Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Will Beasley be twice as nice?

The debate over who should be picked first is apparently over. That is, if the abundance of experts predicting Derrick Rose going No. 1 to Chicago — and there are many — are correct.
“I don’t think there’s any way that Chicago doesn’t take Rose,” said Marty Blake, the NBA’s director of scouting, summing up the thoughts of many pundits. “They can move [Kirk] Hinrich to the two and have [Ben] Gordon coming off the bench, which he likes.”
And that means Prince George’s County native Michael Beasley likely will go second overall. The question then becomes, what team will be drafting second. Miami, which holds the pick, has shopped it.
But it’s hard to imagine Beasley falling beyond second. His character has been questioned, but league sources agree that it can’t be a big issue if he’s still projected at No. 2.
“After his dismal display in Serbia with a poor attitude last summer,” Ryan Blake, Marty’s son and the assistant director of NBA scouting wrote in an e-mail, “he resurrected his mental game and sense of urgency to play with drive and determination.”
Said Marty Blake, “Some questioned his attitude, but he has a lot of ability. But do you put the future in the hands of a 19-year old? He has all the skills; he can pass the ball, he’s a good shooter and he’s very physical.”
As Marty Blake said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder with this choice. Rose provides speed and potential top point guard play. Beasley has the potential to be a dynamic scorer. 
“It’s not that Chicago doesn’t like Hinrich, but if they take Rose it’s that they don’t think he’s a championship starting point guard,” said Chris Ekstrand, an NBA scout and consultant. “Neither one is LeBron James or Tim Duncan. They’re good players who have been dominant at times on the college level. That’s saying a lot for guys who only played a year.”


Place your bets

Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey won’t be reporting to his team’s training camp on time — at least according to BetUs.com.
With complaints coming from stars across the NFL about their contract situation, the gaming Web site posted odds on which players are most likely to hold-out or sit out of their team’s training camp.
Shockey, who is known just as much for his off-field antics as his on-field production, is the least likely player to report on time for his team, listed at 1:1 odds.
Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who has clashed with the team this offseason over a franchise tag, and disgruntled Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor are each listed at 2:1 odds to be late additions to their team’s preseason practices.
The inclusion of players such as Titans defensive end Albert Haynesworth (3:1), Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin (5:1) and Eagles defensive back Lito Sheppard (10:1) are of little surprise.
But the two names that seem to be the least out of place are Buccaneers incumbent quarterback Jeff Garcia (7:1) and Rams running back Steven Jackson (15:1).
Many experts have predicted Jackson to be one of the most productive offensive players in the NFL this season.


NFL Network, ESPN making a deal?

The NFL wanted its own network to further establish its dominance. Turns out they need more than just their own clout to make it work.
Several publications reported Monday that the NFL Network and ESPN were in secret talks about a potential deal.
The Examiner’s Jim Williams, after talking to a number of industry sources, reports that the NFL Network has been in talks with ESPN, FOX and CBS searching for a partnership. The NFL’s executive-vice president of media is Steve Bornstein — former president of ABC as well as ESPN.
The NFL Network’s problem is that it hasn’t been able to get Comcast and Time Warner, the two largest cable companies in the United States, to carry it as part of their expanded basic service. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball will reach 48 million homes when its channel debuts, thanks to having Comcast and Time Warner as partners.
If the NFL reduced its arrogance and followed baseball by partnering with the cable companies, its network would flourish.


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Wimbledon isn’t for the birds this year. One of the premiere tennis tournaments in the world drew criticism this week for using marksmen to kill dive-bombing pigeons. Traditionally, the event uses a pair of hawks to scare away the pesky birds, but this year the winged nuisances wouldn’t be deterred. The excessive amounts of droppings left behind by the creatures was deemed a health risk and the tournament decided to take drastic actions.


SIZZLE & FIZZLE

On fire
1. Shaq Rap » The Big Aristotle launched another shot across Kobe’s bow this weekend, slamming him in a rap at a New York night club. All in fun, Shaq said. Right.

2. USA Hoops » Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo. With that many players recognized by first name alone, the success needs to match the buzz.

Ice cold
1. No means no » Cheater, or gold medalist Justin Gatlin — whichever you prefer — had his four-year ban recently upheld.

2. Father Jones » Adam Jones, the point of attack from comments by radio host Don Imus, said he will respond by praying for him. Hopefully Jones doesn’t pray in strip clubs.


ON THE RECORD

“They should be easy to spot. We’re not going to see a lot of head-first slides anymore.”
— FOX baseball announcer Joe Buck joking with David Letterman about a report on the number of players taking Viagra.


“When I heard it, I was like, ‘I can’t believe he said that.’ What am I going to do, scream and holler at him? Johnny’s fine. He says what’s on his mind and shoots from the hip and then fixes it later. I do that a lot.”
— PGA golfer Rocco Mediate responding to Johnny Miller’s comment that he looks like someone who should be cleaning Tiger Woods’ pool.