Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Green Day Rocks
I asked you to go to the Green Day concert; you said you never heard of them -- El Scorcho by Weezer.
Apologies in advance for jotting thoughts re music when it should be blatantly acknowledged, if it is not obvious on its face, we could not be more unqualified to do as much.
Anyway.
Although not quite as un-with-it as the the half Japanese girls, the Weezer kids are intrigued by, our musical appetite is in dire need of refueling. Enter the iPod. Originally procured so that all the Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks concert bootlegs could be properly lodged into the wallet-sized device, the iPod is steadily becoming a major life force. And, we are branching out.
Sandwiched between our friends who find Interpol ineligible to be good due to their mainstream nature and those who, perhaps, have not been advised that good music has been released post-1995, we just like to listen to good tunes on headphones so we can tune out the crackheads near the Metro and provide reasonable entertainment whilst trotting The Callie Monster, our furry, four legged friend.
Note re our friends stuck in 1995. These folks pay up the wazoo to see the Rolling Stones every time they come through town to take everyone's money at some horribly appointed monstrosity of a venue with dreadfully awful acoustics.
We don't hit too many concerts. Granted, when you attend seventy five professional sporting events per annum, there is but little space for much else.
That said, about twice a year (although presumably this will be increasing at an increasing rate given the iPod craze) The Pretty Girl, arranges concert-going activities.
In June, we took in the trifecta of Louis XIV, Keane (a Coldplay rip off band) and The Killers at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, a venue that fraudulently bills itself as a D.C. venue. It was a success. The music was pretty good, the beers were cold, and the grass was comfortable.
No. 2 was last night. Back at Merriweather, we took in Green Day.
Holy Mother Effer, did they rock!
Green Day rocks something fierce.
Today, there is no hearing in our left ear. Whether this the result of repeated head thumping or just really loud music, we don't know.
After Jimmy Eat World got us charged up, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, appeared on stage at approximately 8:45 pm opening with a super-athletic American Idiot. From here through the last encore, Good Riddance, at around 10:45, every song was played as if it were their last of the night. For real. Not wanting for pyrotechnics and other effects, we continuously were impressed with the band's ability to further escalate the show.
Playing all the requirements, interspersed with a couple covers (The Isley Bros.' Shout and Queen's We Are The Champions) and some very cool improvisational skits, the band puts on a fantastic show. One cool bit involved bringing three members of the audience on stage to play the drums, the bass and lead guitar. Billie Joe did some minor vetting, but actually scavenged up three fans who could play some basic musical cords. The lead guitarist, a lad of thirteen, even scored Billie Joe's guitar. For keeps. This amateur gig was a fantastic prelude to a high energy version of Minority, the big hit from their Warning: CD of 2000.
Minority is archetypical of what Green Day has become. Although terribly overplayed on the radio, Minority is one of those songs that cuts through pop, punk, alternative and rock genres with slamming drums, deep bass, and witty vocals all in a small enough package to leave you wanting more. Performed live, late in the show, it leaves you almost desperate for more.
As the show ended, it dawned on us that this band has been putting out well received music since our college days (early/mid nineties). If it keeps up through another couple cycles of college students, we could be seeing the makings of a band that stands the test of time. Already Green Day has established their deftness when it comes to the pop charts. That, plus their lyrical genius all anchored in their hegemonic punk-rock thrashing, this band may be the next Rolling Stones. Let it be said here.
And the tickets were only $35. What a bargain.
The Pretty Girl says, "I told you so."
Apologies in advance for jotting thoughts re music when it should be blatantly acknowledged, if it is not obvious on its face, we could not be more unqualified to do as much.
Anyway.
Although not quite as un-with-it as the the half Japanese girls, the Weezer kids are intrigued by, our musical appetite is in dire need of refueling. Enter the iPod. Originally procured so that all the Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks concert bootlegs could be properly lodged into the wallet-sized device, the iPod is steadily becoming a major life force. And, we are branching out.
Sandwiched between our friends who find Interpol ineligible to be good due to their mainstream nature and those who, perhaps, have not been advised that good music has been released post-1995, we just like to listen to good tunes on headphones so we can tune out the crackheads near the Metro and provide reasonable entertainment whilst trotting The Callie Monster, our furry, four legged friend.
Note re our friends stuck in 1995. These folks pay up the wazoo to see the Rolling Stones every time they come through town to take everyone's money at some horribly appointed monstrosity of a venue with dreadfully awful acoustics.
We don't hit too many concerts. Granted, when you attend seventy five professional sporting events per annum, there is but little space for much else.
That said, about twice a year (although presumably this will be increasing at an increasing rate given the iPod craze) The Pretty Girl, arranges concert-going activities.
In June, we took in the trifecta of Louis XIV, Keane (a Coldplay rip off band) and The Killers at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, a venue that fraudulently bills itself as a D.C. venue. It was a success. The music was pretty good, the beers were cold, and the grass was comfortable.
No. 2 was last night. Back at Merriweather, we took in Green Day.
Holy Mother Effer, did they rock!
Green Day rocks something fierce.
Today, there is no hearing in our left ear. Whether this the result of repeated head thumping or just really loud music, we don't know.
After Jimmy Eat World got us charged up, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, appeared on stage at approximately 8:45 pm opening with a super-athletic American Idiot. From here through the last encore, Good Riddance, at around 10:45, every song was played as if it were their last of the night. For real. Not wanting for pyrotechnics and other effects, we continuously were impressed with the band's ability to further escalate the show.
Playing all the requirements, interspersed with a couple covers (The Isley Bros.' Shout and Queen's We Are The Champions) and some very cool improvisational skits, the band puts on a fantastic show. One cool bit involved bringing three members of the audience on stage to play the drums, the bass and lead guitar. Billie Joe did some minor vetting, but actually scavenged up three fans who could play some basic musical cords. The lead guitarist, a lad of thirteen, even scored Billie Joe's guitar. For keeps. This amateur gig was a fantastic prelude to a high energy version of Minority, the big hit from their Warning: CD of 2000.
Minority is archetypical of what Green Day has become. Although terribly overplayed on the radio, Minority is one of those songs that cuts through pop, punk, alternative and rock genres with slamming drums, deep bass, and witty vocals all in a small enough package to leave you wanting more. Performed live, late in the show, it leaves you almost desperate for more.
