced towards his chair ready to fight on.

However, having pulled himself through the service game, Andy could only watch on in wonder as Kohlschreiber, playing in the biggest match of his career, produced some more clutch tennis to lead 7-6 and put the pressure back on Andy.

This time, the pressure told. Three stunning passing shots from Kohlschreiber brought up two more match points at 15-40 and, as Andy hit a forehand wide, the German claimed a fine victory on his fifth match point to book his spot in the fourth round.

Farewell Dave Odom

Now was the time. If Dave Odom remained and these young players hadn't reached their potential, the players would have lost out.

Bring on Greg Marshall!

COLUMBIA, S.C. - University of South Carolina head men's basketball coach Dave Odom announced Friday he is retiring at the end of the 2007-08 season. The announcement was made at an 11 a.m. press conference at the South Carolina Practice Facility. Coach Odom, who has been in college coaching for 43 years, is in his seventh season with the Gamecocks and recently won his 400th career game. He has a 123-94 record at South Carolina and a career heading coach record of 401-268 record (East Carolina, Wake Forest and South Carolina).

Statement from South Carolina Head Basketball Coach Dave Odom:
"Everything has a beginning and an end. It's a hard decision because this profession and this game are all about passion and I can tell you the passion is still there, but I recognize the signs and I recognize the thoughts that brought me to this decision. The best way to help the University of South Carolina basketball team at this time is to answer the concerns about my future and Gamecock Basketball. By announcing my decision today, every Gamecock fan can expend all their energy for and encouraging our team by helping them become the best that they can be this year. It is my hope that our players will feel the energy and enthusiasm of our students and fans and that motivation will drive them to new heights as players, students and young men. Establishing that atmosphere in the Colonial Center for our remaining games is an important step for the future of Gamecock basketball. Our players and our university deserve as much.

"Lynn and I share a real fondness and love for Carolina, the Columbia area and the state of South Carolina. We are confident the remainder of this season will be filled with many exciting moments as we will focus all our energy on the remainder of the season. It is our hope and desire that we complete this season on a positive note that builds toward the future. I'm certain we will enjoy revisiting many special memories as we reflect on our time as members of the Gamecock family."

New Nebraska Head Coach or...Evil Pirate in Pirates of the Carribean?

The answer is...I'm not sure. But apparently this is Bo Pelini, Nebraska's new head football coach. God help Nebraska's PR staff.

Courtesy of Deadspin, this is Pelini post-national championship.

Deadspin is On Point... Again

Let me say this once and for all, to all the Ohio State fans out there:

Thankfully, mercifully, finally... S.T.F.U.

Dan Shanoff Is the Bandwagoneer

Stop yapping, stop emailing, stop commenting. After your season of bitching, we don't want to hear from you. Certainly not today. Let's throw in next year, too, as a penalty for last night's bed-shitting.

For the second straight year, your team has shown up in the national title game ranked No. 1, boasting the sport's "best" defense (at least on paper, which let's all agree was bullshit) and gotten shellacked.

After those consecutive personal-foul penalties that effectively ended the game, I actually had this thought, only half-sarcastically:

If Ohio State really wanted to win the national championship this season, the Buckeyes would have been better off turning down the BCS title game and playing USC in the Rose Bowl, hoping for a win against the Pac-10 and salvaging a split title. Because it's obvious this "winning a title outright against an SEC team" BCS Championship stuff doesn't really work for them.

OSU 0-9 vs. SEC in Bowl Games

One more notch on the belt.

Tell It like It Is...

I couldn't keep up with all of Colin Cowherd's incredible comments in the first 15 minutes of his 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. show on ESPN Radio.

Cowherd speaks words of magic. These words couldn't be truer.


I haven't seen a national championship thumping like that since, oh wait, last year.

-paraphrase of Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio's Best


Truer words were never spoken.


Ohio State's got great players. The rest of the Big 10 doesn't.

-paraphrase of Colin Cowherd, again.



"It's sort of like SEC women vs. Big 10 Women."

-Colin Cowherd

"Ohio State is so much better than their Big 10 competition it sways voters."

-Colin Cowherd

We'll take your best shot, but you got to take ours too. LSU's best shot? 31 unanswered points.

-Colin Cowherd

"A blitzkrieg that Ohio State never sees in the Big 10."

-Colin Cowherd

Clip of the Day - Barack Obama Has/Had Game?

After perusing YouTube for a video to accompany the "Politics and Sport" story, I found several revealing Barack Obama's passion for basketball.

That said, here's a look into Obama's past basketball days. But before you view, think about how a game with all the candidates would look.

