KARL MALONE, REGGIE MILLER RETIRING

         

Actually....in the span of just a few hours.....two men, who will be inducted in the Basketball Hall Of Fame, retired. Combined, Karl Malone and Reggie Miller went to the NBA Finals 4 times.....losing all 4 times....and scored over 60,000 points. Malone went to the All Star game 14 times. Miller was a 5-time All Star.

Back in 1987, Miller was selected with the #11 pick by the Indiana Pacers [right after Ho Grant and right before Muggsy Bogues]. Miller was actually booed by Indiana fans who wanted Steve Alford, from Indiana University’s NCAA Championship team, instead. Well, Miller is retiring from the NBA while Alford’s been the head coach at Iowa for a while now. Two years earlier, Malone was selected #13 by the Utah Jazz [right before Kenny Green and after Al Hughes]. They leave those franchises as their all-time leading scorers.

          

Funny that when you think of Karl Malone and Reggie Miller....you really don’t think of them together. Karl Malone is built like a tank who has one of the most cut bodies in NBA history. Reggie Miller is built like Gollum from the Lord Of The Rings....and had a hip deformity as a child. Malone is one of the best frontcourt players of all time....and very well might be the NBA’s best power forward. Miller is one of the top backcourt players of all time....and might well be the NBA’s best shooter.

                  

Miller will be regarded as one of the biggest clutch shooters of all time. In consecutive games in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals....Miller was the man down the stretch. In game 3, he scored 13 pts in the final 4 minutes. In game 4....he hit the game winner with less than a second remaining. Remember back in 2002 when Miller hit a 39-ft shot to send game 5 against the Nets into overtime??? Maybe, just maybe, you remember Miller scoring 8 points in the final 9 seconds of a 1995 playoff game against the Knicks in the Garden? Or the year before when he dumped 25 fourth-quarter points on the Knicks in the playoffs?

Karl Malone may be most remembered for missing free throws in the 1997 NBA Finals...getting stripped by Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals....and as a spectator for the 2004 NBA Finals.

Miller was one of the NBA?s top FT shooters.....88.6%. No one in NBA history has made more free throws than Malone, who started his career Shaq-like from the line yet improved to a 74% FT shooter. Malone will be linked to John Stockton until the day he dies. Miller, though you can link him to numerous players, never really had that one teammate that seems to be his "buddy". Heck, even Shaq and Kobe will have each other.

                      

Here is the list of Malone?s NBA coaches: Frank Layden, Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson. Here is the list of Reggie?s head coaches in the NBA: Dr. Jack Ramsey, Mel Daniels, George Irvine, Dick Versace, Bob Hill, Larry Brown, Larry Bird, Isaiah Thomas and Rick Carlisle.

Karl Malone?s Utah era is most likely though of with Jerry Sloan and John Stockton. Toss in a Jeff Hornacek, Jeff Malone, Mark Eaton or Greg Ostertag. But, essentially, it is Malone-Sloan-Stockton. Reggie Miller?s reign in Indiana actually has seen three separate Pacers eras. The first one with Chuck Person, Vern Flemming and Detlef Schrempf who were in those epic battles with Larry Bird?s Celtics. The second one was the NBA Finals edition with Mark Jackson, Jalen Rose and Rik Smits. And, finally, their current era with Jermaine O?Neal and Ron Artest.

                  

Their retirements even were announced differently. Karl Malone hasn?t been in a uniform since last spring....while Miller is in the middle of the season. After usinga player option on a second year with the Lakers....Malone has just been hovering around looking for a place to land. Some thought he may go with Shaq to Miami. Some thought he?d go the San Antonio to play with the championship front running Spurs. Some thought he may re-up with the Lakers [though a tift with Kobe Bryant?s wifey sent that down the tubes]. Actually, rumors that Malone would retire have been circulating since last year?s NBA Finals....and especially over the past month. Finally, he is figuratively stepping off the court for the final time.

Reggie Miller?s decision wasn?t really out of the blue. I mean, there was speculation that he was going to make this his final season....but it took a TNT report from Craig Sager and a confirmation by fellow TNT "personality", big sis Cheryl Miller, to finally get Reggie to spill the beans.

                  

Malone leaves the NBA with only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scoring more points and playing more minutes. Two astounding statistical feats that he walked away from. Say what you want about him "piggybacking" with the Lakers last year or possibly the Spurs this year.....but he still had the goods to try to go after both those records, and he didn?t. And, this may not be the most popular comment....but there aren?t too many people that would walk away from a record such as "top scorer in NBA history". That?s like Barry Bonds walking away with 750 lifetime HR.

The record you?d figure Miller to have....the all time 3-pt leader....is his.

There are some major similarities as well. Like I said....Malone is linked with Stockton. Funny that the only player who played their entire career with ONE team longer than Reggie Miller?s 18 seasons with Indiana.....is John Stockton with 19 years in Utah. Also, both players are known for their abilities to "create fouls" and get to the line. Both do the ol? "flop your body into the nearest defender as you take your shot". Malone?s involved a kick of the legs or the extension of the elbows. Miller?s trick was just jumping into someone?s chest or arms when taking a jump shot......then the bee line to the baby powder before toeing the line.

          

Both are among the most hated players in the league by other players and fans. For every elbow Karl Malone may have thrown....Reggie Miller has chicken scratched an opponent.

         

Both are also known for having great female relative hoops players....both named Cheryl.  I mean, Cheryl Miller is one of the greatest women in basketball history.  Cheryl Ford is one of the WNBA's top young talents. 

What may ultimately make them NBA legends is that both players turned their small NBA markets into successful NBA franchises. Remember, it had only been about a decade since the Indiana Pacers entered the NBA. With it, Indianapolis went from Hoosiers and the Indy 500 to a legit basketball city. It went from Market Square Garden to the beautiful Conseco Fieldhouse. When Malone arrived on the scene in Salt Lake...yeah, Salt Lake...it was just the 6th season the Jazz had set up shop there....none of which saw the team with a winning record. In fact, the Jazz franchise had never had a winning season in their decade of existence. He and Stockton made it a playoff mainstay.

