Yardbarker: All Articles

We didn’t get to the Finals for nothing!!!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:27:19 -0500

What's up everybody???

Beating Boston on Friday, now that’s what I’m talking about. It just killed me last week missing the loss to Cleveland, and I was determined to bring it for this game against the Celtics. These are what I like to call statement games and you always have to go out with the mindset that you need to prove yourself to the opponent and to everybody in the NBA.

We were back in Boston for the first time since May when we beat the Celtics in a Game 7. Not many people gave us a chance that night, and I’m sure they didn’t give us much of a chance again on Friday.
But I think we showed people some things with the way we won this game. Coach Van Gundy always told us when we’re not playing well on the offensive end that’s when you’ve got to pick it up on defense. Our defense kept us in this game, no doubt.

This is a big win for us and a real confidence boost. Cleveland came in (last week) and took it to us. This kind of lets us know that we’re still a good team. We didn’t get to The Finals for nothing. We’re still a very good team.

And we’re a team on the same page. There was a lot of talk in the media the last few days about Stan Van Gundy’s negativity towards us in practice and in games. Stan is an intense dude and sometimes he really goes at us. All of that bashing can take a toll on some guys, so Stan said he’s going to try and limit his negativity in the future. (We’ll see how long it lasts!!! Ha ha ha)

On Friday, Stan was positive the whole night. He did do a good job of cutting back on the screaming and yelling. He was doing more coaching in the huddles instead of bashing. Usually he bashes us for the first two minutes of the timeouts and then he’ll coach the game. Last night he was strictly coaching.

I really think that’s going to help us out and let guys feel like they can play looser and not have to worry about being so uptight. Instead of getting mad at coach and going out there playing frustrated this way sort of put our minds at ease. Stan just has to pick and choose his moments and not try to be a nice coach. He still has to stay on top of us because that makes us play harder.

I’m just hoping that by beating Boston we showed people we’re still a pretty damn good team. It seems like the Lakers, Cavs and Celtics get all the pub as being the top teams, but maybe this will make folks remember the Magic.

I also gave away 3 tickets to Angel last night in Boston, whose Dad left me a message on my Saynow # (1-888-9RAWLEW). Stay in touch, may be you next time. Outta here for now, but I wanna hear back as to what you guys think about how we played last night. Ya’ll be good!!! Don't forget to vote for me and my bro's for 2010 NBA All-Star!!!

SHARD

Ole Miss hangs on as LSU runs out of time

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:30:07 -0500

Is Weis gone?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:35:41 -0500

Weis may have coached his last game at Notre Dame stadium.

Buckeyes bury mistake-prone and bowl-less Wolverines

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:47:00 -0500

It has become routine for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The ninth-ranked and Rose Bowl-bound Buckeyes extended their dominance of Michigan with their sixth straight victory against the Wolverines.

Video: Nate Robinson shoots on wrong basket, D'Antoni snaps

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:10:12 -0500

Funny moment from Saturday's Anti-NBA Finals game: 0.5 seconds left in the first quarter. Knicks inbound the ball to guard Nate Robinson(notes). The New York guard, for whatever reason, turns and purposely heaves a 30-foot shot at the Nets' basket. Goes in. Cue mustache rage.Now, as you can see, the shot came just after the buzzer, but Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was absolutely livid. He even stormed a few feet onto the court and started yelling at Nate. Nate's classic response...

Sellers: only "snitches" report concussion symptoms

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:08:36 -0500

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suggested that players should inform their teams' medical staffs if they believe a teammate is suffering from the symptoms of a concussion.Washington Redskins fullback Mike Sellers doesn't like that idea."We ain't no snitches over here,"...

Michigan-Ohio State Not All That Anymore

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:16:14 -0500

They’re putting a Michigan-Ohio State football game on this Saturday, right on schedule. The third Saturday in November, usually. You used to circle the date. Now you happen upon it, by accident... Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

The New Jersey Nets Are Getting All Historical

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:28:32 -0500

Things are rough in New Jersey right now. While the state braces for a Spencer Pratt-Heidi Montag-like backlash sure to grip the nation after “Jersey Shore” premieres on MTV, Jersey’s sports teams are falling apart. The Jets are floundering, the Giants have been slowed after a great start and the New Jersey Nets, well, let’s [...]

