the GTFOH here thread

[cranrab]

i had to create a new thread for this, but feel free to add anything from any sport that makes you think "GTFOH".

While Magic GM Otis Smith doesn’t foresee a problem re-signing power forward Darko Milicic, Milicic’s agent said Tuesday that the biggest issue might not necessarily be financial. Marc Cornstein, Milicic’s agent, says Milicic’s decision also depends on which teams will allow him to display more of his his shooting and passing skills. He has been used more as a post-up player with the Magic. "I know Darko," agent Marc Cornstein said by phone from Philadelphia. "Wherever he winds up for his second contract, it has to be somewhere where he’s going to be allowed to do what he can do. That’s extremely important to him. "I think that has to be part of the recruiting pitch. That, to me, is the key to this summer, to find somewhere where he is a central figure or can maximize his talents."



these offense oriented euros like pau gasol and tobe slay me with these comical bullshit demands.

 

[RunawaySlave]

Milicic’s decision also depends on which teams will allow him to display more of his his shooting and passing skills. He has been used more as a post-up player with the Magic. "I know Darko," agent Marc Cornstein said by phone from Philadelphia. "Wherever he winds up for his second contract, it has to be somewhere where he’s going to be allowed to do what he can do. That’s extremely important to him. "I think that has to be part of the recruiting pitch. That, to me, is the key to this summer, to find somewhere where he is a central figure or can maximize his talents."

I got a bad feeling he's gonna end up in New Jersey. Let me
say right NOW that he will not be the answer Rod. Plz do not
pursue this 7 ft fag

 

[SpiritualPorn]

i had to create a new thread for this, but feel free to add anything from any sport that makes you think "GTFOH".

While Magic GM Otis Smith doesn’t foresee a problem re-signing power forward Darko Milicic, Milicic’s agent said Tuesday that the biggest issue might not necessarily be financial. Marc Cornstein, Milicic’s agent, says Milicic’s decision also depends on which teams will allow him to display more of his his shooting and passing skills. He has been used more as a post-up player with the Magic. "I know Darko," agent Marc Cornstein said by phone from Philadelphia. "Wherever he winds up for his second contract, it has to be somewhere where he’s going to be allowed to do what he can do. That’s extremely important to him. "I think that has to be part of the recruiting pitch. That, to me, is the key to this summer, to find somewhere where he is a central figure or can maximize his talents."



these offense oriented euros like pau gasol and tobe slay me with these comical bullshit demands.

How many chuckers were in the leauge when you played Cran?

I ask because ESPN has been running Classic playoff games from and I don't remember seeing too many Euro's.

 

[cranrab]

How many chuckers were in the leauge when you played Cran?

I ask because ESPN has been running Classic playoff games from and I don't remember seeing too many Euro's.

chuckers? quite a few. but if you're talking euros, only TWO.

you have to remember that at that time (ancient history, now ) NBA scouts overseas were mining europe (serbia, croatia) for players with SIZE. frankenstein m.f.s who could take up space.

so if you found a big euro that could actually do some things on O, you found yourself a diamond in the rough (think vlade divac). and if you found a euro that could score the ball, then all the better.

drazen petrovic was a one dimensional chucker who brought absolutely nothing else to the table.

sarunas marciulionis was an energetic, reckless, stank breath bitch that made the game completely unwatchable. he was a gimmick player, because his specialty was to build up as much speed as he could muster, and then launch himself crashing into defenders in an effort to get to the foul line. garbage.

think of it this way. if gordon giricek was sugar ray leonard, then sarunas marcioulionis would be roberto duran.

 

[xfactor]

What about the HOF Euro bigmen like Arvydas Sabonis and Dino Radja? Talk about pivots that truly changed the game.

 

[cranrab]

What about the HOF Euro bigmen like Arvydas Sabonis and Dino Radja?

[chuckles] they both entered the league after i had already departed.

arvydas sabonis wasn't terrible, and he probably would've had a solid NBA career if US-USSR relations had been better. you have to remember that he entered the league after 30. i think he was 31, so his best athletic years were already behind him.

i think both toni kukoc and dino radja entered the league in the same season (as each other).

coach popovich tells a great story about euros that comes from a workout he held with terry cummings and the spurs' first euro failure. it boils down to this: terry cummings worked out with a euro and TORCHED him. afterwards, the euro tells coach popovich about himself in broken english: "no defense. only offense."

 

[SpiritualPorn]

[chuckles] they both entered the league after i had already departed.

arvydas sabonis wasn't terrible, and he probably would've had a solid NBA career if US-USSR relations had been better. you have to remember that he entered the league after 30. i think he was 31, so his best athletic years were already behind him.

i think both toni kukoc and dino radja entered the league in the same season (as each other).

coach popovich tells a great story about euros that comes from a workout he held with terry cummings and the spurs' first euro failure. it boils down to this: terry cummings worked out with a euro and TORCHED him. afterwards, the euro tells coach popovich about himself in broken english: "no defense. only offense."

 

[Spectrum]

afterwards, the euro tells coach popovich about himself in broken english: "no defense. only offense."