Love or hate....these players bring out emotions from NBA fans. They are also the top players in their franchise?s histories and have left a huge mark on the league.

        

ESPN Article On Cameron Crazies

I normally don't like to use articles or anything....but I read this one and was rolling.  It was written by Mike Ogle, a UNC grad and contributor to ESPN.com.  He writes on the fallen state of the Cameron Crazies.  It's a good read.  Then below, I've taken the Mottram's cue of getting the Crazies' Cheer Sheet [since they now need people's help on the internet to come up with ideas] from the UNC-Duke game.  The best part of it is the third thing mentioned.  "Remember, we don't rush the court for anything less than a national title."  Once the ball trickled out of bounds....the waves of Dookies flowed onto the court after beating a team that they were a mere 2 point underdogs to.  Anyway...enjoy these articles. 

THESE CRAZIES DON'T MEASURE UP
from Mike Ogle
ESPN.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=ogle/050210&num=2

OK, let's get this out of the way right up top. Yes, I am a North Carolina grad.

But have I written in praise of Duke? Absolutely. And have I trashed the Tar Heels? Well, during my senior year at The Daily Tar Heel the hoops team lost home games to the EA Sports All-Stars, Hampton, Davidson and Ohio.

What do you think?

 

So for the moment, let's put aside the outcome of Wednesday night's UNC-Duke game and turn our attention to another matter, one of higher importance. The Cameron Crazies -- yes, those delightfully painted, bouncing, hand-waving, mind-bendingly clever Crazies who cheer their little trust-fund hearts out -- have jumped the shark.

Cleared it by a good 50 feet.

The most clever sign at Thursday's game? Certainly not "RAYMOND FELTON IS A $0.75 TAIWANESE SEX WORKER!" Whatever that means.

Nor was it "SEAN MAY ATE ALL OUR COOKIES."

Or "HEY ROY -- IN THE RARE CASE AN ERECTION LASTS MORE THAN 4 HOURS, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DR."

It wasn't even "CAROLINA BLUE IS JUST PAST TENSE FOR CAROLINA BLOWS."

None of the above. The one that hit closest to home belonged to a pair of Carolina fans in the middle of the madness. It read, simply, "POSERS." And it featured arrows pointing in every direction around them.

The truths hurts. And what must be especially painful for the Crazies is that the truth is coming at them from observers in both shades of blue.

"It's been said for a while that [the atmosphere has] been down," said Andrew Eimer, a former Crazy from the class of 2003, in a phone interview before the game. "It happens to be a dorkier part of the student population. You realize it more when you're out of school."

You heard that right. The Crazies are now considered nerdy, even by Duke standards.

Eimer isn't alone. Last year, a columnist at Duke's student newspaper wrote, "You cheer to be a part of your big, dorky club, one that's lost any pure root, root, root for the Blue Devils ... You're not even living up to your reputation -- one that gives you a lot more credit than you're worth."

Sure, these kids still come equipped with blue paint, wigs, togas, Speedos, and soap on a rope for Rashad McCants. Bless their little hearts. They try, they really do. But it's for their own amusement more than anything else.

What does Jawad Williams care that they're wearing a clown's bowtie and sunglasses? More importantly, did he even notice?

The chants of "Cameron Crazies? You're crazy" to McCants and "Sean May ... eat me ... you so fat" to May? McCants once related playing ball on this level to being in jail and Sean May still has some baby fat, so those riffs were almost mildly amusing. But they were about the only logs the Crazies used to try to burn the Heels.

Please.

North Carolina swingman Jackie Manuel proposed to his girlfriend two weeks ago with a talking Build-A-Bear. So where were the stuffed teddies and "Will ... you ... marry me? Clap-clap clap-clap-clap" taunts? Nowhere to be found. The Crazies' official cheer sheet suggested singing "Here Comes the Bride" when Manuel shot free throws. That might've worked, but it never happened.

Last week, McCants seemed to issue an open invitation to the full Crazies treatment when he pulled his throat-slash gesture against N.C. State. Wouldn't the heyday Crazies have been all over that? Thursday night, it wasn't mentioned.

Maybe they're too busy with their future-CEO classes to actually care about basketball anymore -- or at least care as much about the hoops as they seem to care about amusing each other. Now they appear to be too smug to realize, much less admit, that their mere presence alone isn't worth the 20 points they seem to think it is.

They're too in love with themselves.

There were problem signs this season even before the UNC game. A cheer sheet for the Virginia game (including such gems as "You killed Abel," to be directed at the Cavs' Jason Cain) was circulated on the Internet, complete with an Instant Messenger screen name to submit ideas. An enterprising Duke hater used this information to dupe the Crazies into self-deprecating taunts during the Maryland game.

And on a more serious note, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg claimed his eye was nearly poked by fans as he walked off Coach K Court, and he rightfully complained publicly about the lack of security at Cameron Indoor.

Now, don't get me wrong. The atmosphere at Cameron still dwarfs most other arenas.

But these days, it's more a product of the building than the students. They've been living off their reputation for years. Duke's student fans aren't even the cleverest in the ACC anymore. Wake Forest has snatched that title.

Where did the Crazies go wrong? Maybe it isn't so much that they've jumped the shark. (And besides, hasn't the phrase "jumped the shark" jumped the shark by this point?) Maybe it's that the Cameron Crazies have, shall we say, adopted Cousin Oliver. The Bradys added Oliver in the final season when the Bunch wasn't so cute anymore. "Growing Pains" (Chrissy and Luke) and "The Cosby Show" (Olivia) tried to compensate the same way as those shows matured.

Now, the Crazies are peopled with young blood, the freshmen. That seems to be what it's come to in Durham -- the student section has been taken over by frosh in recent years. And get this: There is a significant sentiment even on campus that regards the once-revered Crazies with embarrassment, that looks down on them. They don't seem clever, and they don't seem spontaneous.

They rely on lame attempts at biting humor, body paint and capes. And that isn't enough anymore, because at the end of the day, at the end of the game ... it's only Carrot Top material.

