Tampa Bay Sports Blog

Orlando’s short-lived 2 game win streak came to an abrupt halt Monday night in Memphis while the Grizzlies continued on to their 11th straight home win.

The Iverson-less Grizzlies have turned into one of the bright spots in the NBA this season; a young team, with talent and a coach who isn’t afraid to stand his ground in Lionel Hollins, who won the battle and apparently the war with A.I.. Now the Grizzlies are much better for it. They are very similar to the Oklahoma Thunder who also sport a youthful, well coached cast of players led by Kevin Durant, who continues to improve and impress. How Kevin Pritchard still has a GM position in Portland after missing the boat on Durant, electing instead to draft Greg “Droppin Trou” Oden, boggles my mind?

Staying true to form, the Magic came out bombing from long range once again, putting up 35 three point field goals, seemingly oblivious to the fact “Superman” was being guarded by Marc Gasol(who looks more like Dan Aykroyd on the basketball court, than his brother Pau Gasol) and Zack Randolph, two of the worst athletes in the NBA. Dwight still managed to do his damage, collecting 27 points, 15 boards and 6 blocked shots, despite his teammates inability to feed him the rock. Unfortunately, for the Magic, the Grizzlies aren’t as hard headed or poorly coached, and know how to play to their strength; which is inside with Randolph and Gasol along with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo attacking from the perimeter. Notice I said “attacking”, because, as good a shooter as O.J. Mayo is, he still understands the need to keep the defense honest by driving the lane. Something the Orlando Magic backcourt and wing players refuse to do consistently.

Randolph and Gasol were huge for the Grizzlies, going for 23 points 19 rebounds and 19 points 8 boards respectively, exploiting the Magic’s frontline and exemplifying why both are garnering All-Star consideration. Rashard Lewis and Matt Barnes were simply no match for their Memphis counterparts, leaving Dwight Howard with the burden defensively and on the glass. Memo to Stan Van Gundy: Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat were both available and willing to work cheap for food!

Add Mike Conley (whose NBA career to this point is disappointing at best) to the growing list of opposing point guards having there way with Jameer Nelson. Conley was impressive as a floor general, and put up 14 points and 7 assists, both above his season averages. Jameer on the other hand, played 26 minutes and managed 1 assist while committing 6 turnovers. Not doing any wonders for his assist to turnover ratio there. To be fair, Neslon has shown glimpses of brilliance at times since his return, however, for the most part he is not getting the job done, especially on the defensive end where the Magic once ruled the realm.

The Memphis game would have been the ideal time to break out the Magics version of the “Twin Towers” with Howard and Gortat(as I have recently been calling for), to try and foil the Grizzlies up front. Instead, Stan” I’m so NOT the man” Van Gundy continues with his game plan: shoot a barrage of three pointers mixed in with a smattering of touches for Dwight Howard.

I know I was a bit harsh on Howard while he went through a tough spell, however, it appears more and more, that a lot of his struggles are a direct correlation to the Magic’s failure to as Keyshawn Johnson would say ;”Get Him The damn Ball”. Understanding how difficult it is to tinker with NBA rosters with the salary cap and teams unwillingness to take on contracts in a dismal economic climate, the Magic’s best option is to “cut off the head”. Sorry coach, but as in Miami, I believe you have worn out your welcome. Not a moment too soon if I might add. If your anything like me, you’d opt to have a root canal procedure  rather than listen to one of Stan’s post game pressers.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Dan Aykroyd, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Durant, Lionel Hollins, Marc Gasol, Marcin Gortat, Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, Rudy Gay, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, Zack Randolph

Would someone please call the ASPCA and send them to pick up the carcass resembling the remains of the once proud Orlando Magic that lay still on the Verizon Center court in Washington DC.

Last night’s performance by the Magic against the turmoil filled Washington Wizards was absolutely deplorable. Despite the Magics horrific shooting woes which continue to plague them, they managed to build a ten point lead in the fourth quarter, only to fall victim to a frenetic Wizard rally.

The Magic have now lost four straight games against sub .500 teams, three of which came on the road where Orlando has struggled mightily this season.

Before I begin to dissect the plight of the Orlando Magic following last nights debacle, I would like to clarify that I’m in excellent spirits. I would hate for my rant to be attributed to me possibly waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Which would have been impossible anyway since I slept on the good old couch last night (ah yes, one of the many fringe benefits of living with your girlfriend…lol).

It would be easy to point out once again, the Magics dependence on the 3 point shot (they were 7-27 or .259% for the game against the Wizards), lack of effort, poor execution and defensive intensity. However, I feel the problems go much deeper than that.

Yesterday, I questioned whether the team may be quitting on Coach Stan Van Gundy prematurely. However, after listening to Van Gundy’s post game presser last night, I too may be leaning towards severing ties. Van Gundy had the audacity to state that it was his responsibility to get the most out of his star players(which I can agree with), and that he simply does not know how to at this point. That is simply not the answer you give when your being paid to do a job at the NBA level.

Maybe Pat Riley knew something we are starting to find out about Stan “No Longer The Man” Van Gundy? Even Shaq questioned his mental fortitude and I am starting to agree. When things aren’t going well, Van Gundy always looks out of sorts, unable to maintain composure. How can you expect to lead a group of professional athletes, when you start whining and pouting like a fat kid who had his cake snatched out of his hands.

At least in Miami, Van Gundy had a proven leader and warrior in D Wade, not to mention a strong veteran presence in Shaq, to keep players in line and demand better effort on the court, which they exemplified through their own play.

Unfortunately, the Magic lack a veteran who can command that type of respect. Which leaves the coach to shoulder that burden. This is where I feel Van Gundy has failed, since the majority of his core players are all underachieving this season.

