The Fork in the Road

by Guichard Cadet

Something happens to the Knicks when they hit the road for an away game. They become a different team, one that lacks confidence and the desire to compete. Even elite NBA teams have losing records on the road. The Knicks' record is an appalling 8-27 for the year.

A week ago, with their playoff lives on the line, they went West and lost 4 straight games. Ironically their best game was against the best of those teams, the Seattle SuperSonics. Instead of being road warriors against Golden State, they looked worried as if the game could be the end of their season.

The Knicks’ problem can be narrowed down to one item. Isiah Thomas’ road map to the future has a fork in the road. No one feels secure as to his future with a team, headed by 2 defacto leaders – a much-maligned point guard, and a rookie head coach.

Recent Knicks history proves front office and coaching hiring/firing decisions are made in a New York minute. By the end of next season, unless the team shows significant improvement, Isiah may no longer be with the team.

On the one hand, Thomas is saying that you cannot rebuild in NY. Yet his recent trade suggests he is rebuilding, in that he essentially “gave up center Nazr Mohammed for two first-round draft picks”.

Throughout his life, Thomas has shown he can make the tough decisions. Examples include: defying Bobby Knight and leaving Indiana for the NBA Draft, leaving his post with the Toronto Raptors, and purchasing then selling the Continental Basketball Association.

These are the gambles of an extremely confident person. The next wager is whether to play it safe or put all the chips on the table.

Should Isiah coach the Knicks? From the moment Knicks brass announced they had hired Thomas as the team’s president, that question has hung over his head. When it came time to replace coaches Don Chaney and Lenny Wilkens, newspaper headlines challenged him to take over the team. Thomas’ answer from day one indicates he senses greater satisfaction in winning a championship from the front office, rather than the sidelines.

Though he’s yearned to stay the course, the straight path has led to two sub-par seasons. Left or right? Success is not guaranteed, even if you measure it only with a teaspoon.

The gamble: rookie head coach Herb Williams will guide the team to the next three playoff levels and then, win an NBA championship. With the coaching situation, Isiah's doomed either way he goes with Herb. If he keeps Williams, he looks like a “good guy”. What happens if by mid-season, the team hits a slump similar to this year’s?

If he fires Williams and bring in, (for simplicity’s sake) Phil Jackson, and the team hits a slump? Phil does not get fired. For clarity, see Jerry “The Logo” West! Jackson has a way of endearing himself to the clutch decision makers, e.g. MJ, Shaq, Jeannie Buss. Managing key relationships is the mainstay of Phil’s success.

No slump, and all the credit to Jackson, winner of his 10th championship!

If Thomas elects to coach the team, he would get demonized in the papers, for that being his plan from the onset. So? This team is his vision. The players will not dare question his authority. The coaching staff is already his. All that remains: keep the title of President, and get a person to handle the core GM responsibilities.

It’s better to lose than to snooze while trying to stay on the straight and narrow road.

Pat reaches Summitt as Dawn rises

by Rob King

Society is wrought with gender bias so indelible and often so subtle that women are sometimes complicit in their own unfair treatment. Many women habitually select male professionals and politicians over comparable female options. Frequently women are relegated to minority group status though they are the majority of the population. Unfortunately there are others instances where women unconsciously relegate themselves to second class status. Although women didn't make the rules they are often forced to play the game of life under male rules. Men commonly exacerbate the climate of gender inequality unconsciously but there are many of my brethren who make calculated efforts to perpetuate it, especially in the world of sports where a woman must often show her body to show her body of work.

University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt recently vaulted pass coaching great Dean Smith to the head of college basketball’s victory list. Summitt’s 880th win moved her ahead of the former University of North Carolina men’s basketball coach. Coach Smith amassed 879 victories and two national championships over the course of his thirty-six year career at the University of North Carolina.

Summit’s 880th victory marked another milestone in her illustrious thirty one year career that includes an Olympic gold medal as head coach of the U.S.A women’s team in 1984, a silver medal in 1976 as a player, six national championships, fifteen Final Four appearances and a .837 winning percentage. The six championships rank second to the legendary “Wizard of Westwood” John Wooden. Wooden led the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to a record ten national championships during his twenty-seven year tenure as the Bruins head coach.

If Summitt’s career ended right now her accomplishments on the court have earned her a place in the pantheon of college coaching greats, regardless of gender. However, at the relatively young age of fifty-two and showing no signs of losing her zeal for coaching, Summitt will surely accrue well over one thousand victories before she hangs up her whistle. The only category Summitt appears to be mortal in is the graduation rate of her Lady Vols. Her team’s 71% is just average compared with the other schools participating in the women’s version of March Madness.