Mike Ogle is a freelance writer for ESPN The Magazine. Contact him at Mike.X.Ogle.-ND@espn3.com or mogle23@hotmail.com.

********************************************************

Below is a copy of the Crazies cheer sheet.  Kinda lame for Dook standards.  Back in the day...even I will admit they came up some awesome and funny cheers at the Tar Heels.

Duke vs. Tar Holes
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Fact Sheet

This is the game you've been waiting for. No excuses. Give everything you've got, and we will walk away the victors. Cameron should never be less than painfully loud tonight.

At Coach K's request, please focus on our team tonight. Better to bring our team up than put theirs down. Especially coming out of timeouts, we need to be incredibly loud. During their free throws in the second half, forget the novelty stuff, just be unbelievably loud.

Remember, we do not rush the court for anything less than a national title.

This is a huge game, but it's not a title game. Stay in the bleachers and go nuts.

Fodder for your creative impulses ...

Head Coach Roy Williams (good ol' Roy-Will to his friends)

Recently left Kansas to coach Carolina after turning them down three years earlier (there's no place like home?)

When asked about the opening at Carolina after Kansas's loss to Syracuse in the national championship game, Roy-Will exclaimed "I could give a sh*t about North Carolina right now"

In his pre-Miami press conference, Roy-Will started comparing his coaching style to Clint Eastwood's 'Dirty Harry' character

Throw in the Rock Chalk Jay Hawk if you know it.

#32 Rashad McCants (Notorious whiner and all-around selfish playmaker)

This summer, despite being the most talented player trying out for the U.S. national team, McCants was sent home by coach Kelvin Sampson because of his attitude

Was quoted as saying that Wake's Chris Paul was a better, more natural point guard than his teammate Raymond Felton

Has two tattoos, one says "born to be hated" the other says "dying to be loved" (back and forth between grads and undergrads?)

Earlier this year, McCants was describing what it is like to play at Carolina and said "You're not allowed to do certain things. You're not allowed to say certain things, but once you get out of jail, you're free. [I'm] in my sentence and I'm doing my time." (Think "go to jail, Rashad McCants, go to jail!")

He also compared being part of Carolina's program to having a 9-5 job

#42 Sean May (The teddy bear who has had one too many Big Macs)

Son of Scott May, the 1976 player of the year and leader of the Indiana team that went 32-0 (daddy's better?)

Vaguely reminiscent (in body shape and facial features) of Grimace (from McDonald's)

Wears a size 20 shoe (Big foot? Big feet, no game?)

It's a well-known fact that Sean May eats babies

#5 Jackie Manuel

Manuel recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Ronda Norman (this is true information by the way)

Manuel proposed to his girlfriend using a "Build-A-Bear" programmed with his voice asking Ronda to marry himwhen she squeezed the bear's hand

According to the article, Manuel gave Ronda the bear saying, "They say that if you close your eyes, kiss the bear, make a wish, and squeeze the bear's arm, your dream will come true."

Though we at cheersheets would never require any type of cheer, how great would it be if the entire stadium sings/hums "Here Comes the Bride" if Manuel goes to shoot free throws?

#1 Melvin Scott

In 2002, Scott was arrested on assault charges for hitting a woman at Player's nightclub (Franklin Street)

#21 Jawad Williams

When Williams committed to Carolina, he made the claim that he would "own Cameron." Oh really ... curious that he's never won here.

#24 Marvin Williams

Couldn't find much on him, but Coach K believes he's going to be an important part of this game. Anything you can do to get under his skin will help.

And of course, generous helpings of the full "Go To Hell Carolina, Go To Hell" chant ...

We've had to change cheer sheet submissions around a bit. In order to submit an idea, send an e-mail to cheersheets@hotmail.com. We will only, ONLY, look at e-mails from "duke.edu" addresses so you must send one from your school account.

Next Home Game: Wake Forest, Sunday, February 20 @ 6:30 PM

North Carolina Dribbles Possible Victory Out Of Bounds

Duke 71-North Carolina 70

How fitting of an ending. After watching 39:56 of the game……the biggest moment of the game…..Carolina turned it over. With 18 seconds left in the game…..Duke’s JJ Reddick’s 3-point shot sailed out of bounds and UNC had that much time to get a shot off to win the game. Eighteen seconds.

Last spring, I watched Derek Fisher get a shot off in 0.4 seconds. UNC couldn’t with 45 times as many ticks.

I could swallow it better if we missed a shot. McCants for three….May with a turnaround….Felton with a floater. None of those things happened. Instead, Felton….who had a lane open up for him with about 9 seconds left but didn’t take it….picked up his dribble, tossed a bad pass to Noel [what was he doing in the game anyways?], and Noel dribbled it out of bounds. That makes you sick. To play that well defensively down the stretch to even put yourself in that position…..and you turn it over in that fashion.

Uh...that guy with the glasses is a student??  Or maybe just a plant?  FAC-UL-TY!!!!  FAC-UL-TY!!!

Why not? The Tar Heels turned it over 23 times in the game…and the top assist team in the nation dished out only 10. TEN! The possession before the infamous final one, Marvin Williams had a path to the basket and instead threw a pass at Sean May’s feet. Felton uncharacteristically looked shaky. Jawad Williams acted like this was his first trip to Cameron.

Raymond Felton, the guy who intiated the final miscue, had EIGHT turnovers.  In now three career games as UNC coach against Duke....coach Roy Williams is 0-3.  Those losses were by a combined 8 points. 

                 
          A Carolina point guard and the ball are easily departed

With just over 5 minutes left, Duke held momentum and a 67-58 lead. Carolina made a valiant 12-4 run to end the game….but it still left them one point behind. Enter the turnover.

Interesting stats of the game. North Carolina made 25 shots while Duke made only 20. North Carolina shoots 48%?.while Duke shoots 38%. So how did they win?? Duke shot 21-for-22 from the FT line and shot 10-for-23 from behind the arc [UNC made 17 free throws and three 3-pters].  The oddest stat is the one where Duke made only ONE TWO-POINT SHOT in the second half.  Amazing. 