Vince Carter, who up until this point in his career, in best known for dunking over Frederick Weiss in the Olympics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PPhbHMaf7k) and for admitting he quit on the Toronto Raptors by not always competing hard. So I’m not surprised that Vince hasn’t warmed up to the coaching methods used by Van Gundy. This is no excuse for Carter’s recent struggles, however, it may be a part of the reason he is not excelling. If anything, it appears as if he has regressed since joining the Magic.

The Magics other floor general Jameer Nelson has continued to struggle since his return from knee surgery and I would actually prefer seeing him come off the bench for the time being. Let him regain his confidence playing against the oppositions second unit, rather than allow him to be abused further like he was by Derrick Rose earlier in the week in Chicago.

Now for my favorite target, Rashard ” Please Don’t Touch Me” Lewis, who is either the luckiest man on earth or has a world class publicist. How else can you explain a player making that much escarole flying under the radar and not being trashed for his severe lack of production. Lets be honest, aside from his three point shooting ability, there’s not much else to be enamored about with Rashard’s game.

With all that being said, the Magic are still one of the top 5 teams in the league and can definitely salvage this season. In order for that to happen, there will have to be some major changes made. Ever heard the phrase ” drastic times call for drastic measures”? Memo to Otis Smith: We are in Crisis Mode.

If anything can be learned from last nights collapse, it’s how to respond to adverse situations. Here are the Wizard’s faced with all kinds of on and off court distractions, yet, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler showed how consummate professionals are suppose to carry themselves. Hopefully, some of the Magic players took notice.

Technorati Tags: Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Frederick Weiss, Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Pat Riley, Rashard Lewis, Shaq, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, Washington Wizards

The NBA took a hard line approach to the Gilbert Arenas saga, which continues to get uglier each day as it continues to unfold, by suspending the former All-Star indefinitely.

In my humble opinion, this action is clearly the right call, and is actually overdue. If the NBA would have reacted more swiftly they could have avoided further damage to it’s already tarnished image. Instead, they allowed Aren-ASS to continue playing even after he admitted to bringing guns into the Wizard’s locker room. And what does Aren-ASS do? He continues to make light of a very serious situation via his Twitter account(which much like facebook and all other social networking sites is proving to be the demise of many) and had the audacity to point his index fingers as if they were guns while surrounded by his teammates in pre-game introductions in his last game against Philadelphia.

These antics most certainly drew the ire of NBA Commissioner David Stern, who ultimately handed down the suspension.

It’s poetic justice that the NBA  was seemingly punished as well for allowing Aren-ASS  to play and giving him the public forum to continue to act like the “Class Clown”. Can’t help but think of the old cliche “some people just never learn” after witnessing Aren-ASS’s cavalier attitude toward his indiscretion even after having talked to local and federal law enforcement.

The way this incident is handled by all parties involved has far reaching implications well beyond the NBA. As we witnessed with the Plaxico Burress fiasco, which lead to a two year prison stretch, athletes and everyone in society as a whole need to be held accountable for their actions. Otherwise, what kind of message are we sending to kids out there who watch these highly paid athletes and celebrities who continuously skirt the law and are allowed to walk away unscathed?

Throughout his entire career Aren-ASS has always been his own worse enemy and now he is paying a hefty price for his tomfoolery. It is going to cost Aren-ASS around $150,000 for each game he is suspended. Wouldn’t he have been better off just paying his original gambling debt in the first place? I can see it now; a league wide ban on card games during team flights.

I have a message for any other professional athletes out there who may own a firearm. GET RID OF IT NOW!

Athletes are paid quite handsomely for their talents and if needed can certainly afford to hire licensed security if they feel threatened.

In the last few years, there have been several tragedies in the sports world related to gun violence such as Steve McNair, Plaxico Burress, Richard Collier and Shawn Taylor just to name a few. In the NBA alone there were several mishaps involving illegal possession of a firearm. The list of culprits included Sebastian Telfair, Stephen Jackson, Delonte West and now Gilbert Aren-ASS for the second time has a gun related issue.

Let’s not forget former NBA standout Jayson Williams, recently in the news for a DUI, who shot and killed his limo driver while supposedly joking around showing off his shotgun, then attempted to cover up the whole incident.

What’s alarming is that most professional athletes come from disenfranchised neighborhoods where the evidence of gun violence is so prevalent. You would think they would be grateful to no  longer be subjected to that type of environment instead of trying to perpetuate the lifestyle so many can’t seem to leave behind. There is no excuse for bringing a gun to any workplace, much less an NBA locker room, where safety concerns are clearly not an issue.

If Aren-ASS lived in the real world he would be out of a job already and most likely charged with some sort of criminal conduct. Instead, his punishment was meted out by the NBA first, and he is still awaiting further possible action by law enforcement.

I’m shocked that the Washington Wizards didn’t take a stand initially, especially, since their recently deceased owner Abe Pollin was a staunch supporter of anti-gun legislation.

The simple fact is that most of these athletes that we watch and admire, are simply brazen enough to feel they are above the law and oblivious to public scrutiny. I hate to beat a dead horse by saying that this may somehow provide an impetus for people to change their behavior and learn from mistakes made by others.

Unfortunately, this will probably prove to be just another story to fuel the gossip columns until the next scandal breaks.So until then…… Stay Tuned!

Technorati Tags: Abe Pollin, David Stern, Delonte West, Gilbert Arenas, Gun Violence, Illegal Firearm, Law Enforcement, NBA, Sebastian Telfair, Shawn Taylor, Stephen Jackson, Steve McNair, Washington Wizards

Kudos to Coach Stan Van Gundy for making the prudent decision to insert Matt Barnes into the starting line-up replacing Mickael Pietrus.

The move gives the Magic a much more aggressive/active player to help combat their inability to start games with a high level of intensity. Barnes is a tireless worker on the glass and gets out and runs the floor hard on every play. Hopefully, this type of play can rub off on his fellow teammates.

Orlando has been plagued by slow starts at the beginning of games, to go along with their woeful low post scoring and extreme reliance on 3 point shots.