Summitt’s recent accomplishments combined with the recent firing of University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Buzz Petersen led some in the media (mostly male) to debate whether university officials should offer the position to her, and whether Summitt could successfully coach male student athletes. When Dean Smith passed renowned Kentucky coach the late Adolph Rupp to become the winningest coach in Division I college basketball he was allowed to relish the significance of the accomplishment without sports talk shows speculating on how he would fare coaching a different gender. Coach Summitt wasn’t afforded the opportunity to enjoy the moment the same way. Why?

Men are often given the chance to coach females from pre-school to the professional ranks. Pat Summitt’s abilities to coach transcend gender. Competence and character should always transcend gender or race in coaching, and Summitt has character and competence in abundance. Coach Summitt would make an outstanding Division I men’s basketball coach and men’s hoops could definitely use a coach of her caliber. Fortunately, Summitt’s preference is to continue coaching female student athletes. Coach Summitt is one of the wheels driving women sports from the fringes to the mainstream and her presence is essential for the continued growth of the ladies’ game. Summitt may be the best woman to slay the dragon of gender inequality in coaching but she’s not the right woman.

March is the time when the head coaches of Cinderella squads look to parlay their tournament success into lucrative paydays at big schools. One bright young coach overlooked thus far boasts a resume that consists of a collegiate career in the Atlantic Ten Conference highlighted by three All American team selections, three Final Four appearances and one Olympic gold medal. The professional credentials include four All-Star appearances, one Finals appearance and two more Olympic gold medals. The coaching vita includes three NCAA tournament appearances, two conference crowns; over one hundred victories in five seasons on the bench including a 27 and 4 record this year and a 90% graduation rate.

This coach has even started a charitable foundation to empower under resourced students residing in Philadelphia. This city of “Brotherly Love” born and bred point guard was an outstanding leader on the court and has made a seamless transition to coaching ranks. Those stats would draw the attention of high school recruits looking to play in the pros or work professionally.

Dawn Staley is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the coaching world. If Temple University women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley were male she would be in high demand. What up-and-coming coach has a pedigree to rival Staley’s? Fellow Atlantic Ten Conference member the University of Massachusetts recently filled its men’s basketball head coaching vacancy with Eastern Kentucky’s Travis Ford. I never heard Staley’s named mentioned once.

The University of Tennessee has witnessed a great woman coach lead your ladies for the last three decades with record setting results and yet you hired Bruce Pearl of the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin to lead your men’s team without even gauging Staley’s interest. Let’s see if Eastern Kentucky and the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin consider Staley for their coaching vacancies.

Maybe the thirty-four year old Staley can succeed embattled Temple’s men’s basketball coach John Chaney when he wraps up his remarkable yet sometimes controversial career.

When are athletic directors and college presidents going to end the real madness and provide women with the same opportunities as men in college basketball? Male coaches cross over all the time. Why can’t females?

Tennessee State University athletic director, Teresa Phillips coached the men’s basketball team for one game in February 2003 while the head coach served a suspension. Several men’s Division I programs have hired female assistants but no one has made the commitment to seriously consider a women for the head spot.

Ironically hiring women to lead Division I men’s basketball programs make sense financially since women make on average only .72 cents for every dollar a man does. Hiring a woman to lead a male basketball team would generate media attention for that institution as well. Phillips' one game cameo drew national media coverage.

Seriously - I look forward to the dawning of a new era in men’s Division 1 coaching, when men and women will have opportunities to be hired and fired from positions the same way that both genders are in women’s Division I programs.

“Major MC’s become Minor B Flats…”

--L.L. Cool J

by Guichard Cadet

Starting on Thursday, March 17th, sports fans everywhere got a chance to witness established powerhouses get shrunken in size. It started in a Congressional mock court, and continued on the hardwood floors where NCAA power conferences took major losses.

Today is no different, as a dejected Barry Bonds talked openly of not playing this season.

The Real Interest in Maturing Bonds
Congress started the shellacking by forcing Major League Baseball’s key principals and players to give their take on the sport’s steroids / image problem. This past St. Patrick’s Day culminated with Mark McGwire looking like a cheat, due to his refusal to discuss history, albeit after he overexerted himself in celebrating while breaking the sport’s single-season home run record.

That mark had stood for 37 years, since 1961, when Roger Marris broke Babe Ruth’s record. Unlike Marris, McGwire was fêted by the majority of fans during this chase. Though there was clear, and admitted evidence by Mark that he was using supplements (Andro), baseball and the media, at large, looked the other way.

As long as it was a beloved figure breaking the records, supplements and, perhaps, steroids was par for the course. Something was happening in baseball. Thirty home runs became common for the average second baseman; and 4.0 became the norm for a good pitcher’s E.R.A. Still there was no serious talk of taking action regarding steroids by the league, or making it a real story from the media.

