Whoa

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Ted Berg

I don’t know if it’s more surprising to hear that it’s been five seasons since the Knicks were last three games over .500 or that the Knicks were three games over .500 at any other time in the past decade.

Ron Artest awesome

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Ted Berg

Ron Artest pranks a Rockets’ post-game show. He also a) is a Mets fan who raps about Jason Bay and b) hosted a “Fcuk LeBron party,” not to mention his own championship parade in Queensbridge to celebrate his NBA title with the Lakers. FWIW, I pranked WFAN once about seven years ago when I was very bored. Made it on the air and got my joke in, which prompted an apology to the listeners from the host. I thought it was Adam Schein but he doesn’t remember it.

Albert Belle: Paragon of professionalism

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Ted Berg

Unsurprisingly, Albert Belle has a lot to say about LeBron James’ return to Cleveland. Surprisingly, it’s all pretty reasonable.

Still crazy after all these years

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Ted Berg

Note: If you’re going to write a single-source story, you should probably make sure that source is less delusional than Isiah Thomas.

ALERT: New Louisville arena called ‘KFC Yum! Center’

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Ted Berg

Well that’s going to make it a lot more difficult for me to hate Louisville basketball, even as a fan and alumnus of a competing Big East school. If they called it the Taco Bell Yum! Center, I might have been forced to switch allegiances.

Pinball Wizard (well, 76er and Net)

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Ted Berg

Hat tip to Jonah Keri for this link — new to me, but old to the Internet — about former Net Todd MacCulloch’s new career as a competitive pinball player. Pretty amazing story.

Kevin ShaqHale?

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Ted Berg

Shaquille O’Neal is totally willing to be the Nets’ General Manager if they stay in New Jersey.

Amar’e Stoudemire might make me like the Knicks

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Ted Berg

Amar’e Stoudemire stood at the foot of the Roman Colosseum and felt empowered in a very Russell Crowe kind of way.

“Oh, I immediately thought of the movie ‘Gladiator,'” Stoudemire says. “It was awesome.”…

The Knicks depart Wednesday afternoon for Milan, the hometown of third-year forward Danilo Gallinari. They are scheduled to play Gallinari’s former club, Armani Jeans Milano on Sunday before heading to Paris, where they will play the Minnesota Timberwolves in an exhibition game next Wednesday.

– Frank Isola, N.Y. Daily News.

When the Knicks failed to land LeBron James, I thought the small upside was that I could continue not bothering to really follow the NBA all that closely. After all, I’m a busy guy and the winter is for college hoops and first-run TV shows and the baseball hot stove and everything.

But Amar’e Stoudemire seems like he might be a pretty awesome dude for a variety of reasons, his personality and thunderous dunks among them. And I can’t really remember the last time the Knicks had a likable star. Allan Houston? Was he a star?

Mind you, I always sort of ironically appreciated Stephon Marbury and in fact still own a pair of Starburys. But that’s different.

I now find myself wondering if Stoudemire and the supporting cast will be enough to have me keep close tabs on the Knicks for the first time since I left for college in 1999. I have my doubts, but that I’m even considering it is a testament to Stoudamire’s charisma, I suppose.

Also, Danilo Gallinari’s Italian team was called “Armani Jeans Milano.” That’s incredible. I assume they played in black t-shirts and designer jeans and smoked cigarettes on the court.