It’s unfortunate that the Magic needed to suffer a couple of losses to serve as the impetus for change. However, it is better late than never.

The move also illustrates Van Gundy’s commitment to winning and not just being satisfied with the status quo. The Magic have a tremendous wealth of talent and ultimately it is up to the coaching staff to utilize it most effectively.

I’m still waiting for Marcin Gortat to be given a permanent spot in the rotation and a larger role in the Magics offensive scheme. Dwight Howard has regressed severely and clearly cannot be counted on to shoulder the load up front.

Technorati Tags: Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy

After watching Vince “Cupcake” Carter hit the deck following a mild collision with  Ersan IIyasova, I immediately predicted Carter would be slow to get up, so he could milk the crowd for some attention.

It is a scene I became all to familiar with while watching him play in New Jersey for the Nets. The slightest chance of faking an injury would send Carter into full “Drama Queen” mode.

The replays of this play clearly showed there was no contact between Carter’s head and IIyasova’s shoulder, no matter how many times the Magic announcers tried to tell us otherwise.

Much to my chagrin, I was forced to listen to media outlets attributing Carter’s false bravado as the spark that helped lead the Magic to victory against the mediocre Milwaukee Bucks.

The Magic got off to a slow start, a consistent theme this season, then eventually found their shooting touch and ran the inferior Bucks out of the gym.

Once again, the Magic lacked  defensive intensity and relied on their depth and the three ball to carry them to the win. As I’ve said repeatedly, this formula will work against weaker opponents, however, it will continue to hinder the Magic against the leagues top teams. The Magic have feasted on the losing teams and benefited greatly from playing in the pathetic Eastern Conference, where two-thirds of the teams are sporting losing records.

If the Indianapolis Colts are actually right in their view that the ultimate goal should be winning a Championship. Then the Magic clearly have to make some adjustments and roster moves. Otherwise, we will be relegated to finding satisfaction in a bunch of meaningless wins and false hope.

Coach Van Gundy’s decision to replace Mickael Pietrus in the starting line-up with high energy reserve Matt Barnes could be a step in the right direction. I like Pietrus, however, he tends to settle for too many jump shots, mimicking Carter and Rashard Lewis on the offensive end.

Barnes could provide that necessary spark to help the Magic get out of the gate quicker.

Jammer Nelson continues to be MIA, and is simply not the same player he was prior to his shoulder injury. Coach Stan Van Gundy addressed the Jameer Nelson Dilemma after the Bucks game, saying ” we have to re-evaluate where we are at with Jameer”. Unfortunately, Jason Williams seems to be regressing as well since jameer’s return into the line-up. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Last year Rafer Alston helped lead the Magic into the Finals against the Lakers only to be foiled by Nelson’s selfish desire to play.

Dwight “The Coward” Howard came up small against the very talented and equally inconsistent Andrew Bogut, who baited Howard into  early foul trouble. Bogut and the rest of the Milwaukee front line did a good job limiting Howard’s effectiveness on the offensive end when he returned and even interrupted a few alley-oops intended for Howard.

In limited spot duty Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass continued to play well when given the opportunity. Which begs the question; When will Coach Van Gundy insert either of them in the  regular rotation?

Up next for the Magic are the Minnesota Timberwolves, another of the NBA’s cellar dwellers, who are proud owners of the second worst record in the association. I guess we should expect another repeat performance of the Magic taking advantage of a lesser opponent and eventually prevailing in the end.

It’s amazing, I find myself almost rooting for the Magic to lose, so just maybe the powers that be will somehow miraculously wake up and make some changes. Santa must have missed my house again, because I wanted a Point Guard and Power Forward for the Magic. Instead, I’m left with Jameer “The Steer” who continues to shoot blanks, and Rashard “Please Don’t Touch Me” Lewis who is deathly afraid of human contact.

Didn’t take long for me to break my New Years resolution to be more positive!

Technorati Tags: Andrew Bogut, Brandon Bass, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, jason williams, Marcin Gortat, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Rafer Alston, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy, Vince "Cupcake" Carter, Vince Carter

Dwight Howard had his Birthday wishes answered with a dominating performance coinciding with the Magics sixth straight victory and  eighth consecutive road win. Howard collected 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and a couple of posterizing dunks at the expense of Clipper starting center Chris Kaman.

Worthy of ‘its’ own stat line is the SEVEN blocked shots by the birthday boy himself, Dwight “sometimes Superman” Howard. Of course all coming with a smile on his face, which is just part of Howard’s nature I guess. Although, if I was capable of putting up those types of numbers, I might be smiling too!

The Magics balanced attack was on display once again, and is the reason I feel they will ultimately be representing the Eastern Conference once again in the NBA Finals.

Jason William’s had another strong performance with 16 points against the two headed monster of Baron Davis and Eric Gordon. Rashard Lewis also kicked in 17 points to help offset a quiet night from Vince Carter.

Last night’s contest is a perfect example of the type of game that a championship caliber team finds a way to win. Playing against a lesser team on the road in a desolate arena. Yet, the Magic found a way to get it done with an impressive fourth quarter surge. While on the same night, the Cavalier’s, who in my humble, are counterfeit contenders, showed their vulnerability once again with an embarrassing loss to the lowly Memphis Grizzlies. I think you get my drift.

Thursday will be a different animal all together as the Magic head north to face a much more formidable foe in the Utah Jazz. The Magic frontline will be put to the test with the physical play of  Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap. Coupled with the defensive prowess of Andrei Kirilenko and the adept shooting touch of Mehmet Okur. Definitely not a laughing matter, so I’m hoping Dwight Howard puts his LOL smiley face on hold and brings his never displayed before “Evil Grimace”.  Jason Williams will also have to bring his A game once again, going up against one of my favorite players in the league in Deron Williams. Another test for the Orlando Magic who are proving to be road warriors. Should be a fun game to watch and a good excuse to stay up late on a school night for all the young Magic fans out there.

