alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 The buzz in the Sonics' locker room before Wednesday's game vs. Chicago was an apparent blowup between Memphis Grizzlies GM Jerry West and coach Mike Fratello, who apparently got in each's other faces on Wednesday. West supposedly told Fratello that he needs to stop making excuses for the team losing. The Grizzlies are 5-16 and have the worst record in the league -- though, to their defense, they have played the entire season without Pau Gasol. Anyway, the players were saying that West never liked Fratello, and that he wanted to hire Eric Musselman all along, the reason West put Musselman on Fratello's staff before Musselman got hired by Sacramento. It was owner Michael Heisley who made the decision to hire Fratello. I don't have any insider knowledge, but to me that would seem to spell the beginning of the end for Fratello. There would seem to be no way he wins a power struggle with The Logo, although you have to wonder how the pending sale of the franchise factors into everything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Precious Roy 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 Isn't West going to retire in a year or two? And really, it isn't the Czar's fault that Memphis is so bad. Not only is Pau Gasol hurt but they traded Shane Battier for a rookie who was woefully inconsistent in college (and has been more of the same in the pros), Damon Stoudamire is coming off major knee surgery at age 33, Eddie Jones is 35 and his game has been in decline for a few years now....and then you consider the quality of the other teams in the West, it shouldn't be a shock to anyone that they're at the bottom of the conference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 The good news for the Grizzles is that Gasol is expected to return within the next week, perhaps even tommorrow. But they're already 12 games under .500, and being in the West, I don't think they can overcome that in time to make the playoffs again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2006 Apparently he's set to return Saturday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Just John 0 Report post Posted December 16, 2006 Man, the Rockets are dead without T-Mac, even with Yao playing like a beast. The last half and both OT's of Friday's game were painful to watch. Yao and Battier were playing well, but no one else seemed to care. Why Rafer Alston was handling the ball at the end of the 4th quarter was beyond me. He practically gave the game away with his ill-advised shots and careless turnovers. Even though Yao made some pressure shots, Houston still needs McGrady to go to in those situations... And so Rafer Alston doesn't have to handle the ball for more than a couple seconds at a time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!" Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Golly, I never expected the Atlanta Hawks to push the Bulls to the limit like they did tonight. Overtime at 93. This has been a really good game. Oh, and there's like nobody in Atlanta's arena, and I think half of the few that ARE there are Bulls fans. What a pathetically bad sports town. EDIT: 106-104 win. Nice finish, as Claxton fouls out to put it away for the Bulls. I'm glad the annual Scott Skiles Slow Slart, or S4, was pretty brief compared to the last two years. They didn't hit their stride until much later back in 04-05. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Golgo 13 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 A late flagrant on JR Smith kicked off a huge scrap in New York just now. Carmelo landed a clean one on Collins which prompted Jeffries to chase him to the other side of the court before being tackled. Everyone on the floor was booted. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 I just saw the video, that was hilarious. Carmelo throws a sucker punch, then starts running away while Collins chases him ACROSS THE COURT! That cant be good for his image. Nate Robinson was in total "stephen jackson" mode, while the intiial altercation was being seperated, he's hopping around like a "gangsta", acting stupid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 All it was missing was Earl Boykins doing a run-in with a dustpan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Top story for ESPN is the basketbrawl JR Smith had some good stand up there too bad he is going to get suspended for a week or 2 for this. FIRE ZEKE NOW! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ripper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 David Lee saved Nate robinsons life when he held J.R. Smith back. ANd that was such a pussy ass move by Carmelo. Plus it was a pussy ass punch. If a guy doesn't see a punch coming and you don't knock him out you are a fucking pussy. Then you up the pussiness by running. Jared Jeffries pulling 18 people like a snow dog was hilarious though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Top story for ESPN is the basketbrawl. How many times does this get replayed on ESPN over the next week? I'm thinking upward of 100. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted December 17, 2006 I hope this makes it so that the Nuggets don't have the pieces for Iverson. Fucking Melo deserves 20+ games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Precious Roy 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 I bet Melo and Robinson get 10 games each This was awesome. The Knicks should be fighting with people every night. Isiah Thomas blamed it on George Karl for leaving his starters in too long. HA! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobobrazil1984 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 carmelo anthony :lol: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 He's right, too. I would have done the same thing Collins did, honestly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naiwf 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 That's the most exciting incident at MSG since we lost Ewing. 