So #2 North Carolina loses for the second time on the Tobacco Road. A month ago, the Heels were downed in Winston-Salem against Wake Forest. That is a pretty bad sign. Their two toughest road tests, in reality their only tough road tests, they lost. And both were to the teams they are fighting with to win the ACC regular season title. They have a non-conference game in Connecticut, before two winnable games at home against Virginia and Clemson. They then go TO NC State and TO Maryland. A week later?..Duke again.

This was an equally huge win for Duke. They, too, have lost in Winston-Salem?and a home loss to UNC would really put them behind the 8-ball. They?d be 2 full games behind for first and pretty much MUST win the game against Wake in Durham and then go into Carolina and win. Also, they head into a stretch which sees them on the road for 4 of their next 5.?the only home game is against Wake.?including a Saturday date with Maryland [the lone team to beat Duke in Durham this year] in College Park. After all of that?a home game with Miami then at Carolina.

                  

BLUE DEVIL OF THE GAME: Daniel Ewing. While Sheldon Williams set the tempo early with his blocked shots?.it was Ewing that made Duke go in three phases. One, he stuck with Raymond Felton, not giving him a ton of space to make plays in the half court or in the open court. Two, he scored 15 points?including three huge 3-pters. Third, and most importantly, he wisely controlled the tempo. Carolina cannot score 92 points when they don?t get as many possessions as they are accustomed to.

TAR HEEL OF THE GAME: Sean May. May sure steps up in these big games. He scored 23 points and nabbed 19 rebounds. He seemedto be the only Tar Heel in a consistent flow all game long and amazing that no one on the court saw that.

BLUE DEVIL NOT IN THE GAME: Shavlik Randolph. It wasn?t a real good game for the forwards in this game. Randolph, who's parents went to UNC and grandfather starred at NC State, scored 4 pts on just 1-of-4 shooting.

          

TAR HEEL NOT IN THE GAME: Rashad McCants. Randolph?s counterman Jawad Williams should getthis honor?.but he?s not played well of late and Marvin Williams has been getting more of his minutes. But, McCants cannot shoot 3-of-14 [1-7 from behind the arc] for just 11 points. A scorer of his stature just can?t get to the line a mere 4 times. McCants, again, saves his worst games for the biggest times.

FRESHMAN OF THE GAME:  DeMarcus Nelson.  Theguy was solid.  He scored 16 points....made all 4 of his FTs and both of his 3-pt shots. 

NORTH CAROLINA VS DUKE

North Carolina - Duke Preview

                 

Carolina-Dook.  The ugliest of all of the 4-letter words.  The Greatest Rivalry in NCAA hoops.  There are a ton of "great football rivalries"....but only one in basketball truly makes the sports world stop.  Here is the breakdown. 

WHO: North Carolina vs Duke
WHAT: Greatest rivalry in college basketball
WHEN: Wednesday, 9 pm
WHERE: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC

             

The top two teams in the ACC will battle for first place in Durham.  North Carolina (19-2, 8-1 ACC) vs Duke (17-2, 7-2 ACC).  Carolina brings with it the nation's highest scoring offense [92.2 ppg] against a Duke program that prides itself on being able to defend like rabid dogs...and also have a high scoring team themselves [82.5 ppg].  No team has shot over 50% against them all season. 

You have JJ Reddick and Rashad McCants....both can score from anywhere on the court.  Sean Dockery and Jackie Manuel will both have their hands full guarding these guys.  You have Sean May and Sheldon Williams battling on the inside.  Williams is more of a shot-blocking/rebounding bruiser while May is more of a finesse player who has great hands and finishes well around the basket.  Daniel Ewing has got to keep in step with Raymond Felton...the Heels go as Felton goes.   An interesting contrast will be with Shav Randolph and Jawad Williams.  Both are power forwards....but Jawad wonders around all over the place...and Randolph, who has struggled at times, must be able to keep up with him [and a certain freshman I mention in a bit]. 

How about depth?  Lee Melchionni brings some solid shooting and play off of Duke's bench.  But, does Duke have any way to deal with Marvin Williams?  The freaky freshman has been on a tear of late.  He dumped 20 on NC State, then made some great individual plays against Florida State.

If you think this game will be good...imagine what it SHOULD be!  Remember, Luol Deng defected the NBA and Shaun Livingston skipped out on Duke and went straight to the NBA.  Both would be starting right now for the Blue Devils.  As for Carolina...JR Smith jumped [litterally] to the NBA and JamesOn Curry [who just dumped in 22 pts for Okie State], who was released from his scholarship due to a drug scandal, could both be wearing Carolina blue.  Even without them....you have Raymond Felton, JJ Reddick, Rashad McCants, Marvin Williams, Sheldon Williams, Sean May, Daniel Ewing, Roy Williams and Coach K out there. 

Some major NBA talent out there!  And some major NBA talent of the sidelines as well.  Both UNC coach Roy Williams and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski were wooed to be Phil Jackson's replacement as coach of the LA Lakers.  Williams declined while Coach K thought hard about heading out west before ultimately staying put [good choice K]. 

Most people who don't live in the Carolinas don't realize that while Dookie V....errrrr....Dick Vitale is jumping and screaming on ESPN.....on Jefferson/Pilot sports [WBTV -3 in Charlotte] Billy Packer will be gleaming about these two programs....and the fact that his Wake Forest has beaten both of them this year. 

Anyways...enjoy the game!

North Carolina. Duke. ACC rivals. Eight miles of road. Two shades of blue.

           

Let?s throw the stats out there.

*This will be the 218th time that these two proud programs will meet [UNC leads 123-94]. Duke is 46-42 at home...including winning 7 of the last 8.

*Duke has won 14 of 16 against North Carolina. 

*North Carolina is favored in this game.  The last time UNC was favored going into Duke was back in 1995 when Stackhouse, McInnis and Sheed went in to play a Coach K-less Heels team....and that may have been the best game played between the two.  Jeff Capel's half court shot and the double-overtime thriller. 

