I couldn’t even spell his name correctly on his goodbye cake. (It’s Erick with a “c” or a “k” — depending on one’s reference point.)
Naming issues aside, we hail Erick Blasco today, sports intern at amNewYork since November. Today was Erick’s final one at the office.
Only 20 years old, Erick shows a remarkable ability to analyze basketball both for us and for another one of his outlets, the open-source fan analysis site Bleacher Report.
Good luck in all your endeavors, my young friend!
— Max

The prevailing rumor at the moment is that Mark Jackson is the front-runner to become the next head coach of the Knicks. If he doesn't take the Knicks job, there are several other teams, such as the Bulls, who would love Jackson behind their bench.

While expectations might be low (how could they get lower than the eras of Isiah Thomas and Larry Brown), Knicks fans would likely prefer any candidate to have some level of experience. Marc Jackson is likely one exception to that rule, as a former Knick, but it got me to thinking about where he might gain experience on a slightly lower level.

Then it hit me like an errant Stephon Marbury jumper to the temple.

A college team, one that the city of New York has gotten behind in the past, but has fallen on hard times. A school that has emerged from scandal, but has thus far struggled to re-establish a winning identity.

They are the fifth-winningest program in NCAA Men's basketball history, with 1673 wins, and own the 7th best winning percentage (.680). They also have the 7th most NCAA tournament appearances (27), two Wooden National Player of the Year Award Winners, 11 consensus All-Americans, and 6 members of the Hall of Fame.

They play their home games at the World's Most Famous Arena. And it is the school where Jackson spent his collegiate career.

Give up?

Now that A-Rod has reaggravated his quad injury (A-Quad anyone?), he's out of the lineup again tonight as the Yanks open a series at home against Detroit.

Also of note is the season debut of catcher Chris Stewart, who was called up after the injury of Jorge Posada.

Here's the line-up:

J. Damon CF
D. Jeter ss
B. Abreu rf
H. Matsui lf
J. Giambi dh
S. Duncan 1b
M. Ensberg 3b
R. Cano 2b
C. Stewart c

Roger Clemens had a 10-year affair with country songstress Mindy McCready, the New York Daily News is reporting.

The alleged affair began when the Rocket was still with the Boston Red Sox and McCready was only 15-years-old, the Daily News said.

The allegations surface as Clemens is in the midst of a bitter legal battle with former trainer Brian McNamee, after McNamee told George Mitchell during the MLB steroid investigation that the Rocket used steroids on several occasions.

I'm sure much more will come of this tomorrow.

--Lizzy

http://www.nydailynews.com

After 252 picks and 15 hours, we finally have our draft class of 2008, from Jake Long at #1 to this year's Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora of Idaho.

The later rounds are important in building the foundations of teams, and occasionally a diamond in the rough emerges.

The Jets look to repeat their late-round draft prowess, having selected Leon Washington and Jerricho Cotchery, amongst others, on the second day of the draft. Day two looked like this for Gang Green:

Round 4, Pick 113: Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State

Round 5, Pick 162: Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee

Round 6, Pick 171: Marcus Henry, WR, Kansas

Round 7, Pick 211: Nate Garner, OT, Arkansas

The Jets tried to address skill positions on day 2 of the draft. Lowery and Garner have some potential, and Henry could be a solid #3 or #4 receiver. The most interesting pick Sunday for the Jets was the biggest name, Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge. Son of Celtics great Danny Ainge, Erik Ainge split time at quarterback his first two years at Tennessee, and dealt with injuries his other two years. While another weak-armed QB is not what the Jets need, Ainge has potential and could add more intrigue to the upcoming season's battle between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens.

The Giants had arguably the best draft class by far in 2007, with almost every pick contributing in some way to their playoff run and eventual Super Bowl victory. Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss figured greatly in their offensive scheme. Here's how day two went down for Big Blue:

Round 3, Pick 95: Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan

Round 4, Pick 123: Bryan Kehl, OLB, BYU

Round 5, Pick 165: Jonathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt

Round 6, Pick 198: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky

Round 6, Pick 199: Robert Henderson, DE, Southern Mississippi

The G-Men took a couple fliers on offensive skill players, while adding depth to their lineback core and D-line. Manningham is a very solid, albeit undersized wide receiver who has an uncanny ability of getting open (as an unabashed Notre Dame fan that sentence is painful to write, and resonates with the pain of witnessing such catches first-hand). Woodson has the raw talent and size to be a great quarterback, but the intangibles and game management skills just don't seem up to snuff.

***

The other big story on Sunday was the selection of the Detroit Lions at pick 218. They selected Caleb Campbell, a safety from the United States Military Academy, otherwise known as Army. Because of recent changes in Army's terms of service, Campbell will now be able to immediately play in the NFL without having active military service. If he makes the Lions, and continues to play, he will still technically remain "active", though his service will essentially be spending some time at recruitment centers around Detroit.