As the show ended, it dawned on us that this band has been putting out well received music since our college days (early/mid nineties). If it keeps up through another couple cycles of college students, we could be seeing the makings of a band that stands the test of time. Already Green Day has established their deftness when it comes to the pop charts. That, plus their lyrical genius all anchored in their hegemonic punk-rock thrashing, this band may be the next Rolling Stones. Let it be said here.
And the tickets were only $35. What a bargain.
The Pretty Girl says, "I told you so."
Prior Inconsistent Statements
Nick "I Do Not Play Defense" Van Exel agreed to sign with San Antonio on Monday. We assume this temporarily mutes his whining about retirement.
After being traded to Golden State from Dallas in 2003, Van Exel threatened to not report. A year later, as Blazer, the same whining continued.
On December 22, 2004, after scoring 26 in a 104-95 victory over the not-venerable Milwaukee Bucks, the then Blazer said, "This will be my last season. So, I've got to try to make as many as I can. I'm done. It's a wrap."
"Just getting up every morning and my body is just always aching -- knees, back, hips. It just gets boring after a while," Van Exel told the press.
Wasn't Rafer Alston supposed to hang 'em up too?
After being traded to Golden State from Dallas in 2003, Van Exel threatened to not report. A year later, as Blazer, the same whining continued.
On December 22, 2004, after scoring 26 in a 104-95 victory over the not-venerable Milwaukee Bucks, the then Blazer said, "This will be my last season. So, I've got to try to make as many as I can. I'm done. It's a wrap."
"Just getting up every morning and my body is just always aching -- knees, back, hips. It just gets boring after a while," Van Exel told the press.
Wasn't Rafer Alston supposed to hang 'em up too?
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Why The Phillies Might Actually Make The Playoffs
We know that Philadelphs teams are not permitted to win World's Championships.
Has not happened since the 1983 Sixers. To this day that team makes us feel all special and really happy inside. Really happy. There exists this highlight video that plays Irene Cara's Flashdance anthemn What a Feeling, as the Sixers erased a huge lead in the fourth quarter to sweep Showtime! The team: Moses, Dr. J., Mo Cheeks, Andrew "The Boston Strangler" Toney, Bobby "Not The Golfer, The Defenseman" Jones, Clint "No. 4" Richardson, Marc "I Actually Played In The NBA And Started On That '83 Team" Iavaroni, The Bros. Johnson -- Clemon and Reggie, Franklin "Pony Shoes Wearing" Edwards, Mark "Rookie Year" McNamara, and Earl "Game Two" Cureton.
Heck, before last season's Super Bowl appearance, we started advising folks that the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl is The Conference Semis. No need to win the NFC Championship. We got everything we needed by just advancing to the NFC Championship.
The Phillies. They are the least permitted team when it comes to the Playoffs. The Playoffs?! (said with Jim Mora, Sr. whine) Playoffs?! Ed Wade is possibly the worst GM in all of sports. 610-WIP (it really does not get any more reliable than that) says he is the longest tenured GM (other than the Devil Rays' Chuck LaMar) in MLB without a playoff appearance. The horror of Wade began in 1998. Eight terrible years. The Phightins have the fifth highest payroll in baseball. It goes Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels and then the Phillies.
Anyway, our point. This year the Phillies have Kenny Lofton. He is always in the Playoffs. Every year. (At least in this century.)
2001 with the Cleveland Indians
2002 with the nearly world champion San Francisco Giants
2003 with the Steve Bartman Cursed Cubbies
2004 with the Yankees
Friday, August 26, 2005
Has The Logo Lost His Mojo?
How to build an NBA contender: draft well, trade well, sign well.
How has Jerry West, the legendary player turned likeness of the NBA logo turned executive faired since his exile to Memphis?
Ho hum.
The Jerry West/Los Angeles Lakers years were fantastic years. Four rings, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 2000, eight NBA Finals appearances, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Shaq, and Kobe. The question upon his departure from Los Angeles was, can he bring his mojo to Memphis? So far, the answer is: oh, we guess, no.
Having joined the Memphis Grizzlies on April 30, 2002, West is in his fourth off-season with the team. As Rod Thorn and Bryan Colangelo have shown, four years is more than enough time to make dramatic improvements. While the Grizzlies have certainly moved from lotteryland to the playoffs, they are not positioned to contend in the West.
We note at the outset, West has adroitly handled the coaching situation, bringing in Hall of Famer Hubie Brown for a 50 win break-out season in 2004, and transitioning smoothly into a Mike Fratello regime in 2005, following Hubie's departure.
But who's he drafted, who's he signed, and who's he traded for?
Let's review.
Who's He Drafted
Short answer. Other than Gooden, nobody. And since he promptly traded Gooden in his rookie season, the revised short answer is nobody.
2002: Drew Gooden, 4th pick; Robert Archibald, 32d.
2003: Via trade, Troy Bell, 16th; Dahntay Jones, 20th. Bell and Jones were obtained from Boston for the 13th and 27th picks, Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins.
2004: Sergei Lishouk, 49th pick.
2005: Hakim Warrick, 19th pick.
Who's He Signed.
Pau Gasol. Singed to a monster deal a season ago (that sounded like Kevin Harlan). Gasol gets 6 years and $86 million. Let's not bash Gasol. Great starter. Borderline All-Star. Worth $50 or $60 million, sure. Nearly $90. No way. That is Billy King money. Mark Bartelstein money.
Brian Cardinal. 6 years, $39 million. We liked Cardinal as a 12/13/14th man on the Wizards in 2003. He is Brian Scalabrine-like. You know, one of those guys who you can't believe is actually on an NBA roster, then you see him play, and he isn't that bad. He hustles, throws his weight around, hits a jumper. Not a starter. But a legitimate 7th or 8th man. Fine. But $39 million. Six years? This is Coo-Coo Bird time. Coo-Coo. The only legitimate explanation for this deal is Mark Bartelstein -- the man has skills. At some point, you have to presume he uses a magic potion and you leave it at that. He takes your money and makes you feel good about it.
Shane Battier. 6 years, $37 million. A bit more than Battier is worth. He is a solid piece for any team, a good guy, and a future President (of the United States, that is, recall the 2001 Final Four).
Mike Miller. 6 years, $48 million. $8 million a year for Miller is a bit on the expensive side. Miller is a starter. Never an All-Star. He is getting more mature (actually looked like puberty hit in 2005). The question is when you consider Gasol's contract, Battier's contract, Cardinal, all of sudden we are in a salary cap inflexibility zone. HoopsHype has Memphis nearing $70 million for 2006. The Sixth highest in the league.
