Tag: New York Knicks

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New York Knicks

Larry Brown is just getting greedy



Needs another $12.5M for a
new sweater

When Larry Brown was fired from the New York Knicks after a disaster of a season, we figured that Larry would demand the rest of his contract to be paid up and then they’d settle for something close to $41 million but not quite. Well it turns out that Larry Brown thinks he deserves more than the full $50 for his one year of service. On top of the remainder of his $50M contract, LB has asked for another $12.5M for “liquidated damages” and attorneys fees.

Let’s see, $62.5M for 23 wins works out to $2.7M per win. Isn’t it amazing that Larry Brown actually thinks he deserves MORE money for getting fired? Most people would just slink away with a $41M lump sum check and call it a day but not Larry, he wants to collect the money “the right way”. Sadly some other team will be desperate enough to hire Larry Brown to turn their franchise around and Larry will collect yet another paycheck. The man is a genius.

Links:
[NY Post]: BROWN SEEKS $62M

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New York Knicks

Odds and Ends: Stephon Marbury’s $15 shoe

There aren’t many good things you can say about Stephon Marbury or the Knicks, which is why the news that Starbury is launching a $15 shoe so that kids can afford them is surprising news. We don’t have much to say except kudos to Marbury for doing this. We hope it outsells Shaq’s chinese shoes.

In other news…

[Sportsline]: Titans and mascot won’t face sanctions for hitting Saints backup QB with a golf cart

[MSNBC]: Air Force Academy assistant coach suspended after allegedly striking player

[SI]: Parcells: “Look, you tell Terrell that tomorrow I want him out here for practice. Tomorrow’s the day. I don’t care. Tomorrow’s the day.”

[There’s Your Karma, Ripe as Peaches]: Woman Cycling runner up says, “that’s a man, baby!”

[Lit’s Controversial Sports Chanting]: 2001 NBA Draft Review and Analysis

Categories
Boston Red Sox

Odds and Ends (07.07.06): Manny Ramirez called owners "White Devils"

From the new book by Seth Mnookin called Feeding the Monster, comes this little nugget:


stat analyst Bill James did a study in the 2003 season in which Rami rez was cited for half of the 60 instances in which Sox players did not hustle, and this spring, after the Sox did not trade him yet again after he’d asked to be dealt, Rami rez directed a rant at the owners in which he referred to them as “[expletive] white devils.

Man, that’s just Manny being Manny racist. (Story via Drunken Bleachers Blog)

In other news…

[Cincinnati Enquirer]: Shackelford out of jail, in minors

[NY Daily News]: Isiah’s already eyeing playoffs

[SI.com]: Minor-leaguer killed just after release

[USA Today]: Damn, even punters are cheating

[Seattle Times]: Bland ESPN has lost its way

Categories
New York Knicks

James Dolan is the worst owner is sports

When people talk about bad owners, it usually conjures up the image of the miserly bean counter who won’t spend any money to make the team any better. However, sometimes it’s the guy who will spend any amount of money but has no clue what he’s doing and continually sabotages the team with his mistakes. The poster boy for clueless ownership is James Dolan.

At a press conference today, Dolan cemented his status with the following:

  • Told the press that Isiah Thomas had one year to turn the team around or he will be fired. Something which Thomas didn’t appear to be aware of.
  • Said that Larry Brown wanted to release 6 players whose contracts totalled $180M. Among the 6 were Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury, and Jerome James. Note that the NBA has guaranteed contracts.
  • Said that wanting to release those 6 players was Larry Brown’s way of forcing Dolan to fire him. Accused Brown of having no intention of coaching more than one year when he signed the five year contract with the Knicks.

Let’s just focus on his ultimatum to Isiah Thomas shall we? It’s fine to put Isiah on notice in private but calling him out in public? First, it puts undue pressure on Isiah and will become a press conference question after every game in the second half of the season. Second, how is Isiah supposed to motivate his team (we actually don’t think he can anyway) if, say, they are struggling by the all-star break and the players know that he’ll get fired by the end of the season. Why bother busting you hump for a coach who won’t be there? They didn’t do it for Larry Brown, who’s actually a good coach, they won’t do it for Isiah Thomas.

We can’t wait for the vegas over/under on number of Knicks wins next season. We’re going to peg it at 25.

Links:
[NY Post]: Thomas gets fair warning
[NY Daily News]: Dolan places Isiah on deck

Categories
New York Knicks

Larry Brown Fired! Isiah Thomas takes over Team Titanic



Out!

After months of speculation, the Knicks made it official today and fired Larry Brown after just one year. Taking over will be Isiah Thomas who now wears three hats: coach, GM, sexual harasser.

The buyout of Brown’s contract could cost the Knicks as much as $40M. James Dolan issued this statement.

Larry has had a long and storied career. We hired him last summer with the expectation that he would be with the Knicks for a long time. Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don’t. After careful consideration, despite the best intentions from everyone involved, this current structure did not work for us last season and I did not think it was going to improve next season.

