(Tommy Silverstein)
I’d first like to thank Mike Tillery for letting me rock the mic once in a while.
You might’ve seen me in SLAM Magazine, I did the Detroit Pistons piece in the latest issue, and hopefully, that’s just the beginning. I go by the name YoungVito.
It’s good for the soul to sometimes sit back and laugh at ourselves…
(Thanks to thebiglead.)
Brown Sanders: “extremely pleased”. Will this affect Zeke’s job status?
With the Knick faithful chanting “Fire Isiah” during every home game as well as everything else that’s swirling around the Knicks organization, it was probably in their best interest to get this lawsuit out of the way and focus on basketball. We all know how outrageous the New York media can be and the Knicks’ brass made a judgment call reportedly spurred by Commissioner David Stern.
Sitting at 6-14, is the season salvageable? It’s early right? Ladies I would love to get your thoughts on how this affects you (if it indeed does at all) as a woman first and sports fan second.
L.A. Clippers 84, New York Knicks 81
Chris Kaman 14 points and 18 rebounds.
(Chris Carlson/AP)
Brothas gonna work it out? Lets hope so
Marbury returns. Weary Knicks score 9 in the third, lose to Clips
Stephon Marbury returned to his team in Los Angeles and scored 13 points in 34 minutes. What an awkward situation. There were reports of a fight–on the plane–between Coach Zeke and Marbury. Stephon then (allegedly, this must be said) threatens Zeke with blackmail? Goodness.
Do you really think you know me?
Jemele Hill, columnist for ESPN.com, has caught some flack around these parts. This is an age where some media entities represent Disney eared, Aaron McGruder caricatures adorned with extra teenie glasses whose sole aim is to pander to the disillusioned masses–themselves jackasses. You all know where I personally stand with Jemele. Similar to what we have here with the TSF creative, I wanted to engage you with provocative thoughts of visualizing where she stands in OUR collective hearts. There’s no one in journalism like her and she hears it from everyone. Could you imagine being in the center of a room with your eyes closed and wearing headphones? Opening your eyes, you are bombarded with screaming criticism from any and everyone. The faces are Black. The faces are White…Brown and so on and so forth. There are men. There are women and even youngsters.
You stand up with a sista burned fire ready to snap.. As you remove the headphones, the faces and voices fade to black like rescinding fog in a bizarro world. You wonder to yourself , “What the hell is going on?” Thinking aloud… “Is this my professional existence? Is this what I signed up for? Am I supposed to care what these strangers think? Why are they so passionate about the words I write? Do they scream their loved ones way, like they spew hatred and venom in my comment section every day?
Why do all these people want my writing to just go away?
I tell you what, this my destiny. I do this for the love. I’m here to stay no matter what they say….
Read Jemele’s archived work here.
David Aldridge has been a fixture on the athletic sideline for going on two decades. His journalism is as professional and factual as his reporting and David admirably has a heart felt sense of wanting the field of journalism to flourish with true diversity. He also understands the efficiency of stressing education to our children and the detrimental effect a lack of educational importance can have on our youth. Presently working with TNT, he consistently gives the correct analysis regarding the inside workings of the basketball business. The Philadelphia Inquire was very smart in keeping him around after a well publicized layoff that claimed over 60 jobs. It was truly a pleasure to interview someone who knows what it takes in this business and makes no bones about helping us all get to where we aspire in our collective journalistic endeavours.
MT: Describe growing up in DC.
DA: Grew up in Northeast DC. Dad was a mail man, Mom was a nurse. I just remember that on my block, people worked for a living. They went out to work early in the morning, worked all day, came home got some food and probably like my Dad had another job they went to. It was an environment where you saw people grinding every day. My next door neighbor’s Dad ran a McDonalds. It was a good neighborhood where you learned the value of hard work. You had people looking out for you. Mothers and fathers around the neighborhood that saw you doing something wrong made sure Mom and Dad heard about it. It was definitely a great place to grow up.
val·u·a·ble [val-yoo-uh-buhl]–adjective
1. having considerable monetary worth; costing or bringing a high price: a valuable painting; a valuable crop.
2. having qualities worthy of respect, admiration, or esteem: a valuable friend.
3. of considerable use, service, or importance: a valuable player.
4. apparently not Jerry West. (But he got the logo, so it’s all good.)
NBA greats are a unique breed in the sporting pantheon. No athlete can impose pure will on his respective sport like a basketball player. There’s no disconnect between offense and defense, which gives a player more influence over his teammates on both sides of the ball. They’re the only athletes who can make a play for the crucial score and inasplitsecond make a stop that seals the win. In fact, most times they are expected to. Basketball players carry a heavier burden than their contemporaries. This is what makes the NBA’s Most Valuable Player so special. A Podoloff Trophy is the mark of greatness.
How is greatness measured? By the media. Every year, 125 pen, pad and agenda carrying sportswriters and broadcasters-with legends to build and stories to sell-decide upon whom to bestow the game’s crowning individual achievement. Truth is, if you locked those guys in a room a until they could decide upon a criterion for the award, they’d die in there. The MVP is a popularity contest, an award for modern marvels and sentimental favorites. Analysis of voting totals over the past twenty plus years reveal neither rhyme nor reason. There are numerous instances of both personal and team improvement having been in vain, while post and perimeter players are alternately fawned over and ignored. Players in contention are expected to take their teams to the postseason, yet postseason play doesn’t factor in the award? Practically every year reflects a different rhetoric.
So what is the formula? Carpe diem. Since 1984 there have been a dozen different Podoloff winners. Three men laced ’em up and forged their own destines. Others labored to receive their due recognition. There were a couple guys you couldn’t help but love, and a few just got fucked over. Using the playoffs as a litmus test, let’s reminisce….
Before we crack open this new installation of the classic Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls rivalry from the late 80’s-early 90’s, it’s time to set the record straight. To get a few things off my chest. To let everyone know the real behind the fake.
Ever heard the saying, “Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see?” Well, this applies because the 1987-91 Pistons are the most disrespected and underrated NBA team of all time and the Michael Jordan-led Bulls are obviously the most decorated, but gets more credit than they’re due.
Let’s get to the heart of this. Isiah Thomas, not only the greatest pure point guard of his era but one of the top-15 players of all time, didn’t get along with 23, as everyone knows. Dude was vilified beyond belief by those who watched the rivalry grow from competition to contention, hatred and personal vendettas.
The Starting Five 