Summer's time for scandal

There really is not much going on in sports in the summer, between the time the NBA and NHL playoffs wrap up and NFL preseason camps start. Sure there is a full slate of baseball games everyday, but beyond that, it's pretty sparse.

Major League Soccer? The WNBA? Hot Dog eating contests? None of these tend to get American sports fans blood pumping. Not to mention the fact that high school and college sports are on hiatus until the fall semester. Sure, the Tour de France is heating up right now, but I bet you can't name who is in the lead. Hint: It's an Dane.

And since there isn't much happening on the field in July, off the field incidents tend to get increased play in the sports media. This summer there seems to be two big scandals on the sporting landscape: Mike Vick's dogfighting indictment and the NBA referee gambling probe.

The Mike Vick dogfighting allegations are without a doubt serious. I read through the 18 pages of federal indictment and some of the counts are sickening. The worst and most publicized of them name Vick in counts of killing eight dogs by hanging, drowning and at least one case of slamming a dog into the ground. Whether Vick will play this season remains to be seen.

The other big sports story of the summer centers around NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who is under investigation for betting on games, possibly some of which he was officiating. NBA Commissioner David Stern held a press conference today to talk about the allegations; he said it was the "worst situation I've every experienced either as fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or commissioner of the NBA." Donaghy's story even has a local connection here in Chester County, when the ref's gambling was brought up during a lawsuit with his West Chester neighbor. Read about the ref's boorish behavior here.

Obviously both these stories are a big deal in the world of sports. Dogfighting is illegal and cruel. Gambling in sports is always huge issue, just look at Pete Rose.

But do you think these scandals would be making national headlines day after day if there was a full slate of pro and college football games this weekend? I doubt it.

Images from the Associated Press

Looking back at the Draft

Well, after returning from New York and talking to many Philly fans, I don't think I found one person who was pleased with the Sixers' draft. And, on first glance, it's hard to blame them. The Sixers didn't draft a player who will likely make a significant impact -- at least immediately. They drafted an athletic swingman for the third straight year. They weren't able to trade up, despite many concerted efforts. Their second overall pick was a relative no-name from a small conference. And they drafted four players when there likely isn't roster space to acommodate all of them.

But, on closer inspection, I really don't think it's as bad as the average fan might think. In fact, I think it can be good. Sixers fans have no reason to be ecstatic. But they shouldn't be ready to jump off a bridge, either. Here's why:

Thaddeus Young is the man. Only time will tell if he'll be a star in this league, but I was more than impressed with his makeup after getting a chance to talk with him at the Sixers' introductory press conference. Yeah, I know: Makeup can't cross over LeBron or dunk on Shaq. But combined with the talent all the scouting reports say he has, I think Billy King made the right pick at that spot. Who knows? Maybe a few years from now, we'll even be saying it was a steal.

As for the later picks, many people predicted the Sixers would deal one or more of them, or go with an international player and store him overseas for a year. Instead, the team turned those picks into two established college players. And from a talent standpoint, it's hard to argue with the value. I mean, Herbert Hill was the leading scorer in the Big East and Derrick Byars was the SEC Player of the Year. These were serious players -- even if they didn't have the recognizable names. Hill, especially, is intriguing. The guy barely did anything for Providence through this first three years before becoming one of the best players in the Big East his senior season. Who comes out of nowhere like that? I think that really says something about his determination. And if he can help with the Sixers' rebounding woes, well, that's definitely a plus, too.

Which lastly brings us to the Sixers' second pick: Jason Smith. I'd be lying if I told you I watched him play at all in college. I'd also be lying if I told you I'm confident he'll become a good NBA player. I understand that you can't teach height (thanks to all the commentators who alerted me about this on Draft Night) and that 7-footers are hard to come by. But a player from Colorado State at No. 21? The team had an RPI of 106 last year. The toughest team they played was Air Force, which didn't have a player taller than 6-8 on its roster. I know the scouting reports on him are all very good, but without much big-game experience in college, I still say the pick is a risk. But, as we know, risks often work out. We'll just have to wait and see.

