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Kevin Sheehan Kevin Sheehan
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In the end, the game comes down to one thing: man against man. May the best man win.

~ Sam Huff                    



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Soccer on the Rise?

Jun 30, 2009 -- 7:38am
 
However, in a culturally diverse country with over 

Wizards Trade Thoughts

Jun 25, 2009 -- 7:34am
I like the deal for the Wizards.  Does it make them an Eastern Conference contender....no, but they're at the very least slightly better after acquiring Mike Miller and Randy Foye. 
 
I've said before that other than overpaying Gilbert Arenas which is a big deal I understand...other than that...Ernie Grunfeld has done a damn good job since coming to Washington.  He's been much better with trades than with draft picks but the trades, two of them in particular were totally one-sided deals.  Dumping Lattener and Stackhouse's contracts and getting Antawn Jamison was a damn good deal even though Devin Harris has turned out to be a pretty good player.  The Kwame for Caron deal was a heist.  Ernie knows what he's doing.  Somebody called the other day and said he was concerned how Ernie would handle the 5th pick...I said I trusted that he would do something that would improve the team...he did.  Again, did they get dramatically better...no, but they are better, and they may not be done yet. More on that in a minute.
 
So, net-net, I like the deal although I'm not completely sold that he couldn't have done better if staying under near the salary cap and avoiding paying significant luxury tax wasn't such a big priority.  Let's be clear on this deal.  The Wizards got two veteran players that can help but just as important for them, they got rid of some dead weight contracts and saved roughly 3 million dollars on this years' cap and potentially more in 2010 because Songalia had a player option for 4.8 million in 2010.  I personally think they'll miss Songalia much more than Thomas or Pecherov but the savings with him are significant.
 
This was as much about ecoonomics than anything else.  Miller can shoot it and will benefit from playing with a healthy Gilbert.  He's also an unrestricted free agent after next year clearing more cap room.  Foye will give them some insurance they didn't have last year at point guard.  He can also play with Gilbert in the backcourt.  He's better than Javaris Crittenton right now and he's a restricted free agent after next year meaning the Wizards will have cash saving opportunities with him too if they want.
 
A couple of other points.  
 
One---Ernie wasn't overly thrilled with anything they were going to get at #5...I know for near fact that the only two players Ernie really liked and thought were legit top 5 picks were Griffin and Rubio.  He must have thought there was no chance Rubio was going to slip to #5.
 
Two--I don't think they're done yet.  They have no depth up front unless they're sold on McGee.  McGuire and Blatche in addition to McGee are the only real front court players off the bench.  They have 7 guards on their roster if you count Miller as a 2-guard and just 5 front court players.  I think there's more to come.  I wish they could've grabbed Minnesota's 18th pick in the deal but the T-Wolves reportedly wouldn't give it up.  The Wizards have the 32nd pick overall....they still have Mike James and DeShawn Stevenson who are costly and could be moved if someone's willing to take them....maybe they can package one of those two with the 2nd round pick to move up a bit and get a Taj Gibson out of USC or even a DeJuan Blair out of Pitt.  If they stay where they are at 32, they could still add a big like Heytvelt out of Gonzaga or a tough guy like Jeff Adrian out of UConn.  I would not be surprised if Ernie has more up his sleeve...he needs more front court depth with Thomas and Songalia now gone.
 
Three---Even though this deal involved some money-saving motivation, don't be mad at Abe Pollin.  It's a tough economy and remember, he spent $160 million on two players last year.
 
Four----Will Miller or Foye start...Miller's got a shot depending on what they do with Stevenson and remember, Stevenson is coming off back surgery so that could be an issue.  
 
Lastly---Trust in Ernie's decision-making.  The last 5 years have been a lot better than the 20 that preceeded them.

Last NBA Thoughts of the Year

Jun 16, 2009 -- 10:33am

1.  Kobe Bryant said that he's relieved that the "criticism" of the win one without Shaq discussion can now end.   I think "criticism" is the wrong way to describe it.  Nobody ever said Kobe stinks because he hasn't won a ring without Shaq....the conversation was about his legacy and whether or not he would end up in the discussion with the likes of Jordan and Magic as the best player ever.