Damon Stoudamire. 4 years, $17 million. Old Mighty Mouse. The key word being old. 10 years of playing guard in the NBA. How much value can Damon really add?
Key Trades
Imported Eddie Jones in the monster five team, 13 man deal. Essentially this deal boils down to White Chocolate (Jason Williams) and James Posey for Eddie Jones. As we have commented in this space previously, West is no fan of White Chocolate. So moving him was definitely on the radar. But taking on the remaining portion of Eddie Jones' ($30M) contract is really foolish. Jones is old. Like, he was teammates with Aaron McKie at Temple in the early 1990's. For a guard, that is really old. We understand dumping White Chocolate, but in a league full of Rob Babcocks, John Nashes, Billy Kings, Billy Knights, Elgin Baylors and Isiah Thomases there are always takers for starters. Always. As evidence we point to Eric Snow getting traded last offseason, one year into his multi-year bagillion dollar Billy King special. All starters are tradable.
Imported Bonzi Wells for Wesley Person (2004 season). On paper this makes sense. In real life, no way. Bonzi Wells is bad news. And this played out accordingly. Consequently, West moved Wells this offseason.
Imported Bobby Jackson for Wells. A break-even move. If Jackson is healthy, he will be a strong contributor. More importantly, he will not cause trouble.
Imported Mike Miller for Gooden and Gordon Giricek (2003 season). Miller is a good player. Gooden was West's 4th pick in the draft. The highest pick Memphis has had in the Jerry West era. Why give up on him so soon? And Giricek went on to have a decent year for Orlando and subsequently Utah, although he has suffered through some injuries.
How has Jerry West, the legendary player turned likeness of the NBA logo turned executive faired since his exile to Memphis?
Ho hum.
The Jerry West/Los Angeles Lakers years were fantastic years. Four rings, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 2000, eight NBA Finals appearances, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Shaq, and Kobe. The question upon his departure from Los Angeles was, can he bring his mojo to Memphis? So far, the answer is: oh, we guess, no.
Having joined the Memphis Grizzlies on April 30, 2002, West is in his fourth off-season with the team. As Rod Thorn and Bryan Colangelo have shown, four years is more than enough time to make dramatic improvements. While the Grizzlies have certainly moved from lotteryland to the playoffs, they are not positioned to contend in the West.
We note at the outset, West has adroitly handled the coaching situation, bringing in Hall of Famer Hubie Brown for a 50 win break-out season in 2004, and transitioning smoothly into a Mike Fratello regime in 2005, following Hubie's departure.
But who's he drafted, who's he signed, and who's he traded for?
Let's review.
Who's He Drafted
Short answer. Other than Gooden, nobody. And since he promptly traded Gooden in his rookie season, the revised short answer is nobody.
2002: Drew Gooden, 4th pick; Robert Archibald, 32d.
2003: Via trade, Troy Bell, 16th; Dahntay Jones, 20th. Bell and Jones were obtained from Boston for the 13th and 27th picks, Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins.
2004: Sergei Lishouk, 49th pick.
2005: Hakim Warrick, 19th pick.
Who's He Signed.
Pau Gasol. Singed to a monster deal a season ago (that sounded like Kevin Harlan). Gasol gets 6 years and $86 million. Let's not bash Gasol. Great starter. Borderline All-Star. Worth $50 or $60 million, sure. Nearly $90. No way. That is Billy King money. Mark Bartelstein money.
Brian Cardinal. 6 years, $39 million. We liked Cardinal as a 12/13/14th man on the Wizards in 2003. He is Brian Scalabrine-like. You know, one of those guys who you can't believe is actually on an NBA roster, then you see him play, and he isn't that bad. He hustles, throws his weight around, hits a jumper. Not a starter. But a legitimate 7th or 8th man. Fine. But $39 million. Six years? This is Coo-Coo Bird time. Coo-Coo. The only legitimate explanation for this deal is Mark Bartelstein -- the man has skills. At some point, you have to presume he uses a magic potion and you leave it at that. He takes your money and makes you feel good about it.
Shane Battier. 6 years, $37 million. A bit more than Battier is worth. He is a solid piece for any team, a good guy, and a future President (of the United States, that is, recall the 2001 Final Four).
Mike Miller. 6 years, $48 million. $8 million a year for Miller is a bit on the expensive side. Miller is a starter. Never an All-Star. He is getting more mature (actually looked like puberty hit in 2005). The question is when you consider Gasol's contract, Battier's contract, Cardinal, all of sudden we are in a salary cap inflexibility zone. HoopsHype has Memphis nearing $70 million for 2006. The Sixth highest in the league.
Damon Stoudamire. 4 years, $17 million. Old Mighty Mouse. The key word being old. 10 years of playing guard in the NBA. How much value can Damon really add?
Key Trades
Imported Eddie Jones in the monster five team, 13 man deal. Essentially this deal boils down to White Chocolate (Jason Williams) and James Posey for Eddie Jones. As we have commented in this space previously, West is no fan of White Chocolate. So moving him was definitely on the radar. But taking on the remaining portion of Eddie Jones' ($30M) contract is really foolish. Jones is old. Like, he was teammates with Aaron McKie at Temple in the early 1990's. For a guard, that is really old. We understand dumping White Chocolate, but in a league full of Rob Babcocks, John Nashes, Billy Kings, Billy Knights, Elgin Baylors and Isiah Thomases there are always takers for starters. Always. As evidence we point to Eric Snow getting traded last offseason, one year into his multi-year bagillion dollar Billy King special. All starters are tradable.
Imported Bonzi Wells for Wesley Person (2004 season). On paper this makes sense. In real life, no way. Bonzi Wells is bad news. And this played out accordingly. Consequently, West moved Wells this offseason.
Imported Bobby Jackson for Wells. A break-even move. If Jackson is healthy, he will be a strong contributor. More importantly, he will not cause trouble.
Imported Mike Miller for Gooden and Gordon Giricek (2003 season). Miller is a good player. Gooden was West's 4th pick in the draft. The highest pick Memphis has had in the Jerry West era. Why give up on him so soon? And Giricek went on to have a decent year for Orlando and subsequently Utah, although he has suffered through some injuries.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Mr. Brightside: Mark Bartelstein
When Sixers GM Billy King inexplicably unloaded nearly $20 million on back-up center Steven Hunter, who plays like eleven minutes a night, we were immediately drawn to the name Mark Bartelstein, Hunter's agent. Seems like his name is everywhere in the B-list market for NBA role players.
NBA superagent Mark Bartelstein and his Chicago-based, Priority Sports & Entertainment, are amassing a large roster of highly paid NBA role players.
