The New York Knicks have announced that Donnie Walsh is out as the team’s president today. MSG Chairman James Dolan issued this statement:

Following a long series of discussions regarding his future role with the New York Knicks, Donnie Walsh and I have mutually agreed that ]]>

The New York Knicks have announced that Donnie Walsh is out as the team’s president today. MSG Chairman James Dolan issued this statement:

Following a long series of discussions regarding his future role with the New York Knicks, Donnie Walsh and I have mutually agreed that he will be leaving his position as president, basketball operations of the Knicks at the end of June. Donnie will remain with the team as a consultant for the 2011-12 season. In a relatively short time with the Knicks, Donnie made a tremendous impact, which will be felt for many years to come. We thank Donnie for his leadership, hard work and many contributions to the revitalization of the team.

Of course, the obvious question now becomes–when does Isiah Thomas come strutting into the Big Apple? Thomas and Dolan remain close and just last August, he served as a “consultant” to the Knicks before NCAA rules forced him to step down. He was also part of a group that attempted to woo LeBron James to New York during free agency last summer.

All in all, the move to let Walsh go is a mysterious one. But then again, nothing, and I mean nothing Dolan does makes sense. Which is why, if you’re a betting man, put your money on #11.

[via John Schuhmann]

Guyism’s daily look at what’s hot in the world of sports.

51

In the battle for Florida NBA supremacy, the Miami Heat came out on top this time. LeBron James was nearly unstoppable scoring 51 points as the Heat rolled out to a ]]>

Guyism’s daily look at what’s hot in the world of sports.

51

In the battle for Florida NBA supremacy, the Miami Heat came out on top this time. LeBron James was nearly unstoppable scoring 51 points as the Heat rolled out to a huge lead going into the fourth quarter. But the Orlando Magic mounted a furious comeback and had a chance to tie the game late but Ryan Anderson’s three pointer clanked off the rim. James’ 51 points included a first quarter that featured 23 points and 11 straight made shots.

20

Currently at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, it is 20 degrees outside. I’m guessing that when the NFL wanted to bring the Super Bowl to Texas, they didn’t imagine having to fight off snow, ice and frigid temperatures. CNBC sports reporter Darren Rovell tweeted a picture of Cowboys stadium this morning and with the snow on the ground, there wasn’t a plow or shovel anywhere in sight. Looks like their Super Bowl contingency plans did not include snow blowing.

1030

Though it’s not official yet, the New York Yankees and long time pitcher Andy Pettite have called a press conference at 1030 a.m. today to presumably announce his retirement from baseball. The move comes as the Yankees were thought to have solidified their starting rotation just as pitchers and catchers were reporting to spring training in a few weeks. “We thank Andy, his wife, Laura, and their family for their many contributions to this organization,” managing partners Hank and Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “We hope the Pettitte family remains a part of the Yankees family for years to come, and we wish them nothing but the best moving forward.”

200,000

How much damage can Isiah Thomas do to a New York Knicks franchise he hasn’t worked at in more than a year? Well, I’m glad you asked. The Knicks were fined $200k by the NBA yesterday for hosting illegal draft workouts during Thomas’ regime there. Some even argued that Thomas spearheaded the entire operation as he hired the staff conducting the workouts themselves.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was arguably one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. His commitment to non-violent protests was vital to the U.S. civil rights movement of the 50′s and 60′s. One of the things we remember most about King was his “I have a dream” speech. ]]>

Martin Luther King, Jr. was arguably one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. His commitment to non-violent protests was vital to the U.S. civil rights movement of the 50′s and 60′s. One of the things we remember most about King was his “I have a dream” speech. While he made many speeches in his lifetime, it was that speech that was by far his most notable.

So, in honor of yesterday’s MLK Day, we take a look at memorable speeches in sports history.

10 Jimmy Valvano’s speech at the 1993 ESPYs

In 1993, former NC State coach Jimmy Valvano’s body was riddled with cancer. He only had a few months to live and he was going to spend every moment he could advocating for cancer research. His speech at the 1993 ESPY’s remains as the most heartwarming and motivational things you’ll probably hear in your lifetime. Because of this speech, ESPN was able to create the Jimmy V foundation for Cancer Research.

“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”

9 Famous Knute Rockne speech

This is not the “win one for the Gipper speech”. Instead, this is Knute Rockne’s pep talk that was immortalized by the movie “Rudy”.