So, while the Sixers likely didn't completely change the fortunes of their franchise like Portland, or get their hands on more than one future star like Seattle (with Kevin Durant and Jeff Green) and Atlanta (with Al Horford and Acie Law IV), Billy King did a nice job with the picks he had. It's too bad they couldn't trade up and it's too bad they didn't do more with the Iverson trade to get some better picks to begin with. But I, for one, have high hopes for Thaddeus Young. And if any of the other three can become serviceable NBA players, well, that'll just be gravy. And even if I'm wrong -- who knows? -- maybe they'll get the No. 1 pick in next year's Draft. O.J. Mayo, anyone?

--Dave Zeitlin

Let's get it on

So I arrived at Madison Square Garden a couple of hours ago for the 2007 NBA Draft. And let me tell you, I was a little disappointed.

I mean, other than the zoo of people, the countless parties, a maze of twists and turns and secret rooms, countless TV people cluttered into one narrow area, a 7-foot tall woman, a couple sporting retro bright yellow Clyde Drexler jerseys and the beers I shared with Greg Oden, it was pretty dull.

OK, that last part I made up. But you get my point: It’s a madhouse over here. I’ve been to the Garden many times before, but I’ve never seen it like this. It really is wild. I swear I made a wrong turn and I ended up at someone’s backyard barbeque. But luckily, I made it back in time to hear Dick Vitale quote The Sports Guy, which was interesting.

Anyway, The WaMu Theater is where it’s all going down, but that’s pretty jammed. So I found a work station in the media room, right by where all the press conferences are taking place. Like I said, I don’t think I’ll be able to make any posts during the draft, but let’s be honest: you’ll be watching it on TV anyway. I’ll report back later with all the extra juicy nuggets and some of my favorite quotes from one of the deepest drafts in recent history. Enjoy!

--Dave Zeitlin

Here we go

Well, the countdown is on. The draft is approaching. The questions loom larger.

We now know that Portland will go with conventional wisdom and draft Greg Oden. And, really, it’s hard to argue with it. I mean, the college basketball fan in me was leaning towards Kevin Durant but, as everyone has been saying, you just can’t pass up a 7-footer with the kind of talent Oden has. It would have been nice to have some suspense going in, but there are still obviously plenty of questions left to be answered.

For instance, what will the Hawks do with that No. 3 pick? Will there be any blockbuster deals involving certain disgruntled superstars? Which poor soul will slide down the draft and sit alone in the Green Room, flashing awkward and pained smiles at the camera while the guys who were sitting just next to him are off making down payments on new homes?

But the most important question for Sixers fans right now is what Billy King will do with his three first-round picks. Consensus among many fans seems to be that the Sixers should try to package two of their picks to move up, which makes the most sense – if that’s possible. If not, it looks like they’ll likely end up with a player like Florida State’s Al Thornton at No. 12. It really all depends what happens in front of them, but King shouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger if he can. And I don’t think he will be, considering it will be tough to sign three first-rounders anyway.
While I’m not going to pretend to know what will happen tonight, I will tell you that it would be a little disappointing, at least to me, if they don’t make a deal and end up with someone like Thornton. He was a very good college player, but I can’t help but think that, if that happens, they didn’t make the most of the Iverson trade and turn the extra picks into a real difference-maker. As you may have gathered from my previous posts, I’m a fan of both Acie Law and Spencer Hawes, judging solely on what I saw of them in college. Jeff Green was another fantastic college player, and would be a good fit in Philly. We’ll see. All we can do now is wait.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll be allowed to keep a live blog from the Garden, but I’ll try to make a post before the draft starts, after I get there. And I’ll be sure to give a complete update on everything I see at MSG – the scene, the stars, and, of course, the suits – either late night or tomorrow. Enjoy the show!

--Dave Zeitlin

Time for Round 2

Corey Brewer. That’s the player whose table I decided to sit at when Round 2 of the marathon media session tipped off. (Wow, I think I just managed to use metaphors for three different sports. I know you’re impressed.)