Technorati Tags: Andrei Kirilenko, Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer, Cleveland Cavaliers, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Eric Gordon, jason williams, Los Angeles Clippers, Mehmet Okur, NBA Finals, Orlando Magic, Paul Millsap, Rashard Lewis, Utah Jazz, Vince Carter

As expected, the Magic took care of the hapless New York Knicks in convincing fashion. You could get the sense early on that this was going to be a good old fashion shellacking. The Magic came out with good energy, executed well and ultimately wore down a decimated Knicks line up. Depth was a big factor again for the Magic, with Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes picking up the slack on an off night for Vince Carter. Dwight Howard was his usual self, overpowering opponents and claiming his domain inside the painted area. While Rashard Lewis continues to be extremely effective with his long range accuracy since his return from suspension.

Watching this game and others around the association tonight made me seriously contemplate the state of the NBA. Six out of the ten games on the slate for tonight’s action were blow outs, with the Atlanta Hawks leading the way with an impressive 146-115 drubbing of the Toronto Raptors. As many teams, such as the Knicks, jockey for salary cap relief for the impending free agent class of 2010, we the fans, are left to watch a lackluster product to say the least. The Eastern Conference actually has 10 of it’s 15 teams sporting sub .500 records. With the inept New Jersey Nets off to an NBA Record worst start at 0-18. Jay Z will need to become one heck of a salesman to pursuade Bron Bron to join the pitiful Nets.

As a native New Yorker, it is hard to comprehend the current state of the New York Knicks. They do not have a single player on their roster who would even warrant any legitimate basketball fan purchasing a ticket to watch them go through the motions. Instead of instituting a meaningless dress code for the players, why doesn’t David Stern demand that franchises field competitive teams? I’m shocked some slick talking New York City Attorney hasn’t sued the New York Knick organization for performing fraudulent business practices. How can you charge people a premium ticket price for the mediocre talent they carelessly assembled? While pushing hope like some low life TV evangelist, that they somehow have a legitimate shot at acquiring Lebron James. Who mind you, has yet to win anything of significance, unless you count his High School Championships. Which I’m sure 90 percent of NBA Players can claim to have won as well.

Now let’s get back to the Magic, who are playing excellent basketball and staking their claim as the top team in the East. Already collecting wins on the road in Boston and Atlanta, two out of the three other serious title contenders in the conference. I can’t stress enough, the significance of the Magic’s ability to get contributions from different players on any given night. We’ve already witnessed the likes of Jason Williams, Mickael Pietrus and reserves Anthony Johnson, Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson provide much needed contributions on nights when the Magic needed a player to step up.

As good as things have gone over the last ten games or so, there’s still a lot to improve on. I’d still like to see Vince Carter, Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis play more aggressively and start to impose their dominance on opponents. Coaches are always instructing players to take what the defense gives them, however, players of their stature are game changers and need to be more assertive, especially when attacking the rim. Success in sports, such as it is in life, is due in large part to a certain mentality or mind set. And I still think the Magic lack a killer instinct that is going to be critical if they have championship aspirations.

Technorati Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Brandon Bass, David Stern, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Matt Barnes, NBA, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis, Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter

Unless, you happen to live under a rock or your  oblivious to tabloid gossip, then your probably aware of the daily drama related to Tiger Woods apparent infidelity. As much as it pains me to write about such a subject, which I believe has absolutely nothing to do with sports, or is any of our business. I feel some social responsibility to voice my frustrations via this great public forum.

First, let me clarify for the record, I’m completely against infidelity whether it’s in a marriage or even a serious relationship. Society has become far too lenient when it comes to adhering to any type of moral or ethical code. We simply make excuses for poor judgement and bad behavior then medicate the culprits accordingly. The person was depressed or unhappy, so they had a legitimate reason to cheat right? Wrong! My partner doesn’t love me anymore or doesn’t shower me with affection. How about communicating that to your significant other instead of looking for a temporary fix elsewhere?

If Tiger Woods did in fact stray from his wife, then he should own up to it, and take his medicine as a man. Which he has vaguely attempted to do with scripted statements posted on his official website. However, his apologies and sincere regrets should be expressed to his wife and not the entire world. Charles Barkley, one of my favorite sports figures, said it best; “Athletes are not role models”. Why should we hold athletes, most of which have been coddled their entire life, to a higher standard than a doctor or college professor for example?

Lost in all of the discussion is the accountability for the other individuals involved in these transgressions. Since when is it alright for a woman to sleep with a married man? Tiger Woods is the most recognizeable athlete in the world, and it is clearly evident he is married. Apparently, Tiger carried on an affair with a cocktail waitress/reality TV hacktress, who felt compelled to save text messages and voicemails left by Tiger and share them with the tabloids. Now she will be paid a nice chunk of change for her story, and praised for her immoral behavior. What a country huh? I see another Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie in the making. In my humble opinion, woman have taken a drastic step backward in their progress towards equality. A recent Time Magazine cover story illustrated the overwhelming percentage of unhappy woman in America. When will any of us learn that happiness cannot be achieved by simply accumulating wealth or living a hedonistic lifestyle. We are fixated on immediate gratification, and in the process have lost our work ethic and desire to build meaningful interpersonal relationships that aren’t predicated on an ulterior motive or personal gain.

We have become morally bankrupt as a society, thanks in part to Corporate America, the media and lets not forget the evolution of the internet. Originally designed as a source of diseminating and gathering information. It has now become a playground for deviant behavior and anonymous individuals to post their negativity and hate. Have you ever read the comments left under articles on the web? If so, I’m sure you are aware of how some people can be so callus and cowardly when hiding behind a fictitious screen name.

Tiger Woods gives the cynics more fodder for the argument that no one is as pristine and pure as they portray themselves to be. Fortunately, we still have Derek Jeter to revere as a person of great character and substance. The world as we know it may come to an end if “The Captain” somehow manages to disappoint us and fail to live up to our high expectations.

