Will we see the Czar soon

One good thing that comes out of Mike Fratello's firing by the Memphis Grizzlies is that we my once again hear the Czar call basketball games. The Czar and Marv Albert form one of my favorite announcing duos.

The Return of Garde Thompson

This was to be the year that Michigan makes it to the Big Dance. They are a senior laden team that normally starts 4 seniors (Brent Petway, Dion Harris, Courtney Sims & Lester Abram). Last night, the Wolverines hosted Army and it was the young guys that lead them to victory. Looking at the boxscore I notice the contribution of the seniors:
Courtney Sims: 11 minutes, 2 points
Dion Harris: 22 minutes, 3 points
Brent Petway: 11 minutes, 4 points
Lester Abram: 12 minutes, 6 points

Their leading scorer last night was a freshmen named Reed Baker with 19 points. Tim McCormick, the color analyst (UM BBall star & Alum) calling the game compared him to Garde Thompson! Garde played with UM back in the 80's and I almost forgot about him until last night. Of all of the Caucasian Guards that played at Michigan, I remember Travis Conlan, Dugan Fife, Rob Pelinka and Garde Thompson!

One other note of point, Epke Udoh (freshman of course) had 9 blocks last night. UDOH!!

I'm all for playing the younger guys because they play with more passion & pride than the seniors have displayed all season. It's very disturbing to see that the seniors came out and played like that after being humiliated by UCLA. Playing the young guys is a good move by Tommy A!

The Deification of Bob Knight

I am nauseated from ESPN's continual coverage of Bob Knight's chase for his 880 career win. This is the man that demands discipline from his players and isn't able to discipline himself as evidenced by choking players, temper tantrums & assaulting police officers.

Enough already! He's not the greatest coach of all time ... he has a great basketball mind and has coached a long time. In my eyes, he's a bully plain & simple. Sure, his players graduate but an education does not begin and end in the classroom. Let's look at what he teaches the kids by his own actions.

Is it me ...

... Or is Diddy just feeling himself a little too much?
Princess Maker

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Lakers / Heat

Enough with the Lakers v. Heat on Christmas day. I think the NBA has milked that matchup for all that it has. The NBA is so busy trying to manufacture rivalries and it just doesn't work. I would prefer to see a rematch of the Finals participants ... in this case Dallas v. Miami.

Speaking of rivalries, there are no real rivalries in the NBA. The Pistons/Pacers have a small rivalry but its not as strong as it used to be because the Pacers aren't as good as they were a few years ago. San Antonio and Dallas is consistently an entertaining matchup because both teams are generally good but I would not call it a rivalry.

RIP: James Brown

"Say it loud, 'I'm Black & I'm Proud!'"
- James Brown

"Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he's got it all."
- James Brown

From the Washington Post:

The Godfather of Soul has died at the age of 73.

Go Blue!

My beloved Basketball Wolverines were crushed by UCLA today. Fortunately, it's 2 days before Christmas and I was out shopping thus I missed the massacre. Michigan sports an 11-2 record and they only have 2 wins vs. teams with a winning record. Which 2 teams would that be you ask? Well, its the mighty Davidson Wildcats and Harvard. The final score vs. UCLA was 92 - 55. I was never enthusiastic about hiring Tommy Amaker but he has cleaned up the program. But if Michigan does not make it to the tourney this year I believe it will be time to say farewell.

On a brighter note, the football team arrived in SoCal 10 days before the Rose Bowl where they will square off against USC.

RIP: Mike Evans aka Lionel Jefferson

I didn't know Lionel Jefferson co-created Good Times

From EOnline

Before he was 30, Mike Evans acted in two classic 1970s sitcoms and helped create a third.

Evans, who played Lionel, Archie Bunker's and George Jefferson's unflappable foil in All in the Family and The Jeffersons and went on to cocreate Good Times, has died.

Evans succumbed to throat cancer last week in Twentynine Palms, California, his family told the Los Angeles Times. He was 57.

Evans was still a Los Angeles City College student when the young actor won a recurring role on All in the Family as Lionel Jefferson, the (black) next-door neighbor of the (white) bigot Bunker.

Evans appeared on more than two dozen episodes of the top-rated sitcom from 1971 to 1975, his character almost always managing to vex Bunker more with his point of view than with the color of his skin.

On The Jeffersons, an All in the Family spinoff that debuted in 1975, Evans was initially a series regular, Lionel's even-keeled nature required to contrast with the volcanic nature of his "honky"-spouting father, George Jefferson.

Evans left The Jeffersons after its first season, just as Good Times was embarking on its third.

Good Times, cocreated by Evans and Eric Montee, a writer friend from the actor's L.A. City College days, was an All in the Family spinoff, one generation removed. It focused on Florence Evans, the former maid on direct All in the Family descendant Maude, her family, their housing-project digs in Chicago and Jimmie Walker's "Dyn-o-mite" catchphrase.