We’re waiting for Vegas to post the over/under on the number of wins for the Knicks next season but one thing we know for sure, NY residents can expect a rise in Cablevision prices. Meanwhile, in Boston, Philly, New Jersey, and Toronto, coaches and GMs rejoice.

Links:
[ESPN]: Knicks fire Brown, name Thomas new coach

Categories
NBA General

Raptors win draft lottery… Knicks don’t take 2nd



Thank you Isiah!

The Raptors went into the lottery with only an 8.8% to take the top spot and got it.  Meanwhile, the Knicks went into the lottery with the 2nd worst record in the league but ended up with the second pick… but whoops, they traded that pick to Chicago for Eddy Curry. Oh, and Chicago has the right to swap picks next year because of the trade for… Eddy Curry.

When the trade happened, Isiah Thomas said that they had to gamble on the type of talent and size that Eddy Curry possessed and that a guy like him comes along every 15 to 20 years.  The Bulls got an absolute steal with this deal.  They had to trade Curry because he refused a DNA test to determine the likelihood of future heart problems.  The Knicks were unconcerned about Curry’s heart problems, and they were right about that — it turns out Eddy Curry has no heart — especially on defense.

Here’s the full first round draft order.

  1. Toronto
  2. Chicago (from New York)
  3. Charlotte
  4. Portland
  5. Atlanta
  6. Minnesota
  7. Boston
  8. Houston
  9. Golden State
  10. Seattle
  11. Orlando
  12. New Orleans
  13. Philadelphia
  14. Utah
  15. New Orleans (from Milwaukee)
  16. Chicago
  17. Indiana
  18. Washington
  19. Sacramento
  20. New York (from Denver through Toronto and New Jersey)
  21. Phoenix (from L.A. Lakers through Atlanta and Boston)
  22. New Jersey (from L.A. Clippers through Denver and Orlando)
  23. New Jersey
  24. Memphis
  25. Cleveland
  26. L.A. Lakers (from Miami)
  27. Phoenix
  28. Dallas
  29. New York (from San Antonio)
  30. Portland (from Detroit through Utah)

Links:

[USA Today]: Bulls turn Knicks’ pick into No. 2, lottery win
[ESPN]: Raptors claim No. 1 pick for June’s NBA draft

Categories
New York Knicks

Larry Brown is smarter than James Dolan


Larry Brown’s agent said that LB is not going anywhere and that he will either coach the Knicks or be fired. It might seem foolish to turn down a $25M buyout but why settle for $25M when you can get fired and get the whole $40M?

In Brown’s world, it’s better to be fired than to be thought of as a quitter. Either way, there will be a few GMs lining up to hire Brown as their next coach but if he’s fired, it’s the stupidity of the Knicks management, not because he quit on his team. He’ll just tell the next GM that it’s not until the second year of his plan, after he’s torn the team down, that the players start buying into his system and he can rebuild it back up.

Larry will end up getting 3 paychecks for 1 job. Man that guy is a genius. Everyone knows Larry’s M.O. yet they fall for it every time. Larry is all about Larry. The money, the accolades, the ego. It turns out Larry Brown is the T.O. of the NBA. Sure he’ll get you results but you’ll end up with a ton of grief dealing with his crap.

Links:
[NY Post]: BYE BUYOUT
[NY Daily News]: Knicks a real horror show

Categories
New York Knicks

Just when you thought Team Titanic couldn’t get worse



Who’s the sucker?

MSG Chairman James Dolan is reportedly going to buy out Larry Brown’s $50M contract and have Isiah Thomas coach the team. If the 2005-2006 season (23-59) for the New York Knicks was like hitting the iceberg, then this news is like a meteor striking the ship while capsized.

We laugh at the Yankees for paying about $2M per win but if Brown gets bought out for the entire amount, that works out to about $2.2M per win just to pay the coach. Money, meet toilet.

Let’s talk about Isiah Thomas first. Here’s a guy who couldn’t coach a talented Indian Pacers team out of the first round of the playoffs, who got dismissed by the Pacers, and who bankrupted and destroyed an entire league. Now Dolan wants to get rid of his hall of fame coach so that Zeke can get even less out of the league’s highest payroll? If Isiah Thomas gets the job, it’s only a matter of time before Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury fight each other to the death to decide who runs the asylum. The rest of the Atlantic division must be rejoicing at this news.

Now, let’s talk about Larry Brown. Has anyone else in the league been able to get paid by more people for doing less? He got Detroit to pay him $7M to leave and now he’s going to get NY to pay him up to $40M to take a job elsewhere. Here’s a note to the kids everywhere. Your goal in life is not to make a lot of money. Your goal in life is to get such a good reputation that you can screw over franchise after franchise and still have people lining up to hire you. Sacramento, you’re next up.

[NY Post]: KNICKS HOPE TO CLOSE BROWN ERA BY NEXT WEEK
[NY Daily News]: Money must grow
in Dolan’s Garden