ESPN - West Virginia University says men's basketball coach Bob Huggins has been released from a Las Vegas hospital.
The university says Huggins was released Wednesday. He had been hospitalized since breaking seven ribs in a fall in his hotel room on Friday while in Nevada on a recruiting trip.
Although it was never disclosed, I'm led to believe Deshaun Butler arrived on the scene during the incident, aiding Huggins much like he had for Butler earlier this year in the NCAA Tournament (as seen below - Fast forward to 1:09).
The coach left no comment on Butler's assistance, but I think it's quite obvious the exchange was emotional and creepily sexual.
In the 2010 Border Battle between Canada and America!, North America saw firsthand how the winning team can lose a game. No, I'm not talking about the scenario where said "underdog" plays valiantly in an oh-so-close losing effort where in spirit they feel like they won. Or a situation where a team loses on a last second, game-deciding blown call where they can walk away from the court or field saying, "We won that game and everybody knows it". Nope, I'm talking about scoring more runs than the other team, and still walking away without the "W".
Old-man softball is the majors of sport for middle-aged men. Golf is a sport men can find their prime at a later age, but it doesn't offer the competitive gusto softball can for these guys. Old-man softball, beer-league softball, whatever you wanna call it, is where it's at. It's a great game. A game I hope to be apart of at some point down the line. Hopefully way, way down the line. After I'm discovered by the Miami Heat, and fulfill my sport prophecy for the "Greatest Show on hardwood" (other than a young Pamela Anderson).
[I'd really help the cap situation Riley. Seriously, Dwyane Wade makes my yearly salary in a minute and 10 seconds. A minute and 10 seconds! I'll take $95 a game. That's a raise for me. Wade makes that in under a minute and a half. We can make this work. I'll stand in the corner. I'll hack-a-Dwight Howard. This can work! But, alas.]
As I was saying, the 2010 Border Battle was such a fun game to watch, until it didn't make sense anymore.
Canada took an 11-0 lead in the first inning, before a leaping catch at the wall ended their rally, or standard men's softball inning. I don't know how long it took Team USA to battle back, but they battled back. In 6 & 1/2 innings of softball, Canada found themselves clinging to a 30-29 lead with runners on first and third, nobody out, for Team USA. In a 30-29 game you're starting to think this is an impossible jam for a pitcher wearing a ridiculous mask tossing up slow-floaters down the heart of the plate to work his way out of. Until the rulebook drops this piece of knowledge on you. "Hey Team USA, you've reached your limit for home-runs this game (10 - which includes the mammoth 400+ foot bomb over the scoreboard Rusty Bumgardner, a.k.a one of the scariest men alive, hit in the 2nd), and from now on, every home-run you hit is an out". I'm sorry, what? A walk-off home-run in a game that's featured 59 back-and-forth runs is an out now? Who made this rule book, the ref from the U.S.A-Slovenia World Cup game? Why does everyone hate America? We get it. Stop screwing us over in sports!
So upon hearing this, the group of meatheads, juicers, Americans conjured up a winning strategy. They were gonna go down swinging for the fences. And no rule was going to stop them. Ya know why? Cause chicks dig the long ball. Don't believe me? Ask Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. The first dude literally tries to hit a home run. The second guy, Scott Brown, must be the second strongest man alive (behind Bumgardner), because it looks like he made the effort to hit a looper into center, and still drilled it out over the centerfield wall. With two outs and runners still on first and third, Ryan Robinson shows just how difficult it is to try not to hit a home-run in men's softball, as he weakly grounds out to the pitcher.
So there ya have it. Team USA rallies for two game-losing, walk-off three-run homer outs in the bottom of the last inning to fall to Team Canada 30-29 in one of the most mind-boggling losses of all-time.
This is why we don't let a bunch of drunken, middle-aged men make the rules to a sport.
The most anticipated show this summer won't be the season premiere of Ochocinco: The Perfect Catch or the season finale of The Bachelorette. It won't even be the season finale of Entourage. This summer's biggest prime time hit was "The Decision", starring Lebron James, Jim Gray and a backdrop of kids from the Boys and Girls Club of America. The one-hour special raked in more viewers than the MLB All-Star game.