“And don’t forget, men — today is the day we’re gonna win. They can’t lick us — and that’s how it goes… The first platoon men — go in there and fight, fight, fight, fight, fight! What do you say, men!”

8 Babe Ruth much later in life in his farewell to baseball

On April 27th, 1947 the New York Yankees held “Babe Ruth day” at Yankee Stadium. Because of Ruth’s health at the time, they weren’t sure he’d able to make it. But there he was standing tall and though he was not as lively as he normally was, he still thrilled the capacity crowd by addressing them that day.

7 Lou Gehrig, luckiest man on the face of the earth

Lou Gehrig’s “luckiest man on the face of the earth” remains arguably the greatest speech in sports history. Knowing full well that his days were numbered, Gehrig stood up there and talked about how lucky he was to have lived the life he did playing the game he loved. The speech was a testament to Gehrig’s humility both as a ball player and as a human being.

“So, I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”

6 Vince Lombardi in a pre-game Super Bowl speech

Vince Lombardi was a master motivator and in his last game as coach of the Green Bay Packers, he was short and to the point. After the Pack defeated the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl, many thought that the game against the Raiders was going to be just as difficult. In typical Lombardi fashion, he talked about the basics of football.

“Just hit, just run, just block and just tackle”.

5 Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday”

Many will probably say that a speech from a fictional movie has no business on a list like this. But when that movie includes the venerable Al Pacino, regardless of the quality of the film, it deserves at least a second and third look. “Any Given Sunday” probably doesn’t even rank on many people’s favorite sports movie lists, however, almost every sports fan can recall the speech coach Tony D’Amato gave at the end.

4 Kurt Russell recreating Herb Brooks’ “Miracle” speech

Granted, this was a recreation of Herb Brooks’ famous speech to the U.S. National Hockey team before they took on the Soviets in 1980. But give Kurt Russell credit. Not only did he play the part of Brooks’ well, by all accounts, he nailed the pep talk to a ‘t’.

“This is your time. Their time is done. It’s over. I’m sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw ‘em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it.”

3 Jack Buck’s 9/11 poem

The country was devastated after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Nobody wanted to even think about sports while thousands of bodies were still being pulled out of the World Trade Center rubble. Legendary St. Louis Cardinals sportscaster Jack Buck wrote a patriotic poem that he recited to the Busch Stadium crowd on Sept 17th, 2001. Til this day, many get choked up just hearing the words again.

“As our fathers did before, we shall
Win this unwanted war.
And our children will enjoy the
Future, we’ll be giving.”

2 Isiah Thomas’ Hall of Fame induction

It’s hard to ignore the blunders of Isiah Thomas’ post-playing career. But during his time in the NBA, there wasn’t a player who could his rival his intensity and his absolute sweat and tears for the game he loved. He was truly the ultimate competitor. When Zeke was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, he spent time talking about his mom who had to literally fight off gangs on her front door step to keep them from her children. Isiah and many of those in the audience teared up listening to the Mary Thomas story and for a brief moment, all the shenanigans of his post-career meltdown were forgotten.

1 The greatest trash talker ever — Muhammad Ali

It would be a damn shame to have a list like this and not include the greatest trash talker ever and perhaps the greatest athlete of all-time, Muhammad Ali. His interviews with Howard Cosell remain legendary and his ability to deliver one-liners is unmatched in the world of sports.

“I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick.”

Amare Stoudemire’s three pointer came just after time expired as the Celtics went on to beat the Knicks 118-116 last night. And while we’re not ready to call this a rivalry just yet, if these two teams can play thrillers like that, it’s only a matter of time.

Here’s video ]]>

Amare Stoudemire’s three pointer came just after time expired as the Celtics went on to beat the Knicks 118-116 last night. And while we’re not ready to call this a rivalry just yet, if these two teams can play thrillers like that, it’s only a matter of time.

Here’s video of the play in question. Pretty clear that the ball is still in Amare’s hands as the buzzer sounds.

The Knicks aren’t there just yet but you’re starting to see the makings of a team that might make noise in next year’s playoffs. Of course, this is dependent on a few things. One, being the health of Amare Stoudemire who is the cornerstone of the team right now. The second is not in the players’ or coaches hands at all but rather with MSG chairman James Dolan. He’s been fairly adamant the last few months that he wants to bring Isiah Thomas back into the fold. Zeke isn’t the franchise killer many make him out to be, but this is a situation where the phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” seems apropos. A wise management move by Dolan would be no move at all at this point.