The somewhat silent crowd at Radio City gave Campbell, who was in attendance, a hearty cheer upon hearing his name called. Campbell then got some airtime on the ESPN network, joining Mel Kiper and Co. for a short interview, followed by a video conference with his new head coach, Rod Marinelli who, they pointed out, was a Vietnam veteran himself. That's not the only tie that Campbell has to the Lions. Matt Millen's son Marcus was a teammate of Campbell's at Army.

A good way to end the weekend in this blogger's humble opinion.
(Caleb Campbell photo c/o usma.edu)

-- Tim Fiorvanti

Day one of the NFL Draft was over and done in six hours, flying by in comparison to past drafts. The Jets and the Giants each made two selections:

New York Jets

Round 1, Pick 6
Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

With Darren McFadden off the board at four, and Glenn Dorsey going to the Chiefs at five, the Jets selected the best remaining player in Gholston. A hybrid LB/DE, Gholston will fit well in coach Mangini's defense. Do you remember the game "Kill the guy with the ball" that you may have played when you were a kid? Gholston is the guy you'd pick first from this draft class. And that's what he'll (hopefully) be doing for the Jets for years to come.

Round 1, Pick 30
Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue

The Jets jumped back into the first round to grab Dustin Keller, a pass-catching Tight End from Purdue. Keller was not projected as a first round talent, but the Jets likely heard whispers that someone was either going to pick Keller, or trade up ahead of their early second round spot to grab him. He's not an incredible blocker, but he's big and fast, so he should be able to light up linebackers and nickel corners for the Jets. Whoever the Jets decide is their quarterback will see immediate help from Keller.

New York Giants

Round 1, Pick 32
Kenny Phillips, S, Miami

The Giants closed out round one by selecting Kenny Phillips of Miami, filling in the hole at safety left by Gibril Wilson, who they lost in free agency. Phillips is a bit raw, but he has speed and a wealth of potential. Depending on his progress, either he or Sammy Knight will start for the G-Men this year. The Giants improve their secondary here, and help add some youth to a veteran club.

Round 2, Pick 64
Terrell Thomas, CB, USC

More help for the aging Giants secondary comes in the form of Terrell Thomas of Southern Cal. He's a versatile big man with speed, but injury problems dogged Thomas in college, including two separated shoulders and torn knee ligaments. This is a gamble by the Giants, but it could pay off in spades if he stays healthy.

Other Highlights:

- Matt Ryan went to the Falcons with the third pick. Atlanta decided to make Ryan the face of their franchise, but it remains to be seen if Ryan will live up to the hype.

- The Raiders selected Darren McFadden at number four, adding yet another running back to their already plentiful stable of rushers. He'll sit atop a depth chart that also features LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes, Justin Fargas, and Michael Bush, who they drafted last year. Jets fans were notably upset at Radio City, but it's unclear as to whether or not this was related to the selection of McFadden.

- Joe Flacco of Delaware was the second quarterback selected in this year's draft. A Jersey guy who went to Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware, Flacco continues his slow migration south by landing in Baltimore.

- For the first time since 1990, there were no wide receivers taken in round one. Even more surprising was that Donnie Avery of Houston was the one to break that trend, though he did set off a chain reaction that ended with ten wide receivers being selected in round two.

- Both the Dolphins and Packers selected quarterbacks in Round two, despite the fact that each had drafted a high-profile QB in the past several years. Aaron Rodgers waited until pick 23 in his draft, despite the fact he was tagged as a top-10 talent, and went through an endless saga with Brett Favre before finally grabbing the starting job in Green Bay. Now he has Brian Brohm breathing down his neck. John Beck hasn't had a chance to do anything in Miami, and already Chad Henne is there to compete for the job with him. Yikes.

The NFL Draft continues today at 10 a.m. Stay tuned for more coverage.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

After a seemingly endless off-season (o.k. maybe it wasn't that long), football becomes the center of all sports conversation for the next two days, as the 2008 NFL Draft comes at you live from Radio City Music Hall.

The draft has been held in New York since 1965, and has been held in a number of famous locations, including Madison Square Garden, the Javits Center, and at Radio City since 2006. If comments by Roger Goodell, featured in this article are any indication, the draft may be leaving New York after this year.

This is a bit of a shame for New Yorkers, who have grown accustomed to attending the draft every year. The Jets fans, often furious with the terrible pick their team has made (and who wouldn't be? After starting off strong with Hall of Famers Joe Namath and John Riggins, the Jets have drafted such stalwarts as Johnny Mitchell, Blair Thomas, and Kyle Brady over Warren Sapp). The Giants fans, mercilessly taunting the Jets fans.

