A Win is a Win

Knicks beat Minnesota just a while ago and I actually got to see bits and pieces of the game. Winning is always better than losing but this was another ugly outing. The Knicks should have handed Minnesota their heads - Minnesota largely little more than a team of castaways.

The best player of the game was Lee whose rebounding and intangibles just make everybody look better out there. The most over-rated performance was Crawford's. Yes he got 24 points but my god his defense was just atrocious McCants wanted to take it to him all night long.

The second worst performance was Curry. The man has got to rebound - something he picked up in the second half but he and Zack have to own that paint.

Honorable deficient performance goes to Balkman who allowed Gomes to blow by him at the half way mark - just a dumb play - enough to keep Minny in it.

But it is becoming obvious the starting unit is window dressing - it was not until the second unit came on that the Knicks looked like winners. The Crawford/Curry coupling is bad basketball and Isiah needs to break this tandem up a bit. Or trade them.

My fascination with Curry is just about over. If Isiah packaged Curry, Crawford, and change for Kobe and Kwame, I think the trade would work out fine in both directions. Right now the Knicks "starting unit" is disappointing at best.

Remembering John Woodruff

His obituary shows up in the LA Times this way. And it is an insight into the relationship of sports and character. Knicks fans can only hope our team steps up compete as wholly as a Woodruf did so many years ago.

John Woodruff, the black American runner who won the 800 meters in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the face of Adolf Hitler and his "master race" agenda, has died. He was 92.

Woodruff, the last surviving gold medalist from that U.S. team that included the legendary runner Jesse Owens, died Tuesday at an assisted living center near Phoenix, said Rose Woodruff, his wife of 37 years.

Nicknamed "Long John" for his nearly 10-foot stride, Woodruff was a lanky 21-year-old freshman at the University of Pittsburgh with just three years of competitive running under his belt when he sailed to the racially charged scene in Berlin.

On Aug. 4, 1936, he won the 800 meters using one of the most astonishing tactics in Olympic history. Boxed in by the pack of runners, he literally stopped in his tracks, then moved to the third lane and passed everyone to win the race in 1:52.9.

"I didn't panic," Woodruff told the New York Times in 2005. "I just figured if I had only one opportunity to win, this was it. I've heard people say that I slowed down and almost stopped. I didn't almost stop. I stopped, and everyone else went around me."

He was the first black athlete to win a gold medal at the Berlin Games.

The obituary contains even more astonishing sports feats.

Help Find Megan Roberts

Megan was found in early November!

I Don't Miss Nichols

A lot of very frustrated fans are making far too much ado about very little. D. Nichols was a D League SF who may someday make it but not with the Knicks. So what?

IMO, he should have honored the deal that would have sent him on a European holiday. Bill Bradley did it years ago. Seems good enough for modern players as well.

many of the preseason machinations teams do are the cost of doing business. Again, too many pundits act as though the nickel and dime moves made in preseason are mismanagement. Um,... NO.

With Bibby hurt, Artest may once again be in play but I don't think Isiah bites. Chandler looks far too interesting.

Alex Rodriguez forgot the Wally Pip story. I like the fact that the Yankees are saying goodbye.

Dribble Sez:

A few weeks ago we visited the Manhattan residence of Dribble, the turtle, one of the Knicks most patient fans.KnicksMecca's interview went like this:

KM: So Dribble, what do you think of the Knicks progress under Isiah Thomas?

D: Slow but sure.

KM: That pre-season loss to the Celts must have given you doubts, no?

D: I almost decided not to come out of my shell for days.

KM: So who do you see as the Knicks openinhg day lineup?

D: Well, with Q and Jeffries hurt, I'm guessing Nate, Marbs, Crawford, Randolph and Curry.

KM: And are you venturing a guess at wins this season?

D: My guess is 47 wins, 52 if Isiah pulls off a Kobe trade, but 47 sounds right sticking close to the ground.

KM: Thanks, Dribble.

D: Take it slow, WGF.

Cruel AND Unusual

You probably think I'm going to refer to Bush and Cheney - forgetaboutit.

No. Genarlow Wilson will soon be free. From the New York Times, Georgia Supreme Court Frees Man in Sex Case;

The Georgia Supreme Court today ended the 10-year prison sentence of a man who was convicted in 2003 of having consensual oral sex with another teenager. The court said the harsh sentence violated the Constitution’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

In a 4-to-3 ruling, the court’s majority said the sentence was “grossly disproportionate” to the crime, which the justices said “did not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children.”

The inmate, Genarlow Wilson, who is now 21, was 17 when he was caught on videotape having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a drug- and alcohol-fueled New Year’s Eve party in 2003. He was released this afternoon.

Mr. Wilson was convicted of aggravated child molestation for the act, a charge which carried a mandatory minimum prison term so harsh it shocked his jury and prompted an international outcry from critics who charged that prosecutors had been overzealous and racially motivated. The law, critics said, was meant to keep child molesters behind bars, not to curb teenage sexual activity.