 

[cranrab]

another anti-euro rant by cranrab:

nets made the playoffs with a .500 (41-41) record.

nenad krstic was the starting C for 26 games. during that time, the nets were 11-15 (.423)

the nets went 30-26 (.536) the rest of the season. who started at C? the human pencil, mikki moore.

losing record with the euro. winning record with a clippers cast-off.

euros need to GTFOH!

orlando magic, how's everything going with hedo turkoglu and darko milicic?

eurotah jazz, how's everything going with mehmet okur and cancry kirilenko?

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Excerpt from the Denver Post:

Despite being a top candidate for NBA defensive player of the year and the steadiest hand in a season full of upheaval caused by Carmelo Anthony's suspension to Allen Iverson's arrival in that "extra, extra, read all about it" trade, Camby knows he could be shown the door not long after Denver makes its exit from the playoffs.

...sure. Get rid of the top rebounder, shot blocker and potential defensive player of the year. In fact, replace him with one of those quality Euro big men. We all know how good they are.

 

[cranrab]

if you have ever been in a tobe thread (i might've been in a couple myself ), you eventually hear one of the DUMBEST comments ever written on BGOL.

it's ALWAYS pulled out of the writer's ass, as if they have a direct hotline to the NBA general managers:

"if you ask the GM of any team, they'd all agree that tobe is the best player in the league."



well, read below:

Bryant finished a distant third in an unofficial most-valuable-player survey of NBA general managers, according to NBA.com. The official MVP award will be announced later in the playoffs.

Bryant, who won a second consecutive scoring title, finished behind Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki and Phoenix guard Steve Nash. He had one first-place vote, one second-place vote and 13 third-place votes. Twenty-five of the league's 30 general managers participated in the survey.

punk ass busters jump up to get beat down on the SPORTS board!

 

[RunawaySlave]

the human pencil, mikki moore.

Best big man we've had in YEARS. No joke
(I like Mikey, but that is kind of sad)


Nets front line is WIDE open for some new blood.
But I got a SAD feeling we are gonna see even more
7 ft fags. Despite the fact that Jermaine O'neal would
be a PERFECT fit

So Rod Thorn deserves one of those GTFOHs too

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Stern Says Best Of Seven First Round Was Supposed To Prevent Upsets
4th May, 2007 - 9:04 pm
ESPN -
In an interview with ESPN during Friday's game in New Jersey between the Nets and Raptors, David Stern was asked how he felt about the 8th seed Warriors defeating the top-seeded Mavericks.

"They were never supposed to," said Stern. "The four out of seven was supposed to make sure that the better team won."

What the fuck kind of comment is this??? I would be pissed if I was a member of the Warriors organization. Are you THAT pissed of that your Euro-bum didn't win??


EDIT-an interesting side bar...

New Playoff Plan Backfires
Authored by Jason M. Williams - 4th May, 2007 - 9:05 pm

Mark Cuban got his wish from the league but couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain. This NBA season marked the initial postseason that reordered the top four seeds in each conference based on winning percentage, rather than granting the top three spots to the three division champions. This was largely due to the continued feuding between Mark Cuban and Commissioner David Stern over Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks who were often forced into facing top opponents in the second round, rather than in the conference finals.

The Mavericks won the second-most games in the Western Conference last year, but were still positioned in the number four seed because the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs hail from the same division. Meanwhile, the Northwest Division champion Denver Nuggets were awarded the number three seed despite having only 44 wins: 16 fewer than the Mavericks. The 60-win Mavs were then forced into playing the top-tier Spurs in the second round, although they were the two best teams in the conference all season and should have waited to meet in the Western Conference Finals.

Cuban was outraged that his squad was forced into a situation where he had to contend with the number one seed in the second round, when his team was clearly better during the regular season than those seeded ahead of them. This obviously didn’t matter much as the Mavericks were able to dispose of the Spurs and eventually the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs en route to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance.

This season donned the beginning of a new era in the NBA’s second season. Had these new playoff positioning rules not been enforced this season we would have had the following playoff seeds in the West:

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Utah Jazz
4. San Antonio Spurs

Of course, the new seeding rules were enforced and instead we have the Spurs in the number three-seed, which would allow the Mavericks to avoid the troublesome Spurs in round 2.

However, the mighty Mavericks were taken down by the pesky Golden State Warriors in a shocking first round upset. Now, we are faced again with seeing the top two remaining teams, the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs , battle it out in round 2 rather than in the Western Conference Finals.

There is a simple solution to this problem: copy the playoff format of the NHL. Yes, the National Hockey League. The NHL reseeds each team following each round, which allows the top seed to continually match up with the lowest seeded team remaining in the bracket.

The NBA is the only one of the Big Four professional sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) that does not serve up the lowest seed to the top seed in each round. The MLB grants the top team in each league to play against the worst division winner or the wild card winner, unless the wild card winner is not from the same division. The NFL grants bye weeks to the top two teams in each conference, and then pits the top team with the worst remaining team in the second round. And the NHL reseeds each team following each round, allowing for a “best versus worst” battle in each round.

Why is this important? Why do fans want to see the best team playing the worst team in the second round? Doesn’t that lead to more blow outs and less entertaining playoff series? The reason is because this is the only way to guarantee that the two BEST teams are still standing in the conference finals and ultimately the NBA Finals.