2.  Phil Jackson has won 10 championships in the last 17 seasons he's coached.  Let that sink in for a moment and then realize that yes, he's had great players and yes, he's a great coach.

3.  Even though Orlando lost this series 4-1....they were inches away from a lengthy series they could have won.  Courtney Lee's Game 2 miss at the end of regulation...all the missed free throws and the poor decision not to foul Dereck Fisher in Game 4 cost the Magic two games in this series.  With that said, the Lakers were the better team with the best player by miles.

4.  The Lakers better re-sign both Ariza and Odom....both were critical to the Lakers' title.

5.  With the recent rumors of Shaq to the Cavs I started thinking about whether or not that would help or hurt.  LeBron doesn't need a big that can't score....he needs a bigger guy who can score.  One more scorer at preferably the 3 or 4 spot would make the difference for the Cavs.  In fact, as bad as his defense is, Antawn Jamison would've made the difference for the Cavs in their series with Orlando.  How 'bout shipping 'Twan and his big contract to Cleveland.

6.  With the draft nine days away and several draft boards now projecting the Wizards taking Arizona State's James Harden I want to go on record by saying I think that would be a huge mistake.  He was ineffective in the NCAA Tournament and looked average against Syracuse in their second round loss.  I watched him at least 10 times this year and was never overly impressed with his NBA potential.  He's slow and will really struggle on the defensive end.  I like three guys at #5 even though it may be too early for two of them.  I love Wake's James Johnson, Duke's Gerald Henderson, and Davidson's Steph Curry.  Curry may be a few years away from being strong enough to defend at the NBA level but his quick release on his jumper will make him a scorer immediately if the team he goes to needs it.


Strasburg....How Much Do We Care?

Jun 09, 2009 -- 6:20pm
Does anyone really think that if the Nats don't sign Steven Strasburg that fans will go nuts with anger?  I'll answer that in a moment. 
 
On Sunday, I went to the Nats game at the stadium.  It was a beautiful day, the Mets were in town...why not I thought.  The city built a very nice park.  It's easy to get to, it's nice to look at, I personally wish the stadium had been built in a location where you could see city landmarks like the capital or the Washington Monument....something that says you're in Washington at a baseball game...but Mayor Williams and the council went for the Southeast waterfront deal where retail and residential development will one day make the stadium area a destination not only on game days, but on non-game days.  Develeopment with the economy being where it is has been slow...very slow...but if you walk around that area...you see the potential..and one day it might be what Chinatown is now thanks to the Verizon Center....
 
The stadium has nice food options and great customer service this year.  There are diversions from the game itself all over the joint.  Playstation areas, mini kid parks, picnic tables, etc.    Stan Kasten's marketing and customer service finger prints are all over the place.  It's a nice place to go 2-3 times a year and hang out with friends or family or both.....a nice social outing...the final score doesn't really matter....just a nice day or night at the park regardless of what's happening on the field.
 
The final score isn't going to matter until baseball is in our blood and in our hearts.  Bob Short moved the Senators out of DC in 1971 and left several generations without baseball.  The Redskins started winning the year the Senators left and for 22 years, won and won and won some more.  They captured the hearts of we Washingtonians and no baseball was a non-issue.  Most of the people in our city who love baseball aren't from here. The Nationals, like the Capitals and pretty much any other team in town not named the redskins need to win.  The Nats actually have to win and win big for people to care in my opinion.  An average of 22,000 people are coming out to see the Nats play in the 2nd year of a new stadium.  That's not just disappointing, it's pathetic.  12,000 households watch the games on average....that's the worst ever in the history of modern era baseball. Few people care.
 
I read multiple times over the last few days that the drafting and signing of Steven Stasberg is essential.....that the Nats will face considerable pressure from fans if the don't....that the fans are going to storm the gates with anger if they don't.  No they're not.  If the Nats don't sign Strasburg, there will be some anger from a few for a brief period of time but the numbers of people that are really passionate about this team are so low that organizing a storming of the gates would fizzle out. Winning big and when I say winning big, I'm talking a game out of the NL EAST lead with a month to go would start to get our attention.  An NL EAST pennant or NL wildcard berth would grab it.  That's what this team has to do.  How they go about winning will be ignored by the masses.  Once they win however, once they're playing a postseason game, then and only then will we go to the games and worry less about the food options or the presidents race and more about whether or not the skipper has plattoned properly in right field.  I know there are some hard cores out there that are shaking their head saying...your not talking about me.  But for most of you, you don't have the time nor the patience to committ to anything but a few social outings at the stadium a year until they win.
 