On a side note to last night’s Celtics win comes this tweet from superfan Maria Menounos. Regardless of your feelings on the franchise itself, you have to love her enthusiasm. And yes, it helps that she is kind on the eyes.

Guyism’s daily look at what’s hot in the world of sports.

92

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller died at the age of 92 yesterday. The Cleveland Indian possessed what many experts believe to be one of the greatest fastballs in the history ]]>

Guyism’s daily look at what’s hot in the world of sports.

92

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller died at the age of 92 yesterday. The Cleveland Indian possessed what many experts believe to be one of the greatest fastballs in the history of the game. “Ted Williams called Mr. Feller “the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw during my career. . . . He had the best fastball and curve I’ve ever seen.’’ Stan Musial called him “probably the greatest pitcher of our era.’’ High praise from some of the game’s greats.

3-4-11

The current NFL collective bargaining agreement ends on March 4, 2011–Commissioner Roger Goodell believes a deal can get done before that. According to several sources, the main issue remains the owners demanding to restructure the players’ share of designated revenues. Another, slightly less hot button topic is the move to 18 games. While it may mean more dollars at the ticket gates, the union fears that it will also mean less players, less years, etc.

1689

Niklas Lidstrom is one of the more decorated players in NHL history. He is a 4-time Stanley Cup champion and has been the Norris Award winner for best defenseman more times than he can count. The one monkey Lidstrom has never been able to get off his back however, is the hat trick. And after 1689 games in the NHL (regular + playoff), Lidstrom finally pulled off the feat last night against the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 victory. He grabbed an assist to pad his stats as well.

11

The Celtics may have just won their 11th in a row but the bigger story seems to be the Knicks resurgence into meaningful basketball. Amare Stoudemire’s 3-pointer came right after the buzzer, otherwise, we wouldn’t be talking about the moral victory for the Knicks. Regardless, coach Mike D’antoni looks like he now has the foundation in place to possibly make NY a contender next year. That is, unless, James Dolan brings Isiah Thomas back into the fold.

16

Can the BCS be toppled? Perhaps. But it would probably take somebody who had not only had a lot of money but a lot of pull in the sports world. Enter in Mark Cuban. The brash owner of the Dallas Mavericks has now set his eyes on a playoff system for college football. “The more I think about it, the more sense it makes…” Cuban said. “You can do something the whole country wants done.” I’m not as sold as Cuban is about the rest of the country wanting a playoff system but I applaud his effort for at least, trying to do something about the BCS, which currently, is barely functional.

Despite costing the New York Knicks millions of dollars in a sexual harassment lawsuit and otherwise being a below average president, Isiah Thomas was rehired by the New York Knicks as a consultant.

Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan and team president Donnie ]]>

Despite costing the New York Knicks millions of dollars in a sexual harassment lawsuit and otherwise being a below average president, Isiah Thomas was rehired by the New York Knicks as a consultant.

Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan and team president Donnie Walsh issued this statement:

“Isiah Thomas brings unique experience as a Hall of Fame player, coach, executive and owner, and we believe having him as part of our organization will be extremely beneficial to the team’s success,”

One of two things is happening here. The first involves James Dolan, a tranny hooker, 10 kilos of coke and Isiah’s digital camera and the second involves James Dolan and a bout of dementia.

Needless to say, it looks as if the former seems to be the clear cut winner.

I am an enormous Isiah Thomas fan.  Yes, the player, not the human being.  Its been tough to defend him all these years.  He’s brought much of it on himself.

But he’s become the whipping boy for everything that goes wrong in basketball.  The CBA which had already disappeared ]]>

I am an enormous Isiah Thomas fan.  Yes, the player, not the human being.  Its been tough to defend him all these years.  He’s brought much of it on himself.

But he’s become the whipping boy for everything that goes wrong in basketball.  The CBA which had already disappeared into relative obscurity before Isiah got there became his fault.  He was a good coach in Indiana but was ousted before players had time to develop.  Oh yea, by the way, he left there with an above .500 record.

And the Knicks, oh the Knicks.  A franchise that was doomed years before Isiah even stepped foot in Madison Square Garden.  Contracts galore from the likes of the venerable Allan Houston.  Yea, Isiah didn’t make it better but I’m not sure anybody could.

Which brings us to Magic Johnson.  Former friend of Thomas and current ahole extraordinaire.  Why?

Simple

Magic is selling out whatever friendship he had with Isiah for a few bucks.  Because trust me, nobody would even care to read that stupid book him and Larry Bird wrote if there was no controversy in it.