Dennis Kucinich on a basketball court? How about John McCain? Goodness.

Politics and Sport

This clip comes courtesy of the folks at Deadspin. Great stuff after a momentous night in Iowa.

To Whom Did Your Favorite Sports Figures Donate?

If you'll excuse our end-of-day dip into our other obsession, the Iowa caucuses are tonight. After our reading tonight, we're heading home to watch the results pour in. The Iowa caucus is like the BCS, but somehow makes less sense. We love America!

We thought we'd take a moment and find some prominent sports figures who contributed money to each of the major candidates. This is unscientific, but just what we could dig up. So ... for fun ...

REPUBLICANS
• Rudy Giuliani: George Steinbrenner, Brian France, Jeff Gordon, Kiki Van De Weghe, John Elway, Alex Rodriguez, Fran Tarkenton.
• John McCain: Roger Goodell, Jerry Reinsdorf, Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, George Bodenheimer, Lute Olson.
• Ron Paul: Wrestling "superstar" Kane.
• Mitt Romney: Robert Kraft, Vin Scully.
• Fred Thompson: Peyton Manning.
DEMOCRATS
• Hillary Clinton: David Stern, Bob Bowman, Rodney Peete, Maloof Brothers, James Dolan, Jeffrey Lurie.
• Chris Dodd: Bud Selig, Dick Ebersol, Robert DuPuy, George Bodenheimer, Jim Calhoun.
• John Edwards: Scott Boras.
• Barack Obama: Juanita Jordan, Jerry Reinsdorf, John Papenek, Desmond Howard, Scoop Jackson, Billy King, Stephon Marbury, Emmitt Smith, Phil Jackson.

I imagined Scoop Jackson would have some strong political convictions, didn't you?

And, here's a look at Barack Obama showing that his basketball touch remains.




Hope you enjoyed. Take a look at how he used to run back in the day above.

Clip of the Day

In the spirit of the 15-degree night outside here in suburban Washington D.C., I thought of snow and well...the snow leopard.

Thank the heavens for Planet Earth - here's your Clip of the Day.

Clip of the Day for SEAN TAY

Today's Clip of the Day is in memory of former Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, an untamed athlete but one with calculated skill.

The man could play. His Redskins teammates remembered that skill and his life as they glided past the rival Dallas Cowboys 27-6 Sunday evening.

My firsthand thoughts on the tailgate, game and postgame will follow this.





R.I.P SEAN TAYLOR - GO SKINS

Maybe She Died This Way, No That Way!

The news organizations plastered their stations, newshole and online headlines with coverage once someone killed Pakistani political leader and hero Benazir Bhutto yesterday - and they haven't stopped down yet.

But that may be the problem.

These outlets, even the reputable ones, are in a fury to release the latest and "truest" information about Bhutto's death.

CNN slipped several times. I've checked its website three times today. Bhutto dies from bullet wounds. No wait, Bhutto dies from shrapnel, no gun shots. Scratch that, she hit her head on the sunroof and her skull fractured.

Now CNN's backing off, realizing its missteps. It's essentially saying, "XYZ says Bhutto died from the sunroof, but we're not saying that." Earlier the network was saying, "BHUTTO DIED FROM XYZ". They went from certainty to cautious, sourced reporting.

The lesson to learn is that you shouldn't race to claim a cause of death if it's wrong. Oh, then you'll just release a new cause of death and it'll be right - oh no, wrong AGAIN! Slow down and get the facts right, chief.

The first three grafs (paragraphs) of this story indicate how CNN has backed off as the day and the varying reports were relased.

Have a look: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/pakistan.friday/index.html

Clip of the Day

I thought Arizona State was good? Come on, Pac-10 - don't prove how weak you really are when you face teams in bowl season. To me, this validates how weak Pac-10 teams become when a strong program (from the SEC or even the Big 12) has time to prepare. 52 points against this Texas team? Please.

Check out Mack Brown's face. Classic.

Journalists are Becoming...Telemarketers?

A little off subject again, but deal with it. Here's the future of the industry I will receive a degree in this May and the one you depend on for local, national and international news. God help us and the media companies.


The Miami Herald to outsource ad work
MIAMI

The Miami Herald is outsourcing some of its advertising production work to India, the newspaper's editor said Thursday.

Starting in January, copyediting and design in a weekly section of Broward County community news and other special advertising sections will be outsourced to Mindworks, based in New Delhi.

The project is still in the testing phase, so it was not clear if or how employment in South Florida will be affected, Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal said.

Mindworks will also monitor reader comments posted to online stories, he said.

