UCONN Lady Huskies Capture No. 89. Clap For Them!

 Major congratulations to Coach Geno Auriemma, Maya Moore (setting a career high 41 pts., 10 rebounds), Tiffany Hayes, and the rest of the University of Connecticut's Women's Basketball team and program.  Unsurprisingly, they have officially made history by surpassing UCLA and legendary Coach John Wooden's 88 game winning streak after beating Florida State 93-62. 

During last year's Big East Tournament, I wrote about the Lady Huskies Rewriting HERstory and looked forward to this day.  At the time, it seemed so far away, yet still very conceivable because that's how stellar, consistent, focused, prepared, and dominant these ladies are.

Their remarkable feat should be celebrated and appreciated by not just female sports fans, but sports fans.  Period.  The fact that only one other sports franchise came this close to achieving such greatness speaks to how amazing this accomplishment really is.  Game recognize game and give these ladies their props.

The Lady Huskies simply can't be stopped.  It's extremely exciting to bear witness to history as they play to keep the streak alive.  Can anyone say back to back to back NCAA championships with zero losses?  No pressure, of course.

NHL Set for the Big Stage w/ HBO's 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Series

I recently reached out to my favorite NHL supporter, Caty Marzi, and asked her to make another contribution to my blog to cover the upcoming HBO series 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic.  She happily obliged.  Enjoy!

For anyone who has been living under a rock for the past three years, the NHL Winter Classic is an outdoor hockey game played annually on January 1. This year, it will be documented by "24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic," an HBO special series that will follow both teams on their road to the big game ala 24/7 Boxing.

This is a huge opportunity for the NHL because it brings hockey into pop culture. I'm going to take a wild guess that the penetration of hockey fans in the HBO audience is not very high. What a series like this can do is humanize hockey and spark an interest in non-fans. It also super-serves existing fans by giving them more in-depth insight into the players and the games. It's a little unfortunate that it will appear on a premium channel, but HBO is likely to do a pretty good job with it.

Why watch?

Hockey fans should watch because it's hockey in prime time! We should watch it to discuss how genuine or disingenuous the players are. We should engage in arguments about how much or how little we think the NHL tried to muzzle HBO. Above all, we should watch to see what happens. Most of the video we have access to (in the US at least, Canada has infinitely more hockey related content) is plays, post-game interviews, or original online content created sporadically by the teams. This is documentary material crafted at the highest production level. Hockey will truly be in the spotlight and hopefully it will shine.

For casual sports fans, hockey or otherwise, this is a must see for you as well. It promises to share insight into how hockey players think and how dedicated these men, and in many cases just boys, are to their teams and teammates. If human interest is a hook, you could snag a great white on this kind of story. You'll also see two of the greatest athletes in sports right now in Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, who get minimal press due to the NHL's low profile.

There's also just the Ovechkin factor. He's a nut job. You never know what he's going to say or do. He's kind of weird, funny, and he's got some curious dentistry going on, but he's all in. He's aggressive and animated. If Sid the Kid is all finesse, restraint and wheat bread commercials, he's the anti-Sidney.

For a quick preview of the series, check out this video. I'm surprised the NHL let HBO focus on this aspect of the game, but because of it, I have hope for this series to get to the core of hockey earnestly.

24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic debuts Wednesday, December 15 at 10:00PM/ET on HBO. Episodes 2-4 will follow each Wednesday after at 10:00PM/ET. Also, it looks like fans can submit a comment on HBO.com with a question for the Caps or Pens to be answered during the show, so check that out.

NY Knicks: A Brand New Day?

If you haven't heard, the New York Knicks are on a roll!  And although New York City isn't roaring like it was in the 90s, there is a slight buzz that's beginning to penetrate the city.  Well, at least temporarily.  As true skeptics acknowledge, the Knicks have benefited from an easy schedule.  And although that's stating the obvious, we should still give credit where credit is due.  The Knicks of the past decade would have lost to the teams that are easily beatable.  And not only would they have lost, but they would've been BLOWN out.  The Knicks team we've seen over the past 11 games is definitely playing on a different level than teams in recent years. 

This Knicks resurgence is in large part due to the leadership and dominant play of Amar'e Stoudemire, the first real franchise player since the Patrick Ewing Era.  As Stoudemire goes, the Knicks go.  On Wednesday night, Stoudemire logged 30+ points for the sixth game in a row, helping the Knicks extend their winning streak to six; while also winning 10 of their last 11. 