I wanted to be in prime position for at least one player, so Brewer seemed as good a choice as any. Like everyone else, I was blown away by his abilities during the NCAA Tournament last March. And, it turns out, I like him as a person, too. He answered all the questions with a big smile, said what was on his mind and talked wistfully about the two national titles at Florida. And when asked about the comparisons that are being drawn to Scottie Pippen, Brewer said simply, “I like them.”

The crowd seemed a little bit smaller for this group so after a couple of minutes with Brewer, I listened to what Georgetown’s Jeff Green and Texas A&M’s Acie Law IV had to say. But almost right from the start, nearly the entire room shifted its attention to one man: Yi Jianlian.

Yi may have gotten more attention than even Oden or Durant. The Chinese prodigy who will likely be a top 5 selection tomorrow was hounded by Asian reporters and photographers, Ichiro style. And the most epic performance from the afternoon had to come from Yi’s translator, who had the Herculean job of interpreting inane, as well as some insane, questions for the big man. As Yi later left the room, a few photographers actually ran into each other trying to get shots of him walking. I’ve seen the Ichiro treatment on TV all the time, but it was definitely interesting to watch the circus live.

After fighting to get quotes from Yi’s translator, I bounced around from table to table for a little bit, making stops to hear everyone talk -- except for Rodney Stuckey. (Sorry, Rodney!) At one point, I got to Law when virtually no one else was there so I took the opportunity to ask him some questions. People forget that Law was easily one of the most talented, clutch and entertaining college players in recent memory. Remember the game in Texas when he went shot-for-shot with Durant and made two impossible 3-pointers to force two overtimes? I asked him about that, of course, and he told me all about how great it was and how fun it was to go against a player of Durant’s caliber. After careful consideration, I decided not to chastise him for knocking my Penn Quakers out of the tourney.

Towards the end, I was able to get some quotes from Durant, who is not as gregarious as the always-joking Oden but seemed pretty comfortable all the same. And he showed some flashes of self-deprecation when someone asked him why he struggled with his off-the-court strength tests. “It’s not that I never lifted at Texas,” he said. “It’s just that I couldn’t lift 185 pounds.”

Anyway, as the session ended, I realized how lucky I was to see some of the greatest college players assembled in one room a day before one of the most anticipated and important NBA drafts in league history. It really was a thrill. But enough with the gushy stuff. Let me sign off with a couple of entirely useless nuggets that I learned:

Most irrelevant piece of information: If Spencer Hawes were a car, he’d be a Range Rover.

Most random moment: When Corey Brewer was asked to pose for a picture while holding an Asian magazine that had Steve Nash on the cover.

Weirdest moment: When a reporter from Finland asked me if I knew anything about Petteri Koponen and if I wanted to be quoted for his paper. (I didn’t know anything. In fact, I had to just to look up his name now. He’s projected as a late first-rounder, if you’re curious.)

Best quote:
“What??”
--Greg Oden, when asked if he could guarantee that he’d be a better No. 1 overall pick than Michael Olowokandi

Well, that’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed the chronicles from a fun afternoon with the draftees. And, as always, make sure to pick up a copy of the Daily Local for more info. Back tomorrow for Draft Day!

--Dave Zeitlin

The Battle for Position

Most of the time, I have at least some idea what to expect when I cover an event. Today, I really had none.

I mean, I knew that all of the best college basketball players in the country would be assembled in one room for one extended session with the media. But what would the atmosphere be like? Would there be autograph hounds hovering around the hotel? Would there be a press conference for each player? Or an every-man-for-himself battle to get quotes?

Turns out, it was a battle. And a fierce one at that.

When the doors to the fifth-floor ballroom were first opened at around 12:30, reporters immediately raced to the table reserved for Greg Oden, the former Ohio State center and projected No. 1 pick.

Oden, of course, wasn’t even there yet so it was kind of an odd sight to see reporters line up five-deep around a table, jockeying for position and glaring at anyone who got in front of them. But I guess that’s what its like with sportswriters at a buffet, too.