*Only once has the rivalry been played on February 9. The Heels won that game way back in 1957....and they also went on to win the National Championship that season.

*This will be the 37th time they?ve met when both were ranked in the Top 10.

*North Carolina brings in the nation's top scoring offense [92.2 ppg] while Duke brings in the ACC's top scoring defense [63.8].

*Both of these two have the biggest margins of victory in the ACC [UNC #1 - +22.8; Duke #2 - +18.7].

*Who is the better shooting team?  Of the ACC teams, UNC is #1 in FG%, FT% and 3pt%.  While Duke is noted for their ability to hit the three....Carolinahas actually hit FOUR more 3-pters than Duke this season while taking 28 less attempts.  Duke is 3rd in the ACC in all of those categories.

*Three of the top five 3-pt shooters will be in this game.  Raymond Felton [46.8%], Rashad McCants [42.6%] and JJ Reddick [42.4%] are 2nd, 4th and 5th in the ACC respectively. 

*Six of the top 13 scorers in the ACC will be in this game.  JJ Reddick leads the conference in scoring [22.8].  Sheldon Williams, Rashad McCants, Daniel Ewing, Sean May and Jawad Williams [all average between 15.2 and 16.2 ppg] are the others in the top 13 of scorers. 

*JJ Reddick has only averaged 13.2 pts on 32% shooting in five career games against Carolina. 

*The game featues the ACC's top two rebounders, Sheldon Williams and Sean May.

QUOTES:

*Sea May on Duke's depth at center....
"They have a big white kid that they bring in. I don't know his name."

*Sean Dockery on Raymond Felton's speed...
"(He's) like a horse or a cheetah or a Corvette or something. Something like that. He's pretty fast."

*Roy Williams on Cameron Indoor Sweatbox...
"I do not believe that Mike turns the heat up over there. I don't think he's any more competent than coach Smith, and coach Smith never could have found the thermostat to turn it up. I just don't think that happens. I think if it gets hot in there, it's because it's 65 degrees outside"

*Sean Dockery on if he wants to get the heat and scrutiny that JJ Reddick and Rashad McCants constantly gets...
"Of course. J.J. ... he gets all the girls, and Rashad gets all the girls."

 

NORTH CAROLINA
G-Raymond Felton
G-Jackie Manuel
F-Rashad McCants
F-Jawad Williams
C-Sean May
BENCH-Marvin Williams, Melvin Scott, David Noel, Quentin Thomas.

DUKE
G-Daniel Ewing
G-Sean Dockery
F-JJ Reddick
F-Shavlik Randolph
C-Sheldon Williams
BENCH-Lee Melchionni, Demarcus Nelson

North Carolina Tar Heels Message Board
Duke Blue Devils Message Board
Atlantic Coast Conference Message Board

THE CURSE OF WILLIAM PENN

Sorry Philadelphia.  Another sports season goes by...another season without a title.

Call it the Curse Of William Penn.

In Philly, there is a statue of William Penn, the founder and namer of the city of Philadelphia, atop City Hall.  Tradition stated that no building would rise about Penn's statue.  However, in 1987, a skyscraper called One Libery Place that was built a few blocks away far exceeded the statue.   Since then...there has been no sports titles.

While New Englanders pined on about a "curse of the Bambino" since the Red Sox couldn't close the deal on a title....cities like Cleveland and Philadelphia are just waiting for a title....any title...of their own.  Right now, New England has the Pats, Red Sox and Huskies as defending champions.  Cleveland and Philly have nothing.

Since the Indians and Browns aren't much to talk about and we don't need another love-story about LeBron James.....let's focus on Philadelphia.  This is the 21st straight season that Philly has gone title-less.

It wasn't always like this.  In 1980, Philly had a team in all four of the major sports championships.  The Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Sixers were all in the title matches.  Only the Phillies came out on top.

Since then....the only thing that has gone right is dumping the Vet for the Linc and Citizens Bank Park. 

         

The last Philly team to win a title was the 1982-1983 Sixers.  What a team that was.  Moses Malone, Dr. J, Bobby Jones, Mo Cheeks.  They lost only one postseason game and completely took apart a Laker team that just beaten them in the Finals a year earlier.  In fact, that was their fourth Finals since 1977.  In that 7 year period...the Sixers were in the Eastern Conference Finals six times.  

Since then, the Sixers have had Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson....two of the best talents the NBA has ever seen....but only one Finals appearance.  That was in 2001, when the A.I. led Sixers lost to the Lakers in 5 games.   

                      

The Phillies have been around about as long as baseball has.  Yet, in their entire 122 year history....they have just ONE World Series victory to speak of.  ONE.       

That team featured Steve Carlton, Pete Rose, Tug McGraw, Sparky Lyle, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt.  They won a NL pennant a few years later...but lost to the Orioles in the World Series.

Then came 1993.  The Phillies team full of pudgy players and mullets, actually won the NL East and the NL pennant over the Braves.  Game 6 of the World Series, Toronto was up 3 games to 2....and the Phills were up in the 9th inning.  A few more outs...and on to Game 7.

Joe Carter knocked one out of the park....and the Blue Jays were champs.               

The Eagles finally broke through to their first Super Bowl since 1980.  It took them four tries in the NFC title game to get there...but they finally did it.  They ended up losing to the New England Patriots....which extends their NFL championship drought to 44 years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.  They've been to 5 finals since then....but all ended in defeat.  Two of those were sweeps. 

Philly has seen some bright spots in the last 21 years.  The Philly Stars won the USFL championship in 1984.  Villanova won the NCAA Tournament in 1985. 

Since the Sixers 1983 title....Anaheim, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, East Rutherford, Edmonton, Green Bay, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, New York, Oakland, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto and Washington have all had titles in one, or more, of the major four sports.  Philadelphia, with teams in all of those sports leagues...has had none. 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ARE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

It wasn’t the best Super Bowl….but it did have some drama.  The biggest lead was 10 points...and it seemed both teams played well defensively, cautious offensively and solid on special teams.  I’ll touch on some moments to remember from this Super Bowl….excluding the site of Patriots owner Robert Kraft being interviewed celebratory and drunk on NFL Network. 