I spent days anticipating this one-hour special. I dissected Lebron's ensuing decision with coworkers, anxiously followed Chris Broussard's ESPN updates, and sifted through articles daily, breaking down the reason Lebron would go here or there. Everyday I felt Lebron was going somewhere else. When I wrote this article, it was Cleveland. Days later, it was Chicago. Then, for one sweet, splendid day, I thought the Knicks had him. We got Amar'e. The Bulls didn't have Boozer. I didn't think he wanted to share the spotlight with Wade. And there was no sense in going to Cleveland with little hope to win a championship. Oh, and for the sake of respecting Nets fans, I had a feeling he wasn't going there either. That day was a Tuesday.
Then Wednesday happened.
In a last ditch effort to sway James, or so I thought, Wade and Bosh declared they would be signing with Miami and Carlos Boozer agreed to sign with the Bulls. When Wade and Bosh signed with Miami I convinced myself the Knicks were still the favorite. Lebron didn't want to share the spotlight, right? What basketball prodigy would? Certainly not Jordan. The Bulls had a solid core with Rose, Noah and Deng. But there was greater upside with New York in the long run. James could be the hero of the biggest city in America.
When Boozer signed with the Bulls later that night, all my hopes washed away. I had completely taken him out of the picture. If it wasn't Cleveland, the Bulls were the hot ticket.
But as I brushed my teeth that night, mulling over the next day's decision, it sort of hit me. Lebron was going to sign with the Heat. In a weird way, it just kind of made sense to me. Suddenly, the nationwide tour of interviews felt more like an attempt to throw us off the scent of the mystery we spent much of the summer trying to solve - Where Lebron would go? I finished brushing my teeth, walked into the next room, and told my two friends. Mike D'Antoni got the same feeling the night before. Maybe all Knicks' fans did.
As I analyze the decision, it's hard to fathom why Lebron would cop out like this. I guess he didn't even want the game to be a contest anymore. He was getting that title, even if he had to back-stab a city that stood behind him for 25 years to do so. Even if he had to ask for help to do so.
Thursday, July 8, 2010:
I woke up at 6am, living the life, ready to get my 8:30-5:30pm grind on. I went through my normal morning ritual - take the bed sheets off the futon I'm crashing on, put away the extra mattress, turn the futon into a couch, make a bowl of cereal, turn on ESPN - when right before my eyes I see: Breaking News: Sources say Lebron James is expected to sign with the Heat. I didn't curse (my roommate did). Instead, I sat there feeling much like I had the last ten years as a Knicks fan - not surprised, disappointed, pissed and heartbroken all at the same time.
When "The Decision" rolled around I kept an ounce of false hope for the Knicks, but I knew an ultimately grim decision was only a moment away. Which turned out to be 26 minutes. The 9pm special that advertised a decision within the first ten minutes, didn't even feature Lebron until 20 minutes in. It was the most drawn out hour of television I have ever seen. No one sums it up better than Steve Carell and Paul Rudd right here:
"I'm gonna take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat" sealed the deal. They were the words I never wanted to the hear, but the words I couldn't help but feel were coming all along. For one day there was hope Lebron would be a Knick, but the next 5 years will show otherwise.
So here are my feelings on the decision.
1) You can't fault Lebron for choosing to leave Cleveland - He gave it all he had...kinda, sorta. Could he have eventually won in that city? Yes. Would it have been more gratifying? Yes. Could it have taken a long time or possibly never happened? Yes. The businessman in James saw an opportunity. No one ever imagined two superstars and an ideal #2 could all sign on the same team in the same free agency period. The formula: Right Click on your roster. Scroll up to Delete. Click the Mouse. The Heat had four players when they signed Lebron. And they had to trade Michael Beasley away for a draft pick when they added Lebron the next day. They still had four players. And ya know what? It just might work. James saw the opportunity to win not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7 titles, as he put it, and he took it. Will they win 7? Maybe. Is there a whole lot of pressure on them to do so? Yes. Could Lebron's decision bring titles and a lot of money towards him and his good friends? Most likely. Okay, I get it Lebron. But...
2) You can fault Lebron for the way he chose to leave Cleveland. A one-hour special titled, "The Decision". How are you gonna do that and not pick Cleveland? How are you gonna stab an entire city of people that adore you in the back on national television? How? That's just too cruel.