Bob Short, as mentioned, left multiple generations without a baseball team.  There was anger at the beginning, that anger faded into apathy.  We're an apathetic baseball city.  Most of us just couldn't care less.  The truth is, if Montreal hadn't moved hear 5 years ago, few would've lost sleep.  We're not ready for baseball yet because it's not part of our heritage or culture.  If it is it's because you're from somewhere else and you already have a favorite team. 
 
Today's draft is a big deal for the Nats because they (Kasten and the Lerners) recognize that without a winner they're going to have to work real hard to make this franchise viable.  And for those of us hoping that they do the right things to build a winner...we'll pay attention and hope for the best.  But for most, Steven Strasburg could be Steven Spielberg and they wouldn't know the difference.  They don't have any clue who he is and won't really care until he's pitching in game one of an NLDS.

Lunch With A Legend---Coach Thompson

Jun 06, 2009 -- 12:06am

If you missed the Locker Room today, a link to the show follows this blog entry. We did a “Lunch with Legend” show honoring Coach John Thompson.   Listening to Coach Thompson tell stories today was a pleasure.  I think it's worth a listen if you missed it.  

For starters, listening to him talk about the experiences he encountered as a young person was emotional even for the hardest of hearts.  He talked about his parents giving him the most important gift any parent can give--love and lots of it.  It's clear that the love and encouragement he got as a child built an abundance of self-esteem and confidence.  Certainly there is an innate competitive spirit that can’t be taught necessarily by parents, but he was conditioned to believe in himself. That confidence along with high intellect and his competitive will was the foundation of a winner.  It didn’t have to be basketball; it could’ve been anything else he chose. 

Secondly, he talked about being stung by racism on so many occasions. The stories he told were so vivid in his memory.  If you didn’t have a lump in your throat as he told them then your human empathy tank is empty.  He only told a few. I’m sure there were many more he didn’t share.  He told a story about being denied access to a playground because he was black. Chevy Chase Playground on Western Avenue in Upper Northwest was a block from the house my father lived in.  As a kid, I heard stories of the great basketball games and the great players that played at Chevy Chase Playground.  I didn’t hear much about those that weren’t allowed to play. If I were to ask now, the answer would likely be---“Well, it was just a different time.”  For people like Coach Thompson who felt the sting of racism, the scars run deep. For those who were white and knew right from wrong and didn’t stand up and say it, the guilt may not run as deep as the scars, but it’s there and it’ll never go away.  

What a great storyteller he is. He told a story about the first time he saw Patrick Ewing play that made the hair stand up on my neck. His relationships with Red Auerbach and Dean Smith are very much worth a listen. One of my favorite moments was Coach Thompson talking about his relationship with Lefty Driesell. For those that are from DC and are 40 or older, the perceived rivalry between Lefty and Coach Thompson during the 70’s and 80’s is legendary. Additionally, the story Coach told about his meeting with drug kingpin Rayful Edmond was riveting. 
 
I enjoyed and appreciated the time spent with Coach Thompson today. He didn’t want us to refer to him as a legend but he most certainly is.
 

Orlando '95 or '09

Jun 05, 2009 -- 9:03am

Orlando has made two trips to the NBA Finals.  The first came in 1995 with a young Shaquille O'Neil...the Magic were swept by Houston.  This year's team is in the finals as well, they are already down 1-zip to the Lakers.  Which Orlando team would you rate as better?  In my opinion, the '95 team with Shaq was better.  For starters, young Shaq was better than young Dwight Howard.  No slight to Howard, Shaq was much more developed as an offensive player.  He led the league in scoring that year.  The '95 team had an all-star point guard in Penny Hardaway...an athletic small forward in Nick Anderson who if you remember, choked away game one with 4 missed free throws down the stretch...and they had one of the best defenders in the league in Horace Grant.  The '09 team has more scoring options than the '95 team, it may have better depth, but the combo of Shaq and Penny is the difference.


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