After publicly questioning his teammates winning spirit, Stoudemire is leading by example and averaging 25.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg.  This season's two-time Eastern Player of the Week has undeniably proven that his addition to the Knicks' lineup is most certainly an upgrade over fan favorite David Lee.  And not only that, but his ability to step it up in the 4th quarter and takeover games have resulted in early MVP buzz for the All-Star.  And, with the solid play of Raymond Felton, Stoudemire has also shown that he is equally, if not more, effective after being separated from two-time MVP Steve Nash.   

Although it took a little time for Stoudemire and Felton to find their rhythm, they're arguably becoming the best one-two punch in the league.  The pick n' roll is just as good to them as it was to the Phoenix Suns.  Kudos to GM Donnie Walsh for finally giving the Knicks what they lacked for a long time, a true point guard.  I guarantee if Chris Duhon was still running point, the Knicks would not be the second hottest team in the league, behind the Dallas Mavericks.

Felton's impressive season with career high averages of 18.6 ppg and 8.6 apg proves that he's become more comfortable in his role.  This is also evident by the extra bounce that's found its way into his game and has spread to the rest of the team; further igniting the offense allowing Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to make strong contributions each game.

However, it's not all good.  Although the Knicks are much improved, there are still two major flaws in their game: turnovers and defense.  The Knicks currently average over 15 turnovers per game, ranking among the top 10 in the league.  And although Stoudemire and Felton have been carrying the team, they rank sixth on the turnover list and are both responsible for 83 TOs going into tonight's game.  If the Knicks gain better control of the ball and limit their stumbling and bumbling (via Walt Frazier), which is doable, the Knicks could really be on to something!

The Knicks also continue to lack defense, which is no surprise for a D'Antoni team.  While the Knicks are grabbing more rebounds, averaging more steals and blocks, they're still allowing opponents to score too many points against them.  And for whatever reason, the Knicks enjoy letting players have career highs against them i.e. Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Andrea Bargnani.  But, thankfully,  the Knicks have been outscoring their opponents and shooting well enough from the field and three point line to make up for lack of defense.  However, when you live by the three, you die by the three.  Ask John Starks.  That's a dangerous game to play.  The Knicks need to learn to tighten it up defensively in order to be a true contender. 

And although I still question whether D'Antoni is the right man for the job, I do agree that Eddy Curry should continue to accrue DNPs next to his name.  D'Antoni feels that giving Curry some minutes may be detrimental to the team and cause them to regress.  No one wants that.  And quite frankly, Curry isn't fit enough to handle the fast paced nature of the Knicks offense.  But, if Curry has to earn some minutes in order to improve his value so he's trade worthy, then D'Antoni must find a way to work him into the game without completely ruining team chemistry.

I don't mean to get ahead of myself by looking past any of the Knicks' upcoming games, but it looks like this year's Christmas matchup may actually be worth watching.  The Knicks kickoff a marathon day of NBA games with a matinee matchup against the Bulls.  However, the true test begins after tonight's game @ Washington when the Knicks square off against the Nuggets, Celtics, Heat, Oklahoma City, and the Magic; all teams above .500.  Will the "New Look" Knicks continue to shock us, or will they resort to their old ways and fall apart causing fans to jump ship?  We shall see.  Although I could be setting myself up for disappointment by drinking the kool-aid, one thing is for sure, it feels good to care again!!

Here's what the rest of their 2010 schedule looks like. 

1. Tonight 12/10 @ Washington
2. Sunday 12/12 vs Denver
3. Wednesday 12/15 vs Boston, ESPN
   
4. Friday 12/17 vs Miami, ESPN
   
5. Saturday 12/18 @ Cleveland
6. Wednesday 12/22 vs Oklahoma City
7. Saturday 12/25 vs Chicago, ESPN
   
8. Tuesday 12/28 @ Miami
9. Thursday 12/30 @ Orlando, TNT

Michigan Wolverines: Is it in the Genes?

From left, Josh Bartelstein, the son of a sports agent, represents the next generation of basketball at Michigan along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Jon Horford and Jordan Dumars, whose fathers played in the NBA

Last night I was able to watch the University of Michigan (U-M) play Clemson and it conjured up sweet memories of the first time I watched a U-M team play.  Back in the early '90s, I was introduced to Michigan on a Saturday afternoon, while sitting on the edge of my bed and channel surfing on my white 13" TV/VCR combo.  I was immediately hooked because I was watching something I'd never seen before.  Five Black young men, later known as the Fab Five, were running the court for the same team at the same time; on national TV for a D-1 college basketball program.  This was huge!  I was equally intrigued and shocked by what I witnessed.  Who are they?  Where did they come from?  Does anyone else know this is happening?  Or, is this old news and am I the last to discover this oddity? 