He is everywhere. He is the NBA's Mr. Brightside.
Bartelstein has figured out the precise methodology for getting general managers to open their purse strings. Wide. Then he grabs all he can. We are talking about gihugic (our word) contracts.
Mind you he does not represent the A-list. He does not represent Shaq (Perry Rogers), Kevin Garnett (Andy Miller), Tim Duncan (Lon Babby), Allen Iverson (Leon Rose), Ray Allen (Babby), Tracy McGrady (Arn Tellem), Kobe Bryant (Rob Pelinka) or Lebron James (Rose). Rather his stable includes B-listers Antoine Walker, Bobby Simmons, Brian Grant, Darius Songalia, Jannero Pargo, and some C-listers such as Dan Dickau, Charlie Bell and Eddie House.
His amazing negotiating techniques have procured a six year, $41 million deal for Boston's back-up Center Mark Blount. Memphis' Brian Cardinal, not a starter, earns $39 million over six years, thanks to Bartelstein. Bobby Simmons will get $47 million, Brad Miller -- $68 million, and the impressive list goes on.
So we went to Google and typed in Bartelstein and million. This guy is amazing. Really, you start to wonder why any non-starter in the NBA would want to have any agent other than Bartelstein. Here's what we found.
Brian Grant. Phoenix. 2yrs/$4M from Phoenix plus the nearly $30M owed on his original contract by the Los Angeles Lakers. "We think Brian and the Suns are a very good fit," Bartelstein said.
Antoine Walker. Miami. 6yrs/$53M (this deal may get re-worked due to medical issues). Walker signed a six-year deal worth nearly $53 million with Boston as part of the deal's preliminary framework, and agent Mark Bartelstein said he appreciated the Celtics' willingness to help out their longtime forward. "Antoine is thrilled," Bartelstein said. "This was a grueling process trying to put a sign-and-trade together. This took a lot of time and work and energy from a lot of people."
Charlie Bell. Milwaukee. 2yrs/1.4M. "He'll be a great addition," said Bell's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "He can play both guard spots."
Damian Wilkins. Seattle. 5yrs/$15M. On signing an offer sheet with the T-Wolves, Bartelstein stated, "we think Minnesota is a great opportunity to come in a contribute right away." The Supersonics opted to match and Wilkins will remain in Seattle.
Steven Hunter. 5yrs/$16.5M. "He is a great athlete, and it's a great fit for what the 76ers do and the style they play," Bartelstein said.
Bobby Simmons. 5yrs/$47M. "This originally started out [as kiss how'd it end up like this, oh, sorry] as talks in case Michael [Redd] left, but as we talked more and more, it started to make sense for Bobby even if Michael stayed,'' Bartelstein said. ``So, we just kept talking and they had enough cap room. It worked out well for both.''
Last Summer:
Brad Miller. 7rs/$68M. “I said, Hold on. You have a $70 million contract here you have to sign and take a physical on, and I’m not real comfortable with you going on a fishing trip and ending up at the bottom of the lake or something. He just said he had to go, that this was the one trip he takes every year. What we wound up doing was having the Kings postpone the physical until he got back from the trip, and I had Brad’s friends assure me they would keep him tied down. He still had to stay until the next day to actually sign the contract with the Pacers, and he only did that when I promised to charter a plane for him to meet his friends. I think they got there 10 minutes before him.”
P.J. Brown. 4yrs/$34M. ``It was a tough decision, and obviously a number of teams pursued him. But he's been a big part of pro basketball coming back to New Orleans and that is something he takes very seriously,'' Brown's agent Mark Bartelstein said.
Trenton Hassell. 6yrs/$27M. "Obviously, they put a value on signing him," Bartelstein said. "We thought this would be a good situation either way."
Mark Blount. 6yrs/$41M. "I think Danny [Ainge] and Doc [Rivers] did a great job of convincing him that he would be part of great future in Boston," Bartelstein told Ford. "They stepped up to the plate offering their full mid-level exception and I think at the end of the day, Mark felt like they really wanted him the most."
Derek Fisher. 6yrs/$37M. "This is an opportunity for him to see what the market is," Fisher's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said by telephone from Chicago. "He's a heck of a player. You only have so many chances in your career to test the market and so many chances to be a free agent.
Brian Cardinal. 6yrs/$39M. "It came together quickly," Cardinal's Chicago-based agent, Mark Bartelstein said. "I'd say it all happened in the last day and a half. We came to an understanding . . . . Brian's excited [you think]. He'll fit in well with what Memphis is doing."
Devean George. 4yrs/$21M (Summer 2002). "He probably took a few years less than he could've gotten elsewhere," Bartelstein said in an ESPN.com story. "But this is where he wanted to be. The Lakers were his first choice."
Ron Artest. 6yrs/$42M (Nov 2002). "I never been around anyone who loves more basketball than he does," Bartelstein told ESPN.com. [Bartelstein no longer represents Artest . . . creative differences we presume.]
NBA superagent Mark Bartelstein and his Chicago-based, Priority Sports & Entertainment, are amassing a large roster of highly paid NBA role players.
He is everywhere. He is the NBA's Mr. Brightside.
Bartelstein has figured out the precise methodology for getting general managers to open their purse strings. Wide. Then he grabs all he can. We are talking about gihugic (our word) contracts.
Mind you he does not represent the A-list. He does not represent Shaq (Perry Rogers), Kevin Garnett (Andy Miller), Tim Duncan (Lon Babby), Allen Iverson (Leon Rose), Ray Allen (Babby), Tracy McGrady (Arn Tellem), Kobe Bryant (Rob Pelinka) or Lebron James (Rose). Rather his stable includes B-listers Antoine Walker, Bobby Simmons, Brian Grant, Darius Songalia, Jannero Pargo, and some C-listers such as Dan Dickau, Charlie Bell and Eddie House.
His amazing negotiating techniques have procured a six year, $41 million deal for Boston's back-up Center Mark Blount. Memphis' Brian Cardinal, not a starter, earns $39 million over six years, thanks to Bartelstein. Bobby Simmons will get $47 million, Brad Miller -- $68 million, and the impressive list goes on.
So we went to Google and typed in Bartelstein and million. This guy is amazing. Really, you start to wonder why any non-starter in the NBA would want to have any agent other than Bartelstein. Here's what we found.
Brian Grant. Phoenix. 2yrs/$4M from Phoenix plus the nearly $30M owed on his original contract by the Los Angeles Lakers. "We think Brian and the Suns are a very good fit," Bartelstein said.
