Knicks rookie Landry Fields took his talents to the local Modell’s sporting goods store in Greenburgh this week, and went undercover as a salesman in an attempt to try and move some new #6 Landry Fields jerseys. Keep an eye out for him when you’re around town in Westcheddar, he’s been spotted in White Plains a couple times recently too. And go cop a Landry Fields jersey man! That’s all Spike Lee rocks (see pic above). Check the video, it’s pretty funny. Definitely love the Stat impression at the end…
Oh man, tell me this isn’t the friendliest roll on a game winning three-point shot in the history of basketball. Props to Raymond Felton for nailing it. He’s been playing unbelievable, and his swag is definitely on a hundred thousand million. And big ups to the star of my fantasy team, Amar’e Stoudemire, who has scored 30 plus in the last six games, and completely took over in the 4th quarter last night. The Knicks are 14-9 baby! They’ve won 11 of the last 12 games! Let’s get it! More on the game at The Knicks Blog. GO NY GO NY GO!!!!!
The 2010-2011 NBA season is officially underway, and the new Knicks are off to a decent start at 2-2. Tommy Dee of The Knicks Blog, our official Westcheddar NBA analyst, took some time out of his busy schedule to preview what we should expect this season from our hometown boys, and also from the rest of the league. Will Amar’e and the gang finally put the Knicks back in the playoffs? Can Miami’s “Big Three” take out Boston? Is a Lakers 3-peat in the future? Tommy Dee gives us the good word…
IP: So Tommy, I think it’s safe to say that Knicks fans are fired up about this 2010-2011 NBA season. Lots of big moves were made over the summer, we got a new leader in Amar’e Stoudemire, and some other additions to the roster like Raymond Felton that have all our hopes high. Should we still be nervous about making the playoffs?
TD: Initially, it may take time for the offense to blend together. I’ve actually been very impressed with what they’ve done defensively against some pretty good teams. They have to continue to learn how to win and how to close games out. They are young, despite Amar’e and Felton, so they are going to have to lean on them in order to win the tight games that good teams win and great teams rarely lose.
IP: You interact with Knicks fans on a daily basis through your site, The Knicks Blog, Twitter, and Facebook. What was their reaction to Lebron’s “decision”? It obviously was a letdown that he didn’t come to New York, but do they even care anymore that he’s not here?
TD: People may not know this but I canceled TV appearances because I felt like being away from the fans would be disingenuous. Knicks fans were on a journey for 2 years and I owed it to myself not to be talking about it, but to be interacting with fans. The Knicks were very much in it because New York is such a huge draw, but ultimately Lebron wanted to have fun and play with his Olympic teammates in a beautiful city. New Yorkers are very strong-minded people as you know, so it was no surprise that most were ready to move on after the initial and official announcement was made.
IP: What do you think is going to happen to Carmelo Anthony? The rumor mill says he wants to come to the Knicks. Is there any chance that will happen? What will we have to give up to get him.
TD: And I have to accept being a part of that mill. We’ve been saying he’s the Knicks plan B, plan A being Lebron, since last Spring. Melo loves NY. It’s a complicated situation but it’s also an easy one. If Melo wants to come to NY that badly he can do so next year. Now, the Nuggets don’t want to get stuck getting little in return, but because Carmelo has the contract option he can walk or force the Nuggets to sign and trade him. From everything I’m hearing the Knicks are far and away the front runners, but you never know for sure until Melo is at the press conference holding up that #30 jersey in honor of his favorite Knick, Bernard King.
IP: How do you think the Knicks looked in pre-season and in this first couple weeks of play? Are the guys starting to get to know each other a little better? Who’s been playing well so far?
TD: Again, I’ve been impressed with their defensive rotations and hope those continue. Landry Fields, the rookie from Stanford, has been a standout, and Amar’e has embraced the city and taken the role of a true leader.
IP: What’s Mike Di’Antoni been doing to cater to the new players on the team? I mean, more than half the roster is made up of fresh faces. Has he made adjustments to his offense and defense, or are these new guys just trying to “fit in” to his style of coaching? What’s his strategy?
TD: To his credit, he’s extended his rotation and has tried a lot of different combinations. They are not knocking down jump shots which is the backbone, along with the pick and roll, of the system. There are a ton of new faces, but he’s happy to have Amar’e whom he’s had great success with in Phoenix.