Barry Bonds changed all this. Not only did he hit 73 home runs in 2001, Bonds is doing a Roger Marris impersanation. He is challenging Ruth! Though Henry (Hank) Aaron holds the all-time home run record, the name Ruth has always been synonymous with the long ball. Bonds knows this, and has even gone on record to state he’s more interested in passing Ruth than eclipsing Aaron.

The media witch-hunt to prove Bonds is a cheater has knocked over a generation of Hall of Fame statues. Sammy Sosa. Rafael Palmero. Mark McGwire. Barry Bonds. Though they all may still make the Hall, history will prove the real interest in a maturing Bonds was not worth the investment, especially when dealing in a sport with few guiding principles.


The Big Least
The ACC was one lost away from becoming the LACC, but thanks to NC State’s victory over Connecticut, the Big East conference has earned the distinction of being this year’s most overrated conference. One could make a case for the SEC, but the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee who defeated Alabama went ahead and did the same to Boston College, advancing to the Sweet 16. Let’s not even talk about Syracuse who lost to Vermont in the first round!

With two consecutive early exits, Gonzaga diffuses any real push for “mid-major” conferences gaining higher seeds, but watching Nevada and UAB begs the question whether the tournament can be tweaked. The current system is light years ahead its football counterpart, the Bowl College Series (BCS).

Still, I would rather lose those conference tournaments.

In the place of those 3 (or 4) games, I would make more teams eligible for the NCAA tournament, by rethinking the nature of the conference tournaments.

For bragging rights, name the bracket after the Conference hosting, e.g. The Big East Tournament, The ACC Tournament, etc… Imagine the seriousness of Vermont being crowned this year’s Big East Tournament Champion.

· This tournament would feature 16 brackets in which 8 teams would start.
· Each recognized conference would send a team to a bracket.
· The Number One seed would be that conference’s regular season champion.
· The top team from each tournament would then advance to the sweet 16.
· At this point, we would seed the teams.

As it stands, the number of Power Conference teams who lost in the first 2 Rounds to lesser-ranked opponents is practically equal to the number who gets to go to the Sweet 16.

Power Conference Upsets (based on ranking)
1. Big East: Connecticut (2); Boston College (4); Syracuse (4)
2. Big 12: Texas (8); Kansas (3); Oklahoma (3)
3. SEC: Alabama (5); LSU (6); Florida (4)
4. ACC: Georgia Tech (5); Wake Forest (2)

Power Conference – Sweet 16 Qualifiers

1. Big10 – Illinois; Wisconsin; Michigcan State
2. ACC – UNC; NC State; Duke
3. Pac10 – Arizona;, Washington
4. Big12 - Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
5. Big East – West Virginia, Villanova
6. SEC - Kentucky

The Engine that Drives March Madness

by Rob King

As winter retreats and spring pushes forward much of the country will be swept up by an influx of “March Madness.” This annual rite of spring permeates college campuses, places of employment, sports bars, school yards, and homes in affluent, middle class and walking poor neighborhoods all across the country. Victims of this “madness” usually arm themselves with brackets and join communities most often referred to as “pools”.

In big cities, small towns and rural hamlets groups of young men named after Native American tribes, patriots, ferocious animals and birds of prey- buoyed by coaches, administrators, boosters, band and the all important mascot - travel by bus, train or plane to invade arenas far and near accompanied by throngs of fans and supporters. Millions more will follow via television, radio, newspapers and internet.

It seems like the NCAA tournament has been referred to as March Madness forever. Nationally, March Madness is actually a recent phenomenon. March Madness was the name of a high school basketball tournament sponsored by the Illinois High School Association in 1908 and remained a regional phrase until former Chicago sportswriter Brent Musburger began using it while broadcasting tournament games nationally for CBS in 1982.

The NCAA Division I basketball tournament or the “Big Dance” as it is often referred to is of the last remaining authentic events that’s not overrated. Whether one is following their alma mater, schools in their state, hometown hero, redemption story or bracket buster, there is something of interest woven into the fabric of the tournament that appeals to people of diverse backgrounds and interests.

The tournament is reality television in its essence. There is a script that each game follows but only fate controls how it’s played out. The players, coaches and officials involved in the games and the spectators watching in the stands or on TV all ride an emotional roller-coaster from first whistle to final buzzer.

Upsets happen all the time in the tournament especially in the early rounds. A school from a power conference unhappy with their seeding or coach from a school feeling the pressure of fans and alumni catch an upstart program with something to prove or nothing to lose, and someone’s going home early. In many cases we know who’s going to win but there’s that “anything can happen” element that keeps games compelling. Someone twists an ankle, someone gets their third foul or someone is in the zone; and that overwhelming underdog smells an upset.

