WELCOME HOME PROUD FANATICS

 

 

C’mon on in guys. Check out your new digs. We’re not quite finished decorating, but we think you might dig some of the upgrades that make it a bit easier and more comfortable to post and toast (or burn) concerning our home slices, the Knicks.The most significant improvement from our previous home base is the comment section. You will see we have returned to the numbered and boxed comments which generally makes for easier reading and reference. However, we have added a feature which allows you to respond directly to specific comments and those comments appear unnumbered in a box within the comment box. Hopefully it adds to the flow of the discussion.

Also check out the Vodpod which will be updated with the bomb videos on a regular basis. I love that Vodpod.

You will also see that we still have our sounds in the Fanatics Musicality section. For those of you who were getting busted by your bosses and wives when you visited the old site because the music came on automatically, you’ll be happy to know that bloggers are required to click on the image to bring up the standalone Playlist and start the jams. It is still a fabulous eclectic mix of 200 songs which will create a great environment for your reads.

You will also see that there are presently no advertisements on this site. I cannot promise it will always be that way, but we will do everything we can to avoid the multitude of flash ads about IQ and sex slaves. (O.K. we’ll keep the other site open if you still want the sex slave ads).

You will also see that we have Gravatars. Those can be created at Gravatar.com or you can let us automatically assign you a Gravatar. If I have time, I can design one for you, but it may take me a while. I would love to design the Gravatars for my guys Peace, African and Statesman. I know just what they should look like on-line. Don’t you? Suggestions?

You will also note that we still have our Knicks Klippings, but WordPress.com does not allow the application directly onto the blog. You must access the headlines by clicking the link, instead of the convenience of seeing the headlines once you get onto the site. Well, we couldn’t give you everything.

The last thing we can give you though, is the assurance that we will continue to have hot fun. In this incarnation, we expect to have all of our old posters and commentors. Any regulars who want to be an author, let me know. We expect that Lives, O&B, Peace, Tman, Statesman and Modi will continue to contribute posts. However, this time there will be no admin posts and because WordPress.com protects this site, we should not lose any posts no matter how badly they talk about the administrator, which will be me this go round. Yes, I have gone back on my word not to administer a blog but you should know by now that at the end of every year I do something contrary. The first year LIVES had African believing I was a white man with some multicultural sensibilities. The next year LIVES was supposed to die. Now this year, to keep the family together and to bring some people back, I have moved the blog to my account. But be clear that all that means is that we have one administrator but a family of creators responsible for the content of this blog. I do not expect to post anymore than I have in the past.

I want to make sure we ALL have a good home for our posting passion.

I’ll have more info for you later. I’ve got to go and send out some invites. Peace. 

KNICKS CLOSE SEASON BY TAKING DOWN NETS: BIG WIN WITH LITTLE MEANING

            

 

The Knicks’ players sought to leave the season on a positive note, while the Nets stars clearly just wanted to leave.  The Knicks destroyed the Nets, winning by 29 points, as the Nets two highest scorers sat on the bench.  The game for the Knicks was akin to the last day of class when everyone was sad to leave but no one knew who would be in their class next year.  Almost certain to be at another school, so to speak, is either David Lee or Nate Robinson (take our poll in the sidebar.   Yes, David Lee is listed twice.  LOL.).  They both played this game with the knowledge that it may be their last game in the place where they came of age and established themselves well enough to be set financially for the rest of their careers.  I am sure they both have very nice things to say about how Dolan and Zeke.

David Lee used the game to also compile his 65th double double with twelve points and twelve boards.  Lee has really grown and is superb in the shallow end of the offensive side of the court.   Despite the occassional block of his shots, he is almost unstoppable down low.  His foot movement and feel for the basket is incredible.  However, incredible is also how I would describe his lousy defensive skills.  ARRRRRRGH.

I noted that Al Harrington gave thanks to the fans for the team on fan appreciation night.  He showed great courage when he asked the fans to renew their season tickets after the sorry season they offered up.  Al’s effort was not isolated as the Knicks have been trying hard to sell this past season as an expected setback in the   rebuilding process.  A position they take after suggesting to us that they were interested in the making the playoffs.  I said at the beginning of the year that they were lying because there was no way they would or could do both lower the salary cap and get into the playoffs. 

Now the problem is what will Walsh build with the pieces he has now, a year after he took over.  We’ll give Walsh a break.  Although we expect the President to bring the nation back to recovery in under 100 days, we’ll give Walsh 365 days and see what he can come up with. . . Oh, what? . . . the 365 days are up.  So what has Walsh done and what has he put in place to turn us into champions?  What is he going to do next and how dows that get us into the playoffs in 2009-10?

If you know what his plan really is, can you share it with us?