IP: Boston and Miami are the powerhouses in the east. Boston’s certainly deep and has lots of experience, but Miami has the “Big Three”. Boston took them out in the first game of the season, but will they make it back to the NBA Finals?
TD: I still believe Boston is better because of what they did up front. Miami’s only weakness is probably on the interior. Chris Bosh is a talented player but he’s not Charles Oakley. He’s more Charles Smith. If Boston can stay healthy, they just know how to win, that’s a tremendous advantage as it relates to competing against pure talent.
IP: What other teams in the east should the Knicks be worried about? Any sleepers? Can anyone take out Miami or Boston? Atlanta Hawks maybe?
TD: Yeah the Hawks are another team that did the right thing about spending money to keep a player like Joe Johnson and now Al Horford who I love. They may take the next step but they are still a step behind the top three (Orlando included) in terms of getting out of the conference. Chicago will be tough when Boozer comes back. As far as sleepers the Knicks can really get out to a good November and if they gain confidence they could be tough.
IP: How about out west? Can the Lakers repeat? Are Kevin Durant and the Thunder championship caliber? Is there anyone else we should be watching for out there? Jazz? Mavs? Bueller?
TD: Love the Ferris reference and the Suns have a Frye, but they may struggle to make the playoffs. Hopefully the Thunder can maintain a top 4 seed so they don’t have to face the Lakers in the 1st or even 2nd round because they match up so well. Artest has another year to try and learn the system and that’s always good, and they win with or without Bynum being healthy. Very scary. Also, never discount Deron WIlliams or Chris Paul, two incredible competitors.
IP: You’re an owner in the NBA fantasy Westcheddar Hoops League. From a statistics perspective, who should the fans be watching for to put up big numbers this season? Any surprises early on in the season so far? Most improved player predictions?
TD: Rondo is ridiculous and is continuing what he did last spring in the playoffs. Blake Griffin is the truth, man. A very efficient big man. Early most improved? Arron Afflalo of Denver.
IP: What about this rookie class? Any future all-stars in the mix? John Wall looks good, huh?
TD: Wall will cut down on the turnovers but he’s a showman. A performer. And he’s the scariest player the league has seen with the ball in terms of strength and speed in some time. Again, Griffin is a can’t miss. Derrick Favors has been impressive. I love Wes Johnson in Minnesota, a pure shooter. And again, Landry Fields is the best rookie you’ve never heard of, even in NY.
IP: Back to the Knicks. Amar’e seems to have really embraced this leadership role. Are the other players reacting well to him stepping up like that? Was that a void that needed to be desperately filled for the Knicks to succeed?
TD: No question. Too many guys had no idea what they future’s were over the past 2 years. Lee wanted to lead but it wasn’t his nature. Al Harrington is a great guy with a good resume but wasn’t a star. There is no doubt who the leader is on this team. That’s a big thing in terms of the locker room. He leads by example too.
IP: Can we expect a big season out of Gallinari? Chandler? Or do they fade into the background with these new guys around? Chandler actually had a couple big games so far.
TD: Will has been very solid amongst contract discussions. He’ll be restricted at the end of the year like the Knicks did with Lee and Nate, which is smart. Gallinari has been very disappointed, but you have to expect him to gather himself and do what he does best, which is make shots. He can do other things but if his shot isn’t falling he loses his swag.
IP: The bench has potential to be strong. Douglas looked good in pre-season, and shot well against the Bulls last night. Turiaf seems like he could be solid, as does Mozgov. Can the Knicks bench really make an impact this season on how many games they win?
TD: The bench has been the best part of the team thus far because they all embrace their roles. Douglas is a ball hound who gets rewarded offensively thanks to great defense. The crowd loves Turiaf and rightfully so. He plays hard every night. Mozgov hasn’t had the same success as the preseason where he really busted out, and needs to earn the trust of the coach. The bench as a whole has competed and given the starters a chance to close out victories, which is all you can ask.
IP: Assuming we don’t get Melo, where do the Knicks finish this season? What if we get Melo? Do things drastically change?
TD: The bet case scenario is that the Knicks get Melo without giving up too much. Do they get a 3rd team involved or do they work out a sign and trade over the summer? Too many variables for me to believe that Melo will get traded anywhere but New York, but I don’t think it happens any time soon. The Knicks are a borderline 8th seed with the potential to be better. But it’s very difficult to predict.