However the NCAA tournament is one Big Dance where Cinderella may even electric slide past the first weekend, but it won’t hustle beyond the second weekend and it definitely won’t rock away home with the title. The NCAA basketball tournament is a battle where only the schools from the strong conferences survive. Remember – Cinderella champions North Carolina State (ACC) in 1983, Villanova (Big East) in 1985 and Kansas (Big 8) in 1988 – all came from power conferences. Kansas and Villanova beat conference foes to secure titles, further diluting the Cinderella aspects of their championship runs. N.C. State hails from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The winner of the 2005 NCAA Division I basketball championship will come from either the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big Twelve (formerly the Big Eight and Southwest), Pacific Ten or Southeastern Conference. I can say this with the same confidence that George Bush said he would win Florida during the 2000 election. Since 1966 when Don Haskin’s Texas Western University (now the University of Texas at El Paso) – starting five Black players beat known racist or “man of his times” Adolph Rupp’s all white Kentucky team – only three teams outside the power conferences have won titles. Marquette in 1977, Louisville in 1980 & 86, and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 1990 are the only three schools to wrest control of the Division I basketball championship from the big boys.

Texas Western’s seminal 1966 victory on the court impacted integration as much legislation did in the courts. Remember the Supreme Court ordered schools in the South integrated in 1954 “with all deliberate speed” and officials at southern universities certainly took their sweet time executing the court’s wishes. That 1966 victory helped speed up the process. Blacks who weren’t wanted in institutions in the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences were now needed by those schools to compete in sports against schools in other regions of the country already enrolling Black students. Obviously sports weren’t the primary reason schools in the south opened their doors to black students but those jump shots raining down on white supremacy definitely merit an assist. This opened up opportunities for Black students who didn’t possess athletic prowess as well. There’s nothing like time and the nation’s lack of interest in history to hide the sins of the past. We can explore sports and race in future articles.


The NCAA Division I college basketball tournament or March Madness is one of few remaining events that lives up to the hype. Many thought the exodus of the top prep stars bypassing college for the National Basketball Association would adversely impact the college game. Those who forecasted the demise of the college game underestimated that that college basketball is not star driven. The student athlete is the engine that makes the car drive. They arrive in late August for the start of the fall semester to start pre-season training and classes. Workouts can begin at most schools as early as 6 or 7 AM. Following workouts the student athlete goes to classes but may have to return for strength training, conditioning and scrimmaging. Once the regular season starts, student athletes may have three-hour practices plus strength training, in addition to classes during the week. At many campuses they love the student athlete on game-day and during tourney-time, but students and sometimes faculty can treat them like they’re not real students or they’re there on a free ride. College basketball is the cash cow at many of the 318 Division I schools that have sports programs, so their free ride is paid for handsomely by their labor.


The tournament offers something for casual fans, as well as the hoops junkie and all points in between. Oh some stars will definitely emerge on this stage. ESPN and CBS will cover them and newspapers will write about them because that’s part of the script. During the next three weeks CBS will bombard viewers with distant replays of the tournament heroics of players such as Fennis Dembo of Wyoming, Bryce Drew of Valparaiso, Billy Donovan of Providence, Christian Laettner of Duke and one of my favorites, Michael Graham of Georgetown. These are a few of the stars who have shined brightly on the tournament stage only to fizzle and crash into the world of irrelevance. When freshmen do great things they will hearken back to images of Pervis “Never Nervous” Ellison of Louisville and most recently Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse.

Speculation will run rampant about a hot young coach who will parlay the success of his mid major team to membership in a power conference. Trent Johnson went from Nevada to Stanford last year and several other coaches upgraded as well. More coaches will join the carousel this year. People will tune in to see how a hometown product fares. George Washington University’s Carl Elliot from Brooklyn and the Boys’ Club of New York is one of the local guys I will follow. Following the road to the Final Four may remind some of their days on the court when they hit the game-winning shot, froze under pressure, or just handed out high fives, towels and gatorade. Seeing the games and the gratuitous shots of fine coeds will remind some of their days on campus, while motivating others to consider the college experience. There are millions of reasons to watch and that's why millions will watch the Big Dance.

Closing Seconds

…Who is the Knicks’ Go-To Guy?

by Guichard Cadet

Two more 4th quarter collapses begs the question: who is the Knicks’ go-to guy? It should be the same for every team – the coach. Each time a game comes down to the final seconds my mind flashes to Bill Parcells’ first visit to the Meadowlands as coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

At one point the game was a one-sided affair, with the New York Giants on the losing end. Then it all changed and the Giants were leading by 3 points with just seconds to play. Giants coach Jim Fassell tried to close out the game, by playing it safe. He instructed his kicker to angle the ball away from the Cowboys return man.

