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Friday, 30 July 2010 |
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Like medicine, mom telling us to bundle up, or a coach telling us we
still need to practice before we make the starting team, no one likes to
receive news they don't want to hear. What makes the NCAA the villain
in most people's eyes is their absolute control over penalties with only
themselves as the court for appeals.
The USC football and basketball program was hit with harsh sanctions
last week, even after all the parties (coaches and players) involved are
no longer associated with the school. Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo will
essentially be erased from all but the collective consciousness of USC
fans. Penalties handed down by the NCAA went above the self imposed USC
penalties, so that the basketball program will not be permitted to play
in the NCAA tournament and the football team participate in any bowl
game for two years.
Yesterday, after the Arizona program had already self imposed recruiting
restrictions on itself for violations it committed by (then) head coach
Lute Olson interactions with a camp on campus, the NCAA struck again by
imposing an additional year of lost scholarship and wiping out the 19
wins in the 2007-08 season.
The question is, why mus the NCAA always appear to be the over-bearing
parent that has to have the last word? You've cleaned your room after
being told to do so several times, but now told you will also not
receive desert. Each program has realized its errors, cleaned itself,
imposed sanctions upon itself like a forced diet, and then gets
additional punishment, as if to say "we're watching you".
There has to be a time when an NCAA institution will self impose
sanctions and it will be enough to satisfy those in Indianapolis. When
will we hear about those?
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Tuesday, 13 July 2010 |
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A multitude of thoughts on the LeBron James signing with the Miami Heat
have been expressed by members of the Gameoversportz.com community.
Each has expressed ideas and reflections of the events that has led to
the top three available NBA free agents, James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris
Bosh to sign contracts with the Heat. The owner of James former team,
the Cleveland Cavaliers, went on a rant the evening of James
announcement (and which resulted in a $100,000 fine by the NBA). There
was articles and talk radio that discussed James abandonment of
Cleveland, that he shied away from locations like New York and Chicago
due to legacies (Jordan) and spotlight/media (intrusion into personal
life). Discussions have surrounded the decision in the manner in which
the decision was announced (Live television broadcast on ESPN),
collusion among the three players as much as three years prior to the
free agent period of 2010, and the Miami Heat organization using Wade as
its emissary to construct the environment to lure James and Bosh.
A party in South Beach the day after where each of the three strutted
down a runway in their uniforms like models slapping hands of fans.
Other franchises that were unable to land any of the top three settled
for their second and third choices, if they were fortunate. Talk of a
dynasty and expectations of multiple championships has emerged as
benchmarks that must be met or levels of failure will be tied to these
three as they were to prior greats like Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar
Robertson.
Other than that, not much has happened in the past 5 days.
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Wednesday, 07 July 2010 |
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We were waiting for the first shoe to drop, and it did when A'mare
Stoudemire announced that New York was his kind of town and the Knicks
his kind of team. Now it is reported that Dwayne Wade is staying in
Miami and Chris (Tweeter) Bosh is joining him.
But to the absolute joy of NBA Commissioner David Stern, LeBron James
announcement will come on live television Thursday evening on ESPN. At a
time usually reserved for presidential addresses, "The King" will
address the nation where he will accept a contract of well over $100
million. The biggest announcement most of us make is when we get up
from the dinner table and tell our companions that we are going to the
bathroom.
The NBA has gotten such free press from free agency that they have to
consider revising the length of contracts so that all players are free
agents every year. The public relations that has come at the hands of
the ESPN media giant could not be bought for less than the BP oil
clean-up in the Gulf.
Are there winners and losers? The ultimate winner is the NBA for all
the spotlights it has received these past months. Some teams will
garner greater attention, others will warrant our sympathies, and some
will just go on being who they are (i.e.: Los Angeles Clippers). But we
have all provided the NBA, like an attention starved 16 year old, what
they wanted, our abject attention.
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Wednesday, 30 June 2010 |
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Tonight begins the equivalent to racing your car to a stop light. All
you did was hurry to now wait. And tonight, once the clock turns to a
new day, NBA free agency period will begin. And if you haven't had
enough coverage on talk radio and ESPN, every little movement through
the holiday weekend will be scrutinized by the talking heads. But it
will all mean nothing since no free agent can sign on the dotted line
until July 8.
So sit back, go for a jog, read a book, shoot some jump shots of your
own. You won't miss anything that won't be analyzed, over analyzed,
poked, probed, and interpreted 20 million times over the next 8 days,
minimum. And when real news breaks, you only need to come to www.gameoversportz.com or www.gameovernyc.com for all the
information on your favorite player and team.
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Knicks Wise To Pass On Stephenson |
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Sunday, 27 June 2010 |
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The Knick' s have been down this path before. A "legendary" city player
that has a street rep that some fans want to see in orange and blue.