Why I Hate Fantasy Football

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:10:06 -0500

So I'm sitting on my couch one day and I see the sportscenter highlights, of the now infamous, "Jones-Drew kneel down". The first thing that pops into my head is how intelligent and smart of a football play that was... Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

Clippers Broadcasters suspended

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:43:16 -0500

Two Los Angeles Clippers Broadcasters, Ralph Lawler and Mike Smith, were suspended for Friday night’s telecast after they made controversial remarks about the first Iranian born NBA player. The comments were made during Wednesday night’s telecast after Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi entered the game. Lawler: “He’s from Iran?” Smith: “I guess so.” Lawler: “That Iran?” Smith: Yes. Lawler: “The real Iran?” Smith: [...]

Death of Brees' mother ruled a suicide

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:57 -0500

The death of the mother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide.

Orange Win 2k Sports Classic

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:58:00 -0500

Wow. I would be lying if I told you I thought the Orange would be 4-0 at this point of this season. I would have been pleased with 3-1. The team lost its top three scorers from last season, including Jonny Flynn who basically controlled every aspect of the offense last year. Syracuse easily beat Robert Morris and Albany. I had hope and optimism from those two games because the Orange not only beat those teams, but they beat them easily, something that Syracuse really has not done for the past...

McGrady wants to play, Rockets say no

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:59 -0500

Tracy McGrady says he is ready to play. The Houston Rockets say he'll have to wait.

The QBs of the 2007 NFL Draft: The Worst Single Position of Any NFL Draft Class Ever?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:03:10 -0500

Do the 11 quarterbacks taken during 2007 NFL Draft, headlined by first rounders JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, comprise the worst single position from any draft class ever? The evidence is pretty damning.

Gil Arenas Has Strange, Painful Message For Shaq

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:59:50 -0500

Two weeks ago an urban gossip blog reported that the fiancee and baby momma of Gilbert Arenas, Laura Govan, was having a sexual relationship with Shaquille O’Neal. The blog even went so far to publish alleged email correspondence between the two. The day after the blog report, O’Neal’s wife Shaunie, who is a friend of Govan’s, [...]

Reid: Westbrook out at least three weeks

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:37:03 -0500

Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is expected to miss at least three weeks following his latest concussion, coach Andy Reid said today.Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Reid said today that Westbrook is likely out for the...

Carroll To Jim Harbaugh: 'I'm Not Forgetting It'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:02:24 -0500

Pete Carroll guested on the (Steve) Mason & (John) Ireland show on ESPN 710 in Los Angeles this week. The coach attemped to hedgehis comments about Harbaugh’s decision to go for two with his Stanford team already ahead of Carroll’s USC Trojans 48-21 last Saturday in L.A.. But instead, Carroll let slip smoldering resentment. MASON: What [...]

Worst Calls of All Time from Rumors & Rants

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:28:19 -0500

Ireland got the shaft in the recent World Cup qualifier when French star Thierry Henry's obvious handball wasn't called by the referees. The controversy led to this week's Gillette Fusion Power blog post by Rumors & Rants, recalling some other terrible officiating from other sports. Here's a sample:

Jeffrey Maier’s Catch: If replay existed in 1996, no one would know who this stupid douchey Yankee fan that reached over the fence was. Instead, his fan-interference home run helped propel the Yanks past the Orioles in the ALCS and to the beginning of their ’90s dynasty. No one has heard from the Orioles since.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST.

Jay Cutler, Lovie Smith spurn Bob Costas interview request

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:23:39 -0500

Stating that "there's nothing else to say", Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith has refused a Bob Costas interview request in anticipation of the Bears Sunday Night Football game. Jay Cutler(notes) and Bears general manager Jerry Angelo will also be unavailable to the network. It sounds like a simple enough decision. The Bears have already been on NBC three times this year. They're in the midst of a difficult year and probably don't feel like answering any more questions abo...