12-ADAM VINITIERI

Let's see.  Three Super Bowls.  Three wins.  All by three points.  And the final three points that the Pats scored in each Super Bowl came off Adam's leg.  I guess the guy has some job security.

11-PATRIOTS DEFENSE

I don’t think they played that great….but they were very opportunistic. They picked McNabb off 3 times….had another pick overturned due to penalty….and recovered a fumble. New England showed, at times, a 3-5-3 defense.  Yep....5 linebackers.  Hey, nothing is sacred on  team where a #80 is playing defense and a #50 is catching TD passes.  They shut down any sort of running game the Eagles might have wanted to bring.  They focused Westbrook, leaving their young corners to hang with Pinkston [who left the game early] and Mitchell. They did have some lapses when Lewis caught the TD pass and underestimating TO [hey, who didn't]??

10-HISTORY

As the Roman numerals at the end of the Super Bowl get larger [hey, next year we get an ?L?!!!], the fact that certain rare things occurring are quite astonishing. Before this Super Bowl, only one game was tied at halftime [Niners and Bengals were tied at 3 in SB 23]. The Pats and Eagles were tied at 7. Deion Branch tied the Super Bowl record for receptions [11]. This was the first Super Bowl EVER that was tied going into the fourth quarter.  The team that scored first lost.  Other than the logos around the stadium....it didn't really feel like a Super Bowl.  But, judging by some numbers put up, it most certainly was.

9-COMMERICALS

WATCH THE ADS AT IFILM - Super Bowl Ads

Hey?that?s what many people tune in for. So let?s see?.I like the one with every driving a Diet Pepsi truck because Puffy got a lift to an awards show. I like the FedEx spot of the 10 Things You Need In A Super Bowl commercial. The only thing, I thought, they missed was a monkey. Rest assured, CareerBuilder.com had plenty of them in there. I liked the one with the guy was at his buddy?s place with ?Sharon? [why do I remember the name?] while Sharon?s man had the guy?s tickets to the game. I also liked the guy getting maced at the convenience store, Hammer getting his pad taken away [he also was in a Lays one], NFL players singing?Tomorrow?. The ones I didn?t like?.McDonald?s Lincoln fry, that Diana Pearl commercial, any of the car commercials. I also don?t see why chicks hangin? with talking babies and chicks hangin? with talking birds are so cool. 

8-TERRELL OWENS

 

When the game started....he was jogging onto the field. Two plays into the game?.he had a catch. The first week of the Super Bowl was centered around whether TO would make it a go in Jacksonville. It had been just 6 weeks since he had surgery on his lower leg. In the second week?.we pretty much knew he?d play?.but would he just be a decoy? Would he actually make a difference?? How is 9 catches and 122 yards for ya??  Only 5 different guys caught more passes in a Super Bowl game [Jerry Rice and Deion Branch caught more than his twice]. He was crisp and pretty moblie for a guy on one wheel.  He caught a pass, twisted, and headed up field.  Ouch!  Don't underscore how amazing a feat that was out there.  He didn't have a good game for a guy that was hurt.....he had a great day that should be placed in the annals of Super Bowl lore.  I also agree with Owens when he says if Brett Favre played with an injury?he?d ?be called a warrior? while Owens is, instead, called ?selfish?. I agree whole-heartedly.

7-DONOVAN MCNABB

There are MVPs and the like?.but this game was centered around Donovan McNabb. For one reason or another?he was the man in the spotlight. He threw 30-for-51 for 357 yards and 3 TD. Not bad. He also had 3 passes picked off. Not good. Two of those picks came because he underthrew open receivers.  When McNabb missed, he missed high or low. He seemed to aim passes instead of throwing them?.and he seemed rather nervous since he tried to make passes that would may Brett Favre say ?wow!? He also took a HUGE 16-yard sack when the Eagles were 1st and goal on the 8 yard line?.which he eventually threw an interception moments later. And that is the story of this Super Bowl. I?m not saying McNabb cost the Eagles this game?..but if he had calmed down and made better throws [read: regular tosses and not Randy Johnson fastballs], the outcome of this game could be much different. All week, we said that McNabb didn?t have to play perfect?but he couldn?t play shaky for Philadelphia to win.  At times, he looked great....at times he looked rattled.  He found guys open....he just couldn't get it to them. 

6-SLOPPY SLOPPY GAME

I touched on Donovan McNabb, but there were plenty other mistakes out there as well. The Patriots were uncharacteristically jumpy all game?..seven penalties. The false starts, botched hand-off and a very odd defensive call that the Eagles capitalized for a 30 yard TD pass, could have cost New England in most games....but the Eagles kept giving it back.   The Pats had an interception taken away because of illegal contact. The Eagles also did a very curious thing of not hurrying up in their final scoring drive, which may haunt coach Andy Reid for quite some time. They huddled instead of hurried up. And all this doesn?t just pertain to the teams. The officials had three calls reversed with instant replay and they missed a very obvious pick that got Terrell Owens wide open. Not to mention the memorable moment when the officials were trying to sort out a pile after a fumble?.meanwhile the Eagle with the football was standing 25 yards away celebrating.

5-BILL BILICHICK

Doesn't this guy look like he's going to go jogging?  Or coaching a little league team?  Or at the grocery store at 4 in the morning?  Tom Landry had his coat and hat.  Joe Gibbs has his Redskin hat and sweater.  Bill Walsh had his nice polo shirt.  Parcells has that windbreaker look.  Big Bill looks like he pulled this out of the hamper to pick up the kids from day care.  I mean, he's only the most accomplished head coach currently in the NFL [save Joe Gibbs].  Either way, he now has his 5th Super Bowl ring to bling on his hands.  His mentor, Bill Parcells, has yet to win one without Bilichick.  I guess he was worth those draft picks to the Jets, eh?? 