Anyway, enough of the sad news. Here's a quick mock draft, for those of you out there who haven't quite seen enough of them, of the top ten picks plus the Giants' selection to end the round.

1) Miami Dolphins:Jake Long, OT, Michigan
The Dolphins have already signed the first Long to go in this draft to a contract, and he'll help to sure up their unsteady o-line. The first on a laundry list of issues starts is achieved, but it's a long road back for the Fish.

2) St. Louis Rams: Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Despite the shortening of first round selections to 10 minutes this year, the Rams will give the fans a Long experience to make them feel right at home. (insert laugh track here)

3) Atlanta Falcons: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
The need to sure up the defensive line and take a sure-thing will outweigh the desire to select a franchise quarterback and a face of the organization.

4) Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Oakland continues to stockpile running backs. Maybe Al Davis is trying to attract Matt Millen to help him run the Raiders.

5) Kansas City Chiefs: Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
They traded Jared Allen, and Herm Edwards is on a campaign to do anything and everything to make sure his running backs don't have long careers, which seems to go against drafting an O-lineman.

6) New York Jets: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Yes, the Jets drafted a QB in the second round just two years ago. Yes, they have a serviceable veteran who can still grit his way through a majority of games in any given season. Gang Green will shop Matt Ryan, and realize teams like the Ravens 'loved him, but weren't in love with him', leaving the Jets with three quarterbacks, a whole lot of holes in their roster, and one more reason for the Jets faithful to boo the hell out of the commissioner.

7) New England Patriots:
Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State
Belichick continues his trend of picking tough guys with a lot of grit, and the Pats will go for the solid guy over the flash. Matt Light isn't getting any younger, and Nick Kaczur doesn't strike fear into the heart of any D-Linemen.

8) Baltimore Ravens: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
The Ravens will hope that Ryan falls to them here, but shrug their shoulders and get themselves some much-needed help for their secondary

9) Cincinnatti Bengals: Sedrick Ellis, DE, USC
Despite crossing their fingers and hoping that McFadden would fall to them, assuring them of maintaining their 'gangsta' image, the Bengals go value here and get a very solid value with this d-lineman.

10) New Orleans Saints: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy State
The Saints shore up their shaky D by strengthening their secondary. McKelvin also has some return skills

31) New England Patriots: No One. They lost this pick for spying on the Jets.
Who knows how bad it could get if the Matt Walsh situation leads to anything.

32) New York Giants: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Since their likely going to lose Jeremy Shockey, they have to keep up their Hurricane quota, and they'll improve their secondary in the process.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

With the NFL Draft, live from Radio City Music Hall, just 3 days away, we look today at the Jake Long, the offensive tackle the Dolphins have already agreed to terms with and have declared as the number one pick of this year's draft.

The Dolphins' scouts went to all new levels to test some of Long's intangibles before signing him. For example, this is one of the tests they gave him for hand-eye coordination:

Thanks to Deadspin for the video

-- Tim Fiorvanti

Benny the Bull, the scarlet-furred symbol of my childhood loyalty to the Chicago Bulls, is being sued for a high-five gone quite wrong.

I wish I could tell you that the Bulls' mascot accidentally grabbed someone's butt upon missing their hand, but alas, Benny — What??? He's not a bull? There's a real person underneath named Barry Anderson? — grabbed the arm of oral surgeon Don Kalant at a Feb. 12 basketball game. Anderson was falling forward in this action, hyperextending the doc's arm and rupturing his bicep, according to the lawsuit.

Kalant wants unspecified damages for hospital bills, pain and the four months of work he'll has to miss for his injury. All poor Benny wanted was someone to break his fall.
— Emily Ngo

Alex Rodriguez, the three-time MVP, became a D-A-D for the second time yesterday.

With A-Rod at her side, his wife, Cynthia, 34, gave birth to a 7-pound, 9-ounce girl in Miami, team officials said.

“We are thrilled with the birth of our second daughter and the blessing of having two beautiful, healthy daughters in our lives,” Rodriguez said.

The couple also has a 3-year-old daughter, Natasha. The newborn’s name has not yet been released

A-Rod, who is nursing the right quad he strained Sunday at Baltimore, missed Tuesday night’s game at the Chicago White Sox and isn’t expected to return to the Yankees until Thursday.

AP Photo

(Credit: Getty Images)

If the Yankees’ Joba Chamberlain is to undergo the conversion from eighth-inning setup man to starting pitcher, the place for him to do so will be in eastern Pennsylvania, where the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees play ball.
I called Scranton to ask the team’s director of media relations and broadcasting, Mike Vander Wood, what sort of process Chamberlain would need to undergo if he were sent to Moosic, Pa., for a three-week conversion program from big-league reliever to Triple-A starter to big-league starter.
“That all depends on the individual,” said Vander Wood, who was about to broadcast the conclusion of a three-game series against the visiting Rochester Red Wings on Monday night. “You have to look at it on a case by case basis. If a guy had been strictly reliever, you’re not going to have a guy throw 100 pitches the first time out.”
Vander Wood said that no one in the Bronx had contacted the Triple-A affiliate about making arrangements for Chamberlain, and said he was therefore willing to speak only very generally and hypothetically about the potential conversion of Chamberlain.
He did suggest that Scranton, where former big-league pitchers Kei Igawa and Scott Patterson toil, would be a good place to effect the change.
“This is one step below the major leagues,” Vander Wood said. “You’ve got some pretty good talent here.”

