hua's FotoPage - Fotopages.com

Sonicsgate, Kingsgate, and Why I'm Over the NBA

I have to admit, I've always been team confused. Growing up in New Jersey, I felt like I should root for the Nets, but they totally sucked, so it was a bit like being a Clippers fan. The goto after that was the Knicks, but when from Jersey, they never really felt like they were ours. It's like being a Yankees fan when everyone in the Tri-State area knows that the Mets are the suburb's choice. It didn't help that my Grandfather, Dad, and everyone in my family who cared grew up watching the Celtics since the beginning of time.

So in the early 90s, when I moved to Seattle, I found my first real team. The Sonics were playing well, exciting to watch, and had just enough drama to keep a dude interested. Because, let's be honest, half the fun of the NBA is the drama. They had Ego-exploded Gary Payton, Mullet-sporting Detlef Schrempf, stoner Shawn Kemp and then even stonier Vin Baker to name a few. It was a good little era, and I jumped in. They also played games in the Key Arena, quite possibly the very last neighborhood-locked venue in the NBA. Those were some fun times, even if they did sadly co-exist with one of the best basketball teams in NBA history, the consistently trophy-blocking Chicago Bulls.

Moving to Los Angeles, I always kept an ear on the Sonics, but they began to blow pretty hard and were difficult to follow. Did I also mention I'm a fair-weather fan? Whose got time to spend a season watching a team with no chance of winning? I know many do, but I'd rather ride my bike. So by the time the whole scandal with their move went down, I was bummed, but also pretty out of the loop.

Then I watched the amazing movie detailing the called Sonicsgate. Man o man, did it really hit one to the heart. It's hard to blame one person, because as one of the interviewed correctly states, "There are a lot of enemies in this story." It's pretty much the perfect storm of corporate franchise takeovers. So you can point a lot of fingers, but ultimately I'd have to blame the NBA for letting it happen.

If you haven't, you should really watch the movie. The basic premise is that a guy from Oklahoma buys the team in good faith that he'll try to keep it in Seattle. Though the whole time insisting he needs a new venue to make it "viable", which basically means, "If the arena isn't also a mall's worth of overpriced food, then we only make a ton of money, and not a triple s**t ton of money." He then ran the team into the ground causing the citizens to lose interest, and secured the OK from the league to move it. It turns out -- to no ones surprise -- that this was his plan all along. He not just moved, he stole. He owns everything that ever was about the Sonics, their history, jerseys and legacy, all stuffed into some basement in Oklahoma.

You could say, "poor Seattle" but that would be a narrow-minded summation of the whole situation. In the big picture, the NBA and David Stern have set a precedent that no team in any market is safe. There's no respect for the fans who had made it all happen in the first place, in this case for 41 years. Because all across America are these mid-level-and-growing cities that are looking to boost their image through franchise recognition. With so much to gain, they have so much to give, and the NBA is happy to take it.

So yuk it up about Seattle's misfortunes -- who in my opinion aren't going to get another team for a long, long time, regardless of what they believe. But keep an eye on your team, or if you happen to live in Sacramento, you just dodged a bullet for one more year before your Kings go to ... Anaheim? Exactly.

I'm glad I saw this movie though, because it really cleared the fog on why I've lost interest in basketball the past few years. Reading Red Auerbach's biography, you get a hyper-inspired account about a group of people with love for the game creating a unity -- and subsequently -- a phenomena in the NBA. Somewhere with time, greed or just David Stern himself, this has all been forgotten with franchises ending up nothing more than greedy call-girls looking for the next whale.

I supposed that's just the story with sports. It happened with the Dodgers and the Giants. It's happened countless times with countless other teams. But I suppose there comes a time when you have to express your opinion with your bank card, and for me that time seems to have arrived in the case of the NBA.

Wednesday, 4-May-2011 06:34

Email | Share |

2011 NFL Draft Grades: Green Bay Packers Select D.J. Williams in

Green Bay took an unexpected blow last year when TE JerMichael Finley went down with a season-ending injury early last season. But Finley is expected to be back at full health in 2011, and the Packers made it a point to get some more help at the tight end position.

In the fifth round, Green Bay went out and added Arkansas TE D.J. Williams, who was tagged as one of the top tight end prospects in this year's draft class. In fact, next to Notre Dame's Kyle Rudolph, it could be argued that Williams was the best receiving tight end in this draft class.

In Williams, the Packers get a guy who is a great receiving tight end with exceptional speed for his position. He doesn't have great height or toughness for that matter, which is something that coaches will have to work with him on at the NFL level.

Right now, it looks like Williams will be used primarily as a receiving tight end for the Packers. He has soft hands and should be a nice compliment to a healthy Finley in 2011.

Tuesday, 26-Apr-2011 08:33

Email | Share |

2011 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears Gamble on Marvin Austin

Chicago is in desperate need of help on the offensive line after leading the league in sacks allowed last season, but with the top group of OTs all taken by this pick, a solution there isn’t forthcoming.

Instead, the Bears look to replace the departed Tommie Harris with a player who could turn out to be nearly as good as Harris in his prime.

North Carolina’s Marvin Austin fell off a lot of radars after he was suspended for the 2010 season for agent-related improprieties.

The Bears appear to be convinced, however, that he won’t bring his baggage to the NFL level, and if he plays the way he showed he could in college, Chicago might get a steal at No. 29.