4-DEION BRANCH SHOULD HAVE 2 MVPS

He was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX. He very well could have been named MVP of last year?s Super Bowl. Branch tied the Super Bowl record for receptions in a game?..with 11. Only the Niners? Jerry Rice and Bengals? Dan Ross has caught that many. Last year, he caught 11 passes for 143 yards and a TD against the Panthers. In two Super Bowls, he has 21 catches [3rd all time?trailing only Rice and Andre Reed] and 286 yards [5th all time?trailing only Rice, Lynn Swann, Reed and Michael Irvin]. He outshone Owens in this game?.and many people forget that Branch missed seven games this season due to a knee injury. Branch also caught a TD and 116 yards in the AFC title game against the Steelers. If Brady is lauded for his calm in pressure situations?.Branch should be lauded as a receiver who thrives on the biggest stages.

3-THIS PICTURE

Sorry.....but isn't this the most symbolic thing you've seen??  At this time last year, Terrell Owens wanted to get away from San Francisco and QB Jeff Garcia, who TO repeatedly calls "gay". 

2-DYNASTY?

Yes. How can a team that wins 3 titles in 4 years not be a dynasty? The beat every team they played this season. Heck, repeating as a Super Bowl champion is quite an accomplishment. HOWEVER, I currently do place them behind the 80s Niners, 70s Steelers and 90s Cowboys. I could almost place them behind the 60s Packers. Aside from Dallas, all won more titles in their ?eras? than the Pats currently have. I also think those teams had better talent and equally good coaching. And each of the Pats Super Bowl victories were by a mere 3 pts apiece. But, there is no reason New England cannot stay on top. Yes, coordinators are moving on?.but the players, Bilichick and the attitude stays. They could win a few more?.and if they win Super Bowl XL next February, I?ll sing a different tune.

1-FINALLY, ME ROOTING FOR THE EAGLES

Yeah?I did. Why? Cuz I went around telling people they were going to win. And nothing would be finer than going to work telling people you were right when, I don?t know, 95% of the people said you were a moron for pickingPhilly. They didn?t win?.but it was closer than people gave the Eagles credit for. Truth be told, I did pick Philly to win [which was wrong] but everything I said that needed to happen was true.  When they got to Brady...they were rolling.  They could work that secondary and get plays on them [they got a couple of 30-yarders on 'em].  You just can't turn the ball over like that....certainly not against the AFC Champions.  All I know is that it will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever happen again.  The Eagles go back on the board as the #2 hated team, safely behind the Cowpokes.  I can't believe I actually was clapping when they scored?.which made me physically ill. Or was that all the hot wings, cheese fries, meatballs, chips, salsa and mozzarella sticks I ate?? Anyways?.

....at least Joe Carter didn't hit this one out. 

Rudy T Out....Is Phil Jackson Back In???

What’s going on Rudy T?

Apparently, not the working relationship between the Lakers and Tomjanovich. It seems that Rudy T isn’t just ill as once thought...but there is something going on behind the scenes that may force him out as Lakers coach. Until he speaks...no one knows what that is.

Rudy T has some physical issues. He "retired" from the Houston Rockets because of them....and his bladder cancer took a lot out of him. Also, Rudy is the anti-Phil Jackson. He is into every play...and lives and dies with the ups and downs of the NBA. Really tough to do when you are coaching a team like the Lakers who basically live in a soap opera. He also has had alcohol abuse in his past.

Again....this isn’t set it stone. Word is that he has the "option" to resign....and the Lakers gave him that.

                       

The Lakers were 22-19 under his leadership and have won the two games he has missed with an "illness".

Who will replace Rudy T?? Rumors are abound about who it could be. Some sources have them possibly looking at trying to get Phil Jackson back. Other sources think they’ll go after Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun. Michael Cooper, who had a brief stint as the Nuggets head coach, will have his name in the mix. But Kobe and Coop have already had words to each other. There is even a "joke" going around that Kobe Bryant should be player/coach since he’s calling all of the shots anyways.

Most likely, Frank Hamblin, who was the only holdover from the Phil Jackson era, will stay on as coach for the remainder of the season [hey, he is 2-0].  However, the Phil Jackson rumor has some legs....and some merit.  It is being reported that Laker owner Dr. Jerry Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak approached Kobe Bryant about the possibility of bringing Phil Jackson back aboard the Lakers.  The selling points were (a) the triangle offense would HAVE to run thru Kobe like it did thru Jordan in the day....(b) having Phil back with Kobe and the Lakers would royaly peeve off Shaq in Miami....(c) Phil brings offensive discipline that has been sorely missing on this team.  Apparently, Kobe is taking to the idea. 

Do that voo-doo that you do so well

It is rumored that Phil Jackson somewhat likes the roster that the Lakers have.  He sees Kobe in the Jordan role....and an underused Odom in the Pippen role.  Chris Mihm is no worse that Luc Longley and they have plenty of perimeter shooters that the triangle offense makes into stars.  Jackson also tends to bring to teams defensive discipline...which has been sorely lacking for the Lakers and is evident by their 3-16 record when giving up 100+ points.  It has been rumored of late about Phil Jacksion's itch to get back into coaching.  But, all the jobs he may be willing to take wouldn't be open [Miami, San Antonio] or aren't very attractive [New York]. 

                              
                             Jeanie Buss:  Laker owner's daughter and Phil Jackson's woman

Here are some takes from Laker fans and observers about this development:

JOHNNYSEE: Not to me. This is purely intuitional, but I think Rudy was forced out. I believe Dr. Buss or Mitch or both have expressed displeasure with the way Rudy's coaching the team from game to game, if not necessarily with the overall results and the result was either Rudy being asked to leave or him saying, life's too short for this [crap] - if you don't like what i'm doing, fine - i'll leave. Am I the only one who noticed that Chris Mihm was suddenly in the last two games at crunch time under coach Hamblin? Either way, as most of you know, while i liked the guy, i was growing increasingly disenchanted with the coaching and, so long as this isn't health related, I'm not gonna shed any tears over this, I can tellya that. Will Jackson come back? Riley? Will they stick with Hamblin? Promote from within and give Rambis another shot? Coop? Who knows, but they sure weren't getting everything from the talent they have, such as it is.