Only this time they listen to reason and fought the urge to redo the
Stephon Marbury disaster. The Knicks passed on Brooklyn legend and
Univ. of Cincinnati Freshman Lance Stephenson. Many colleges passed on
the "one-and-done" Stephenson who showed talent but lives on potential.
Having been selected by the Knick's would have led both Stephenson and
the Knick's down a path that would have ended poorly for each. There is
too much history and pressure on NYC high school legends to succeed at
home. And in the age that basketball now is, having his entourage with
him is just too distracting from someone that needs to still learn the
game. Indiana is the right place for Stephenson, and should he develop,
can always look 3 years from now to signing as a free agent with his
hometown team.
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Sunday, 27 June 2010 |
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The countdown is on in several NBA cities as free agency begins at the
stroke of midnight Wednesday. The New York Post has a countdown clock
on its Sports Page, with daily articles regarding the meetings LeBron
James is set to take Thursday, first meeting with the Knicks and then
the Nets in Ohio.
Hate to tell it to the Knicks, but if there is a betting line in Vegas
(and you know there is one), they are a 1,000 - 1 shot at landing James
despite clearing enough cap room to get him a playmate superstar. Its
not their fault. They have done everything within their power and
scope. Only they do not have any present players on their roster that
will assist James in his pursuit of a championship. Their are some nice
pieces, but just that, nice pieces.
Truth is, across the river the Nets are better situated with Brook Lopez
and company to entice James. But they are at least two years away from
moving to Brooklyn and a marketing dream. If James re-ups with the
Cav's for only 3 years, you and everyone else will know that it is with
an eye to leave Cleveland after the term is up to go play in JZ's
playhouse on Atlantic Ave.
Smart play for James is either going to Chicago or Miami where there are
players that are of talent and room to bring along additional talent
with James.
We will see GM's sweat on Thursday and teams come up short, having to
explain to an angry fan base why they were not a target of the free
agent's affection. For the Knick's, its nothing they did wrong, they
just don't have enough ammunition.
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NBA Free Agency Opens July 1 |
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Friday, 25 June 2010 |
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In seven days the frenzy will begin. Yesterday was the appetizer that
we ate as we wait for the main course. It filled us a little, teased
our palate, but left us hungry for something more substantial.
The NBA free agent period opens at 12:01 AM July 1 with main course
dishes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, among others.
Teams over the past two years frantically scrambled to clear salary cap
room in anticipation of luring one, or possibly two of these talented
individuals. The Chicago Bulls pulled off a Draft Day trade of Kirk
Hinrich to the Washington Wizards in order to land LeBron plus another
free agent to pair with Derrick Rose. Miami cleared more space to make
room for keeping Wade plus adding additional free agents, such as James.
Teams like the Knicks and Nets may be left out in the cold come next
Friday.
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Tonight's NBA Draft Anticlimatic |
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Thursday, 24 June 2010 |
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Truthfully, who is really going to tune into tonight's NBA Draft? Other
than John Wall and Evan Turner, are there any impact players? Will any
of the lottery picks have their options picked up after their
guaranteed 3 year contracts expire?
The truth is July 1 is only seven days away. The fever pitch will build
until the strike of midnight and the exec's of the teams with cap room
all hit their speed dials for LeBron, Dwayne, Chris and the rest. This
will be the NBA excitement, the NBA replenishment, that we as fans are
all looking for.
While your team may make a questionable selection in tonight's draft,
look toward's next week as an indicator as to who they may be going
after to fill the obvious needs they didn't address with the draft.
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Tuesday, 22 June 2010 |
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The 2010 Game Over Classic just concluded this past weekend at two sites. Champions were crowned in 8 divisions. To see photos and videos of the action, go to www.gameoversportz.com . If you are not yet a member, becoming on is free and only takes a moment.
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Tuesday, 22 June 2010 |
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The replenishment begins Thursday evening as the NBA will hold its
annual draft of amateur players. The Washington Wizards hold the top
pick this year, followed by the 76ers and Nets. Kentucky freshman John
Wall is expected to be the first overall selection, Ohio State's Evan
Turner to go to the Sixers, and the Nets selecting Georgia Tech big man
Derrick Favors. There are two rounds to the draft. The New York Knicks
do not have a First Round Selection.
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Tuesday, 22 June 2010 |
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The Los Angeles Lakers won their 16th NBA Championship by beating their arch rivals, the Boston Celtics, in a 7th Game slugfest. After trailing by as much as 13 points in the middle of the 3rd Quarter, the Lakers were able to shut down the Celtic attack. The championship brings them to within one overall championship of the Celtics, who have 17. Kobe Bryant received the Finals MVP award.
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