3) Lebron's decision can go one of two ways: 1) Swimmingly, and as expected or 2) Painfully and in-reputably. Okay I made up that last word, but I was looking for a word that says this decision could severely damage his reputation and legacy as a basketball player. Looking at the first direction, there's a very good chance Lebron will look back on the next five years and say, "Hey, that was a lot of fun. These four rings look awfully nice on my hand. Extension? I think so". But there's also the looming possibility that Lebron's decision could backfire on him. I don't expect Dan Gilbert's ambitious prediction that the Cavs will bring home a title before the Heat to come to fruition (that's the absolute backfire), but I can see next June's headlines now: "Bulls show James why he should've picked Chicago", "Undersized Cavs no match for Howard and Magic", "Celtics still have Lebron's number", "Lebron brings more firepower, but still no match for Kobe" "Gilbert talked the talk, and now he's (in all CAPS) WALKING THE WALK!". Just kidding about that last one, but you can catch my drift. The Heat are not infallible. Until recently, they still had four players. And very little money to work with (Imagine if the salary cap wasn't $2 million higher than anticipated?)
That's how I feel about "The Decision". Others, like Dan LeBatard, feel this way:
(Fast Forward to 1:01)
Dan LeBatard may be a crazy man, but his obnoxious, somewhat vulgar comments are both hilarious and true in this video. His sports knowledge and etiquette aren't anything to write home about, but as he's shown on PTI and in this video, he's very good at yelling random thoughts.
Allow me to make a few comments on this rejoice-ment.
1) "Run the point night! One lucky fan gets to run the point...every night for the Heat!" The Heat might actually have to consider this. They have four players and they're barely under the cap. How comical/entertaining would it be if the Heat actually did this? If there's any team that could get away with trying that, it would be this team. Lebron treated every warm-up session as a joke; a stage to please and delight crowds; a chance to be a true showman. Why not carry that over to the actual game itself? Then maybe in the playoffs, when they're still potentially the 1-seed, they can sign a veteran PG or something. Maybe the Heat could take a page out of Jackie Moon's book and perform halftime shows as well. What do they need to do in the locker room anyway? Coach X (does anyone even know who the coach of the Heat is? Anybody? He's making a run at Phil Jackson's title record with Miami Thrice and nobody knows. Come on people!). Well anyway, Coach X probably wouldn't have much to say other than: "Okay guys, let's try to work the ball to Lebron, Dwyane & maybe Chris a little bit more. And, uh, run the point for a night fan guy, why don't you just stand in the corner." A halftime show would really do more for the overall game experience. Lebron does care more about putting on a show than winning. We already established that, right? Why else would he quit on Cleveland in the playoffs, then organize a one hour special to announce something that takes 10 seconds, even though it was an astronomical insult and back-stab to the people that adore him?
2) "He's the best player in the world. But he might not be the best player on this team!" I think this team actually does more for Bosh and Wade than it does Lebron. First of all, Bosh was the star of Toronto. Not much to say for that. He wasn't good enough to be a team's #1 guy. Now he thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, and he's ready to ride Wade and James to a couple titles. Did anyone enjoy this free agency more than Bosh? I thought it was impossible for anyone to enjoy this free agency more than Lebron, but Bosh proved me wrong. Then there's Wade. This is his team. He's already won a title. He's got nothing to prove. He dominated the Olympics off the bench. If I were building a team around someone, I might pick him over Lebron. I know, I'm crazy. But think about it. He does everything. He's unselfish, clutch, plays harder than anyone in the league, he's smart, and he can shoot, pass, drive and defend. I hope Lebron is ready to share the spotlight. Cause Wade has a pretty big spotlight.
3) "New York, welcome to another decade of irrelevance." F---.
4) "Cleveland's owner is a crazy person!" That speaks for itself.
5) "Our [Miami's] half-full sports bar exploded in joy! / Did you see the way it erupted?! Seven people wearing Heat jerseys!" Welcome to the basketball city of America Lebron! Oh no wait. You didn't pick New York, Boston, LA or Chicago. Seven Heat jerseys! Seven! In a half-full sports bar! You picked the city that cares the least! At least the Gulf coast isn't flooded more and more each day with oil!