The game would go into overtime due to an errant kickoff followed by a pass to setup the game-tying field goal.

Needless to say: the Giants lost in overtime. Players make plays, good or bad. Coaches enable them by knowing the game situation, and the personnel.

Herb Williams has done a good job at strategizing and using all of his personnel. Yet, when it comes to closing out games, he has followed where his predecessors left off. Squandering double-digit second half leads has been part of the Knicks repertoire since the Pat Riley days. But, ever since Don Chaney’s regime, the team has not been able to continually hit the shot to salvage the win.

Sunday night, with the team up by only 5 points, Williams started the final quarter with the defensive unit that had stymied the Seattle SuperSonics. The lead evaporated before he could reinsert his perimeter threats. The Knicks never regained their offensive form and lost by 10 points.

Last night against the Miami Heat, every player gave their all, fully knowing their playoffs hope was on the line. The Heat had played the night before, a blowout win in which Shaquille O’Neal sat out the fourth quarter.

In a game which both teams enjoyed double-digit leads, the Knicks dominated most of the second half, until it mattered most.

With less than a minute to go in a tied game, the Knicks intercepted an errant pass. Instead of calling a timeout and showing a complete understanding of his players’ psyche, Herb let a play develop. Except there was no play: Jamal Crawford hoisted a three-pointer and missed badly.

Seconds later, Heat coach Stan Van Gundy faced a similar scenario. He rightfully called a timeout and detailed a play. All of the next day’s headline will reference Dwyane Wade’s game-winning buzzer-beating shot, but this loss was in the fine print. Who is the Knicks’ go-to guy?

As a rookie coach, who has yet to start the season as “the coach”, Williams is astute at motivating his players to extend other parts of their game. Last night, Crawford passed up many open looks to assist teammates in making easier shots. Michael Sweetney played his role of punching bag and did an admirable job against Shaquille O’neal. Not only is Tim Thomas scoring, he is also making hustle plays. The entire team is playing better defense.

The next step for Williams: make that final call before the team relinquishes the lead.

Is Fifty keeping it real or just running Game?

by Rob King

03/11/05

“It was all a dream I used to read Word Up magazine…”

It’s hard to believe that classic hip hop lyric from the song “Juicy” appeared on Christopher Wallace’s aka Notorious B.I.G.’s debut CD “Ready to Die” over ten years ago. The hip hop scene was first introduced to Biggie on the 1993 “Who’s the Man” soundtrack and later that year he made guest star appearances on cuts by artists such as Super Cat and Mary J. Blige.

The 1994 release of “Ready to Die” elevated him to the top of the hip hop world. He probably would have remained in that position for many years if not for his senseless murder on March 9, 1997 in Los Angeles. It is a death many believe was revenge for the equally senseless murder of the multi-talented rapper/actor Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas six months prior.

Both murders remain unsolved.

Former G-Unit member Jayceon Taylor aka The Game followed the drug money to rap money formula followed by Fifty, Biggie, Easy E and others to the top of the Hip hop charts.

Many in the hip hop world thought they were witnessing a replay when two rising hip hop stars recently engaged in verbal warfare that spilled into the streets. The dispute stems from the Game’s departure from Fifty’s G-Unit family though both remain with the Interscope label. Fifty and Game disagreed on how it went down but what both seemed to agree on was that the Game was no longer part of Fifty’s G-Unit clique.

A member of the Game’s Black Wall Street crew was wounded after shots were fired between the two factions in front of New York City’s Hot97 radio station early last week. While I am encouraged by Fifty Cent and Game’s mutually agreed truce, I am aware of the criticism both will face in the days and weeks ahead from the many individuals who embrace and even romanticize the “thug life”. The “when keeping it real goes wrong” community may perceive both men as soft for settling their beef amicably and some have even questioned whether the beef was staged for publicity. (Fifty did move over one million units last week.) Whether the beef was real or “reality TV”, the bullet one of the Game’s crew took in the buttocks was authentic and nobody yelled cut after the shooting stopped.

A few years ago at a presentation I attended, Kwanzaa creator and historian Maulana Karenga remarked “we study history to learn from its examples.” Maybe Fifty and Game have learned from the tragic examples provided by two of hip hop’s all time great artists, whose lives were extinguished way too soon by inane acts of violence.