Yes, the top three seeds in the NHL are the three division winners, so yes, that would negate my reseeding point and the Spurs and Mavericks would be fixtures for the second round anyway assuming the top four seeds win out in the first round. However, my proposal is to continue the new format of granting the top four seeds to the three division winners and the top non-division champ, but institute a reseeding policy to take place after each round.

This would then shift the playoff match-up out West from Suns versus Spurs and Warriors versus the winner of the Utah Jazz /Houston Rockets series to Suns versus Warriors, a scorekeeper’s nightmare, and Spurs versus Jazz/Rockets. These two modified second round series sound much more entertaining since the Warriors and Suns play an aggressive, fast-paced, high-flying game while the Spurs, Jazz, and Rockets all prefer to slow the pace down and play a half court game.

The two differences in styles of game play between these five remaining West teams is interesting and would be better seen in the second round than what we will be privy to once the second round commences.

Stern is now in this predicament because the top seeded Dallas Mavericks became the third number-one-seed in league history to fall to an eight-seed. While the Commissioner has taken a step in the right direction by implementing the policy that allows the Spurs to be the third seed this season rather than the fourth, he still has one more justification to make his playoff strategy complete and infallible. Either that or he should tell Mark Cuban to instruct his 67-win team not to collapse faster than Mike Vick’s dog breeding business.

Should the NBA adopt the NHL reseeding policy for the playoffs? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.

 

[cranrab]

how do stupid people get jobs?

May 1, 2007, 4:10 PM ET

Skit prompted Spurs coach to pull plug

SAN ANTONIO -- The producer of a sports radio show that aired a parody about Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson with references to drugs, seeking sex from Mexican women and the shooting of a homeless man has reportedly been fired.

KTKR-AM producer Eric Gray was dismissed, the San Antonio Express-News reported, citing internal e-mails.

Matt Martin, a Clear Channel Communications Inc. vice president and market manager for KTKR, wouldn't confirm the firing Tuesday. He issued a statement saying the April 25 parody "included content that could be viewed as insensitive. KTKR does not condone or approve of inappropriate content or language."

The skit, with an Iverson impersonator answering questions on air, had him seeking sex from "Mexican" women on the River Walk and the accidental shooting of a homeless man who was an "illegal alien."

"For them to put out something like that is awful," said Iverson, who is black.

The skit prompted Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to pull out of his weekly call-in session with the show.

The Spurs lead the Nuggets 3-1 in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Game 5 is Wednesday night.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

League tells Nelson no beer in interviews

Wire services
May. 8, 2007 12:00 AM
The league has told Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson that he can't bring beer into the postgame interview room.

Nelson, 66, brought a can of beer into the interview room on more than one occasion during his team's opening-round upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

Warriors spokesman Raymond Ridder said the team received the league's directive.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

for you wrestling heads..

Warrior and Iron Sheik Have Confrontation At Convention
Posted by Ashish on 05.07.2007

Warrior Warrior got into an incident with the Iron Sheik on Sunday at a sports convention in Edison, NJ. Both men were there signing autographs. When Warrior saw Sheik, he demanded that Sheik leave, saying that Sheik had talked badly about him in the past. Sheik got upset and acted as if he was going to go after Warrior, but Warrior called security and the situation was resolved.

Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino were both also at the convention signing autographs. Warrior did not interact with Hogan, but did greet Sammartino.

Credit: PWInsider.com

and there is film footage too..

[FLASH]http://www.youtube.com/v/R7IdaSlpIN8[/FLASH]

 

[cranrab]

look at the title of this article!

how they come up with this title? um, 2 time MVP steve nash, tim duncan, jason kidd?

WTF?

LeBron James last big star in NBA playoffs
/ Associated Press
Posted: 2 hours ago

CLEVELAND (AP) - One by one, the biggest superstars in the NBA have fizzled or flamed out in these playoffs.

Another burns brightly.
All-Star forward LeBron James might be the only player still on the floor this postseason able to deliver the spectacular. He's surely the only one who can make the most casual hoops fan delay mowing the backyard to spend a glorious spring afternoon glued to the TV.

The spotlight is fixed on James, and he and the Cleveland Cavaliers are center stage.

So, what happened to all those one-name wonders? Kobe didn't get enough help from the Lakers. Shaq and D-Wade, the defending champions, got buried by the Bulls on South Beach. Melo and A.I. need more time together. T-Mac, even with Yao alongside, busted in round one - again - and Dirk, this season's likely MVP, got dunked.

Rising stars Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard were sent home, too.

Of the elite members from the famed draft class of 2003, James is flying solo in the 2007 postseason.

"I never thought about it like that," the 22-year-old James said. "I've got to hold down the fort, I guess."

Commissioner David Stern, aka fan No. 1, never publicly would admit it, but there might be a small part of the commish rooting for the Cavaliers to make a deep title run. After all, ratings mean as much as rebounds this time of year.

On a playoff stopover in Quicken Loans Arena this week, Stern was asked if having only one iconic superstar around is bad for business.

"You know," Stern said after a long pause. "It's a good question. I don't know."

Then, as if pitching a campaign to a room full of advertising executives, he presented an argument why the playoffs are still worth watching.