Good Times was produced from 1974 to 1979. Even during its run, Evans continued to act, costarring on the short-lived 1976-77 Danny Thomas comedy The Practice.

After Good Times ended, Evans returned to The Jeffersons, replacing Damon Evans (no relation) who'd replaced him for four seasons.

Evans left the show again in 1981 after Lionel split with his wife, the daughter of the Jeffersons' neighbors, the Willises, but continued to pop up on the sitcom until its 1985 sign-off.

According to the Internet Movie Database, Evans had only one post-Lionel acting role, a 2000 guest bit on Walker, Texas Ranger. Of more recent ventures, the Times reported he "invested in real estate in Southern California."

Monte, Evans' Good Times cohort, was profiled by the Times this week for his efforts to pull out of a dive that left him living in a Salvation Army shelter. An earlier profile on Monte, published by the newspaper last April, briefly quoted Evans, who talked about how his partner got funnier "if he would start drinking cheap wine."

Born Nov. 3, 1949, in North Carolina, Evans also appeared on Love, American Style, The Streets of San Francisco and the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.

Farewell Fab 5

I feel asleep before the end of the Washington/Phoenix game but the box score tells me this morning that the final was 144 - 139 Washington. Agent Zero scored 54 and Caron Butler added 34. All this came the night after the mighty Lebron's put up a glorious 30 in the 2nd half against the Pistons.

But now to my true thoughts on the Phoenix Suns ... could it be true that Jalen Rose's career is over? You mean to tell me that he can't get any burn playing with the Suns? I love JRose & I thought Phoenix would be a good opportunity for him to get some PT. I must be getting old ... because I remember when. Now Jalen & Juwan are certified bench players and CWebb has no hops and is hurt. Where is Jimmy King and Ray Jackson?

Mad Max

I've been waiting for Flip to give Mad Max playing time all season. What is there not to like about Jason Max-iell! In your face, Drew Gooden!

Oh and by the way, what is that tuft of hair on the back of Drew Gooden's head? It's like his beard grew on the wrong side of his head.

Wolverine Hoops

I am a lifelong Michigan Wolverine fan. But, let's just take a look at their non-conference schedule:

Central Connecticut State
Davidson
Eastern Michigan
Harvard
Youngstown State
Maryland-Baltimore County
North Carolina State
Wofford
Miami (Ohio)
Delaware State
Northern Illinois
UCLA
Army
Georgetown

Memo to Tommy Amaker: PLEASE BRING BACK WOLVERINE HOOPS! Their non-conference schedule is nearly unwatchable outside of Georgetown & UCLA.

Oden

Greg Oden is approximately 4 games into his college career and he is already a beast. He's shooting approximately 73% from the field and he seems likable and is the real deal on the court. But, doesn't he look a little older than 18?

AI & Denver

High Risk, High Reward. Denver is taking a risk but they really have nothing to lose. They are hoping that AI will have the same effect that Rasheed had on the Pistons in 04. It will be a beautiful thing if Melo & AI can co-exist but I'm a little bit skeptical. Melo is still a young guy and has always been the best player on his team. Now, he is playing with a hall of famer. And by the way, will AI run the point? The Answer, JR Smith & Melo ... only time will tell.

It will be interesting to see The Answer & George Karl working together. Speaking of coaches ... It was reported last week that Larry Brown was working as a consultant for the Sixers. Now, don't you think he had a little bit of sway in getting The Answer to Denver to play for his good ole buddy George?

I would've loved to see AI & KG together. Now that would have been a dynamite combo! But it's all just a pipe dream now.

Is there a comeback for Penny?

WTF ... Penny Hardaway tried out for the Seattle Supersonics. This could not be a good sign for you Sonic fans. But hey, it could mean the return of Lil Penny.

Columnists Reactions

Here are some columnists reaction to the Knicks v. Nuggets game and/or penalties:

Michael Wilbon
Sam Smith
Chris McCosky
Peter Vescey

T.O. & DeAngelo

So T.O. spits in DeAngelo Hall's face, raise your hand if your surprised about this. The part of the story that surprises me is that DeAngelo didn't take matters into his own hand ... instead he cried to the media about T.O.'s actions. The NFL didn't threaten him with a Stern-like punishment of 15 games did they?

What is really going on?

In hockey, fighting is accepted as part of the game. In baseball, a pitcher can purposefully throw a pitch to hit a batter and that is part of the "unwritten rules". Why is it that in basketball when we see brothers throw a couple of punches, these talking heads on TV act like they are completely outraged.

Give me a break! Suddenly the players are out of control? There are definite racial undertones with the way the NBA deals with its players. Basketball is a physical, contact sport and it gets emotional.

Yes, that was an unnecessary foul ... Yes, Nate Robinson is an instigator ... Yes, Carmelo defended his team mate and back pedaled like a girl but let's not get carried away in our outrage. Would cooler heads prevail if you were in the same situation?