Dear Mr. Stern,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sure you're a busy man, and the most exciting two months of the year (the NBA playoffs) are set to begin.

The reason I am writing you is to show my absolute disappointment in the situation in Seattle.

You allowed an owner who had no intention of keeping the Sonics in Seattle from the get-go, despite what he may have said to the public. You allowed him to trade away everyone except Kevin Durant to make sure the team does poorly and draws poorly, giving him even more ammunition in moving the team.

This is not a team that has come into existence in the past 5-10 years and simply failed to enter a market. Seattle has a rich basketball history, an NBA title, and a wealth of superstars who made their careers there (Lenny Wilkins, Nate McMillan, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, etc.).

The fact that you would support such a move is disgusting. Sure, Clayton Bennett was "willing" to keep the Sonics there if the public agreed to fund the stadium. Because they weren't willing to, he has an excuse to leave. Why the hell should the public cough up $500 million dollars of their own money to help a billionaire line his own pockets with more money.

In conclusion, Mr. Stern, you have committed an egregious error in this situation. By not stepping up when Bennett began this charade, you are depriving a city that has proven it is a rabid sports supporter (Mariners and Seahawks ring a bell?). I can't blame Oklahoma City for wanting their own team, and their actions are forgivable only because they are well-intentioned, but your actions as the leader of this league are reprehensible and unforgivable.

Shame on you Mr. Stern.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

A day that has been years in the making has finally arrived. Donnie Walsh is wasting little time in his effort to rebuild the Knicks, and he took a big first step this afternoon by "reassigning" Isiah Thomas. And the millions of Knickerbocker faithful exhale...

As both a coach and executive, Isiah Thomas has failed miserably at almost everything he's done. Despite drafting solid young talent (David Lee, Nate Robinson, Ronaldo Balkman), Thomas invested in so many over-priced one-dimensional players that have no concept of team basketball that those positives were ultimately negated.

The house cleaning has only just begun for Donnie and the Knicks, and saddled with the big contracts of Stephon Marbury, Eddie Curry, and Zach Randolph, among others, this will likely be a multi-year journey. Kicking Isiah from courtside was, however, the first of many steps to return the Knicks to even the level of mediocrity they had before Isiah arrived.

-- Tim Fiorvanti

It's that time of year again, folks, when more than half of the teams in the NBA start the seemingly endless journey towards the NBA Championship.

Isiah Thomas has finally been removed from power, and that's reason for New Yorkers to celebrate, but for the 16 remaining teams, championship dreams are in their sights.

First Round

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Atlanta Hawks
The Celtics are looking to come of the gate strong, while the Hawks are just happy to be in the playoffs (first time since the 1998-99 Season). The Hawks will steal one in front of an envigorated crowd in Atlanta, but the Celtics will prove to be way too much for the Hawks.
Celtics in 5

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Wizards
LeBron James and co. face off against Agent Zero for the third consecutive year in the playoffs. Homecourt will play a big part in giving the Cavs the edge, and LeBron will carry them into a second round matchup with the mighty Celtics.
Cavs in 6

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
This is one of two awesome 3 vs. 6 matchups in this year's first round. The Magic have to be the favorites in this one, with Dwight Howard in the middle. They took the season series 2-1, winning one game each in Toronto and Orlando. It looks like it will be a tough time for the Raptors, but if Jose Calderon gets enough minutes, he can have an enormous impact on the series. No offense to T.J. Ford, but Calderon should be getting the lion's share of the minutes at the point.
Raptors in 7

#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers
Every year the Pistons seem to struggle at some point in the regular season, and every year they seem to pull it together just in time for the playoffs. The casual NBA fan dreads seeing the slow, ugly style of the Pistons, but, as is evidenced in the past 6 years or so, it works. Andre Iguodala has really stepped up this year for Philly, establishing himself as the new A.I. in the city of brotherly love, and the 76ers are no push-overs. The Pistons may win, but Philly will put in a solid effort, gaining experience for the future.
Pistons in 6

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Denver Nuggets
It looked as if, even two weeks ago, that this would be one of the most competitive 1 vs. 8 matchups in reason NBA history. But with the Carmello Anthony DUI saga, the Nuggets, a team that has little team cohesion (or defense) as it is, will struggle to keep up with Kobe and the Lakers. The Nuggets will squeeze out a win, but that's about it.
Lakers in 5