IP: Finally, The Knicks Blog. It’s super popular nowadays, with a large readership. You get tons of comments on big posts, and I know your daily hits have steadily increased since you started it a couple years ago. What have you done right that has made it so successful? And what can you do to make it even bigger?
TD: Thanks and I appreciate that. Not sure what we can do. Probably need the Knicks to get better, bring in Melo and battle Boston and Miami! Honestly, we try to provide sound information on a daily basis all the time in a different manner. I love fans. If people want to yell at me I think it’s great. That’s NY sports passion, which I get and I want them to know I get it. Like any good restaurant or radio station, I want people to feel like we’re there for them and they get consistency. Whether it’s to support the team or to complain about rotations or an owner, GM, player or coach, this is your place. Pull up a seat at the bar or grab a table. Or pick up the phone and call in. We do like getting scoop on stories to give bloggers some much needed credibility. But that’s always subjective and an impossible task. We want it to be the one-stop shop for all Knicks information.
IP: Thanks Tommy! Appreciate you taking the time to build with me. GO NY GO NY GO!!!!!
My cousin CI posted this on his No Mas NYC Twitter, with no description or anything, it was just a link. Glad I clicked on it! Thirty-Two Great Calls, a blog entry by Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski, is a master list of some of the most memorable TV and radio announcer play by play calls and reactions to classic sports moments of the past, from some of the greats like Marv Albert (pictured above) and Vin Scully, and many others. It’s absolutely awesome, and pretty much every one has video footage, from Christian Laettner’s Final Four buzzer beater to Bill Buckner’s World Series error, and lots more. Check it out…
The first ever fantasy NBA season of the Westcheddar Hoops League is officially underway. Our league is made up of 16 teams, with owners from Massachusetts to Maryland. It’s going to be tough competition, with cash and prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. We set the season off today with “The Lottery” to determine who will pick when in our upcoming draft. A few of the owners were down at Madison Square Garden with the BGC middle/high school basketball team to watch the Knicks Open Practice, so we filmed “The Lottery” there and had the kids pull the team names out of a hat. Check it out above. And below, watch a great clip of my young boy Nappi aka Napstar spit a sick rap at our recent BGC Jam Session (alongside our special guest and up and coming rap star Chris Webby) over a beat made in our lab by a fellow 8th grader we call Dr. Dres. This is what we do…
You see me cheesin’ in the background?!?!? I love watching my little dudes kill it. More action from the Westcheddar Hoops League coming soon, along with our official NBA preview. Stay tuned!!!
I recently got back into collecting sports cards. I know, kinda weird, but it’s fun. Honestly, I could care less about any of the new cards, I just want the ones from the 80’s that I had when I was a kid. Not sure what happened to all of mine. I think I traded them to my boy Tic for a Nautica shirt when I was in high school! Haha! Or maybe they’re just gone. Who knows. But it’s been fun rebuilding my collection, because the cards I really care about aren’t that expensive. Most of the cards I want are only worth a couple dollars, with the exception of a few rookie cards, but even those are reasonable. Ebay’s a great spot to find cards. I got a bunch of old Don Mattingly cards on there for only a few bucks, and found his rookie cards too in great condition for super cheap. He’s my favorite player to collect. And I got a ton of old Knicks cards (Ewing, Starks, Oakley, etc), and some other basketball stuff too (a Chris Mullin rookie!). And I took my Dad over to the Westchester County Center last summer for the East Coast National Baseball Card Show which was lots of fun. Got a Darryl Strawberry rookie, a Wade Boggs rookie, a 2nd year Magic Johnson card, some Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco cards, and other old Yankees and Mets cards of players that I grew up following, without having to spend a ton of money. And he had a blast looking at all the cards from his childhood, you know, the ones I wished he held on to!
Now that I have a son, I want to make sure my collection is tight so I can pass it along to him and teach him about all the great players I grew up watching. I figure it will be a fun hobby for us to share. But in the 21st century, forget it. Sports card collecting is crazy! The cards from the 80’s are so cheap because no one cares about those. They made a ton of them! The real collectors want the new, super rare stuff. There’s autographed cards in packs now, or cards that they only make a few of, and everything is really expensive. I’ll save my money and stick to collecting Eric Davis and Mike Pagliarulo cards. Thanks but no thanks.