The following week I recall flipping through each and every channel trying to find them again.  If they re-appeared on TV then it would prove that what took place the week before wasn't a fluke.  I continuously traveled up and down the dial, but felt completely defeated because I was unsuccessful.  I didn't find them that week, but every weekend I watched college basketball with hope that I'd see them again.  Some weeks I did.  Some weeks I didn't.

However, they quickly won me over and I became an instant fan of the Fab Five.  I talked about them to anyone that would listen.  The imprint they lift in my psyche was unbelievable.  So much so, I declared that I would be attending the University of Michigan for college.  I was 12 years old, hadn't yet selected a high school, but I had college all figured out.  My Dad appreciated my obsession with and admiration for this team, but politely informed me that they wouldn't be there when it was time for me to enroll. 

Pause. 

What?  Oh.  I guess I hadn't thought about that.  Well, I didn't care.  That minor detail was irrelevant.  What mattered was that I was hopelessly in love with the Fab Five.  I totally immersed myself into everything they represented.  I read and hoarded every article about them, wore Michigan gear, or anything with navy blue, and argued with countless Duke fans in my jr. high classes.  I also patted myself on the back because for the first time in my life, I formed a sports allegiance independent of my father or brother.  And not only that, but the Fab Five were good!  They captured the attention of the entire country.  Not just little ol' me.  I was so proud of myself.  But shortly after the Fab Five disbanded and moved on from U-M, the hype surrounding their basketball program started to fade.  And since then, they haven't given their fans much reason to cheer for them. 

Well, it's possible things are starting to look up for U-M's basketball program.  They've been in the press recently because they have a trio of players with fathers that played in the NBA, not to mention another player who is the son of an NBA/NFL agent.  Yes, Tim Hardaway Jr. (guard, son of Tim Hardaway Sr.), Jordan Dumars (forward, son of Joe Dumars), Jon Horford (forward, son of Tito Horford and brother of Al Horford), and Josh Bartelstein (guard, son of Mark Bartelstein) are following in their father's footsteps and continuing the family's sports legacy.

Sharing similar backgrounds, the sons admit that they were not pressured into this by their fathers.  They are, however, excited about the opportunity to live out their dreams, while their fathers support them 100%.

Per the New York Times:

I’ve tried to shield my son from my business because there’s a lot I don’t think he should be exposed to,” Mark Bartelstein said. “It was his dream to play college basketball, and he’s now living it at Michigan. That’s all I can ask for. I am here to cheer him on.

In Dumars' case, he grew up hanging around practices and games, getting to know players. He's been a fixture at Pistons practices for years, playing pickup against Chauncey Billups and having Rasheed Wallace show him how to dunk. But again, it was his love for the game that attracted him to basketball, not the pressure from his dad.

Meanwhile Jon is fortunate to have his father and older brother advise him.  Al's successful college career came to an end after winning back-to-back NCAA titles at Florida.  And, his success has continued in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks.  But even with all of that, Jon is still doing his best to create his own identity and legacy on the court.

While they're thankful to have the support of their family, they do acknowledge that they don't expect any handouts along the way and recognize that they are targets who may be recipients of harsh criticism due to their family ties.  Upon witnessing how the Big Ten taunted Michael Jordan's son, Jeff, during his Illinois days, the Hardaway's have an idea of what awaits them.  “The world is cruel,” Tim Hardaway Sr. told the New York Times. “If we were back in the day, playing in college, and we knew that your father played in the N.B.A, we would try to destroy you.  Joe and I tried to prepare our kids for this: the up and downs, the mistakes you make."  Most importantly, all fathers have advised their sons to live in the moment and have fun.
 
Tim Hardaway Jr., freshman, seems to have the most promising future.  Right now, he's the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12 ppg, 1.5 apg, 3.3 rpg.  And although Jon Horford, also a freshman, gets minutes, he's making less of an impact with 1.7 ppg, 0.0 apg, 2.2 rpg.  Jordan Dumars, a sophomore, is sitting out until the winter semester because he transferred from South Florida.  Josh Bartelstein, from Highland Park, Ill., is a sophomore reserve.

Are they being hailed as saviors of the U of M basketball program?  Not exactly.  But they have created a buzz that hasn't existed for a while.  People are interested in seeing how this class of celebuspawn will perform.  Will they be able to live up to the legacies of their fathers?  Only time will tell.  Coming off of last night's win, they're off to a 4-2 start after gaining their first road victory of the season and their first win in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge since 1999.  That's progress, certainly giving Michigan basketball fans a reason to cheer again! Go Blue!