#4 Utah Jazz vs. #5 Houston Rockets
The Western conference is ultra-competetive, and this is one of three matchups that could legitimately go either way. Without Yao and the momentum of their huge winning streak, T-Mac and the Rockets can only go so far. They'll stay competitive throughout, but Boozer and Deron Williams will carry the Jazz to a round two battle with the Lakers.
Jazz in 6

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Phoenix Suns
Arguably the best 3 vs. 6 matchup in the history of the playoffs. The reigning champs look to find their way through the resurgent Suns, but it will be far from an easy task. Shaq has finally begun to mesh with his Suns teammates, and the series could very well come down to how well the Spurs can matchup against both Shaq and Amare Stoudemire. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are as seasoned as anyone, and they will survive the Suns, but just barely. This could be the last solid chance for Steve Nash to vie for a title, so don't look for him to take this sitting down.
Spurs in 7

#2 New Orleans Hornets vs. #7 Dallas Mavericks
The late-surging Mavs have the playoff experience, but the Hornets have CPIII. The Hornets will absolutely have their hands full with Dirk and Co., but Chris Paul and David West will break out in prime time, and a national audience will get to see what CPIII is all about. If J-Kidd picks up his defense, and leads the Mavs the way they thought he would when they traded for him, the Mavs have almost as much chance of emerging from this first round matchup as the Hornets.
Hornets in 7

Second Round

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #4 Cleveland Cavaliers
The Celtics breezing through round one will help them immensely in preparation and rest as they face the Cavs in round two. LeBron will carry Cleveland on his back and win two games on his own almost singlehandedly, but the Celtics will prove far too strong. They provide too many matchup problems.
Celtics in 6

#2 Detroit Pistons vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
Both squads will come into this second round matchup nicked up and bruised following physical first round matchups. If Chris Bosh can play big, the Raptors can stay in this series and give themselves a puncher's chance. Maybe more than that.
Raptors in 7

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #4 Utah Jazz
The Lakers seem to be a team of destiny this year, as every move they've made seems to have worked out (Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol). This won't be as easy as round one, but the Lakers won't struggle to mightily to beat the Jazz in round two.
Lakers in 6

#2 New Orleans Hornets vs. #3 San Antonio Spurs
After gaining some fortitude and grit after a big round one win, the Hornets run up against the defending champion Spurs. This matchup could be the Western Conference finals in any year, and there's a good argument that both of these teams are amongst the top four teams in the NBA. The Hornets continue to be world beaters, and get themselves into the Conference finals.
Hornets in 7

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #6 Toronto Raptors
After two impressive victories, the Raptors' carriage turns back into a pumpkin in the conference finals. KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen prove too much for Bosh and Calderon, but the Raptors are young and will be back with a vengeance in the coming years. KG finally gets himself back to the finals.
Celtics in 5

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #2 New Orleans Hornets
An explosive Conference final in the west provides six games of running, defense, and something for everyone, from the casual fan to the die-hard. The veteran Kobe vs. the up-and-coming Chris Paul will be one of the major storylines in this one. In the end, the Lakers squeeze it out in 6, but don't be surprised if the Hornets make them work for each and every point.
Lakers in 6

NBA Championship

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #1 Los Angeles Lakers
The matchup of two of the all-time great franchises provides the NBA with everything it needs and then-some. The Celtics came out of the box fast, and beat up on the Western Conference all year. The Lakers steadily climbed all year, ultimately capturing the number one seed and homecourt in the final weeks of the season. Kobe longs to win a championship on his own, but this year belongs to KG, as he finally gets the ring that has eluded him his entire career.
Celtics in 7

-- Tim Fiorvanti

What do Jerry Rice, Walter Payton and Brett Favre have in common?

They’re all current or future Hall of Famers, all arguably were the best to ever play their positions and all played at small or mid-major colleges.

They also are all Mississippi natives who played their college ball in the Magnolia State – Rice at Mississippi Valley State, Payton at Jackson State and Favre at Southern Miss. But that has nothing to do with the point I’m trying to make today – which is that, as the NFL draft approaches next weekend, the sport’s next batch of future Hall of Famers has just as good a chance of emerging from schools such as Troy, Tennessee State or Delaware as from Southern Cal or Michigan.

Here are five prospects from smaller schools who are projected to go high in the draft.