Beef is common in the world of hip hop. We had Benzino and Eminem, Jay Z and Nas, Ice Cube and Common, Cannabis and LL Cool J, Dr. Dre and Easy “E”, KRS One and MC Shan and the list goes on. Most of those situations were reconciled or just dissipated. There are still some current beefs going on in hip hop. Competition in hip hop is healthy. It usually brings out the best in the combatants. In some cases it can resurrect careers. Nas appeared uninspired until Jay Z’s lyrical taunts inspired him to respond with “Ether.” The verbal jousting with “Jigga” appeared to reinvigorate Nas, who had been overlooked for a minute in this “flava” du jour world of rap music and pop culture in general.

Beef definitely has practical applications if used properly and handled with care. The problems usually occur when beef moves from the studio to the streets. However, if the beef was fabricated by Fifty to gain publicity and boost sales, then he just might have a bigger future than any of us anticipated. Fifty’s next move could be to the political arena where he can hone his skills with the experts on fabrication and manipulation in D.C. Remember the alleged Election 2000 and Weapons of Mass Destruction fabrications? Those incidents were financial boons for many including the media, which I’m sure move more papers with “Rap War” headlines.


The bottom line: to quote Fifty, “he’s a crook with a deal” who got rich and didn’t have to die trying. Game is following the same blueprint to fortune and fame in the hip hop music industry. Is it possible the beef was staged? Of course it’s possible!

However it’s also possible the Game and Fifty realized how disposable toy soldiers in the rap game are because the aftermath of their beef could have led to a massacre – one that would have only improved record sales for their posterity and the music moguls at the top of rap’s food chain.

Or maybe they simply reflected on the cautionary tales of Biggie and Pac. I’m sure Biggie is in his “life after death” hanging with Tupac telling him he wasn’t really “ready to die” and Pac telling him “I’m not mad at you.”

Spurred Then Nearly Stung

by Guichard Cadet

It may take a longer than anticipated time for the Nets and Byron Scott to find NBA success. Though he says there are few regrets, Scott could be coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, or still doing NBA analysis and commentary on television. Would the latter be better than coaching the New Orleans Hornets?

The answer is definitely a resounding ‘no’. Except for Hubie Brown who resigned as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, most folks seem to prefer roaming the sidelines to broadcasting work.

For Scott, he had taken the New Jersey Nets franchise to consecutive NBA Finals, only to be fired and replaced by Lawrence Frank, a man with no head coaching or top-level competitive basketball playing experience. Scott had battled the rumors that certain players did not want to play for him. Though no player went on record to state this, he confronted the situation by having discussions with Jason Kidd and other players.

In his last days in the 2003-2004 season, the team consistently under-performed the way NBA players do went they want to force a change. Scott was fired; and if not for poor shooting by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, versus the Detroit Pistons, the Nets could have gone to their 3rd straight NBA Finals.

It was hard to judge new head coach Frank’s ability. True he posted 13 consecutive wins to begin his career. This actually made the case of the players’ possibly “tanking” in order to get Scott fired. The winning streak also came against lower echelon teams.

The calendar didn’t have to turn many pages for circumstances to further prove the NBA is a players’ league. Whereas coaches do make a difference, coaching strategy in this sport is less important than in the NFL. What do we make of Byron Scott’s record in his first year with the Hornets? What do we make of Lawrence Frank’s this season?

Scott recently commented on the Nets offense. Nothing he said was a put-down, but had the Hornets won the teams’ most recent match-up, it could have signaled an early end to the Nets’ slim hope of making the playoffs.

Both franchises are in turmoil for similar reasons: injuries, parting with All-Star caliber players, and firing good head coaches. Since head coaching jobs are limited (number of teams), only a select crew of individuals can pick and choose their next placement. Weeks after Byron Scott jumped at the opportunity after Tim Floyd lasted only one season after replacing a winning coach, Paul Silas, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phil Jackson parted ways.

All signs indicate Scott would have gotten a fair hearing from the Lakers – specifically because his championship years with the team, and his personal relationship with Kobe Bryant.

Though the Hornets had made 5 straight playoff appearances, the job had one major parallel to Scott’s former job in New Jersey: a disgruntled Point Guard making ‘max’ money. Such situations can take a coach to Hall of Fame potential a la Pat Riley’s good fortune in becoming Magic Johnson’s guy after the firing of Paul Westhead. Scott has not been so lucky, except that he was not fired and the Golden State Warriors took Baron Davis off his hands.

Lawrence Frank has been fortunate that Kidd’s grumbling is not aimed at him. Kidd did not get his hope of being traded to a contending team by the deadline. In as much as he seems content to have Vince Carter, Kidd knows there will be no championship run this season. The Nets are 4 and 3 since the trade deadline. Their most recent loss to the Spurs was expected, but their near-loss to the Hornets would have been a sign that the team was ready to coast into their summer vacation.

Isiah’s Taylor-Made Trade Has Herb Smelling Like A Rose

by Guichard Cadet

A few weeks ago, it was not a smell but a stench coming out of the garden. Where there are dead bodies, they are reporters hovering like buzzards, devouring the carcasses by writing premature obituaries.