Technorati Tags: Charles Barkley, Corporate America, Derek Jeter, infidelity, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Richie, Paris hilton, Paris Hiltono, Society, Sports, Tiger Woods

The Orlando Magic are riding a five game winning streak which included wins against a struggling Celtic team on the road and another three against sub five hundred ball clubs. With Jameer Nelson, the fragile starting point guard out once again for a long duration, things could take a turn for the worst if the Magic don’t pick up their defensive intensity and start executing better offensively as well. If Hedo Turkoglu was considered lackadaisical on the court at times, Vince Carter is now filling his shoes quite nicely.

There is no real true leader on this group, especially, with Nelson out of the line up, who is capable of inspiring championship caliber effort. While Stan Van Gundy may be perceived by some of his players as negative or too hard on them, the fact of the matter is if he doesn’t try to get the most out of his players, the majority will just accept a mediocre effort. Dwight Howard should try and assert himself as a leader and increase his game day intensity. Instead, he chose to ask coach Van Gundy to lighten up on the guys, especially, newcomer Vince Carter. Basically, summing up his lack of dedication to winning and improving his all around game, which is evident in his glaring offensive deficiencies soley relying on brute strength and athleticism, making him a liability in close games. I keep hearing the praise for Patrick Ewing when it comes to Dwight Howards growth as a player, yet I don’t see any significant progress. He is still a horrendous free throw shooter with zero post moves, relying instead on lowering his shoulder and trying to overpower his defender. No wonder he continues to struggle with foul trouble. Marcin Gortat has actually showed a more reliable offensive touch and  much better feel for the game. Kudos to Otis Smith for retaining Gortats services.

The Magic still have one thing going for them that will not change for the remainder of the season. They are playing in the National Basketball Association, where there are still only a few teams that actually have a realistic chance of contending for a Championship. This group does have a good core and there does seem to be an excellent chemistry amongst the players. If there is a player out there that the Magic can plug in to bring some grit and fight into the equation, I still believe they have the potential to be playing in June. Pardon me for being redundant, considering my previous post, but Allen Iverson is just the kind of player who could light a fire into this team. Jason Williams is proving to be serviceable, but lets be honest, he’s no where near the player of A.I. and he has a history of inconsistent play and bonehead decisions. Remember Rafer Alston’s performance in last years playoff run. He brought a swagger that was missing all year and disappeared in the Finals when Jameer Nelson tried to force his will on the series when he clearly wasn’t ready to play.

That is exactly the reason the Magic need to make something happen now. True, the NBA season is a long one, but time has a way of flying by. I hate when GM’s wait until after the All-Star break to add a player, never allowing enough time to gel and build that necessary chemistry. The elite teams in the eastern conference are all struggling out of the gate and have serious deficiencies which are becoming more and more evident with each passing game. Why not trump the competition  and add the final piece to the puzzle. The Lakers grabbed Pau Gasol early last season, and look at how the dividends payed off on that move. Remember Otis, the early bird gets the worm, or in this case the Crown!

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, jason williams, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Pau Gasol, Rafer Alston, Stan Van Gundy

With every personal problem I think I have that prevents me from doing so many things in life, there is nothing that hits home like this. I have neglected a lot of things recently which include Ebay, friends and this blog. My life is busy and I don’t realize how little time there is until something like this happens. A great woman named Debbie Killingsworth dies this week and it has absolutely hurt me. This woman, her husband and their entire family were basically a second family to me when I lived in California.

I met them because a friend of mine in the Marine Corps was dating (and eventually married) their daughter. We got along so great that I continued to visit them. Being that they were my parents age, and good people, they became like a second family to me away from home. They fed me, gave me a place to stay and loved me. Their son Rick became a Marine because of the respect they had for myself, Joe Simmons, Joe Castillo and Ty Stewart. I was close with both Joe’s but not Ty. Regardless of this, they loved us all and treated us like their own kids.

They tried to hook me up with women in an effort to make me happy because they thought so highly of me and I ended up meeting the mother of my child. That didn’t work out well with her and I, but it was no fault of theirs and inevitably gave me the greatest joy of my life. My son’s mother and I do not get along well these days but we are both sad at this point.

This is one of those things for me right now that really shakes me up. I have been in touch with Debbie over the last couple years, but I am upset now because I didn’t keep up with them like I should have. When their son Rick graduated USMC boot camp in Sand Diego I went and I feel good for that, but I did not treat them the way they treated me since I left the west coast. I have made excuses that I’ve been busy and what not, but I realize now that there is no excuse for neglecting those that love you.

I love the entire Killingsworth family and I’m sad and angry now that I didn’t keep up with them like I should have over the years.

I put this out for everyone because I hope I can help make you understand that there is always time to show love to those that matter. I hate that I haven’t been able to speak to the family so far this week, but it’s not their fault. It’s my own fault for not keeping in touch with them like I should have.

The bottom line in all this is this, if there is someone out there that you love, make time for them. We all have a tendency to take things for granted and think we can get to these things later, but you can’t. Do what you can now! Send a card, make a short phone call, send an email, whatever you have to do, do it!. God bless the Killingsworth family right now. They are all great people and deserve better than what was given to them this week.

Rest in peace Debbie, I loved you as a mother and I will miss you!

I know there are bigger things to discuss right now with the Rays and Magic, but I have to get this off my chest. At my son’s little league game yesterday I came across some stupidity that just floored me. I will try to put it into perspective for you. There was a conversation during pre-game warmups between a coach, one of the kids fathers and some kids that stunned me. Here it goes..

Coach to father: When you’re done throwing with that kid will you come teach this one to throw a slider?

Father: Sure

Kid: I want to throw a curveball.

Father and Coach: No, that is bad for your arm. We’ll teach you a slider.

