RECESSION PROOF

SWITCH

Well the word switch can mean a lot of things. Like if you're a Knick fan you have to know when it's time to switch teams. Or how about this. Maybe at the end of the game when there are only a few seconds left you can switch the pick- and-roll!!! For those not in the know it is a known rule that if under five seconds, you always want to switch all screens. Coaches yell it at all levels, high school, college even biddy ball. You never leave a guy uncontested for a shot like the Knicks did last night. If you don't believe me you can watch it right here. This is the NBA, everyone can make this shot. Not to mention Kevin Garnett a future hall of famer and NBA champion. When the word "switch" was mentioned when I was a kid that meant I was about to get a beating with one from my Grandma. Then again I guess the Knicks have been taking a lot of beatings too!! And by the way, you pass up on Iverson so you can develop your young talent!!! Say what????

DON'T SLEEP

Rumors of the demise of the Big East were greatly exaggerated. I saw two teams this weekend that I would say could challenge for the title in the Big East. First and foremost we all saw what Syracuse did to North Carolina. They totally obliterated them in Madison Square Garden. I'm tired of people underestimating Syracuse. The 2-3 zone is legit and if you've never played against it, you just don't get it. Seems so simple to break but most teams just can't figure it out. Wesley Johnson is a pro. Brandon Triche has filled in for Johnny Flynn. The Cuse is for real. Seton Hall is even more scary than I thought. I watched them beat a good Cornell team that will win the Ivy League. Jeremy Hazell has no conscious and will shoot from anywhere. He went for 33 pts. Herb Pope the transfer is going to be a really good player in this league. He rebounds, looks to score, passes the ball and has a mean streak. The Hall may have the best point guard combo in the league in Eugene Harvey and his back up Jordan Theodore who went for 20 pts and 4 assists. I'm not sure these teams are too far behind Nova and West Virginia as far as talent and ability. It should be interesting.

MY BAD

I say this because I really doubted this guy. What a loser I was. How could I not know that Brett Favre would get it done when he had all those weapons? I just can't get around the fact that he is 40 years old and probably the front runner for league MVP right now. I want to apologize. Who was I think to think that one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play was washed up. Who was I to say that he couldn't go back and forth in making a decision about retirement? When you play like this you can do what ever you want. My hat goes off to Brett for another Favre-lous season.

ALL STAR GAME?

I will be the first to admit, I didn't expect this. I did think Brandon Jennings would be good, but not this good. What I also didn't expect was for the Milwaukee Bucks to be doing what they're doing. Jennings is the first rookie since Jordan in 1984 to have six 25 point games before Thanksgiving. Right now the Bucks sit at 8-3. I really thought they'd be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Actually I said that on opening night on Comcast Sportsnet when they faced the Sixers. And I have to say this. I just have to say this. If he keeps this up, shouldn't he be voted to the All-Star team? Who really is playing better than him right now? Seriously, right now he may be the best point guard in the eastern conference!!! On another note, Milwaukee is still one of the worst cities to visit in the NBA. Not even a NBA Championship banner will ever change that.

RECESSION PROOF

Charlie Weiss

Really not sure how this guy has kept a job. You coach at Notre Dame. His record is 35-26 over five years in South Bend. His team has now last 3 games in a row. He's had his ACL blown out while standing on the sidelines. There's not much else that could go wrong. Weis came very close to giving his own argument on firing himself when he said "If they decide to make a change, I'd have to say, I'd have a tough time arguing with that."

Lawrence Frank

It's really hard for me to believe that your team can be 0-13 in the NBA and yet still are a coach. How could Byron Scott be fired and yet this guy still owns a whistle? How could you be a worse team than the Minnesota Timberwolves or even yet the New York Knicks? Whatever Franks has done for Rod Thorn to love him so much I'd like to know. It's like he has 9 lives.

Tom Cable

Anybody that continued to start JaMarcus Russell after how terrible he was playing needs to have his head examined. But after you allegedly socked one of your assistant coaches and then also have a story break about your abusive history with women you have to wonder how is he doing it. Then when you throw in the 3-7 record this one becomes a no brainer right? Nope. Cable is still around and actually got a win against the Cincinatti Bengals yesterday. He lives to fight another day. Oops, bad choice of words.

EARL BOYKINS

And I say this with the utmost respect. It always amazes me how Boykins has played in the league for 10 years. He is 5'5 and has averaged 9.5 ppg over his career. He weighs 133 pounds!!! This year he has latched on with the Washington Wizards. He actually went for 20 pts on his first night back in the league. I actually went to rookie transition camp with Earl Boykins. All the rookies were split into groups and we learned things about life and the transition to the NBA. I remember Earl telling me "Hey I'm just happy to be here. I know I am only 5'5 and probably won't be around for long." I wish I could talk to him today so I could say "Earl, you were so wrong."