Earlier this month, The Sacramento Bee, also owned by the McClatchy Co., announced it would outsource some of its advertising production work to India.

In May, news Web site, pasadenanow.com, was widely criticized after editors hired two reporters in India to cover the Los Angeles suburb.

On an Irrelevant Note..

I apologize for my unforeseen blogging hiatus. I was held back by computer issues at my home (virus or something) and my grandparents' home (prehistoric computer).

In any case, I couldn't restrain myself from discussing this next topic. The Wire is the greatest show on television - period. If you haven't watched it, treat yourself. Please. Go to Blockbuster and rent the first season; I assure you won't regret it.

I am forever thankful that a professor and mentor introduced me to the show two years ago and more importantly, illuminated the negative truths about a city that my home state routinely neglects. I watched the first two seasons of The Wire - 25 - 30 one-hour episodes with no commercials - in 10 days. I was working 50 - 60 hours a week at the time.


Do yourself an additional favor by withstanding the killing, drugs, vulgar language and corruption that will frustrate you and may make it difficult for some to watch. If you can't, you'lll miss the multi-layered themes and motifs, thorough character development, unyielding anticipiation, and the abundance of sheer truth that The Wire offers on a silver tray.

David Simon, a former reporter with The Baltimore Sun, writes and directs television treasure with Ed Burns, a former Baltimore crime investigator, and several other talented minds.

The final season's theme is the media's coverage or understanding of Baltimore's major issues - AIDS, drugs, crime, etc. - we'll have to see. That excites me, a print journalism major, but may not lure you. Don't let it stop you from watching. I didn't think I'd be interested in a season devoted to corruption in the city ports, but the season was as engaging as ever.

The show receives praise from anyone who gives it a moment's chance. It might have taken some critics a few seasons to accept its value, but they've come around.

Even NPR. Check it: http://www.hbo.com/thewire/cast/characters/chris_partlow.shtml

More truth looms, get ready.

Clip of the Day

Remember the Warriors' Run Last Summer?

As I searched for today's Clip of the Day, I saw a saved clip of Baron's memorable dunk over Andrei Kirilenko. This happened in Game 3 of their playoff series, but the first round defeat of the Mavericks was also quite sensational.

That said, this Clip of the Day is in memory of the Warriors, the fans' yellow t-shirts, and most importantly, Jessica Alba cheering intently for BDiddy on the sidelines.

Enjoy.

"Clip of the Day" series begins

Today marks, hopefully, the beginning of several new features on the blog. I plan and pray for these features to be consistent, foreseeable posts.

Don't get too excited - they're not too revolutionary yet. The first of the bunch is a "Clip of the Day," that will highlight an entertaining video in the realm of sports, entertainment or comedy. YouTube is my major asset in making this possible, obviously, but hope to pull from other sources as well.

Here's the first. PLEASE COMMENT. The more hits, the more people see the blog.

SVP Shows the World His Personal Side

Courtesy of the world's greatest sports blog, Deadspin, here is a little tip into the world of Scott Van Pelt. A little sad, I must say. But, at least we know his humor isn't part of the act and is really SVP.


Scott Van Pelt Addresses America's Future

So, you might be wondering: Who was the commencement speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison? (Trust us, you were wondering this.) Well, it was, of all people, our old pal Scott Van Pelt ... and we're not ashamed to say it was a pretty amusing speech.


Not only did he praise Madison -- which, we agree, is a wonderful city -- but he even referenced that famous voice mail message.

This hourglass will serve several purposes here. First of all, it's my reminder to be brief. I might have left a voice mail message for a young lady that made it's way on to the Internet. If you're familiar, you know it's proof that I do get a little long-winded. And as a side note to the fellas, when in doubt, maybe a text message is nice...I'm just saying.

The more important purpose of this is that it is symbolic. When I was where you now are, I gave no thought to the passage of time, no thought to the sand in my hourglass, so to speak. But as I stand here today, I am painfully aware of how much sand is in the bottom and how quickly it piles up there. And if you believe nothing else that I tell you today, believe me that a year will become five, will become 10 and you wake up one morning and you don't recognize the bald-headed guy looking back at you in the mirror. For the ladies that analogy doesn't work quite so well, unless you marry a bald-headed guy, and you'll probably find him quite charming, because really we have no other option.

Van Pelt continues to be our favorite "SportsCenter" anchor, and not just because he constantly references "Flight Of The Conchords." (Though that helps.) We might find it strange that a major American university would ask a "SportsCenter" anchor to address their graduates, but if they had to pick one, they picked the right one