A generation of illiterate and pathological ideologues have polluted America's body of law with legislation so poorly crafted that every American no matter how innocent can be charged, tried, and convicted of one morals charge or another with impunity by prosecutors so devoid of ethical fortitude that justice seems more like a drive by government assassination attempt than a fair and impartial process.

This court's conclusion and accurate assessment of this boy's punishment is a glimmer of hope in a republic waste deep in corruption, scandal, and political filth. When justice is served so infrequently and in such meager helpings one can be sure that prayers are not being answered. It is time for Americans to demand and expect more of the lawmakers and the courts.

NBA Investigating Boston Players After Loss to Knicks

Paul Pierce's unacceptable behavior in grabbing Jamal Crawford's chin is under review by the NBA as is Tony Allen's shoving, the Boston Globe reports.

According to an NBA official, the league didn't announce any review yesterday of the film of the Celtics-Knicks game Monday night, which included physical incidents involving most notably Paul Pierce, as well as Tony Allen. The official also said there is no timetable for any such announcement on whether there will be punishments. One reason the NBA might not be in a rush is because the Celtics don't play a regular-season game until Nov. 2 against Washington.

The incident involving Pierce occurred when teammate Ray Allen fell hard after being fouled by New York's Jamal Crawford with 4:55 remaining in the third quarter of Boston's 94-87 loss. Allen's teammates immediately rushed to his defense, with Pierce grabbing Crawford's chin. Tony Allen later seemed to push Knicks guard Nate Robinson after they got tangled up in the fourth quarter.

IMO, the guy that the NBA needs to take a hard look at is Scalabrine whose clumsy thuggishness marred the Sixers/Celtics game at the Mohegan Sun and continued into the Knicks contest.

I have nothing against physical play on the court but the penny-ante assaults that second-stringers like Scalabrine bring to the floor injure first-string veterans.

Pierce and Boston will not become champions by being immature on the court and that's why many experts are picking the Knicks ahead of Boston. Pierce, Garnett, and Allen are being hailed as The Big Three but the Celtics are like a three-legged stool whose third leg can't carry the weight. All the PR in the world can't disguise poor sportsmanship.

Final: Knicks 94-87

Knicks expose Celtics 4-15 are not up to it.

Nate was on fire. Lee is just about uncanny - he just gets to the ball on offense and cleans it up or he is just in that 'D' position.

Now, very interesting development. Isiah seems to be trying Jeffries out as a situational center and it works very nicely. The Knicks bench (outscoring Boston's bench 31-7 at the 7 minute mark, 4th quarter) is playing western ball - looking a lot like a wide-open Phoenix/Warriors type game.

Watching Lee, Randolph, Jeffries, Nate, then add Balkman to that mix and the Knicks are more than deep, they bring a complex set of games to the game.

Now, Lee being interviewed said the East is between Celts, Knicks, Toronto, and NJ. I agree.

Lessons learned. NO WAY Lee is getting traded - amazing talent. Chandler is this year's Lee - by February he's a starter with no apologies to Balkman. Chandler is huge at Sf and cat quick. If Isiah tag teams the two of them forget all about Artest.

Quite frankly, NO to Kobe. We do not want to lose Chandler or Nate.

Nate is way outplaying Crawford.

And, as I said, Jeffries as a situational, long center/PF is a very interesting and innovative idea by Isiah. I like it.

3rdQ - 77-72 Knicks

Chandler just seriously stuffed Garnett, OMG!

Chandler having mixed results guarding Pierce but showing nice flashes. Very active and refreshing in tandem with Lee. Interesting chemistry there -Chandler, Lee, Randolph.

71-68 at a timeout. So what's happened to the lead? Chandler getting beat by Pierce who is taking advantage of the match-up. But, to Isiah's credit, he sticks with Chandler who is showing that he will soon own Pierce. Celts also getting some calls, bleh.

Nate comes in and is everywhere. Drops a trey. fred Jones in for Chandler but Pierce burns him too.

Celtics hate this game. Garnett frustrated. Nate just shuts down Rondo.

2nd Quarter - Knicks 55-46

Nate is killin' the Celts. Pinpoint passing. Knicks playing 'D', just blowing by Celts.

The 55 is most points scored against Celts in pre-season. Game got messy for a while. Garnett with a nice dunk that the Boston Comcast played over and over - much ado about nothing. Heinsohm hates Curry. Claims Curry will never be a player.

Randolph having a great game. Missing a few shots that just rimmed out.

Observation; Rose is stealing time from Jeffries - silly. We need to get Jeffries on track. Rose a non-entity on the court (sorry to say).

Q playing hard as are most Knicks - Heinsohm crying that Bavetta only ref calling it straight up.

If Knicks play this tough at home all season, we will be a lock for the playoffs.

Celts claim Knicks "taking it personally". Yessir, Sherlock.