Antoine Walker. Miami. 6yrs/$53M (this deal may get re-worked due to medical issues). Walker signed a six-year deal worth nearly $53 million with Boston as part of the deal's preliminary framework, and agent Mark Bartelstein said he appreciated the Celtics' willingness to help out their longtime forward. "Antoine is thrilled," Bartelstein said. "This was a grueling process trying to put a sign-and-trade together. This took a lot of time and work and energy from a lot of people."
Charlie Bell. Milwaukee. 2yrs/1.4M. "He'll be a great addition," said Bell's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "He can play both guard spots."
Damian Wilkins. Seattle. 5yrs/$15M. On signing an offer sheet with the T-Wolves, Bartelstein stated, "we think Minnesota is a great opportunity to come in a contribute right away." The Supersonics opted to match and Wilkins will remain in Seattle.
Steven Hunter. 5yrs/$16.5M. "He is a great athlete, and it's a great fit for what the 76ers do and the style they play," Bartelstein said.
Bobby Simmons. 5yrs/$47M. "This originally started out [as kiss how'd it end up like this, oh, sorry] as talks in case Michael [Redd] left, but as we talked more and more, it started to make sense for Bobby even if Michael stayed,'' Bartelstein said. ``So, we just kept talking and they had enough cap room. It worked out well for both.''
Last Summer:
Brad Miller. 7rs/$68M. “I said, Hold on. You have a $70 million contract here you have to sign and take a physical on, and I’m not real comfortable with you going on a fishing trip and ending up at the bottom of the lake or something. He just said he had to go, that this was the one trip he takes every year. What we wound up doing was having the Kings postpone the physical until he got back from the trip, and I had Brad’s friends assure me they would keep him tied down. He still had to stay until the next day to actually sign the contract with the Pacers, and he only did that when I promised to charter a plane for him to meet his friends. I think they got there 10 minutes before him.”
P.J. Brown. 4yrs/$34M. ``It was a tough decision, and obviously a number of teams pursued him. But he's been a big part of pro basketball coming back to New Orleans and that is something he takes very seriously,'' Brown's agent Mark Bartelstein said.
Trenton Hassell. 6yrs/$27M. "Obviously, they put a value on signing him," Bartelstein said. "We thought this would be a good situation either way."
Mark Blount. 6yrs/$41M. "I think Danny [Ainge] and Doc [Rivers] did a great job of convincing him that he would be part of great future in Boston," Bartelstein told Ford. "They stepped up to the plate offering their full mid-level exception and I think at the end of the day, Mark felt like they really wanted him the most."
Derek Fisher. 6yrs/$37M. "This is an opportunity for him to see what the market is," Fisher's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said by telephone from Chicago. "He's a heck of a player. You only have so many chances in your career to test the market and so many chances to be a free agent.
Brian Cardinal. 6yrs/$39M. "It came together quickly," Cardinal's Chicago-based agent, Mark Bartelstein said. "I'd say it all happened in the last day and a half. We came to an understanding . . . . Brian's excited [you think]. He'll fit in well with what Memphis is doing."
Devean George. 4yrs/$21M (Summer 2002). "He probably took a few years less than he could've gotten elsewhere," Bartelstein said in an ESPN.com story. "But this is where he wanted to be. The Lakers were his first choice."
Ron Artest. 6yrs/$42M (Nov 2002). "I never been around anyone who loves more basketball than he does," Bartelstein told ESPN.com. [Bartelstein no longer represents Artest . . . creative differences we presume.]
Important Brad Penny Update
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
T-Lue, Spokesman
"I think we started something and I told those young guys that I wanted to be around to help finish it." Tyronn Lue in re the Atlanta Hawks of 2005 and his desire to return for the 2006 season.
2005 Atlanta Hawks FLASHBACK: 13 Wins. 69 Losses. 4 road wins.
Ty Lue FLASHBACK: “We have a war to fight, too – the Washington Wizards are trying to make the playoffs.” March 2003 in the midst of the Iraq War and the hapless Wizards' plummeting playoff hopes.
2005 Atlanta Hawks FLASHBACK: 13 Wins. 69 Losses. 4 road wins.
Ty Lue FLASHBACK: “We have a war to fight, too – the Washington Wizards are trying to make the playoffs.” March 2003 in the midst of the Iraq War and the hapless Wizards' plummeting playoff hopes.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Stupid D.C. Cop Shoots Weimaraner
Responding to a false burglar alarm in D.C.'s tony Foxhall neighborhood (think Beverly Hills nice), D.C. officer Arvette D. Parry shot Palmer Graham's dog because it was barking. The officer feared "she was being attacked by the dog," said Parry's boss, Comdr. Robert Contee, to the Washington Post. Again, the dog was a Weimaraner.
Picture Credit: Craig Koshyk. The Weimaraner Club of the Washington D.C. Area
Statements Against Interest -- The Allan Houston Rule
Last Monday, August 15, 2005 was an odd day for NBA general managers. It was Amnesty Day, or the deadline to take advantage of the Allan Houston Rule. (FN1)
Much like a celebrity agreeing to appear on The Surreal Life signals a career may be sputtering, utilizing the amnesty option is about as close as it gets to an admission by a general manager that they are, well, maybe a very bad GM.
We are reminded of the hearsay concepts, "Statements Against Interest" and "Admissions By Party Opponents." (FN2) In court, while hearsay is generally inadmissible, two of the many exceptions to the hearsay rule arise when the utterances are so unbelievably stupid, no person would admit to them if pressed under cross examination.
Using the Allan Houston Rule is tantamount to a team admitting that it is in the middle of a very messed up salary cap situation.
Anyway, since before the lockout of 1998, NBA GMs have made a habit of throwing stupid money at players. We are not talking about paying Shaq, or Duncan, or Garnett, or Iverson. We are talking about non-All-Stars getting stupid money.
Handing out stupid money continues today, with Joe Johnson, scooping up $70 million over five years, from the Atlanta Hawks, and Larry Hughes, earning a similar package from the evidently panicking/desperately-seeking-to-keep-Lebron James-In-2008 Cleveland Cavaliers. While both Hughes and Johnson are remarkably good starters, neither have made an All-Star team.
At bottom, The Allan Houston Rule is merely an admission by the teams that stupid is as stupid does.
The Allan Houston Rule, a feature of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA"), affords teams the opportunity to reduce their luxury tax payments on one player's contract. Without delving into the annals of the CBA (Marc Stein occupies this important field) suffice it to say this Rule provides an out for teams dumb enough to be in luxury tax land.