The season is far from saved, but the recent winning has brought smiles to the players’ faces, and a wait-and-see attitude from the media, who blasted the trade and, more specifically, the man who orchestrated the move to acquire Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor.

New York is a tough town because there are papers to be sold; and unless there’s sex involved, negativity in sports is a much easier sell.

Why is the team now winning? Two factors: key players are back healthy; and there is a balance of how the team plays, strategically and emotionally.

Early in the season, except for Jerome (Junk Yard Dog) Williams, Knick players showed little emotion. JYD is constantly moving when on the floor, and exhorting his teammates to show enthusiasm, if simply for being professional ball players.

Though Malik Rose is not as expressive, his serious demeanor speaks volumes. He also has credibility because of two hard-earned championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs. Rose is known as a stalwart defender, and has been commended for getting other Knick players to talk on defense.

Last night against the Washington Wizards, the team showed consistent defensive intensity, often with 3 players surrounding an offensive player.

From an offensive standpoint, the presence of Maurice Taylor brings competition to the court, specifically at the small-forward position. Tim Thomas may not openly admit it, but he loves being a Knick, primarily or partially for the benefit of playing close to his hometown – Patterson, NJ.

Thomas, Taylor and Michael Sweetney has allowed coach Herb Williams to go with an inside-out game, in which the guards send the ball to the low-post when the offense starts. Before this switch in philosophy, the team relied mainly on pick and rolls, and guard penetration. Though they still employ both tactics, inside scoring from the post has led to a greater balance and an overall boost in team morale.

Whether the winning continues and/or the Knicks make the playoffs will soon be told. For the time being, it’s good to see a team left for dead turn over a new leaf.

After the Magic is gone…

by Guichard Cadet

New York and New Jersey suffered embarrassing losses to the Orlando Magic on consecutive nights this past week. The Nets have yet to play since Saturday night’s game. With only 22 games remaining in the season, the Nets have a slim chance of making the playoffs.

Same for the Knicks, who were able to shrug off the blowout at Orlando. On Sunday, they defeated the Golden State Warriors, improving their “post-trade” record to 4 and 1.

Both teams are well below .500: Nets (26-34), and Knicks (25-34). Though it is borderline wishful thinking, they can make the playoffs.

The Eastern Conference has a log jam once you clear Miami, Detroit, and Washington. From there, no other team has more than 31 wins. With Cleveland and Indiana struggling, this leaves 10 teams fighting for 4 spots. Teams in the Atlantic Division have an extra spot open because each division’s champion gets a seed.

The road ahead is an uphill battle.

The Nets face a four-game road trip with tough games against San Antonio and Miami. With Tim Duncan questionable for tonight, the game against the Miami Heat is the only remaining game that can be deemed a certain loss. The Nets have a good shot at all the others. If they finish with 15 wins, they will be .500 for the year; and a good chance to be playoff bound.

The forecast for the Knicks is not as sunny. They face 5 games that look like surefire losses: 2 versus Seattle, 2 versus Miami, and San Antonio. They also face the Wizards twice, and the Lakers on the road. Best case scenario: they go 4 and 4 in those games. They would then have to go 12 and 3 in the remaining games to reach .500.

The question for both teams: Is the Magic gone or are you ready for a run?

Revisionist History 0205: Thorny Issues…

…Elden Campbell is the latest example why NBA players’ contracts are out of control.

by Guichard Cadet

When it comes to management issues, I always side with players (workers) because I know the grind of working for people who treat one’s livelihood as a game. This past sports year – begins in April with the first pitch – has forced me to soften my stance.

Having heard the threat of a NHL lockout, I figured the hockey players would realize they are paid well, and with guaranteed contracts. Hence, there would be no lockout or strike. I was wrong, yet I could care less – it’s just ice hockey, a sport that never resonated enough curiosity, because it lacks crossover appeal and the ability to translate well into one’s living room.

B-Ball is a different matter. It is easy to shoot solo or play a pick-up game with friends. Basketball has been the foremost expression of race and socio-economic warfare, in which black males continue to prosper.

NBA players are not only ballers on the court; they are also an international marketing force. Armed with guaranteed contracts that range up to 7 years, the players have learned how to flex their muscle by maneuvering to force trades and buyouts. These moves range from under-performing, airing their grievances in the media, to just plain sulking.

The season started with Lattrell Sprewell’s ‘have to feed my family’ statement. Though the media took it out of context in order to blow it out of proportion, Sprewell articulated what many in management wanted to squash, as they entered this final year of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The two sides of the agreement are the players who are represented by the NBA Players Association; and the league (team owners), as represented by the commissioner’s office. NBA Commissioner David Stern is a proven shrewd marketer and negotiator. In the same sentence, he often points to the vitality and malaise plaguing the NBA.