LEODIS McKELVIN, CB, TROY
Notes: He’s widely regarded as the top cornerback in the draft. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. His three punt returns for TDs last year indicate he could be a Deion Sanders type.
When and Where He Might Go: To Baltimore at No. 8 or New Orleans at No. 10

There is hope here at the end of the existential saga of Isiah Thomas, which melded Zeke’s own soft-spoken self-reflections and the harsh curses of resentful Knicks fans, while the media played the biased referee. Sometime after Wednesday night's Knicks finale (hopefully soon after), the Knicks’ new president, Donnie Walsh, is certain to either demote or dismiss Thomas.
Even with his coaching career in ruins, there is some good news for Thomas. The noted popcorn aficionado co-owns Dale and Thomas Popcorn, so he’ll have something to snack on while he watches the Knicks try to recover from his reign.
— Max

No. 24 in an occasional series
Five sports television camera tricks or angles that didn’t exactly catch on

FOX: FoxTrax, NHL
FoxTrax got mixed reactions from fans during its existence between the 1996 All-Star Game and the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. Instead of the usual black disc, TV viewers saw a blue glow on the ice, which turned into a fireball for slapshots. Casual fans enjoyed the visual cue, but purists found the glowing puck gimmicky and cartoonish, and they resented computer components that changed the feel of NHL pucks. If Fox had transported the technology onto car keys, everyone would be happy.

CBS: EyeVision, NFL
Thirty-three robotic cameras positioned around the stadium upper deck achieved EyeVision’s “bullet time” effect, an innovation inspired by the 1999 action film “The Matrix.” Despite the 18 months of work that Carnegie Mellon University professor Takeo Kanade and his team put into EyeVision, its 220-degree panoramic effect was not as revolutionary as CBS had hoped. When the effect debuted in Super Bowl XXXV on Jan. 28, 2001, fans deemed it choppy and contrived.

NBC: Huddle Camera, XFL
Like everything else about the XFL, which began and ended in 2001, the huddle-cam was a short-lived feature. In the spirit of everything in the league being all-access, on-field cameramen would barge into huddles and record the players calling the plays. Mercifully, the XFL folded before it came up with the idea of recording trips to the bathroom, too.

ABC/ESPN: FloorCam, NBA
When ABC gained the broadcast rights to the NBA in 2002, it immediately started tinkering with different camera angles such as SkyCam (derived from the XFL) and its less revolutionary cousin, FloorCam. The angle is supposed to show the impressive scale of basketball players in action, but all too often it provides voyeuristic shots up athletes’ shorts. Has any other camera angle been as awkward?

FOX: Diamond-Cams, MLB
With a lipstick-sized camera embedded in the dirt in front of home plate and the pitcher’s mound, the Diamond-Cams, which debuted in 2004, offer unique views of catchers and pitchers, though the image offers a rather obscure angle that’s fringed with dirt.

(compiled by Erick Blasco and Max J. Dickstein. Comments? E-mail mdickstein@am-ny.com.)

Tragic story from Shea Stadium Tuesday night: A 36-year-old father of two fell from an escalator while leaving the game and died. This sort of thing has happened twice before –- at Shea in 1985 and at Yankee Stadium in 1999.

But in doing our research, we stumbled upon another stadium tragedy that seems to have been overlooked in today’s media reports.

On May 19, 1929, a 17-year-old female Hunter College student and a 60-year-old male truck driver were trampled to death in a Yankee Stadium stampede. Sixty-two others were injured. At a time when more tickets were sold than seats were available, a sudden storm hit the Stadium, sending panicky fans in the right field bleachers to seek shelter.

The International Herald Tribune reports that “ ‘Babe’ Ruth rushed to the open bleacher in an effort the stem the wild rush for shelter. Fighting and pushing his way through the crowd he found the woman crushed beneath the trampling feet. He fought his way back to the field but the woman died in his arms before aid could arrive.” (We, however, couldn’t track down any verification of this part of the story.)

As is profoundly clear in my bio, I'm painfully loyal to my alma mater, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. No matter how much red tape, irritating TAs and random (and usually unfounded) bills I received from that place, I will bleed maroon and white until I'm dead in the ground.

The lack of student support for the sports program has always been a proverbial thorn in my backside. They have a stellar 1-AA football program, a lacrosse team that was the Division 1 runner up last year and a hockey team that has been a force for the last decade. You'd think students would be stoked to have successful teams to root for. Well, guess what? UMass has a heck of a time getting the Mullins Center half full for a post season basketball game, as was apparent during their second round NIT game. The student section wasn't even full, which made me puke in my mouth a bit.

It's being reported on espn.com right now that UMass men's basketball head coach, Travis Ford, is headed to OSU. Ford is responsible for turning the Minuteman basketball program into something resembling what it once was in the mid-1990s over the last few years, and based on the amount of UMass students who turned out for the NIT final four/championshop game at Madision Square Garden a few weeks back, finally putting some bodies back in the seats. It took work. But alumni, such as myself, were so grateful to see a coach there who really cared.

Maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe Ford was frustrated with the lack of interest and cooperation from the UMass community. Maybe he was sick of the sucktastic Amherst winters, or Rao's once put too much soy milk in his latte. But whatever the reason was, he's leaving behind a program that was just starting to put the pieces back together, to go to a conference where there won't be any work involved. OSU games sell out, even when the teams leave something to be desired. The Big 12 is a better conference than the Atlantic 10. There's no need to work to sell out a game, or to recruit talent. The name does it for you. Thanks Travis, for stabbing UMass community square between the shoulder blades, and on the heels of your public denial of reports you were planning to coach at LSU. That was a fantastic and heartwarming load of total BS. Enjoy OSU, where you can just sit back and let the program do the work for you. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

--Lizzy

While every team in the majors honored the 61st anniverary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier Tuesday, the Mets took things up a notch by unveiling the Jackie Robinson Rotunda construction at Citi Field. The main entrance to the Mets' new home will contain eight large pictures of Robinson and have an 8-foot statute of his number in Dodger blue. In the above photo, Mets owner Fred Wilpon gives Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, a tour Tuesday.

Mets manager Willie Randolph escorts Rachel Robinson, left, widow of Jackie Robinson, and Robinson's daughter Sharon from the field after a ceremony honoring Jackie Robinson before the Mets' game at Shea Stadium against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Photos from the ceremony are here

See a video from the ceremony here

Photos by AP

The sports world is by no means deprived of great names. There was Stubby Clapp, who enjoyed a cup of coffee with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. There was also Razor Shines, a Montreal Expo in the 1980s.

Unfortunately, Wonderful Terrific Monds III, who played in the Braves organization in the ’90s, didn’t quite live up to his name on the diamond.

Closer to home, Bronx-born Majestic Mapp played basketball for the University of Virginia in 2003-04.

And the better-known Coco Crisp of the Boston Red Sox and Milton Bradley of the Texas Rangers still make me laugh when I'm watching "SportsCenter."

(There are plenty of other better ones, too, but I’m trying to keep this blog relatively clean, if you catch my drift.)

But sadly, the sports world’s Great Name Club lost a member Saturday: former Baltimore Colts center Buzz Nutter.

Nutter died of heart failure at age 77. Although he played before my time, the 12-year pro was obviously more than a great name; he was a great athlete who snapped the ball to Johnny Unitas on the Colts’ 1958 and 1959 NFL championship teams.

His death is enough to make skiing great Picabo Street and former Miami Heat guard Bimbo Coles cry.

(Photo by Associated Press)

The NFL released its full schedule today. Here are the slates for the Jets and Giants:

JETS SCHEDULE
Sept. 7 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.
Sept. 14 New England Patriots 4:15 p.m.
Sept. 22 (Mon.) at San Diego Chargers 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.
Oct. 5 Bye
Oct. 12 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Oakland Raiders 4:15 p.m.
Oct. 26 Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
Nov. 13 (Thurs.) at New England Patriots 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 at Tennessee Titans 1 p.m.
Nov. 30 Denver Broncos 1 p.m.
Dec. 7 at San Francisco 49ers 4:05 p.m.
Dec. 14 Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.
Dec. 21 at Seattle Seahawks 4:05 p.m.
Dec. 28 Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.

GIANTS SCHEDULE
Sept. 4 (Thurs.) Washington Redskins 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.
Sept. 21 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.
Sept. 28 Bye
Oct. 5 Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Cleveland Browns (Mon.) 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 2 Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 16 Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 30 at Washington Redskins 1 p.m.
Dec. 7 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.
Dec. 14 at Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 21 Carolina Panthers 1 p.m.
Dec. 28 at Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.

(Photo compilation by Tim Fiorvanti)

Suspect last seen fleeing the 15th green...

In honor of the Masters, and this goofy Phil Mickelson photo (which seems like a pretty frequent phenomenon), I decided to photoshop what Phil would probably love to do: grab Tiger, run away, and leave him somewhere far, far away.

Mr. Woods seems pretty far away from the lead right now, as he's sitting at one under for the tournament, seven strokes off the lead. Phil is four under through 15 today.

Trevor Immelman (-8) is the leader, one stroke ahead of Brandt Snedeker (-7)

Click here for live blogging of the Masters by Newsday's Mark Herrmann

-- Tim Fiorvanti

Here’s a transcript from an interview amNewYork did with former Mets All-Star pitcher Ron Darling as part of our coverage of Shea Stadium's final home opener.

Darling, now a Mets television analyst for SNY, played for the Amazin’s from 1983-91.

What were your first impressions of Shea when you first saw it in person?
The first time I saw it, to me, it was heaven. It was the Holy Grail. It was everything you wanted it to be, because I was 22 years old, just called up to the big leagues and Tom Seaver’s in the locker right across from mine. I just thought I’d gone to heaven. What in my right mind do I deserve to be in this big league ballpark with a big league uniform on?