I was floored by this and finally spoke up saying “a slider is as bad on your arm as a curveball”. The coach said “really?” I was shocked that a baseball coach at any level wouldn’t know this, but that wasn’t the real shocker. The real shocker was the father’s response to me saying “no it’s not, it doesn’t hurt the arm at all”. What?! I tried to argue with him and he now went into why a slider wasn’t bad because when you throw a slider it breaks down, not across the plate. I said no, if you’re throwing it correctly it breaks across the plate with some downward action, if it breaks straight down you’re talking about a sinker. He then said no, you’re wrong, a slider breaks down and wanted to teach me how to pitch at that point. I walked away completely flabbergasted and just told my son not to listen to any of the other parents or coaches and just play the game the way I taught him.

I simply can’t get over this stupidity. Think about why the pitch is called a slider. It slides across the plate, hence slider. All of these coaches that are at this league have shown me nothing but incompetence and I just can’t get over the lack of knowledge I’ve encountered within this little league here. I grew up playing baseball in this area and never encountered this type of stupidity before this season.

These poor kids are going to blow up their arms in a couple years all the while learning nothing about the game of baseball. It’s sickening, but I can’t go back to coaching right now so I can’t do much to change it.

I beg all of you out there, if you don’t know baseball that well, don’t pretend you do and don’t teach kids a sport you don’t know!

Just wanted to drop a quick line to everyone, if you’re interested in any of the stuff I may be selling please jump over to my auctions. I’m putting a link up top to let everyone check it out. It may become a permanent thing if some of these deals keep coming at me. I know it appears like I’m whoring myself out here but just compare the stuff I’m selling to anyone else selling it and believe me you’ll see.

Just to give everyone a heads up, I have written a guest “shit talking” post for David Chalk over at Bugs and Cranks. It was fun to rip on the Pirates and I may jump in on some others if time permits. Thanks to David for reaching out and letting me do a little trash talking. If you aren’t familiar with David’s work, I encourage you to check it out. It’s extremely entertaining stuff. I’ll have more Rays posts up soon by the way and I may be adding a new blogger to the mix who will  help take care of the Lightning. Expect a post from her later in the week. I’ll get on the Rays stuff through the week and I am currently working on the player cards for the Rays only. I’m putting the Bucs on hold for a while. Thanks everyone and let me know what you think of the post over at Bugs and Cranks and be ready to comment on the new blogger when she’s ready.

Technorati Tags: Bugs and Cranks, David Chalk, Scott Brannelly, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays

Just to let everyone out there know, I’m selling some stuff on Ebay or can sell it to you directly if you don’t want to go through that.The auction links are just underneath the Amazon banner above.

There are some Westin step bars that we are discontinuing and need to be sold off out of our warehouse. There are three sets that I know of at the moment that need to be sold off.

1998-01 Dodge Ram Quad Cab 1500/2500/3500 truck step bars in chrome or black. Westin parts #’s 25-1240 and 25-1245.

1999-04 Ford F150/F250 4-door Heritage edition truck step bars in black. Westin part # 25-1435.

Check out Westin’s website for more info on these parts.

I have them listed on the Ebay auctions starting at $50 with a buy it now for $100 and $59.95 in flat shipping fee.

If you are interested in these products I can sell them to you direct locally for $75 and you can pick them up from me to save on shipping. If you want to purchase them I ask that you drop me an email. I have somewhere around 50 of each of these that need to sold off and it’s a great deal because these bars usually retail for around $300 at least. Let me know if you are interested.

I finally got my twitter feed working again!

There were a few crazy things that went on over the last couple weeks that I wanted to touch on and didn’t have time, but nothing got my attention more than the A-Rod deal. There has already been a tremendous amount of backlash on this situation and some of it is just funny. The dumbest thing I’ve seen written so far is what Bill Madden of the New York Daily News wrote about releasing A-Rod (hat tip to Mets Police for that one). Madden wants the Yankees to cut A-Rod, no matter the cost, in order to make a statement. The Yankees have more money than any team in baseball and they show it consistently with their ridiculous spending sprees, but not even the Yankees can justify writing off $270 million. This has to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen a legitimate reporter write. The Yanks already looked like idiots for paying Rodriguez the amount of money they did before A-Rod was a known steroid user. If they get nothing out of him AND spend that money they would look worse, not better Bill. There is no statement they could make that is worth a quarter billion dollars.

I want to take this A-Rod thing in a different direction though. I’m not going to defend him, but the fact that the test that he popped on was supposed to be anonymous and got leaked is an atrocity and will do nothing but worsen the already rocky relationship between the players union and MLB. We haven’t heard A-Rod come out and say anything yet, but it’s coming soon as he has a ceremony in his honor upcoming at the University of Miami. In the aftermath of all of this I think Rodriguez could use this scenario as an opportunity to better his relationship with other players and actually boost himself in the eyes of others.

Follow me here. In my opinion this is what I think he should do. First off, he needs to come out and admit to doing steroids in the past in order to keep up with what he thought other players were doing. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe his contract can be voided if the test he was positive for was supposed to be anonymous. If he does this he can take some of the stink off of him in the eyes of the public and immediately turn the Government away from him. If he lies, the Government will want him to come in and testify under oath and go after him similar to Bonds, Clemens, etc. This has to be his first step toward redemption.

The next thing I would like to see Alex do is demand that the rest of the tests be destroyed and insist that no one else’s name be leaked and tarnished. If he falls on the sword and leads the charge against those who leaked this info he could become a much more popular figure within the players fraternity. Nearly every player would applaud and respect him for doing such a thing. It would also show some backbone and fortitude, which is something he gets knocked for lacking.

I would also like to see him lead the charge against Bud Selig and lobby to have him removed as the commissioner of Major League Baseball. What has gone on under Selig’s watch is atrocious and he needs to be held accountable for it. Rodriguez is the latest casualty under the mismanagement of Bud Selig.