6) "Chris Bosh, you're the third best player on this team!" Don't forget that Chris! The more you think and act like you're a superstar, the more I start to hate you. To quote Bill Simmons: "He's never played in a Sweet 16, a Game 7 or even round 2 of the NBA playoffs".
Is LeBatard right, though? Do we have a dynasty in the making? The answer: maybe. It all depends. Can these three guys win with nine minimum salary guys? No. The Big 3 in Boston needed Rondo, Perkins, Poe, Posey and House. Jordan, Pippen and Rodman needed Kukoc, Kerr, Harper and Paxson. Every championship team needs key role players that step up when it matters. If Fisher didn't save Bryant this year, the Celtics take home that title. If "Big Shot" Bob Horry didn't hit his fair share of big shots, the Lakers and Spurs don't win those titles. The Heat need quality veterans to take a pay cut in order for them to win the title. And it looks like they might do just that. Udonis Haslem stuck around, and remained loyal to the organization. Mike Miller recently signed. Derek Fisher thought about doing the same. And why wouldn't they? If they don't, they may have to wait five years to win a title, because others took the cut and made the Heat unbeatable. Where is the fun in losing for five years? With Miller, the Heat filled a shooting void. James and Wade are streaky, but the truth is, their outside game is hardly anything to brag about. They need a Kerr, Horry, Hornacek, Elliot, Posey-type figure to knock down open shots. Lebron didn't have that in Cleveland. In the playoffs, Williams and West disappeared. They knocked down open looks in the regular season, but didn't have the guts to knock them down in the playoffs. We'll see if Mike Miller does. Now the Heat need a big man. Bosh is no match for Howard. He's a power forward. They need a center. I thought Shaq was a horrible fit for Cleveland coming in, and he was. But he might work nicely in Miami. Just a thought. Only time will tell if the Heat can get the necessary components to accompany the Big Three en route to a title.
My only hope is that the Knicks continue to build the team that can challenge the Heat. Amar'e was a step in the right direction. I love the acquisition of Felton. I only hope Carmelo can turn down the lucrative deal Denver offers him to stay, and that he'll return to his place of birth as a Knick next season. A sign-and-trade for Chris Paul would be immaculate as well, now that New York has someone to offer in Felton. Rumor has it, Paul said he wanted to assemble his own team with Melo and Amar'e in New York. The thoughts of a renewed Eastern Conference rivalry between the Heat and the Knicks give me the chills. It would be like my childhood as a Knicks fan all over again. Can you imagine Conference Final battles between the Heat and Knicks and the Lakers and Thunder each year? That's exciting basketball. I want that feeling.
But once again, as a Knicks fan, I'm only left with hope.
The big moment is almost upon us. In less than 24 hours, Lebron's' secret will be out. Cleveland, Chicago, Miami or New York. Take your pick. At this point, it's almost impossible to tell where LBJ will go. But it's easy to guess where 90% of the American male population will be at 9:00pm eastern tomorrow night - glued to a television set, waiting to here the decision that will change the NBA for years to come.
As I've made it apparently obvious over the tenure of this blog, I'm a Knicks fan - as painful as it is to say at times. But this afternoon I felt a sensation of hope. I wanted Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to sign with Chicago. They didn't. If they had signed with Chicago, the quest for Lebron would've been a two-team race between the Knicks and the Cavs. I think he would've had to make the move to New York. The Cavs already couldn't get past the Celtics and the Magic, and if Chicago had Wade and Bosh, there was no chance Lebron would see a championship anytime soon. When Wade and Bosh signed with Miami, I convinced myself this was still a good thing for the Knicks. Sure the Bulls' roster was a little bit better than the Knicks current roster, but I didn't think it would be championship caliber with Lebron. His best bet would have seemingly been to go to New York, get the ball rolling the right way, and wait for a combination of Anthony, Paul and Parker that would restore basketball in New York and start a new dynasty in the NBA.