And then my first Opening Day in 1984, I just always thought was an amazing day. From that time forward, 1984 to now, I’ve always considered … Opening Day day 1 on my lunar calendar.

As far as the new stadium, do you think it’s time for something new for the Mets?
“I’ve said the most difficult part is you’re driving a VW Bug and you’ve got a Maserati in the driveway. It’s just really hard to compare both stadiums. I will say this, the Mets and the Wilpon family have done an amazing thing because I think not since Camden Yards has a ballpark tried to capture the old with the new, and new to the lay person means luxury boxes, it means Wi-Fi, it means more bathrooms, it means sexier food. But for baseball fans like myself, for them to try to encapture what it was like in a neighborhood field to have Ebbets Field and that rotunda for Jackie Robinson, I mean, what other team in baseball has ever thought about doing that?

It seems like the Mets are always in the Yankees’ shadow, and especially Shea has always been in Yankee Stadium’s shadow. Do you think the new stadium will help the Mets compete for respect in New York?
“Things go and come around. When I was playing on this Met team in the ’80s, the Yankees were fighting for a dollar. So things can go and come around. That being said, the history and legacy of the Yankees is without peer. Yankee Stadium has a history like no ballpark in America — I don’t care about Wrigley, I don’t care about Fenway Park, both places I love. To put the Mets up against that, I think you’re always going to come up a little short.

But that being said, maybe it’s a nice time, with these new ballparks, that all that gets washed clean. Maybe it’s a new slate. It’ll being interesting to see how both teams go forward because I think both teams are trying to do what they’ve always done, and the Yankees have always been perennial winners and the Mets have always aspired to that. But I would say now both teams are about the same, and I’m not saying one team is better than the other. But both come in every year with a chance to win, and that’s all you can ask of your ballclubs.

I want to ask what your most memorable moment was at Shea Stadium. I’m guessing you’re going to say 1986, maybe Bill Buckner.
I’m not. Two memories of Shea Stadium: One is the most positive, not even close to any other memory …. My memories are of the people who worked there. … To this day the warmest memories I have are when I threw my last warm-up pitch, I would walk through the bowels of the stadium. Everyone from the lady that was in charge of the room where the wives and girlfriends stayed, to the police officers, security officers, you’d make this gauntlet walk between all these people of about a hundred yards, where they would all shout encouragements, slap you on the back, shake your hand before you went out to the arena. I’ll never, ever forget that because that’s real people working real jobs working real hard, a lot of them working two jobs, caring enough to wish you well in this journey to try to win a ballgame. That to me, is always the warmest memory.

As far as baseball is concerned, the warmest memory I’ve had -- and I’ve only told a handful of people this story -- is that in 1987, I had a no-hitter, I think, through five innings against the Cardinals. We were trying to chase them down. Vince Coleman, with one out, bunted, and I caught the ball, tried to get him out, but I broke my thumb at that time. So I got two more outs, then went to the bench. By that time, my thumb had blown up, so I no longer could pitch, need surgery, the whole thing. So as I was walking out after getting it iced and looked at and tweaked, I was walking out to my car, which was parked behind the apple -- I used to always protect it behind the apple because it was convertible. Terry Pendleton, who hit that famous home run in ’87 off Roger McDowell that beat us that night, hit my car and then hit me. I thought it was kind of funny that I not only broke my thumb that night, but that it was a double-whammy that Pendleton’s home run ended our chances and double-hopped and hit me as I was going to the hospital. “

Photo by Getty Images

April 8th 2008 will forever mark a momentous day, as that day the greatest Internet prank in history was pulled off.

Shea Stadium was Rick Rolled, on OPENING DAY!

Now, for those who aren't familiar with Rick Rolling, it involves sending someone a link disguised as something else, and instead of getting a picture of say, cute animals, you get a video of Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up.'

The Mets started an online contest some weeks back where people could vote for the song that gets played in the 8th inning of Mets home games. Among the choices were Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, and The Monkees. However, some Internet blogs, including awesome Deadspin weekend editor Matt Sussman and Fark, thought it would be a great idea to start a write-in campaign for Astley, as what could be better than some deliciously bad 80s music during the 8th inning.

Lo and behold, Astley received the most votes, but the Mets brass were not pleased with this outcome and stopped short of declaring "Never Gonna Give You Up" the winner. The team plans on playing the top 6 voted songs over the first six home games and will gauge fan participation before naming a winner. Astley's song came blaring out of Shea speakers today during the Mets home opener, and was obviously booed.

It's unlikely we'll hear the vocal stylings of Astley at Shea ever in the future, but seriously, how freakishly awesome is it that a couple of Web sites were able to pull this off.

The other remaining finalists include Bon Jovi’s “Livin on a Prayer,” The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer,” Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” and The Foundation’s “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

Need a Rick Astley fix? Check out this incredible Rick Roll video.

-Lizzy