I don’t feel sorry for Alex, the Yankees or anyone else in this, but the fact that the test he has popped for was supposed to be anonymous and just used “to measure the amount of users there were” is unacceptable. This is the same thing as police versus criminals. There are supposed to be rules limiting the cops to what they can do in order to catch a criminal and that’s why we call it justice. The smart criminals stay ahead of the cops and the good cops figure out how to catch them, legally! That’s the game and that’s how it’s played. There are always some cops and some criminals playing outside the lines, but the rules are in place to help maintain order. This situation with A-Rod is exactly the same. Alex will have to come to grips with the fact that his legacy is tainted and that it can’t be fixed on the field now. He can raise himself up in other ways now by not only holding himself accountable, but forcing those that caught him to be accountable also. Bud Selig gets too much credit for his newfound tough drug policy these days. Did everyone forget that MLB and Bud Selig had to be dragged in kicking and screaming by Congress in order to finally do something about it to begin with? Selig has done some stupid things as commissioner, as most any commissioner will, but this needs to be his final blunder.

You shouldn’t be the highest paid commissioner in sports if you’re going to allow crap like this. This was flat out wrong and shady. There is no argument for Selig either because this is his baby. He can’t play ignorant because he should have been monitoring this as close as possible. Alex Rodriguez’s life as he knows it is over. If he thought people were negative toward him before, just wait and see how he gets treated now. There is no excuse for what he did and he has created the attention himself by being the most greedy athlete we’ve seen to date, but he can still come out of this ok if he owns up to it and grows a pair (hard to do on roids, I know).

I’m going to get sick of this story pretty quick, but I do want to see how it plays out.

Technorati Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Bud Selig, New York Yankees, Roger Clemens, Tampa Bay Rays, University of Miami

The blog world is a wild place. I have learned a lot of things the hard way since I started doing this last year and it has humbled me like nothing else I’ve done. I have done a lot of things in my life that have molded me into the man that I have become. My mentality and my world has constantly changed in my life and I know it always will. There were so many seemingly harsher things that I’ve dealt with and learned from like street fighting, USMC boot camp, parenthood, etc., that I thought it would be easy to jump right in to the blog thing and roll along without a problem. It’s a totally different animal than anything else I’ve done.

I started this thing as a hobby site and it remains one and, for those of you that read already know, I’m still trying to find a direction to take this thing as it evolves. I’m not trying to be a journalist, become a writer or get credentialed in any way. That’s where I find such a huge difference between myself and most others out there. Rays Index brought something to my attention tonight that made me think about things and really made me laugh. Rays Renegade wrote a piece on how bloggers don’t get respect enough to get media credentials and it was really very funny to me.

This guy may be a true journalist and, if what he says he’s done is true, has some real stones in trying to work his way into the mainstream media. What was so funny and confusing to me was his statement about how he has been in the industry for four years and can’t understand why bloggers can’t get credentialed easier. If he was truly a journalist in the industry I would think he understands why bloggers don’t get that kind of respect.

Since I got involved in this world I have learned a few things that hold true. First is this. You have to earn your respect whether you’re a journalist or not. I have found that most other sites and blogs that cover the same teams you do don’t want to recognize that you even exist, especially if you don’t comment on their site. When they do recognize you it’s always a negative thing that starts it. When Rays Index first started throwing me links it was because of the Barry Bonds and Brendan Harris posts I wrote. Cork tore me apart on the Harris thing, but I stayed with what I was doing and he has gave me some encouragement and I thought that was extremely cool of him. I give him a lot of credit with this type of thing because he doesn’t care if I’m here or not. He acknowledges me and does his thing. I can’t say the same for most other sites I’ve tried to deal with like DRaysBay, BucEm, the other Tampa Bay Sports Blog and so on. I realize that there may be a sense of someone like me invading their territory or something like that, but if you read what I write and how often I write, these guys should know they have nothing to worry about. Greg Auman has also been very helpful with me. He first approached me when, as I tried to cover the USF Bulls, I forgot to put a link in a post about where I got my info from and he quickly let me know that was wrong. That was my ignorance in the blog thing and he recognized that and offered me a little guidance from that point on. Greg and Cork are the only positive people I have met on the net though and that makes the first point for this guy. The blog world is petty and competitive, so how much more so is it when you’re a blogger dealing with real journalists? Like them or not, journalists have already paid there dues in college, internships and what not. They have EARNED the right to get credentialed by major teams in sports. There are plenty of people out there that can put a thought, article or an interview better than journalists can, but you always have to pay your dues in life. Shouldn’t a journalist know this?

Something else I’ve learned is this. There are way more bloggers than journalists. Ok, I know that’s a dumb statement, but it’s relevant. Everyday a new blog pops up about the Rays, Bucs, or whatever team you follow. Knowing this, anyone should know that getting credentialed as a blogger is going to be that much tougher. Let’s try to relate it like this. If you’re an athlete in high school and you’re one of the rare superstars with silly talent, you’re going to get recognized and given tons of opportunities. If you’re not, than it’s going to take longer and some other things will have to come into play. You need to be in the right place at the right time, be exceptional in another way, know someone, etc. These are the stories everyone loves to hear. We love to hear how Kurt Warner bagged groceries before getting his shot or how a guy like Earnest Graham finally breaks through after years of being a special teams player. If a blogger breaks through into the mainstream media and earns his respect, which this guy could do, it would be one of those heartwarming stories. The problem right now is he is acting like he has earned it already by starting a blog. Anyone can do that, just look at me.