CAN I REMINISCE?

HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?

First and foremost I have been a Brandon Jenning fan ever since he sported the high top fade at the McDonald's All American game. I am big fan of a guy who understands tradition. The first time I ever saw Jennings play was at the Rutgers Athletic Center right in my hometown of Piscataway, New Jersey as he obliterated my alma mater the Piscataway Chiefs torching them for 32 points while putting on one of the more impressive displays that I have ever seen from a high school point guard. And for all those quick to judge Jennings for going overseas, for all those quick to judge Jennings for his lack luster stats in Europe, for all those naysayers I would tell you that Brandon Jennings, because of his old school vibe is probably singing this song to you. Jennings went off for 55 points last night!!! That's a new Milwaukee Bucks record that he broke!! That's Kareem Abdul-Jabaar's record that he broke! The kid is nice. I covered him on opening night against the Sixers for Comcast Sportsnet and he almost had a triple double. Forget about what happened overseas, GM's in Europe are sometimes clueless. This guy is a star in the making. To top off why I am a big fan, the kid signs a contract for nearly $4.5 million and then goes out and does what? Buys a Ford Edge at the meager price of $26,900!!! Don't believe me? Check out this article. This kid gets it!!!

LOVE AND HATE

So we know that the college basketball season is upon us and we have to talk about the Big East Conference a little. Of course the conference won't be as strong as it was last year placing two teams in the Final Four in Villanova and UCONN. But the front runners this year are Villanova and West Virginia. But we have to talk about love and hate. Of course I love the Villanova Wildcats which is my Alma Mater. This is not just bias, this is fact. The wildcats return Scottie Reynolds who is a pre-season All American, Cory Fisher who is electric off the bounce and Cory Stokes one of the best shooters in the Big East. Add in a freshman class in Mouphtaou Yarou, Dominic Cheek and Malik Wayans and the Wildcats are even more scary.

West Virginia can be just as dominate. But I hate West Virginia. Why you ask? Because I can't shake the vision in college of their fans throwing coins at us while we were warming up. I hate the country rural landscape of Morgantown, as it is in the middle of nowhere. I hate that ESPN loves to send me there two or three times a year for games with the closest major airport being Pittsburgh about 90 minutes away. And last but not least I hate that loud musket that they shoot at halftime of every game, which has startled me every time I have stepped in that arena since I was a freshman in 1995. With that said the Mountaineers are tough. Devin Ebanks is a star in the making and don't be surprised if this is his last year in Morgantown. Da'Sean Butler is a real problem and with Joe Mazulla combined with Darryl Truck Bryant in the backcourt West Virginia should challenge for the Big East title.

WHO DAT? WHO DAT? WHO DAT SAY......

I'm just jumping on the bandwagon? Come on. For those that don't know I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. Lived there until I was 11 years old. So don't tell me I am just a Saints fan now. My dad and I have been Saints fans since way back when fans use to come to games like the picture above. The bag head fans were started in New Orleans. I sat through years of being ridiculed for being an "Aints" fan. They ain't gonna never win, they ain't gonna ever gonna make the playoffs. Most of you don't know what it feels like. You don't know what it feels like for your dad to take you to a game when the "Aints" are playing one of the worst teams in the league back in the 80's in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and still walk out with a loss. I look back on it and my Dad wanted to spare his poor son the feeling of a loss at a professional football game. He took me to a sure fire win and in typical Saints fan fashion it still turned out bad. So yes, now that the Saints are the best team in football, I am living it up. Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush can do no wrong to me. Damn, you haters, let a man have his day in the sun.

SAYING GOODBYE

Why such an old picture of Allen Iverson you ask? I wanted to remember Allen Iverson like I met him, in a Georgetown Jersey instead of like this. It's sad to see one of the best little guys to ever play this game go out like this. But you have to wonder why Iverson won't accept the inevitable. You are getting old. Nobody, can compete against Father Time. Nobody has ever won this battle, especially at the guard position. Iverson's pride is probably what will do him in. His unwillingness to come off the bench and be a role player will of course be the cause of his demise. It's weird, but I'm torn on this one. On one hand I don't want to see Allen Iverson waiving a towel and coming out to mid-court to slap O.J. Mayo five or whispering in Mike Conley's ear "This is how I used to do it." Doesn't seem like Iverson deserves that. But on the other hand sometimes you have to pass on the legacy and let the young guys have there day. Iverson has never been the most humble or classy guy so why would I expect him to change now. But maybe if he retires it's for the better. It's better than being an old wounded vet telling war stories about back in the day. I dedicate this song to Iverson.