I guess when my son gets old enough I’ll figure out what’s hot out there for him to collect without having to spend his life savings. Maybe he won’t care about the new cards and will be more into the older players. We’ll see. I’m taking him to his first baseball card show at the County Center in White Plains next week. Even though he’s only 4 months old, I think he’ll enjoy the atmosphere, and there will be lots of cool stuff to look at. It’s fun to hunt for the baseball and basketball cards I want from the 80’s, but also look at all the older cards from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Most of those are too expensive to buy, but I like seeing what’s out there. And the old memorabilia is also dope. Wanna join us? More info on the show HERE.
Anyway, watch this mini-documentary about card collecting and how it’s changed over the years, filmed in Brooklyn at the Baseball Card Dugout. Pretty interesting to see what it’s like now. Lots of new types of cards (though many of the old brands still exist), but the same excitement. And even though card collecting will always be a kids pastime, it’s the adults that have the most fun with it! Forever young!
What’s your favorite card from back in the day? Anyone got some gems in their collection? Still got a stash in your parents’ attic?
I know everyone is fired up about the football season coming back around, but I’m looking forward to hoops! This is a brand new video that I saw over at Slam Online, counting down the Top 50 NCAA dunks of all time. It’s really awesome. To my Terps that went to school with me in the late 90’s, you’ll love #4. LOL!!!! Enjoy this, it’s crazy. Later.
Video game, that is. I’m not a big gamer or anything, but I do own a PS3. And the sole reason I have it is to play NBA 2K when I get the itch. It really is the greatest video game ever. I grew up playing all the classic basketball NBA games, from NBA Jam to Bulls vs. Lakers and all those, then NBA Live, then NBA Street, through all the systems from Sega Genesis to now Playstation 3, and now for the past year it’s been all about NBA 2K. At this point they’ve really perfected the NBA video game experience. No wonder NBA 2K is the all time #1 basketball game seller. I’m sorry but EA’s NBA Live (now called NBA Elite I think) can’t fuck with it. The NBA 2K graphics are ridiculously real, the gameplay is bananas, the features are endless, the music and announcing is great, and the online connection stays up to date with the season, from the schedule to the stats to the trades to the, well, everything. And now, for NBA 2K11, they brought back Michael Jordan as the poster boy, and you can officially without codes or bullshit play with him and all the classic teams and players we grew up with from the past (not just wack 80’s and 90’s All-Star teams) which is what I’ve been wishing they would do forever! Just peep the video trailer, then mark your calendars for October 5th, that’s when it comes out….
For the record, I’m really not as nice as I used to be at video games, nor do I really have time to play that much (I only rock a few times a month if I’m lucky), but if you have PS3 get at me when this drops, we gonna get it poppington this season. Let’s get gamed out! Big shout out to my boy J. Tunas for sending me the trailer! You can bring that bitch ass Miami Heat squad of yours, I’m coming with the old school Knicks! Patrick Ewing and them! Let’s gooooooooooo!
Ok! Me and my young boy Kaliph finally got around to making a video for our song “Nothing U Can Do”, off my latest mixtape IPmatic (see the post below or click HERE to get that). We filmed it on the no budget tip up in Mt. Kisco, and I basically put it all together and edited it myself. I’m proud of this, because it’s straight raw hip hop, the way we like it. No gimmicks, no bullshit. Respect the No Mas NYC lid and the throwback Latrell Sprewell Knicks jersey. Westchester County stand up, White Plains and beyond, this one’s for you!!!!! Enjoy…
P.S. Stay tuned for our official Westcheddar breakdown of Lebron’s decision (you blew it LBJ) and the New Knicks. For now, I’ll just say this: I like how our new squad is shaping up. Big shout to Amar’e Stoudemire for stepping up to the challenge. Stay tuned to my man Tommy Dee at The Knicks Blog for all the recent news. Holler at your boy!!!
This is great. Matisyahu teams up with Funny or Die, and gets some help from his comedian buddy Simcha Levenberg (who I’ve chilled with before at Matis shows and he’s a funny dude), for a comedy short called “Mistaken Matisyahu”. The guy who plays the fan is awesome. Well done gents. Oh, and Matisyahu’s world anthem “One Day” is on the brand new 2010 FIFA World Cup soundtrack. Cover below…
Westcheddar 