 

Nets 73, Knicks 102

 

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

 

 

	1	2	3	4	T
NJN (34-48)	16	24	18	15	73
NYK (32-50)	24	28	29	21	102

 

Final

 

 

8:00 PM ET, April 15, 2009

Madison Square Garden

New York, NY

 

NEW JERSEY NETS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Trenton Hassell, SF	16	2-6	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	1	0	0	0	1	-10	4
Ryan Anderson, PF	32	4-11	2-5	3-4	3	8	11	0	3	0	2	3	-20	13
Brook Lopez, C	30	2-9	0-0	2-2	3	4	7	1	0	3	2	1	-29	6
Keyon Dooling, G	26	2-8	0-3	2-2	2	5	7	5	0	0	1	1	-9	6
Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG	44	6-16	0-0	6-6	1	1	2	2	2	0	5	2	-34	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Bobby Simmons, SF	22	3-8	2-2	1-1	3	3	6	0	0	0	1	2	-16	9
Jarvis Hayes, SF	20	1-5	0-0	0-0	1	3	4	1	0	0	3	1	-12	2
Maurice Ager, SF	16	3-8	0-2	1-2	1	1	2	1	0	0	1	3	+5	7
Josh Boone, C	7	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	+6	2
Yi Jianlian, PF	16	1-6	0-1	2-2	2	1	3	0	0	2	1	3	-20	4
Sean Williams, PF	11	1-4	0-0	0-0	2	1	3	1	1	0	1	2	-6	2
Devin Harris, PG	DNP SORE LEFT SHOULDER
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		26-83	4-13	17-19	20	29	49	12	6	6	17	19		73
		31.3%	30.8%	89.5%	Team TO (pts off): 20 (28)
+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.
NEW YORK KNICKS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Al Harrington, PF	19	2-5	1-2	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	+9	5
David Lee, PF	25	5-8	0-0	2-2	2	10	12	3	1	0	1	4	+22	12
Jared Jeffries, PF	25	2-8	0-1	0-0	1	3	4	0	0	0	0	1	+23	4
Chris Duhon, PG	27	3-6	1-2	0-0	0	1	1	6	1	1	1	2	+34	7
Wilson Chandler, SF	36	5-14	1-5	5-6	3	2	5	2	2	1	1	2	+15	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Larry Hughes, SF	24	5-7	2-3	3-4	0	3	3	1	1	0	0	1	+15	15
Quentin Richardson, SG	11	4-8	1-3	0-0	1	3	4	0	1	0	1	0	-5	9
Chris Wilcox, PF	23	5-9	0-0	4-5	1	4	5	1	0	1	2	3	+7	14
Nate Robinson, PG	32	4-12	0-6	4-4	3	3	6	4	2	0	1	3	+19	12
Joe Crawford, SG	12	2-6	1-2	0-0	1	2	3	0	1	0	0	1	+6	5
Mouhamed Sene, C	6	1-2	0-0	1-1	2	3	5	0	0	1	1	0	0	3
Chris Hunter, F	DNP SPRAINED LEFT ANKLE
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-85	7-24	19-22	14	35	49	17	9	4	10	17		102
		44.7%	29.2%	86.4%	Team TO (pts off): 10 (10)
+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.

 

Flagrant Fouls: None
Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: 1 NEWYORK ( W Chandler 1 ) – TEAMS (def3sec): None – COACHES: None
Officials: Eric Lewis , Dick Bavetta , Marc Davis
Attendance: 19,763
Time of Game: 02:09

Isiah Thomas Moves On To The Next Phase Baby

                 

If you love redemption stories, you gotta love this Easter 2009 tale in which an embattled NBA Executive overcomes likely banishment to basketball purgatory after being dragged through basketball hell on his own wheels.  Instead of being blackballed from basketball for being the nominal steward of one of the Knicks’ worst eras, on and off the court,  in recent memory, Mr. Isiah Thomas starts the process of rebuilding his career and name by taking a head coaching job at the relatively obscure college basketball program of Florida International.

If you love redemption stories, you gotta love that Mr. Thomas ignores the critics who claimed that he would never be able to coach again.  It ain’t none of my business, but I do wonder about that mess surrounding his alleged suicide attempt in which he publicily involved his daughter.  The episode curiously included a publicity seeking Police Chief who , in violation of HIPPA and police department protocol, made public comments regarding Isiah’s role in the events at his home.  I wonder because I am curious as how the suicide attempt is reconciled to this man’s apparent “never-say-die” approach to life.  Is it that even the strongest of us can buckle under the pressure?  Or is it simply that there was no suicide attempt, just an overdose of pills that far too many people take in multitudes in order to fall asleep?  I just wonder.

But what I don’t have to wonder, is that this guy does not give up.  Given that his tenure as a coach of the New York Knicks was an abysmal failure and his stint as an Executive suffered significantly because he overestimated his ability to relate to the priority and pride of his star players, for Mr. Thomas to accept a job at Florida International is impressive.  He clearly understands the value of failure and how it can the necessary skills and lessons needed to move forward towards success.  How well he has learned from this last episode remains to be seen.

What is even more impressive is that he is giving back his salary to the educational institution, especially since he has made a ton of money by traveling arond the country to enjoy college sporting events while earning his money by “not advising” Donnie Walsh according to Walsh.  Some may not see this as a big deal, but it is, especially when you compare it to the money made by preachers from athelete tithing as seen today on ESPN’s “Behind The Lines” 

So Isiah moves on to a new phase in his life.  It is a good move for him, because he is clearly an excellent teacher, particularly for young men of color.  What he gives the youngsters will hopefully make him a better person for himself. And in Florida, unlike New York, he won’t be faced with a media that will claim he brainwashed his players like a modern day Rasputin.  And we won’t be subjected to another MSM comment about Isiah’s wardrobe (which is as dapper as D’Antoni’s unmentioned closet) as though it’s hard to believe a black man could wear a nice suit.

As a Knick Fan, I am glad to see Isiah move on — I wish he had taken Walsh with him, but we’ll deal with that later.   Also as a fan of redemption stories, I am glad that he has humbled, and thereby strengthened, himself enough to start over.   We will see him in the NBA again.  He is smart and he has skills.