"Hey, everybody, get to know Carlos Boozer," Stern said, sweeping his hand across his chest for effect. "And how do you like Baron Davis? Iconic superstar? I think of the entire Detroit team, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion. We've got a lot of unheralded superstars that are playing in this league.

"So either the old stars will dominate or the new stars will be revealed, it's OK either way."

Maybe. But as Stern experienced last summer in China, Duncan, Nash and the rest don't share James' mass appeal.

After making a promotional appearance for Coca-Cola with James, Stern watched in awe as hundreds of Chinese teenagers chased the charter bus carrying Akron, Ohio's most famous citizen and the U.S. Olympic team.

In Stern's eyes, James has become a worldwide ambassador for the league, perhaps bigger than Michael Jordan in his prime.

"It couldn't be better than he does it," Stern said. "He's gracious. He's patient. He has a sort of a sense about him that's compelling on a global scale, and that's why so many companies are anxious to do business with him."

But the companies don't come knocking, the endorsement deals don't pile up and the catchy Nike commercials don't get filmed without basketball success first. And, in his fourth season, James could be on the verge of taking the Cavaliers further in the playoffs than they've been before.

Cleveland never has won a title, never has even been to the finals. Since joining the league in 1970, the Cavs have made only two appearances in the conference finals, losing to Boston in 1976 and Chicago in 1992.

James' second trip to the playoffs has brought out his best. He averaged 28 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists in his first six games this postseason. Oscar Robertson is the only player to post those numbers for an entire postseason, doing it three times from 1962-64.

Statistics, though, don't fully explain the contrast between the James of 2007 and the one of a year ago. He always has been willing to share the ball, but he's more confident now giving it up in key moments to teammates he hasn't continually trusted.

"And the good part," says TNT analyst Doug Collins, "is that his teammates are delivering."

Collins was Jordan's coach in Chicago from 1986-89, at approximately the same stage of Jordan's career. He remembers the difficult times early on for Jordan, who had little help on some bad teams.

Collins sees many similarities between Jordan and James, but the most revered No. 23 and his heir apparent aren't mirror images.

"They have different personalities," he said. "Michael was a guy who is going to score, he's going to throw up that huge game and he's going to take the last shot. And I always felt LeBron was more of a guy that's probably as happy making the pass as he was taking the shot.

"Michael had more of that closer's mentality."

It's taken a little longer, but James seems to be forming his own killer instinct, something his toughest critics have argued has been missing from his unspoiled game. In the closing minutes of Game 2 against the Nets, James went to the sideline during a timeout, looked coach Mike Brown in the eye and demanded the basketball.

It wasn't the first time he had done so. What was different, though, was the intensity of his request.

"It was probably his most aggressive look," Brown said. "I had no choice."

Collins would get the same evil eye from Jordan, who didn't win the first of his six NBA titles until his seventh season.

"I'm seeing a lot of growth in LeBron," Collins said. "The next big step for him is going to be the attention to the little details that will really separate him, the studying of the opponent. That's one thing Michael was genius at. And, defensively, people forget Michael may have been the best defender ever at his position.

"He would take the other team's premier perimeter player right out of the game. I think LeBron has that kind of ability, and with a defensive coach who will keep him working on that, I think you're going to eventually see that."

Until that day arrives, James undoubtedly will make mistakes. He'll miss big shots, lose important games and there will be times when we're reminded that, despite being a four-year veteran, he's younger than 75 percent of the league's rookies.

One of those moments happened the other night following Cleveland's victory in Game 2. As James was explaining Brown's offensive philosophy, he got tongue tied and tripped badly over his words.

"Sorry," James said sheepishly. "I didn't go to college."

 

[Spectrum]

Re: look at the title of this article!

^^^

yeah. Odd title.. would have been different if he said last YOUNG star...

 

[cranrab]

Re: look at the title of this article!

Tax troubles dog Warriors owner Cohan
/ Associated Press
Posted: 6 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Now that his team is out of the NBA playoffs, Golden State Warriors owner Chris Cohan has another fight to wage — with the federal government.

The Internal Revenue Service says Cohan owes more than $160 million in back income taxes and penalties from the 1998 sale of a cable television company.
The IRS claims Cohan set up three tax shelters to avoid a hefty bill after selling cable TV company Sonic Communications to Charter Communications for more than $200 million. As a result, the government is demanding about $95 million in past due taxes and another $66 million in penalties from Cohan, federal court records show.

"All three tax shelters were promoted, funded and closed as a package deal for Cohan's benefit," a motion the government filed in February states.

Cohan's attorney, Edward Robbins, didn't return a telephone call or an e-mail seeking comment from The Associated Press. A Warriors spokesman said the team had no comment.

In previous testimony, Cohan said that trusted advisers were in charge of all decisions regarding the Sonic sale.

The government alleges that Cohan paid $14 million to accounting firms KPMG and Presidio Advisors, Inc. to set the shelters up.

"The Cohans acknowledged entering into two tax shelter transactions ... overseen by Presidio Advisors, on the advice of KPMG Peat Marwick LLC and petitioner's attorneys that these were valid and supportable transactions," the motion states.

KPMG and Presidio Advisors are both subjects of federal criminal investigations into abusive tax shelters. Cohan is not a target of the criminal inquiry, however.