Except for the brawl in Detroit between fans and players, this season, Stern has been tolerant of the players’ antics. Here is a representative sample, from just New York and New Jersey: Shandon Anderson, Alonzo Mourning, Vince Carter, and Elden Campbell.

New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn was on the brink of leaving the organization after the new ownership indicated it planned to “bottom out” the next few years, in order to save cash, until the team’s move to Brooklyn. Somewhere along the line, owner Bruce Rattner listened to the fans and players, eventually deciding this was not the way to go.

Battling through a season filled with injuries and players grumbling, Thorn has made many moves to stabilize the team. Though the Vince Carter trade was the coup, other moves confirm why Thorn was the league’s Executive of the Year for the 2001-2002 season.

In claiming Elden Campbell off the waiver wire, Thorn achieved two goals: get a big man to help his depleted front line; and prevent Detroit from getting Campbell back after trading him, with expectations that the Utah Jazz would waive the player.

Thorn also knew Campbell only wanted to play for Detroit, and proceeded with the showdown. Campbell played very few minutes, was ineffective and generally looked unhappy. By buying out Campbell, the league once again backed down; or so it appears.

The league is in essence playing Ali’s rope-a-dope with the players. At the negotiating table, while NBA Players Association union director Billy Hunter points to healthy fiscal numbers, Stern will cite these player power moves as proof that contracts favor players, and the need to curb long-term guaranteed contracts.

As one who frowns at non-guaranteed NFL contracts and a players union who allow teams to cut veterans for the most asinine, money-driven reasons, I agree with the NBA. Long-term, guaranteed NBA contracts need restructuring, but not as one-sided as the league would like.

Suggestions:

1. Maximum number of contract years to decrease down to 4 years. Increase first year minimum dollar value by 25%, and keep the same yearly escalating scale.

2. A player to sit out half of remaining contract’s length, after a buyout worth at least 50% of contract’s total value. If another team agrees to acquire the player, then the new team takes the remaining percentage balance of the contract, plus the salary cap hit of the former team.

3. A player traded who then clears waivers is to be paid two times the original salary if reacquired during the same season by the team who traded him.

4. The Jimmy Jackson Rule: traded to a “non-contending” team during the season, a player with more than 10 years experience who does not report can be suspended and fined by the acquiring team. But, the fine is to be paid by the team that traded him, and player’s salary still counts against said team’s salary cap.

Though I am quite sure the two-sides will come up with their own working agreements, these suggestions point to the compromise needed by both parties in order to avoid another NBA lockout.

From Living Color to Living with Oscar

by Rob King
03/02/05

Congratulations to Jamie Foxx! Foxx won the Oscar for Best Actor at the 77th Annual Academy Awards for his portrayal of musical genius Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic film “Ray”. Foxx is the third African American to earn the Academy Award in the Best Actor category, following the legendary Sidney Poitier in 1963 and the great Denzel Washington in 2001.

Poitier and Washington followed similar paths to Oscar fame. Poitier received critical acclaim in several motion pictures and plays and was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1958 for the “Defiant Ones”, prior to taking home the gold statue for his role in as the itinerant handyman Homer Smith in “Lilies of the Field.”

Washington earned similar props on stage and the big screen, even winning an Oscar for Best Supporting actor in the 1989 Civil War film “Glory”, before taking home Best Actor honors twelve years later for playing rogue detective Alonzo Harris in “Training Day”.

Jamie Foxx’s ascension to the Academy Award for Best Actor seemingly came out of nowhere. Remember, Foxx first caught our attention on Keenan Ivory Wayan’s “In Living Color” in the early 1990’s. Who knew watching Foxx dress in “drag” to play “Wanda” would lead to an Oscar a little over a decade later? It is still praiseworthy but a little less unique when I remembered Tom Hanks started his career in similar fashion. What Generation X person could forget Hanks in the sitcom “Bosom Buddies?”

However, cross-dressing for a role is not usually a blueprint toward Oscar recognition for male performers.

Anyhow, not many pictured Foxx succeeding Washington as the next African American to earn the Best Actor award at the dawning of his career. Foxx’s journey to Oscar fame shows that an individual can succeed without being appointed or anointed as the next Denzel, Sidney, or whomever. The multi-talented Foxx succeeded by being the first Jamie.

I have heard luck described by many as opportunity meeting preparation. If that is true then I believe Jamie Foxx won the 2004 Best Actor Oscar based on luck. I hope as he moves forward in his career that he continues to be lucky and that more African Americans in film share his luck.