We list below some of the stupid contracts that were dumped via the Allan Houston Rule. Source: Hoopshype.
Michael "At Least Mark Cuban Will No Longer Be Running After Me In The Parking Lot Yelling, No, Make That Whining, Fin . . . Fin" Finley. Signed through 2008, during which year he is scheduled to be paid, $18,593,750.
Brian "Actually Has An Unofficial Website" Grant. Signed through 2007, during which year he is scheduled to be paid, $15,570,625. Grant will be 35 at the end of the 2007 season. Yeah, Mitch Kupchak did not sign this deal, but he was stupid enough to take Grant's contract in exchange for Shaq.
Vin "Gout" Baker. Signed through 2006, when he will earn $15,750,000.
Derek "Loyalty" Anderson. Signed through 2007, when he is scheduled for $9,742,500. DA did not even start for Portland.
Howard "Averaged Nine Points One Time" Eisley. Signed through 2007 at which point he will draw $7,437,500.
Jerome "Knee Socks" Williams. Signed through 2008, when he is scheduled for $7,050,000.
Aaron "During 2002 Season, Actually Lived In Our Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphs) Neighborhood And Drove A Red Expedition And Black Porche, In Addition To Maintaining A Very Fat Assistant Who Used To Drink An Extraordinary Number Of Super Big Gulps" McKie. Signed through 2008, at which point he will draw $7M. Not bad for a not-starter.
Calvin "Penn State" Booth. Signed through 2006, when he is scheduled to make $6.8 million. Note: One time we saw two Penn State Centers square off. How odd. The year was 2000. The venue was the MCI Center. The teams were the Wizards (Booth) and Magic (John "I Like Children" Amaechi). We were in the process of wooing The Pretty Girl. It worked.
Eddie "Averaged 22 minutes one year (if only for 29 games)" Robinson. Signed through 2006, when he will earn $7,288,120.
Doug "Clear It With Jackie, Who Is Currently Following Our Team Bus" Christie. Signed through 2008 at which point he will take home $7,800,000.
Let's look at some stupid contracts that weren't dumped.
Allan "Can't Believe Isiah Is That Dumb, Wait A Second, Maybe I Can" Houston. Signed through 2007, when he will make $20,718,750. Almost $1 million more than Shaq.
Chris "Big Game" Webber. Signed with one knee through 2008, when he will make $22,312,500.
Jalen "My Website Plays Jesus Walks While You Surf" Rose. Signed through 2007, when he will make $16,901,500.
Grant "Ken Griffey, Jr." Hill. Signed through 2007, when he will make $16,901,500.
Antawn "I've Got More Heart Than My Brother-In-Law" Jamison. Signed through 2008, when he will make $16,360,095.
Zach "Cous Get Your Gun" Randolph. Signed through 2011, during which year he will make $17,333,333.
Shawn "Shoot My Jumpshot From My Belt" Marion. Signed through 2009, when he will make $17,180,000.
"Old" Eddie Jones. Signed through 2007, when he will make $15,680,000.
Tim "Tenth Man" Thomas. Signed through 2006, when he will make $13,975,000.
Carlos "Eff Gordon Gund" Boozer. Signed through 2010, when he will make $12,657,233.
Wally "VD" Szczerbiak. Signed through 2009, when he will make $13,000,00.
Raef LaFrentz. Signed through 2009, when he gets $12,722,500.
Erick Dampier. Signed through 2011, when he gets $12,250,000.
Jamal Crawford. On board till 2011 when he will make $10,150,000.
The Orthodontist. Adonal Foyle. Signed through at least 2009, when he will make $9,700,000.
Austin "Going Bald" Croshere. Signed through 2007, when he will make $9,560,000.
Mehmet "Write Me A Memo" Okur. Will be making $9M in 2010.
Jason "Not The Motorcyclist Nor The Shooter" Williams. White Chocolate. Signed through 2008, when he will make $8,937,500.
Kenny "K9, Get It, Very Crafty" Thomas. Signed through 2010, when he will make $8,553,125. When Billy King signed K9 to this nonsense, he foreshadowed as much by repeatedly announcing that the re-signing of Kenny Thomas is "my first priority." Nice going. No foolin'.
Ruben "I'm The Guy They Used To Call The Kobe Stopper" Patterson. Signed through 2007, when he will make $6,807,000.
Compare.
Shaq. $20M a year through 2010.
Ginobili. Maxes out at 10M in 2010.
Tony Parker. $8.4M in 2006.
Chauncey. $6,819,000 in 2008.
Ben Wallace. $6.5M in 2006.
Footnotes:
FN1. The fact that Isiah Thomas and the Knicks waived Jerome Williams, AND NOT ALLAN HOUSTON, is, in and of itself is merely a metaphor of the New York Knicks fortunes since Allan Houston signed his monster deal. (Other stupid Knicks deals have involved Marcus Camby, Shandon Anderson, Latrell Sprewell, Howard Eisley, Clarence Weatherspoon, among others.) According to HoopsHype, Houston is due to make $19,125,000 this season, second only to Shaq ($20M). Next year, the 2007 season that is, Houston will live his life with $20,718,750. Apparently, either James Dolan, the Knicks' owner, who reportedly refused to allow Thomas to dump Houston, or Houston conned the Knicks into buying into his retirement ruminations. If Houston retires, there are ways, albeit complicated, for pulling Houston off of the salary cap entirely. Such an outcome is quite complex, however, and difficult to process through the league office. Consequently, one wonders why Thomas did not Allan Houston Allan Houston. We suppose it is unwise to try to understand Isiah Thomas, who is making great strides toward achieving Scott Layden levels of GM-ness.
FN2. Rules 801(d)(2) and 804(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Evidence ("FRE") dealing with the subject of hearsay. (Actually, Rule 801(d)(2), admission by a party-opponent is technically defined by the FRE as "not hearsay.") These are two of the hearsay exceptions. Hearsay is when an utterance made by someone not on the witness stand is offered as evidence. This is not allowed, for the most part. Hearsay is generally not admissible in court because of its unreliability, which stems from the fact that the person who made the statement is not around to be questioned about it under cross examination. There are, however, many exceptions to this rule. The exceptions come into play when a statement is obviously so reliable that its suspect nature is nullified. Two of these exceptions are the "statement against interest," Rule 804(b)(3), and an "admission by a party opponent," Rule 801(d)(2).