Then the Bulls signed Carlos Boozer. For some reason I completely forgot about Boozer, even though I correctly predicted six days ago that the Bulls would sign him. Now it appears the tables have turned. Right now, the chic pick would be for James to go the Bulls. Noah, Boozer, Deng, Rose, and James sounds scary good. In fact, it sounds better than James, Wade and Bosh in my opinion. It's a lot better than Lee, Stoudemire, Gallinari, James and Walker (Bill, since you've probably never heard of him) or Rodriguez (Sergio, same reasoning).
Or there's Miami. Today the ESPN BottomLine read, "Miami's roster: Mario Chalmers (PG), Michael Beasley (PF)". That's literally their entire roster. We know they'll at least have four players going into next season. If they sign Lebron (losing Beasley in the process), the four-man Heat would look poised for a title - Bosh, Wade, Chalmers & James. Seriously, they'd be poised for a title with a four-man roster. Throw in 8 league-minimum guys and they can only get better...I think. They'd be better with 8 of the worst players in the NBA right?? They'd be able to play at full strength. It makes sense. Right???
Then there's Cleveland. Where Lebron's loyalty has lied for the last 25 years. He set out to be the hometown hero from the start, but the pieces around him always held him back. He looked distant in the playoffs this season, and it almost seemed like he had already left. But the Cavs fired their GM, hired a coach to Lebron's liking, and are begging him to stay.
I could see Lebron going either way. Nothing would surprise me. Actually, correction, him going to the Knicks would surprise me. Because that would just be too perfect.
What do the Knicks have to offer? The biggest market in sport. A concrete jungle where dreams are made of. The Yankees, his favorite team. Jay-Z, his celebrity man-crush. A bright future with Stoudemire. Hopefully a strong combination of Anthony, Paul or Parker in 2011. Titles. And a fan base that's ready to jump on the bandwagon again.
Lebron. Boozer is aging, the critics will always say Jordan only needed Pippen (not Wade and Bosh), the Cavs won't bring you the titles you're playing for, and the Nets are playing in Newark for the next two years. And I've been to their games. Not a great atmosphere.
Come to New York. It's worth it.
So here are my plans for tomorrow:
1) Intern
2) Try to join the Boys & Girls Club of America in Norwich, CT so I can attend Lebron's "The Decision" conference
3) Buy a 12-pack
4) Cook my specialty - BBQ Chicken
5) Celebrate Lebron's decision to come to New York or drink my sorrow's away when he picks Cleveland, Chicago or Miami
But hey, if he doesn't pick New York, we should be okay.
Two years ago, Lebron James told me and the rest of the world to get excited for July 1, 2010. He said it was going to be a big day. He lied. Unless of course Darko Milicic signing with Timberwolves, Drew Gooden signing with...(umm, line?)...the Bucks (wow, that took way to long to find the answer to that), and Rudy Gay signing with the Grizzlies is exciting to you. For me, that doesn't quite do it. As the clock winds down today, it looks like we're going to have to embark on the NBA's mini-version of the "What will Brett Favre decide?" game. I'm gonna call it, get this, the "What will the top NBA free agents decide game?".
What? Everybody else gets to do it.
I'm gonna put Lebron James last in a poor effort to keep you all reading until the end. So, here goes:
It would be much easier to pick like this. In fact I have a better chance of being right if I do, but I'll give my own knowledge a chance this time around.
13. Drew Gooden - Milwaukee Bucks
12. Darko Milicic - Minnesota Timberwolves
11. Rudy Gay - Memphis Grizzlies
3-for-3 and I'm just getting started.
10. David Lee - New York Knicks
There's only one reason this would happen. The Knicks failed to acquire Lebron James or any power forward. So I've already partially spoiled my choice for Lebron.
9. Ray Allen - Boston Celtics
With Doc coming back, expect Pierce to do the same, and for that matter, Ray Allen as well. He could be a lethal third addition for any of the teams shopping around, but I think the Celtics might still believe they have one more run left in them.
8. Paul Pierce - Boston Celtics
With the right combination of slacking in the regular season, saving their legs for the postseason, and not getting injured in either season, the Celtics could still have one last hurrah. Probably not, but it might be worth Pierce sticking around and retiring a Celtic, like every person expected was a lock until yesterday.
7. Carlos Boozer - Chicago Bulls
You Booze, you lose. Not only is that not applicable here, but its not actually a real saying. Expect Chicago to B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Booze) to 82 games next season. Yes, that means no Chris Bosh. And yes that means no championship. Maybe.