YCS: I doubt the Lakers would give him such a long term contract, and a complete overhaul of a roster for a guy who hasnt' coached in a few years, only to jettison him after this few games. I can't imagine that would be what occured here. No way, not after 40 games. I don't care if he had players do handstands in the games. No way Buss and Kuptchak make a mid season change given how much turnover this team had in the offseason with this team above .500 in the West this year with Kobe missing games. I have no clue what it was, but I don't think it's ownership or a team issue. None of those things make sense. He's been an NBA lifer. He's dealt with all sorts of teams I'm sure in that time. You don't handle 35 or whatever years in this league without being able to handle various types of team issues. Honestly I almost hope that is the primary thing because it's either that or his health. And I'd rather have team issues for them, then health issues for Coach Tomjanovich. I'd be surprised if it weren't the latter though. He's too experienced with the NBA to have it be something in that regard.

Honestly. Looking at this roster. If he didn't have a past with them, I'd say Coach Jackson would be amazingly suited for this roster. Kobe would have more of a role in the triangle in years past. Odom would have the pippen role, and Atkins can hit from the perimeter. This is a team who's well suited for his offense. Coach Jackson teams have traditionally been good defensive teams. Obviously I'd be amazed if that actually were a possibility. Coach Jackson returning would be a huge slap in the face to all those critics who say Kobe forced him out, which would be quite a humorous occurrence that I'd enjoy. No way Riley returns midseason with his team on top of the East. Realistic people? I don't know. Bzdelik is probably the only option I can think of if you?re looking past whoever will take over this team on the interim level.

LAKRMIKE: I like Rudy as aperson I respect - as a nice guy. I want him to be happy and healthy. If he can do that, but no longer coaches the Lakers - I can live with it. Like you, I have been waiting half a season for the team's progress to appear. And it hasn't - until tonight.

WOLFONTHEAIR: Tim Legler said The Lakers definatley have give Rudy the "OPTION" of resigning That it is definatley health related But NOT Cancer...does this sound like alchohol again??? The stress of the season and the losing streak of 3 games? He didn't coach Sunday night..he was sick. Maybe he had a bout of drinking? Just speculation here of course. Did you also hear the wild rumor that The next Coach may be Jackson again??? Lol he seems to like the new look Lakers and is very very interested in them. Hmmmmm

BDB:  Rudy is no fool,he sees the tough part of the schedule coming up and he sees what he has.

JROWE:  Lots of speculation on the Big Show this afternoon. Theories ranging from Rudy not being happy with the team's play, to doctor's advice to avoid stressful situations. They also theorized that Jax would be contacted by Buss, and that Jackson has said that he's "intrigued" by the Laker talent. Kobe would be the "Jordan" in Jackson's new version of the Triangle, and they said "remember, Kobe didn't say he hated Phil as a coach, he just didn't like the fact that Shaq was the focal point in Phil's offense".   Another one they mentioned was Kobe mirroring Cary Grant in "It's A Wonderful Life" (I think that was the movie), where he realizes what he had, and wants to revisit it. So in this situation he misses the coach that Jackson is, and in a scenario where he's the vertex of the Triangle; then it works better for Kobe than before. That's John and Steve's take (of the Big Show). John travels with the team, and is privy to key information. Also, Joe McDonnell (when he's not full of himself) is actually a journalistic bloodhound, who gets breaking stories regularly. He backs the Jackson coming back to the Lakers theory, and feels that Rudy is viewed as being "too nice". That Jackson is missed, and would come back to the Lakers in a "let bygones be bygones" mentality. So, what ABOUT that book??? ;-)

It's got to be understood, that Kup and Buss need to maximize the team they have, with the player they've invested in 7 years and a gazillion bucks. That they've been languishing in their inconsistency with the Xs and Os that haven'tyielded anything watchable to this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson is brought back, and Kobe is turned into Jordan (meaning shifting him to that position), and giving Odom the role we've been talking about. If Jackson is "intrigued", suffice it to say that Jackson's re-signing would appear to be imminent, especially since the Lakers star player gives his blessing to "appreciate what he had before", ESPECIALLY with Shaq out of the picture. This could be Kobe's dream come true.

RSMBENTLEY:  The concept of the triangle is not hard to master, but to be able to play with it consistently, you need more than just the bare concept, you need to be able to able to impliment it automatically. That takes time, and that takes throwing away games until you get it right.  There's no shortcut to making a good system work. I hate to be repetitive, but it's just like what happened in Hoosiers. It really is. Until it's automatic, you suffer. If you try to skip over that, and just freelance because it's easier, you never really learn the system. Jackson's system would be easier to learn if he had a translator who made it easier to learn, and if he coached as well on defense as he did on offense, and so even if they were floundering around on offense, they'd stay in the game by getting stops.   That bings me to one last quick point, which is about Jacksons' teams having good defense. They've had it in spite of him. They've had it when good players who were competitive to win their matchups in man-to-man defense, for a spurt here or there. The kind of defense the Lakers needed to make that comeback agaisnt Portland a few years ago was only for one half of one ballgame. It's a different era officially since Jordan quit. An era of physicality. You have to do it for the entire 3rd and 4th quarter... maybe the entire game, if you're against a team with as many weapons as San Antonio now has.   Lakers have no physically intimidating players except Kobe. So what they need to do to be effective is to know what the offense is going to do against them and take initiative. Take some risks, go for steals, be ready to rotate if it fails. Think ahead. Know who to double with who, and when to rotate back. Good defense is dynamic. That motivation is not going to come from Phil, but it looks like Hamblen figured it out. Then again, the Blazer tonight played at a level where the lakers matched up against them man to man. If it was a different team like the Spurs, the only way to defend is to be out-thinking their coach, and that usually comes from your coach, and Phil doesn't usually do that. But that's what they need to do.   Phil cannot cure this defensive mess. But he could cure the offense, if he just gets them to continue doing what they did tonight: move the ball. Just move it. And they'd be in better defensive posture transitioning after a make than a miss and outlet, which has generally killed them, though already, Hamblen seems to be imparting lessons with respect to transition ball.