Much like a celebrity agreeing to appear on The Surreal Life signals a career may be sputtering, utilizing the amnesty option is about as close as it gets to an admission by a general manager that they are, well, maybe a very bad GM.
We are reminded of the hearsay concepts, "Statements Against Interest" and "Admissions By Party Opponents." (FN2) In court, while hearsay is generally inadmissible, two of the many exceptions to the hearsay rule arise when the utterances are so unbelievably stupid, no person would admit to them if pressed under cross examination.
Using the Allan Houston Rule is tantamount to a team admitting that it is in the middle of a very messed up salary cap situation.
Anyway, since before the lockout of 1998, NBA GMs have made a habit of throwing stupid money at players. We are not talking about paying Shaq, or Duncan, or Garnett, or Iverson. We are talking about non-All-Stars getting stupid money.
Handing out stupid money continues today, with Joe Johnson, scooping up $70 million over five years, from the Atlanta Hawks, and Larry Hughes, earning a similar package from the evidently panicking/desperately-seeking-to-keep-Lebron James-In-2008 Cleveland Cavaliers. While both Hughes and Johnson are remarkably good starters, neither have made an All-Star team.
At bottom, The Allan Houston Rule is merely an admission by the teams that stupid is as stupid does.
The Allan Houston Rule, a feature of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA"), affords teams the opportunity to reduce their luxury tax payments on one player's contract. Without delving into the annals of the CBA (Marc Stein occupies this important field) suffice it to say this Rule provides an out for teams dumb enough to be in luxury tax land.
We list below some of the stupid contracts that were dumped via the Allan Houston Rule. Source: Hoopshype.
Michael "At Least Mark Cuban Will No Longer Be Running After Me In The Parking Lot Yelling, No, Make That Whining, Fin . . . Fin" Finley. Signed through 2008, during which year he is scheduled to be paid, $18,593,750.
Brian "Actually Has An Unofficial Website" Grant. Signed through 2007, during which year he is scheduled to be paid, $15,570,625. Grant will be 35 at the end of the 2007 season. Yeah, Mitch Kupchak did not sign this deal, but he was stupid enough to take Grant's contract in exchange for Shaq.
Vin "Gout" Baker. Signed through 2006, when he will earn $15,750,000.
Derek "Loyalty" Anderson. Signed through 2007, when he is scheduled for $9,742,500. DA did not even start for Portland.
Howard "Averaged Nine Points One Time" Eisley. Signed through 2007 at which point he will draw $7,437,500.
Jerome "Knee Socks" Williams. Signed through 2008, when he is scheduled for $7,050,000.
Aaron "During 2002 Season, Actually Lived In Our Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphs) Neighborhood And Drove A Red Expedition And Black Porche, In Addition To Maintaining A Very Fat Assistant Who Used To Drink An Extraordinary Number Of Super Big Gulps" McKie. Signed through 2008, at which point he will draw $7M. Not bad for a not-starter.
Calvin "Penn State" Booth. Signed through 2006, when he is scheduled to make $6.8 million. Note: One time we saw two Penn State Centers square off. How odd. The year was 2000. The venue was the MCI Center. The teams were the Wizards (Booth) and Magic (John "I Like Children" Amaechi). We were in the process of wooing The Pretty Girl. It worked.
Eddie "Averaged 22 minutes one year (if only for 29 games)" Robinson. Signed through 2006, when he will earn $7,288,120.
Doug "Clear It With Jackie, Who Is Currently Following Our Team Bus" Christie. Signed through 2008 at which point he will take home $7,800,000.
Let's look at some stupid contracts that weren't dumped.
Allan "Can't Believe Isiah Is That Dumb, Wait A Second, Maybe I Can" Houston. Signed through 2007, when he will make $20,718,750. Almost $1 million more than Shaq.
Chris "Big Game" Webber. Signed with one knee through 2008, when he will make $22,312,500.
Jalen "My Website Plays Jesus Walks While You Surf" Rose. Signed through 2007, when he will make $16,901,500.
Grant "Ken Griffey, Jr." Hill. Signed through 2007, when he will make $16,901,500.
Antawn "I've Got More Heart Than My Brother-In-Law" Jamison. Signed through 2008, when he will make $16,360,095.
Zach "Cous Get Your Gun" Randolph. Signed through 2011, during which year he will make $17,333,333.
Shawn "Shoot My Jumpshot From My Belt" Marion. Signed through 2009, when he will make $17,180,000.
"Old" Eddie Jones. Signed through 2007, when he will make $15,680,000.
Tim "Tenth Man" Thomas. Signed through 2006, when he will make $13,975,000.
Carlos "Eff Gordon Gund" Boozer. Signed through 2010, when he will make $12,657,233.
Wally "VD" Szczerbiak. Signed through 2009, when he will make $13,000,00.
Raef LaFrentz. Signed through 2009, when he gets $12,722,500.
Erick Dampier. Signed through 2011, when he gets $12,250,000.
Jamal Crawford. On board till 2011 when he will make $10,150,000.
The Orthodontist. Adonal Foyle. Signed through at least 2009, when he will make $9,700,000.
Austin "Going Bald" Croshere. Signed through 2007, when he will make $9,560,000.
Mehmet "Write Me A Memo" Okur. Will be making $9M in 2010.
Jason "Not The Motorcyclist Nor The Shooter" Williams. White Chocolate. Signed through 2008, when he will make $8,937,500.
Kenny "K9, Get It, Very Crafty" Thomas. Signed through 2010, when he will make $8,553,125. When Billy King signed K9 to this nonsense, he foreshadowed as much by repeatedly announcing that the re-signing of Kenny Thomas is "my first priority." Nice going. No foolin'.
Ruben "I'm The Guy They Used To Call The Kobe Stopper" Patterson. Signed through 2007, when he will make $6,807,000.
Compare.
Shaq. $20M a year through 2010.
Ginobili. Maxes out at 10M in 2010.
Tony Parker. $8.4M in 2006.
Chauncey. $6,819,000 in 2008.
Ben Wallace. $6.5M in 2006.