A previous attempt by the government to sue Cohan for the back taxes was unsuccessful. In 2005, Cohan's attorneys successfully argued that documents the IRS needed as evidence were protected by attorney-client privilege.

But the case was reopened in February after the federal government argued that Cohan had waived his attorney-client privilege during hearings in U.S. Tax Court.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Cuban Would Like Finley To Return
22nd May, 2007 - 11:17 am
Star-Telegram -
Mark Cuban would be interested in having Michael Finley return to Dallas one day.

"I would hope that after his contract is over in San Antone, he would consider the Mavs as an option," Cuban said. "I don't know that he would, but our entire organization has that much respect for him."

Cuban continued: "I'm absolutely rooting for Fin. No question about it. I told him the first time I saw him after he joined the Spurs that if we didn't win, I hoped he did. I even sent him a text after he beat the Suns saying the same thing."

Finley has one season left on his deal, a player option, which calls for $18.6 million in Mavs money and $3.1 million from the Spurs

You should have never gave him up in the first place..

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

West fumes after Blazers win draft lottery

By Tom Canavan, The Associated Press
SECAUCUS, N.J. — Two long shots from the Pacific Northwest won the NBA's draft lottery and the right to select can't-miss picks Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

The luck of the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics also left outgoing Memphis Grizzlies president Jerry West calling for the league to dump the weighted lottery system that rarely has helped the league's worst team.

West was fuming Tuesday night after the Grizzlies, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, the teams with the league's three worst records, got the fourth, fifth and sixth choices in the June 28 draft in New York behind Portland, Seattle and Atlanta.

Portland, which had only a 5.3% chance of winning, beat the odds and won the right to select either Oden or Durant. The SuperSonics will get the other and the Hawks, who had the fourth worst record, will have the pick of the rest of the draft that might be one of the deepest in years.

MOCK DRAFT: David DuPree's lottery picks

"It's about as disappointing as you could ever hope for," West said minutes after the lottery was announced at the NBA Entertainment Center. "It's like pitching pennies. It's grossly unfair to the team, but I've said it before, I don't think the lottery is fair. I never liked it. I don't think it's a good system at all, period.

"There have been a lot of picks in the lottery that have (failed). There are two in the lottery this year that are not going to fail. There are two superstars in the draft. I think for the teams fortunate enough to get them, the fortunes of their franchises have changed forever."

That will be Portland and Seattle.

For the Trail Blazers, the lottery was sweet revenge. A year ago, they had the worst record in the league and ended up with the fourth pick.

Now they will have the top pick for the fourth time in franchise history. Two were duds (LaRue Martin and Mychal Thompson). The other was a fellow named Bill Walton, and he led them to an NBA title.

"Huge, unbelievably huge," said general manager Kevin Pritchard. "Franchise making. ... Rip City again, here we come."

Pritchard would not say whether the Trail Blazers would pick Oden, the center who led Ohio State to the NCAA championship game, or Durant, a high-scoring forward who made Texas fun to watch.

"Either one, you can't go wrong," said Brandon Roy, the NBA Rookie of the Year who represented the Trail Blazers.

The 7-foot Oden is the likely top pick because dominant centers are harder to find.

Milwaukee will go sixth, followed by Minnesota, Charlotte and Chicago, which had the rights to New York's pick through the Eddy Curry trade. Sacramento will be 10th, followed by the Hawks, Philadelphia, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since the NBA switched to a weighted lottery system in 1994, only two NBA teams with the best chance of landing the top pick have gotten it — the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 (LeBron James) and the Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard) the following year.

This marked the first time since 1993 that the three worst teams all dropped out of the top three.

"This is not sour grapes; it is not," West said. "I didn't expect we would get No. 1 or No. 2. I just don't like it at all. No other sport does it this way."

The presence of Oden and Durant created a lot of interest in the lottery. More than 100 media received credentials.

Oden averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots despite being limited for much of the season while recovering from right wrist surgery.

Durant led the Big 12 with 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, and was the AP national player of the year.

Portland, which had a great draft night in 2006 by getting Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge through trades, had more than luck on its side.

"I have one lucky charm; my daughter gave it to me, it's a little ladybug pendant," Pritchard said of his 10-year-old daughter, Kendall.

It worked.

With either Oden or Durant, interest in the SuperSonics should pick up. The Sonics haven't been able to get a new arena and aren't guaranteed to be in Seattle past next season.

"Hopefully, it gets people more excited," said Sonics president of basketball operations Lenny Wilkens. "Seattle has great fans. And like we say, it's not over until the fat lady sings."

The Hawks were the other big winner Tuesday. Moving up one spot saved them from having to send their pick to the Suns as a result of the Joe Johnson trade. And Atlanta also picked up Indiana's pick, No. 11, from the Al Harrington deal since the Pacers stayed put.

"This gives us a chance to look at what we really need as far as helping us progress as a franchise," said Hawks vice president and former star Dominique Wilkins. "This is big for us. Everybody wants the No. 1, No. 2 picks. But any time you get in the top three picks, this is monumental for us."

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Warrant Issued For Keon Clark's Arrest

24th May, 2007 - 6:00 am
Toronto Star -
When we last heard of Keon Clark in 2005, the former Raptors forward was 30 years old and still sought after by NBA general managers. As of yesterday afternoon, according to the Toronto Star, he was wanted by Illinois police.