It is all strange and funny to me. The blog world is odd, yet interesting. It can be used as a platform to showcase one’s journalistic talents, but it’s a long road that way. It’s like a high school football player with bad grades going to junior college. They can make it, but it’s not the route someone ideally takes to get there. It’s all strange to me. I’ve been doing this for almost a year now and I still have much more to learn than most. I admit to being ignorant to the blog thing, really the whole internet thing in general, but I go on because I like to voice my opinion. I feel my writing is coherent enough, even though I may not always get the point across that I want to, that the people who read what I write enjoy it. I don’t expect anyone to follow my site to depend on current news of their favorite teams here, I think they come to hear my opinion and get a different perspective on it. That’s it. Obviously this guy is trying to be a journalist of some sort and that shows a completely different goal than mine, but what I’ve learned from my experience tells me he’s doing a bad job of it right now. From what I’ve read of his stuff, he’s a good enough writer, but was accused of plagiarism by a couple of commenter’s on Rays Index. That’s a big deal. I believe he has done it also, only because it was pointed out that a commenter noticed it, the post was modified. That shows there was something wrong with what he was doing. One thing I know about writing is this. If you write it, stick by it. I have written some things on this site that, when I go back and read them, I would like to change or delete. I don’t because I wrote it and I need to stand by it. You can’t change the past, writing or otherwise, so you shouldn’t mess with it. When you make mistakes you can’t remove them, you learn from them. That’s life. Writing is the same in this and it should be. If you want someone to take you seriously, you can’t backtrack and remove what is regrettable or wrong, you learn from it and live with the body of work you produce. Like what I write or not, agree with me or not, I live with what I write on this site. If I go away because I suck, that’s what it is and I learn from it and life goes on. If people like me and keep coming to the site, it all goes on and life is still the same. In this sense I can’t relate to this guy at Rays Renegade. He is striving for more than I am with what he’s doing and his life seems dependant on it. I feel that he wrote what he did in an attempt to gain attention to himself. If he didn’t, he’s an idiot. That may not stop him from getting where he wants to go, but he’s still an idiot if he thinks this.

The bottom line in all this is this. All journalists can be bloggers if they are required or choose to be, not all bloggers can be journalists. Blogging is great because it’s freedom of speech at it’s best, but it doesn’t make you a journalist. I’m a blogger, but I will never be confused for a journalist. It’s a comparison that can’t be made and that’s why bloggers don’t get credentials. If you need to actually think to figure that out than there is something wrong with you. There are bloggers out there that are better than the journalists that cover what they do, but it doesn’t mean they have earned anything more than the journalists they are better than. I know people in the marketing department with the Rays, Lightning and Magic. I can get tickets from them at will and my site has even been brought to ownership’s attention with these teams. I was offered credentials to a couple of Lightning and Rays games but, while taking the free tickets they offered me, I have no desire to go into the press box for these games. I found it laughable that I was offered this and I’m sure any of you reading this do as well, but it’s the point of knowing people here. I was offered these things because of me being the person I am, not the writer I am. If this guy is going to go about things the way he is, it’s going to be a very long road. I would bet that he’ll be writing about some other team and pulling the same crap before the Rays give him anything, but what do I know. I never ask for comments on anything, but I would really like to see some comments in this post. I want to hear your opinion on this post, so please take the time to let me know what you think.

Technorati Tags: Earnest Graham, Kurt Warner, Orlando Magic, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, United States Marine Corps, USF Bulls

I’ve got some personal issues that have come up and these things will be eating up most of my time over the next few days so things will be slowed down dramatically. In the meantime I’m going to have Steve help me out with some site updates and what not. Any ideas you have that could improve the site please leave in the comments or email me. Thank you for your understanding.

The playoff games yesterday were outstanding. I found myself just completely drawn to both games and could barely move while watching them, which was bad because I was at work. Oh well, my job is safe. There wasn’t much else on so I decided to watch a little of the Phoenix/Edmonton hockey game and I learned something real quick. If it’s not the Lightning, I don’t really want to watch it. I used to love watching hockey of any kind, but I just couldn’t do it yesterday. I will watch Ovechkin, Crosby and even Jarome Iginla, but that’s pretty much it. Anyway, here’s what I thought of the two playoff games.

Though I’m not a fan of either team, my hatred of Philly led me to root for the Cardinals. After watching the game I really don’t think that either one of those teams stood a chance against the Ravens or the Steelers. Warner still looks as scared as a man can possibly look on the football field when anyone gets a shot at him. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when the Steelers get a hold of him. It’s not going to be pretty. The Arizona defense looks to be good enough and Larry Fitzgerald is just a freak. Fitzgerald is playing like a man amongst boys and it should be fun to watch what he does against the Steelers.

The Ravens/Steelers game was sick. I really mean sick. The hitting that went on in that game hurt me just watching it. I jumped out of my chair and had a sick feeling when I saw that hit on Willis McGahee from Ryan Clark and I can only hope that Willis recovers from that. That was one of those hits that kills guys careers and it still makes me ill when I just even think about it, much less see it. I must send out my best wishes to McGahee and his family after that one. There was a ton of hitting in that game and it looks like the Steelers are on their way to another Super Bowl win. I’m rooting for them too because of Mike Tomlin. He looks like an outstanding guy to play for and it would be pretty cool for him to come home to Tampa and win a Super Bowl here. That’s about it for now, I’m looking forward to the Cavs/Lakers game tonight and I’m not sure if I want to even try to watch the Bolts invite Brad Richards back to town. That one could be ugly. I know I’ll end up watching it though and I can only hope that if the Stars win, it’s Brad doing the damage.

Technorati Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Brad Richards, Dallas Stars, Jarome Iginla, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Mike Tomlin, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburg Steelers, Ryan Clark, Sidney Crosby, Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Lightning, Willis McGahee

I need some help with a couple things on the site at the moment. First off, I hate Brighthouse and need to change service. Can anyone out there tell me if Verizon is in Pinellas County yet? If so, how good is it? I’m also having a tough time finding a Wordpress plugin that works for a contact. I’ve tried cforms and others and haven’t been pleased with any of them so far. Anyone got any ideas?

My internet is back up, I have been down since Monday morning, and I’ll get to things after work tonight so please leave any ideas in the comments of contact me at scott@tampabaysportsblog.com.