6. Amare Stoudemire - Miami Heat
J.A. Adande told me (in a column he wrote for everyone in the world with internet to read) that Stoudemire wants to go to Miami or Phoenix. For him to go to Miami, Bosh would have to commit elsewhere, or Bosh, Wade and Stoudemire would all have to take paycuts and assemble a super-team.
5. Joe Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
From what I heard, it's almost a done deal. Even he knows its not worth going to the Knicks for a max deal. Maybe this move will save the Knicks from doing something irrational and bring Carmelo and Chris Paul to New York next season.
4. Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks
Dirk knows Dallas. Nothing else.
3. Chris Bosh - Miami Heat
Bosh is the man in the position of power right now. He ultimately holds the fate of the next Eastern Conference champion if he wants. Him and Lebron would be some tandem. But I think even Bosh is leaning towards playing with Wade.
2. Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat
Wade made it pretty clear he wants to stay in Miami. I think he's playing free agency smarter than anyone else. He's recruiting for the Heat, understands Lebron wants to do his own thing, and sees a golden opportunity to maintain his loyalty to a city he loves and potentially bring the championship back to Miami. I'll explain in a few.
So where will this man go?
1. Lebron James -
Boringgggggggg. Lebron stays. Yesterday, if I had written this post, I would've said Chicago. But now, I feel like all signs point to Cleveland. But why?
1. Loyalty - If there's one thing Lebron has demonstrated throughout his career, its loyalty to his hometown. He wants to bring a championship there. He can take a jet to any major market. If no one has notice, Lebron is his own major market. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Miami are aware of the Lebron phenomenon.
2. Respect - I think he respects what Jordan did in Chicago too much. I don't think he wants to live in Jordan's shadow throughout his career. Granted the Lakers had Chamberlain before Kareem, Kareem before Magic, and Magic before Kobe, and it is a big deal to carry on others legacy, I think Lebron believes Jordan's legacy is cemented in Chicago. There will never be another Jordan. No one will ever claim Jordan's city. Lebron wants his own city.
3. Coaching - Lebron got the coach he wanted: Byron Scott. He has the mix of everything Lebron is looking for in a coach. And oh yeah, he's not Mike Brown.
4. The Environment - Why would Lebron want to come to Miami if Miami beach will be covered in oil sometime in the near future? It just doesn't seem plausible.
So what does this mean?
1) Lebron's basing his decision on the fact he thinks a coach is the Final piece to the championship puzzle. The problem: The players make the team. Phil needed MJ and Scottie, Kobe and Shaq, and Kobe and Gasol. Popovich needed Robinson and Duncan, Parker, Ginobli and Duncan. Reilly needed Wade and Shaq. You get the idea. Yes, Mike Brown was a pretty bad coach, but they won 60 games with him two years in a row. My point exactly. It's not the coach that puts wins on the board. It's the players.
2) Lebron's team doesn't get much better, which means they probably can't win a title again. His supporting cast can't do it. He needs more.
3) Wade will likely have a better shot at the title. By choosing money and loyalty over the smart move, Lebron is costing himself championships, and the ultimate fame that comes along with them. Wade, Bosh and whomever else they get (Stoudemire or not) should walk away this summer with the best new team in the Eastern Conference. A team poised to take down Lebron's Cavs. Maybe not Kobe's Lakers. But definitely Lebron's Cavs. I know James wants to make this all a spectacle, but in doing so, I think he's missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to propel his fame to the ultimate level. James, Wade and Bosh is unbeatable. A paycut means nothing. With all the championships that would ensue, Lebron will make more money than he could ever dream of. But without going to Chicago or Miami, he won't get those championships.
And if he doesn't, maybe Lebron will never be more than an NBA All-Star with a few MVPs and scoring titles.
As he becomes a Witness to Wade and Bosh's success.
With the NFL season drawing to a close and only four teams remaining, 28 teams are facing decision time. Now is the time to shop for new pe...
Ladies & Gentlemen...
Your 2011-12 New York Giants!!
Melo celebrating the fact he has time to read Talbot Talks Sports as Gasol agonizes over the fact he lost his internet connection and has to wait to read Talbot Talks Sports.