A warrant for his arrest on felony charges of drunk driving with a suspended licence was issued on Sunday, and if Clark's latest run-in with the law was an anomaly, it might not merit mention. But earlier this month Clark pleaded guilty to cocaine- and gun-possession felonies for which he'll be sentenced in July in his hometown of Danville, Ill. And his frequency of transgressions is such that one of the local newspapers has occasionally taken to headlining stories about his missteps with the tag: "Keon Watch."

"The boy is just self-destructing in public, and it's painful," said Frank Young, a state's attorney in Danville. "You hate to see a young man destroy himself after he's worked so hard and accomplished so much ... You're just going, `Wake up.'"

 

[xfactor]

"There have been a lot of picks in the lottery that have (failed). There are two in the lottery this year that are not going to fail. There are two superstars in the draft. I think for the teams fortunate enough to get them, the fortunes of their franchises have changed forever."

That's why old West is mad because if this was...say the 2000 NBA draft, he wouldnt be bitching this much.

I'm opposed to the NFL draft method too because teams would probably go 10-72 in the NBA to assure they had the #1 pick...Especially in a draft like this.

Oden and Durant should be great players but will they be franchise changing players? Are they better than LeBron James? Shaquille O'Neal? Tim Duncan? Allen Iverson? I dont think so.

 

[cranrab]

i wonder who the porn star he had in the front seat was

Lakers owner arrested on suspicion of DUI
/ Associated Press
Posted: 1 hour ago

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was arrested early Tuesday for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The 74-year-old Buss was taken into custody shortly before 1 a.m. after he drove his gold Mercedes-Benz station wagon the wrong way on a street in an unincorporated section of Carlsbad that has double yellow lines, California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Kerns said.
"Although I was driving only a short distance, it was a bad decision and I was wrong to do it," Buss said in a statement issued by the Lakers. "It was a mistake I will not make again."

A 23-year-old woman in the vehicle with Buss wasn't arrested, Kerns said.

He said Buss was "relatively cooperative" when placed under arrest, and was booked into the Vista jail for investigation of drunken driving and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or above.

Buss was released around 10:30 a.m., according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Web site. Kerns said the final results of Buss' blood alcohol test won't be available for about three weeks.

Highway Patrol officers Sal Gutierrez and Julie Cahill administered field sobriety tests using an alcohol screening device, Kerns said.

Lakers spokesman John Black said Buss was in the Carlsbad vicinity because he has a home in north San Diego County. Buss' primary residence is in the Los Angeles suburb of Playa del Rey.

 

[cranrab]

Wade saw victim talking to his girlfriend
/ Associated Press
Posted: 1 hour ago

PHOENIX (AP) - Former Arizona State running back Loren Wade was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder in the slaying of another ex-Sun Devils football player.

The 23-year-old Wade was on trial for first-degree murder in the death of Brandon Falkner, who was shot outside a Scottsdale nightclub on March 26, 2005.
Prosecutors claimed Falkner was shot because Wade saw him talking to his girlfriend. Falkner was 25.

Wade faces a maximum of 22 years in prison when he's sentenced. No sentencing date was immediately announced Thursday.

Wade, a tailback from Los Angeles, set a school freshman rushing record in 2003, but played only three games in 2004 before he was suspended for the season for receiving improper benefits involving an overdue utility bill. He had returned to the team and was participating in spring practice at the time of the shooting.

Falkner was a defensive back for the Sun Devils from 1999-2001.

 

[cranrab]

Frustrated L.A. fans still buying what teams are selling
With the Clippers and Lakers raising ticket prices on heels of disappointing seasons, many grumble but few fail to renew. It's also been the case for the Dodgers, Angels and Kings.
Bill Plaschke

June 8, 2007

"How can you be happy about it?"

The guy was angry, bitter, sarcastic, couldn't stop talking about the most galling Lakers announcement of the summer.

Kobe Bryant's demand for a trade?

No, the Lakers' demand for higher ticket prices.

"The team is dull, uninteresting…. We're going to be seeing a lot of bad basketball."

The guy was upset at a team moving down in the standings while moving up in ticket cost.

The guy was wondering why he has to pay an extra $4,100 more per year, per ticket, to watch a team that is seemingly so hopeless, even a lifelong fan like Bryant couldn't take it anymore.

"It looks like a dynasty all right — a dynasty of failure."

His name is Joe Smith, he has owned Lakers season tickets since they moved to town 48 years ago, and, man, he's mad.

So mad, he's going to renew his four season seats.

So mad, he can't wait for October.

"What can I say? I love being there," he said with a sheepish laugh. "And I'm not the only one."

P.T. Barnum should have owned a team in this town. Its general manager could have been Fagan. Its nickname could have been the Grifters.

Only in Los Angeles can major professional sports teams have awful seasons and hopeless futures and still raise ticket prices.

Only in Los Angeles will the fans whine and gripe … then secretly hope the guy sitting in front of them will give up his seats so they can sit closer.

"Many years ago, Jerry Buss asked me what I thought about raising prices from $200 to $250," recalled Smith, a former record mogul. "I told him, in this entertainment town, nobody will blink. So he's just kept doing it, and doing it, and still nobody has blinked."