Footnotes:
FN1. The fact that Isiah Thomas and the Knicks waived Jerome Williams, AND NOT ALLAN HOUSTON, is, in and of itself is merely a metaphor of the New York Knicks fortunes since Allan Houston signed his monster deal. (Other stupid Knicks deals have involved Marcus Camby, Shandon Anderson, Latrell Sprewell, Howard Eisley, Clarence Weatherspoon, among others.) According to HoopsHype, Houston is due to make $19,125,000 this season, second only to Shaq ($20M). Next year, the 2007 season that is, Houston will live his life with $20,718,750. Apparently, either James Dolan, the Knicks' owner, who reportedly refused to allow Thomas to dump Houston, or Houston conned the Knicks into buying into his retirement ruminations. If Houston retires, there are ways, albeit complicated, for pulling Houston off of the salary cap entirely. Such an outcome is quite complex, however, and difficult to process through the league office. Consequently, one wonders why Thomas did not Allan Houston Allan Houston. We suppose it is unwise to try to understand Isiah Thomas, who is making great strides toward achieving Scott Layden levels of GM-ness.
FN2. Rules 801(d)(2) and 804(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Evidence ("FRE") dealing with the subject of hearsay. (Actually, Rule 801(d)(2), admission by a party-opponent is technically defined by the FRE as "not hearsay.") These are two of the hearsay exceptions. Hearsay is when an utterance made by someone not on the witness stand is offered as evidence. This is not allowed, for the most part. Hearsay is generally not admissible in court because of its unreliability, which stems from the fact that the person who made the statement is not around to be questioned about it under cross examination. There are, however, many exceptions to this rule. The exceptions come into play when a statement is obviously so reliable that its suspect nature is nullified. Two of these exceptions are the "statement against interest," Rule 804(b)(3), and an "admission by a party opponent," Rule 801(d)(2).
Please Do Not Refer To Me As
Buddy, Chief, Hoss, Pal, Bro, Partner, Big Guy, Boss, Captain, or Slim.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Does Not Care For White Chocolate
The NBA logo, Jerry West, appearing on ESPNews' The Hot List re Jason Williams, the former Memphis Grizzlie. White Chocolate that is. Not the guy who shoots defenseless Rottweilers and limo drivers. Also not the motorcyclist.
Jason Williams grew up in West Virginia. Not far from where I grew up. I like Jason Williams a lot as a person. He has a great sense of humor. (Not skipping a beat) Is there anything about Jason Williams as a basketball that I like? Not a thing.
Jason Williams grew up in West Virginia. Not far from where I grew up. I like Jason Williams a lot as a person. He has a great sense of humor. (Not skipping a beat) Is there anything about Jason Williams as a basketball that I like? Not a thing.
Poor Poor Pitiful Willie Green
Even the luckiest people on the planet, i.e., NBA players, suffer bad luck. Willie Green's schedule for August 2, 2005 had read, "sign six-year year, $20 million deal, attend press conference with Samuel Dalembert (six-years, $64M) and Kyle Korver (six years, $25M), and find out whether, in addition to Comcast's money, we also get free digital cable, high-speed internet access and any of the drugs Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King evidently uses."
Instead Willie Green was in the James Andrews/Birmingham queue for knee surgery, having blown out his left knee, playing a pick-up game, in the interregnum between agreeing in principle to the deal, July 19th, and August 2, the date which, under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, players and teams are permitted to ink their deals. Couldn't Willie have just gone to Barbados on July 20th.
As the 41st pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Willie Green was an improbable candidate for a six-year, $20M deal. For some perspective, nos. 39 and 40 that year were Slavo Vranes and Derrick Zimmerman. Other 41st picks have included the not-venerable David Young (2004) and Mario "The Big Kasun" Kasun (2002). Moreover, if you pull the NBA Draft results for the last several years, a cursory look reveals about 13 to 18 first rounders ultimately end up as solid contributors to an NBA franchise. The numbers drop off dramatically for those selected in the second round.
For a player to make it in the NBA over the long run he must possess three key ingredients: genetics, hard work and durability. The durability piece is often overlooked. When you play basketball at a high level for ten to fifteen years, things start to happen to your knees and other body parts. Consequently, by the time a player reaches the NBA it is quite common for their career to be suddenly hijacked by injury. Scarily, every NBA player is a lot closer to permanently ruining themselves than we would like to think about. Often these injuries occur during innocent pick-up games. As Matt Geiger, Jamal Mashburn, Grant Hill and Alan Houston, among a hundred or so of other NBA players, have learned, it is much better to permanently injure yourself on the other side of inking your mega million dollar deal. NBA contracts, unlike the NFL, are guaranteed. Injured or not, in the NBA you get paid.
Not much money for Willie. The results of Green's surgery reveal nothing good. In addition to a torn meniscus, Green also tore his ACL. The prognosis: out up to nine months. Which is May 2006. As his injury came before August 2d, the Sixers have no obligation to sign Green. They did not. The good news, if any, is that Green may still sign the Sixers $750,000 qualifying offer.
Instead Willie Green was in the James Andrews/Birmingham queue for knee surgery, having blown out his left knee, playing a pick-up game, in the interregnum between agreeing in principle to the deal, July 19th, and August 2, the date which, under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, players and teams are permitted to ink their deals. Couldn't Willie have just gone to Barbados on July 20th.
As the 41st pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Willie Green was an improbable candidate for a six-year, $20M deal. For some perspective, nos. 39 and 40 that year were Slavo Vranes and Derrick Zimmerman. Other 41st picks have included the not-venerable David Young (2004) and Mario "The Big Kasun" Kasun (2002). Moreover, if you pull the NBA Draft results for the last several years, a cursory look reveals about 13 to 18 first rounders ultimately end up as solid contributors to an NBA franchise. The numbers drop off dramatically for those selected in the second round.
For a player to make it in the NBA over the long run he must possess three key ingredients: genetics, hard work and durability. The durability piece is often overlooked. When you play basketball at a high level for ten to fifteen years, things start to happen to your knees and other body parts. Consequently, by the time a player reaches the NBA it is quite common for their career to be suddenly hijacked by injury. Scarily, every NBA player is a lot closer to permanently ruining themselves than we would like to think about. Often these injuries occur during innocent pick-up games. As Matt Geiger, Jamal Mashburn, Grant Hill and Alan Houston, among a hundred or so of other NBA players, have learned, it is much better to permanently injure yourself on the other side of inking your mega million dollar deal. NBA contracts, unlike the NFL, are guaranteed. Injured or not, in the NBA you get paid.
Not much money for Willie. The results of Green's surgery reveal nothing good. In addition to a torn meniscus, Green also tore his ACL. The prognosis: out up to nine months. Which is May 2006. As his injury came before August 2d, the Sixers have no obligation to sign Green. They did not. The good news, if any, is that Green may still sign the Sixers $750,000 qualifying offer.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Please Be Advised
We are humbled to be blogging. Welcome to us.