'Melo and Nate are done for at least a month. Robinson's gotta go, he needs to be banished to some place like Toronto or Memphis. If Dolan doesn't can Isiah after he laughed about the melee in his press conference he never will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Top story for ESPN is the basketbrawl. How many times does this get replayed on ESPN over the next week? I'm thinking upward of 100. Let me break it down: 6 hours of Sportcenter repeats every day The whole week discussion on both PTI and Around the Horn Screaming Stephen A. Smith will interview everybody NBA Live crew will run it in the ground every 4 hours or so Behind the Lines will have at least 4 shows about it with classic footage from basketbrawls from the past Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snuffbox 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 NBA: The shortbus of American sport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Golgo 13 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Yeah, I think that was Collins who was sprinting toward him just in front of the scorer's table as Jeffries was held at mid-court. I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Malice at the Palace it ain't, but being the biggest fight since then and since he's the NBA leading scorer, an example will be made. If it was some scrub it wouldn't mean shit. It's just a fucking punch after all, that's never happened before. Anthony is already seen as soft, I think, so this will do nothing to tarnish that. In fact he probably needed something like this, sucker punch or not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ripper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Isaiah does have a point. Karl was running up the score. It probably had something to do with Karl being cool with Larry Brown (he was pretty outspoken about the Brown/New York thing anyway) and wanted to stick it to isaiah. But having starters in a blowout late in the game doing 360 dunks and shit, thats not cool. Collins took a very hard foul, although it wasn't THAT bad. LIke there was no way that Smith was going to be hurt in that situation. But Nate and his dumb flexing pose that he kept doing...that was just annoying. ANd it was quite obvious that his posing is about all he has going for him in the fighting game. LIke I said. That little push that David Lee gave Smith when he was going to take Nates head off saved him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Right. Aside from Carmelo, there will be a handful of 2-3 gamers out of this, nothing major. Smith/Collins/Robinson will get 2 or 3 each, and everyone else who was on the court will probably get one game, regardless whether they actually did anything. Melo will get 5 games, minimum, and if he doesn't, it's superstar treatment. Period. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ripper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 NBA: The shortbus of American sport. Oh please. Baseball has 8-9 of these a year. Football has about 100 mini ones. Hockey...well...yeah. Hell, Nascar has more fights. Basketball is the least fightingest sport that there is. It might be because none of them can fight and throw punches like girlscouts, but that not the subject at hand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ripper 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Right. Aside from Carmelo, there will be a handful of 2-3 gamers out of this, nothing major. Smith/Collins/Robinson will get 2 or 3 each, and everyone else who was on the court will probably get one game, regardless whether they actually did anything. Melo will get 5 games, minimum, and if he doesn't, it's superstar treatment. Period. But isn't the usual for a punch like 3 games? If he gets more, thats kinda a reverse superstar treatment. After all, he did only throw one punch. One pussy ass cheapshot of a punch, but still...one. I think the only reason Ben Wallace got so many for his fore arm is because it kinda started a riot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Can't wait to see 'Melo in BEEF: Sucka Punch or Die! with special appearance from Jim Jones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teke184 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 NBA: The shortbus of American sport. Oh please. Baseball has 8-9 of these a year. Football has about 100 mini ones. Hockey...well...yeah. Hell, Nascar has more fights. Basketball is the least fightingest sport that there is. It might be because none of them can fight and throw punches like girlscouts, but that not the subject at hand. *Fondly remembers old man Nolan Ryan kicking young Robin Ventura's ass circa 1992* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 Maybe you're right, I thought it was five. I know it's an automatic suspension just for throwing one, whether it connects or not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted December 17, 2006 The best part about this: No players from either of these teams are on any of my fantasy clubs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teke184 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 The best part about this: No players from either of these teams are on any of my fantasy clubs. Hey, don't give yourself too much credit... Exactly how many Knicks are even picked up in most fantasy leagues? The people getting fucked are ones like myself who have Carmelo and Camby. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alfdogg 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2006 I'll lose Smith in a few leagues, and possibly David Lee since he was one of the players on the court. Thankfully Eddy Curry wasn't involved in this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