Even in the wake of the recent Clippers and Lakers season-ticket price farce, few have budged.

First, the Clippers, even though they were arguably the most underachieving team in the NBA last season, announced a stunning 10% increase in their average ticket price.

Fans threatened. Blogs roared. A story surfaced about an angry fan whose second-row seats increased $32,000 a year, to $70,000 overall.

And what has happened since then? Not much, really.

Renewal rates are not expected to markedly drop, and there is still a waiting list for courtside seats.

Typical is Darlene Draper, a seven-year customer who was upset to see the price of her tickets raised from $60 to $68.

"It was a hefty increase, it was too much," she said. "Lots of people were wondering what the heck was going on."

But as quick as a Corey Maggette jumper, she sent in her deposit and reserved her seats. And when a family sitting in front of her didn't renew their tickets, she scooped them up.

Only in Los Angeles can a team win seven fewer games, fail to make the playoffs and fans want to sit closer.

"Hey, I was with them back when they were sorry, so I don't care," Draper said. "I just like watching the games."

Then, this week, the Lakers chimed in with their own 5% ticket increase even though they won three fewer regular-season games and two fewer playoff games.

And guess what? The waiting list for any sort of season tickets is still at about 1,600 fans.

"It's very unfortunate that they keep raising the prices," said Jimmy Goldstein, the noted leather-wearing fan who sits behind the basket for the Lakers and Clippers. "But what's even more unfortunate is that I'm going to keep paying those prices, because I'm hooked."

Face it, folks, that hook runs through the mouths of fans of every major Los Angeles sports team.

Early in Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's tenure, he actually built new expensive seats whose views were blocked — and the Dodgers still set attendance records.

The Angels have continually enraged fans by failing to make a midseason trade that would return them to the World Series — yet their ballpark is still bursting at the seams.

If ever you needed proof about that old Los Angeles sports axiom, this is your ticket.

Sports here isn't about winning or losing, it's about entertaining. The venues here are nice. The sports are fun. The locals keep it close. It is more than enough.

The last time fans voted with their rear ends, the Lakers played in the aging Forum, whose empty seats convinced Jerry Buss to sign Shaquille O'Neal.

But now that both teams are in gleaming Staples Center, will there ever be any incentive for either to make that sort of bold move again?

"If they traded Kobe Bryant, there would be no more reason to go to the games," said Smith. "But people still would not give up their seats. They would give them to their assistants while they waited for the next great player to show up. A Laker game is still the biggest game in town."

Officials from both teams said that rising player salaries don't give them much choice in raising ticket prices.

Said Andy Roeser, Clippers executive vice president: "We have to keep pace."

Said Tim Harris, Lakers senior vice president: "Player salaries are a huge reason."

Officials also said that, contrary to common fan belief, season results do not affect ensuing ticket pricing.

"If that's the case, then when we win the championship, we could raise ticket prices 50%, right?" said Harris. "There's a lot of other things involved."

Then there are the hockey Kings, smarting from an awful season and paling in comparison to the Stanley Cup champion Ducks.

Worried about further upsetting their fans, realizing they are in no position to make demands, they decided to do the fair and admirable thing by not raising ticket prices.

Suckers.

 

[Bravo]

I wonder how many season ticket holders are reselling some of their tickets to offset the overall cost?

 

[cranrab]

i thought the fakers 5% increase was outrageous (and it is, because it's above the league average price increase), but when i read that the clippers had a 10% increase, i was like DAMN.

the author was right in mentioning PT BARNUM.

 

[SuperGenius]

another anti-euro rant by cranrab:

nets made the playoffs with a .500 (41-41) record.

nenad krstic was the starting C for 26 games. during that time, the nets were 11-15 (.423)

the nets went 30-26 (.536) the rest of the season. who started at C? the human pencil, mikki moore.

losing record with the euro. winning record with a clippers cast-off.

euros need to GTFOH!

orlando magic, how's everything going with hedo turkoglu and darko milicic?

eurotah jazz, how's everything going with mehmet okur and cancry kirilenko?

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.........

the NBA needs to come to terms that most of the foreign players are just marginal at best.....

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Kenyon Martin honored in NYC

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will be honored at the American Institute for Stuttering's first gala to raise funds for the study and treatment of stuttering tonight in New York City on the Queen Mary 2.

"Having someone of Kenyon's stature is great for our cause because stuttering is one of the most misunderstood disorders," AIS director Catherine Montgomery said.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Camacho sentenced to 7 years for burglary, could avoid jail

Associated Press

Updated: June 11, 2007, 8:35 PM ET

BILOXI, Miss. -- Hector "Macho" Camacho was sentenced to the maximum seven years in prison Monday for burglary, but the eight-time world champion could avoid spending time in a cell.

Harrison County Circuit Judge Steve Simpson suspended six years of the sentence and said Camacho could serve one year under house arrest if authorities in Puerto Rico agree to monitor him. That would be followed by two years' probation.

The deal would allow the 44-year-old Camacho to continue working. But if he violates any of the conditions set at sentencing, he would have to serve the entire seven years.