At his best, Austin is an athletic, pass-rushing DT who wreaks havoc in opposing backfields. If he can keep himself on the field, he’ll be a valuable addition to Chicago’s rotation.

Saturday, 23-Apr-2011 07:09

Email | Share |

Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference will pay NHL fine for hi

There are plenty of names for the gesture that got Andrew Ference slapped with a $2,500 fine by the National Hockey League.
“Unintentional bird,” if not the most creative, is at least among the most unique.
The day after the Bruins’ defenseman experienced what he has basically described as an equipment malfunction – one finger on his left glove getting stuck in an upright position as he faced the Bell Centre stands after scoring a goal – Ference repeated Thursday night’s assertion that what looked intentional was accidental.
“I was pumping my first,” Ference said Friday at TD Garden. “Like I told (Mike Murphy, the NHL’s senior vice president of hockey operations), it was an unintentional bird.
“I obviously apologize for it. It wasn’t meant to insult anybody – especially a whole row of cameras in the Belle Centre and the fans sitting there. That’s definitely not the intention.”
Ference’s goal was one of the key plays of Boston’s 5-4, overtime victory, which squared the best-of-7 series with the Canadiens at 2-2. Montreal had just scored twice within 55 seconds to take a 3-1 lead in the second period, but just 2:12 after Bruins coach Claude Julien responded by using his timeout, Ference belted a slapper past goalie Carey Price to bring the B’s back within a goal.
Julien backed Ference on Friday.
“I think he’s been pretty open at what he thinks of the situation,” the coach said. “His comments were pretty clear. I’m going to support my player. That’s my job – to support and believe your player – and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Ference’s teammates, who barely disguised their amusement over the incident, also backed him – but only to a point.
“He can afford it. He makes 21/2 sheets, I think,” laughed Shawn Thornton, slightly overestimating Ference’s $2.25 million salary, when asked if the team would chip in to help Ference pay his fine.
Ference said he wasn’t going to solicit donations.
“I don’t think I’m going to take up a collection,” he said. “I’d be happy just to leave it in the past, pay it, and move on.”
THOMAS A FINALIST
Tim Thomas, as was widely expected, was revealed on Friday as one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top goalie. Roberto Luongo of Vancouver and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne are the other finalists for the Vezina, which is voted on by the NHL’s 30 general managers.
“I’m very happy to hear that, obviously,” said Thomas, who set an NHL record with a .938 saves percentage, led the league with a 2.00 goals-against average and finished second with nine shutouts. “After last year, I wasn’t quite sure if I’d ever hear that again.”
Thomas, the 2008-09 Vezina winner, slipped last year – partly due to a hip injury that required offseason surgery – and finished the regular season and playoffs as backup to then-rookie Tuukka Rask.
General manager Peter Chiarelli, who had signed Thomas to a contract extension through 2012-13 (annual cap hit – $5 million) that contained no-trade/no movement clauses, gave Thomas’ agent, Bill Zito, permission to contact NHL teams to broker a trade if Thomas wanted to leave Boston. However, Thomas returned with the intention of winning back his starting job.
“I definitely have more appreciation” this season, Thomas said, “just for the fact that I have the opportunity to play. After last year, I think it’s made every game a little bit sweeter this year.”
AROUND THE BOARDS
The Bruins, who had planned to hold a Fan Fest outside the Garden before Game 5 on Saturday night, cancelled it due to the threat of rain … The NHL announced that Game 6 on Tuesday in Montreal will begin at 7 p.m. No time has been set for a possible Game 7 on Wednesday night at the Garden.

Monday, 14-Mar-2011 07:21

Email | Share |

NCAA basketball tournament: East Region preview

Top-seeded teams

No. 1 Ohio State: The Buckeyes won their only NCAA title in 1960, but they could finally add another if Coach Thad Matta continues to get great play from Jared Sullinger.

No. 2 North Carolina: It looked like a rebuilding year after the Tar Heels started slowly, for them anyway. Now Coach Roy Williams has them positioned for a run at the school's sixth title.

No. 3 Syracuse: Coach Jim Boeheim guided the Orange to the 2003 title and had them in the Sweet 16 in each of the previous three seasons.

No. 4 Kentucky: All that young talent from last season is in the NBA, but Coach John Calipari has another young team capable of taking the title home to Lexington for the first time since 1998.

Cinderella search

Washington. Isaiah Thomas and the Huskies took a magical ride through the Pacific 10 Conference tournament and, with a few breaks, could continue it all the way to Houston.

Top players

Jared Sullinger, forward, Ohio State: The 6-foot-9 freshman averaged 16.3 points and 14 rebounds in the Big Ten Conference tournament.

Brandon Knight, guard, Kentucky: Teammate Terrence Jones was selected the Southeast Conference freshman of the year, but Knight makes the Wildcats go and is also the leading scorer at 17.5 points per game.

Harrison Barnes, forward, North Carolina: The freshman scored 40 points in a Tar Heels victory over Clemson in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinal. Enough said.

Rim shots

■ Xavier lost in the Atlantic 10 tournament in each of the last four years but won at least one NCAA tournament game.

■ Princeton hasn't been in the tournament since 2004 and hasn't won a tournament game since 1998. The last time the Tigers were seeded 13th, they upset No. 4 UCLA in 1996.

■ George Mason is looking to repeat 2006, when it made the tournament as an at-large team and advanced to the Final Four.

■ Long Island University, located in Brooklyn, N.Y., features four players from Canada, two from Texas and only two from the New York-New Jersey area.