Meanwhile, at the table right next to Oden’s, the one reserved for Kansas' Julian Wright, there was just one woman sitting down. And she kind of looked she was stopping during a long walk to get a pebble out of her shoe. Poor Julian.

Let me just say I’ve never been too good at jockeying for position. So when the players first arrived, I was caught in the center of the room, in virtual no-mans land. I felt like Eli Manning with cameras in front of him. This was bad.

But after a quick glance around the room, I managed to squeeze my way next to Florida forward Al Horford, who is likely to go either No. 3 or No. 4 tomorrow. He was well-spoken, humble and looked fashionable in a yellow sweater vest. Seemed like an all-around good guy.

Then in walked his Florida teammate, Joakim Noah, who is, for lack of a better word, interesting. Apparently, Noah didn’t get the memo that you were supposed to dress up for the event because the eccentric Gators forward sported a white t-shirt and plaid shorts. I really can’t wait to see the guy’s outfit tomorrow. Short of a suit with ducks and clowns on it, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything at this point.

But the crowd around Noah was almost as big as it was for Oden, so I went over to Mike Conley’s table just as the former Ohio State freshman guard was arriving. New York was a little bit too big and crazy for him, he said as he first sat down. Is that Isiah Thomas' excuse, too?

Next to Conley was Spencer Hawes, the Washington center who is projected as a top 10 pick. Many people didn’t see too much of him in college since he played on the West Coast and was hurt for a while, but I really think he’s going to be a great big man. From what I saw, he really has a solid offensive game – one which actually includes a mid-range jump shot. “Draft the big man first,” Hawes said, talking about Oden. Or maybe he was talking about himself. I’m not sure.

Soon, I found myself in a groove, going from table to table, waiting for an opening and diving in for quotes. This should really be a sport. I’d like to know the reporter who got in the most questions in to the most players. I’d support the accomplishment with a plaque.

Just then, however, I heard the announcement that there were only two minutes left before they bring in the next group of players. Ok, so it’s a two-minute drill. Crunch time, baby. Hopefully I’ll manage this better than Herm Edwards.

So with the time dwindling down, I decided to make a last-ditch effort to talk to Oden, or at least listen to him. But the crowd around him was still exceptionally large. As I walked over, I think I saw one cameraman propped on Julian Wrights’ head for a better view.

But I wiggled in there, just in time to see Oden grip a Spalding basketball for a photoshoot and tell the crowd he has really dry hands. Nice. Maybe I’ll lead my newspaper story with that.

As the first group of players left, I vowed to be more aggressive for the next group. But unfortunately, there were already a mob of people at Kevin Durant’s table. This was going to be interesting.

Find out how I did and what the rest of the players were talking about when I come back in a bit.

--Dave Zeitlin

Arriving in the Big Apple

"Here it is. Heart of New York City. Times Square. Named for the … good times you have when you’re in it."
--Michael Scott (The Office)

For a column in college, I once wrote that going to a Big 5 triple-header was heaven for a college hoops fan.

I may need to amend that because today’s visit to the Westin Hotel in Times Square was pretty freaking memorable.

From 1-2 p.m., nearly all of the projected lottery picks for tomorrow’s NBA Draft filed into a banquet room, sat at different tables with please-don’t-hurt-me looks in their eyes and waited as sportswriters from around the country lunged at them like Homer Simpson for a keg of Duff beer.

And now, as I’m sitting here writing in the Westin’s lobby, Greg Oden is about five feet behind me, signing autographs and smiling for cameras. Yes, it’s true what they say about him: he’s tall.

Anyway, I have a lot of material and quotes to decipher, but I’ll be back shortly, with separate entries from the two groups of players who spoke to the media – and, of course, some of the highlights, and lowlights, from the session.

Right now, I think I’m about to follow Michael Scott’s lead and get some of that famous New York pizza – at Sbarro. Check back in soon!

--Dave Zeitlin
Wednesday, 3 p.m.