"I am deeply sorry," Camacho said to the judge and offered apologies to boxing fans and the people of Mississippi, according to story posted on The Sun Herald's Web site.

Camacho celebrates after a bout against Sugar Ray Leonard in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 1, 1997. Camacho won the fight with a TKO in the fifth round.

The judge declined to hear a motion to dismiss a drug charge filed Jan. 6, 2005, in Biloxi. Authorities say they found 10 pills of Ecstasy in a casino hotel room where Camacho claims he had stopped to use the restroom. A trial on the charge is tentatively set for this month.

Simpson set bond on the drug charge at $75,000. Camacho's previous bond had been revoked May 7 during a plea hearing after a bail bondsman complained that Camacho still owed him money and had not stayed in touch since his release.

Camacho could again be released on bail in a few days if Puerto Rican authorities agree to monitor him.

Camacho won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s. His last title bout came against then-welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya in 1997, a loss by unanimous decision.

A warrant was issued for Camacho on Dec. 22, 2004, for a November burglary of a computer store. While arresting him in January 2005, police say they found the Ecstasy.

In a written statement around the time of his arrest, Camacho apologized for the break-in, which caused nearly $13,000 in damage and losses at ZDI Computer Center in Gulfport.

Camacho had bought a laptop from the business but left it there for work on technical problems. He was trying to retrieve his computer and was "crazy" on tequila, he said, when he crawled through the ceiling of office space he shares with the computer company.

Wayne Woodall, the store owners' attorney, claims Camacho fell through the ceiling and left with seven laptops and about $5,600 in checks and cash.

Camacho has had several brushes with the law involving drugs, his driving habits, and domestic assault. When he was 16, he served 3 ½ months in a New York prison for auto theft.

 

[cranrab]

i never liked hector camacho at the height of success (wasn't he a wife beater?), and i still don't like him now. no wonder.

what happened to his son's career?

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Baker stopped for driving erratically, failed field sobriety test

Associated Press

Updated: June 19, 2007, 2:36 PM ET

NORWICH, Conn. -- Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker, whose 14-year NBA career was marred by bouts of depression and alcoholism, was charged early Tuesday with drunken driving after leaving a casino.

The 35-year-old Baker was spotted driving erratically after leaving Foxwoods Resort Casino, according to a state police report. He failed a sobriety test and was charged with driving while impaired.

State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance described Baker's demeanor as cooperative.

Baker's agent, Charles Grantham, said he hasn't talked to his client and declined comment.

A four-time All-Star forward who attended the University of Hartford, Baker averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in the NBA.

The 6-foot-11 forward was a member of the gold medal-winning Olympic team in 2000 and enjoyed his best seasons with Milwaukee and Seattle.

Baker's alcoholism forced the Boston Celtics to cut him midway through the 2003-04 season. He later admitted drinking in his hotel room after playing poorly and showing up to practice with alcohol on his breath.

He also played for New York, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers before being released by Minnesota six games into the 2006-07 season.

Baker was released on $500 bond and was due in court June 26.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Nellie Violated Non-Compete Against Dallas During Playoffs?
June 29, 2007 - 5:30 pm
San Francisco Chronicle -
Regardless of whether Warriors coach Don Nelson returns to the sidelines next season, his fall schedule is likely to include a stop in court, where his arbitration suit against Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is taking on new dimensions.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Cuban filed a counterclaim against Nelson last month, contending that the former Mavs coach violated his non-compete clause by using insider information against Dallas during the playoffs.

The source also said that Cuban is seeking an injunction against Nelson working for Golden State, though the litigation has no bearing on Nelson's pending decision on coaching again or retiring.

Reached by phone this week, Nelson's lawyer, John O'Connor, would say only that the Cuban's claim was baseless, particularly the notion about inside information.

"I suppose if Don knows that (Dirk) Nowitzki likes to go to his right and not his left, that that is confidential information as far as Cuban is concerned," O'Connor said. "We disagree and think it's absurd."

Nelson originally filed arbitration papers over $6.6 million in deferred payments he believed he's owed from his contract with Ross Perot Jr., the former Mavs owner. When Nelson stepped down as the Mavericks coach in 2005, he agreed to stay on as a consultant.

"We will let the lawyers sort it out," Cuban said in an e-mail. "At least he admits he had a non-compete clause in his five-year consulting deal he signed."

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

Isiah Allegedly Asked Dancer To Flirt With Refs
June 30, 2007 - 12:20 pm
Sports Illustrated -
The former Knicks executive who is suing Isiah Thomas for sexual harassment alleged in court papers that Thomas urged a cheerleader to flirt with referees and guard Stephon Marbury cursed at her, according to newspaper reports Saturday.

Anucha Browne Sanders, a former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, filed documents to answer the Knicks' attempt to have her lawsuit dismissed.

In the papers, which were unsealed Friday, Browne Sanders alleges cheerleader Petra Pope told her that Thomas encouraged Pope to flirt with officials before a game against the Nets in 2004, the Daily News reported.

"What she told me was that Isiah asked her to go into the referees' locker room and make them happy," Browne Sanders testified.

She also claimed in the documents that Marbury directed an obscenity at her after she complained about the player's cousin -- who was also employed by the team -- had made graphic sexual comments to her staff, the Daily News reported.