Brett Favre Now Officially Giving Comfort to the Enemy

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:31:41 -0500

Americans have been tortured by the unremitting mentions of Brett Favre for at least the last several years. However, it's typically been a self-imposed thing. Not anymore. But then, that's the price of a free and open society. Our enemies see the harm we inflict upon ourselves and start using it for their own ends. According to a military official, detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq are using Brett Favre as a manner of getting at the guard troops there. "They k...

Knicks Decide Not to Pursue Iverson

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:21:01 -0500

Team officials spent three days weighing the pros and cons of signing Allen Iverson, a four-time N.B.A. scoring champion with problems in his past.

Video: Anaheim fans brawl over Scott Niedermayer's stick

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:27 -0500

Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer(notes) was named the first star of the night after his game-winning, power-play goal in overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. To celebrate with the home crowd, he skated out and attempted to toss his stick to a girl in the front rows near the glass. That was until some man-mountain reached and grabbed the stick, a vigilante in a plaid shirt butt-ended him with it, and fists started flying between a few fans in the chaos -- all while unde...

Marv Albert And 50 Cent's Entourage Mix It Up Backstage At Jimmy Kimmel's Show

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:25:59 -0500

Sure, Marv Albert’s street cred ain’t what it used to be, but does that mean he needs to start mixing it up with 50 Cent’s posse? That seems to be what happened backstage at Wednesday’s taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live, when 50 Cent’s entourage didn’t recognize Albert and somehow a rigamarole ensued with words going back [...]

No Brown, no problem for Dolphins

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:30:04 -0500

Ricky Williams rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pass for another as the Miami Dolphins held off the Carolina Panthers for a 24-17 on Thursday night and improved to .500 for the first time this season.

Andrew Bogut out 2-4 weeks with leg injury

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:40:11 -0500

Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond announced today that Andrew Bogut (7-0, 260) suffered a lower left leg strain and contusion in Wednesday’s 99-85 win against New Jersey that is expected to sideline the fifth-year center for two-to-four weeks. Bogut scored team-highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds in the win and left the game [...]

The Miseducation of JaMarcus Russell

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:50:03 -0500

So, this is what it’s come down to. The number one overall selection in the 2007 NFL draft has been benched in favor of 194th overall selection in the 2006 draft. How Bruce Gradkowski’s career QB rating of 58.6 has become favored over JaMarcus Russell’s 65.5 is a quandary that now reflects the sad state of [...]

Nova Forgets How To Shoot, Espaces George Mason

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:04 -0500

Unless you don't have a job, and have ESPNU, you probably didn't watch the Nova game today. Dannie and I "watched" on separate GameCasts at work, and saw a very strange game unfold. It ended with Villanova winning 69-68, but here's how they got there.... Corey Fisher goes 1-14 from the field. And scores 17 points. This is both horrible and good at the same time. Scottie Reynolds commits 10 turnovers, 4 less than the entire Mason squad. The game winning 3-pt shot was hit ...

Jayson Williams Saga May Finally Be Over

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:14 -0500

According to the AP, Jayson Williams (yes, that one) has accepted a plea deal that will send him to jail for at least 18 months for the accidental shooting of Costas Christofi in 2002. All the way back in April 2004, Williams was originally acquitted of aggravated manslaughter, assault and other weapons charges after he accidentally killed his limo driver with a shotgun during a party in his home. However, he was convicted on four charges related to his attempts to cover up the shooting and ...

How did Brandon Jennings slip to #10?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:25 -0500

Not since the 2001 Playoffs have I been this excited about the Milwaukee Bucks. That was the year George Karl led the so-called “Big Three” — Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell — to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. They were just a missed Robinson jumper [...]

TRICK PLAYS: STATUE OF LIBERTY REDUX

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:02:04 -0500

“Alright men! We’ve got a good little gadget here for the goalline. Garrett, you’re gonna fake the handoff to the tailback, then toss the ball over your head like a big sissy. Joel, when everyone else is playing the run, you’re gonna catch that big Nancy pass and squeeze that with all your might. Hold [...]