So why not throw Zeke under the bus?  Yea, he called him gay and spread rumors about him.  And he  was so angry about it that he befriended him for years, was cordial with him and even hugged him on national tv months before selling him out of the dream team.

Just watch this excerpt from the 92 All-Star Game…They seem like pretty good friends in this clip

Or maybe Magic is just that good of a faker.  A smile in one direction and a middle finger in the other.

Yes, Isiah may have his faults but Magic looks like the big fool here.

I’m a huge Isiah Thomas fan…yes, the player, not the coach/GM, or human being for that matter….

So I was pretty pumped when my sister and my bro-in-law found this at an estate sale and bought it for me….

Awesome piece of sports memorabilia.

No doubt Isiah has had a bad run the last few years. But nothing, nothing could have been as bad as what happened to him yesterday.

FIU decided at the last minute that Isiah Thomas wasn’t good enough to be their coach. Instead they went with seldom known Isiah Thompson.

Isiah Thomas was and still is my favorite player of all-time. But his track record off the court seems to have been tarnished again.

With speculation that a “man” was taken from his house after OD’ing on sleeping pills and the confusion that it somehow involved his daughter, it ]]>

Isiah Thomas was and still is my favorite player of all-time. But his track record off the court seems to have been tarnished again.

With speculation that a “man” was taken from his house after OD’ing on sleeping pills and the confusion that it somehow involved his daughter, it seems more and more likely that it was indeed Isiah who overdosed.

Am I shocked?

Not really. While Isiah was my favorite player, he was never a role model for me. In fact, outside of his kids, he probably shouldn’t be a role model for anyone.

His screw-ups as a GM aside, I can’t respect someone who had little to no respect for a female worker. Whether the allegations are 100% true means nothing to me. The fact that someone brought these allegations up means Isiah was doing something wrong.

Ever since then, I’ve had a hard time defending him to friends, because deep down, I just couldn’t agree with the man he was.

I’d rather not speculate further about his current situation. I personally hope that he gets himself the help he needs.

But I’ve come to accept that Isiah the basketball player and Isiah the man are two different people to me.

—-

I know the Spartans played like trash last week but they are going up against, in my opinion, the worst team in the BigTen.

Truthfully, on a neutral field, I’m not sure they could beat anyone in the league. And that includes Indiana and Purdue.

MSU has shown to be a solid team this year. Few mistakes, consistent play on both sides of the ball, and efficent special teams.

The only reason people would think State wouldn’t win today is the rivalry factor. The problem with putting Michigan away. So many times in the last few years, they’ve had the opportunity but have failed.

If State can get that out of their head and realize they are the better team in all facets of the game, there is no reason to think they shouldn’t run away with this one.

MSU 34
UM 14

Late last night I got a strange phone call. It was about 3am. I usually don’t answer the phone that late but I thought it could be an emergency.

I was in shock when I heard the person identify himself as Joe Dumars. I mean, I’m a lowly blogger, what ]]>

Late last night I got a strange phone call. It was about 3am. I usually don’t answer the phone that late but I thought it could be an emergency.

I was in shock when I heard the person identify himself as Joe Dumars. I mean, I’m a lowly blogger, what would Joe want from me….

JoeD: Hey WOI, I need to talk to someone about the draft tonight. And not my normal lackeys in town like Rob Parker, Chris McCosky, and Terry Foster. They just fellate me and think I’m some kind of demi-God. I need someone who will give me honest opinions.

WOI: Sure Joe

I was still in shock as I made my way to the local coffee shop. As we sat down, Joe looked strangely upbeat. I was kind of shocked. I fired a question right as we were getting settled.

WOI: Joe, what the hell were you thinking tonight?

JoeD: Let me try to explain. DJ White was not a player we were eyeing at that pick. In fact, we heard from UAB Coach Mike Davis that he had a guy on his team who he thought would work out better. So we took him. As you know Davis has coached both players.

WOI: Um, let me get this straight. You made the pick because of Mike Davis. A coaching “has been”?

JoeD: Well that, and one other main reason

WOI: What’s that?

JoeD: Walter Sharpe has narcolepsy. People probably think that’s a bad thing but me, I have an eye for things like this.

WOI: Joe, you’re going to have to elaborate here.

JoeD: We need a guy who can fit in right away on this team. We need a guy who has chemistry. Our guys are infamous for falling asleep when times get tough in the playoffs. You saw Rasheed, you saw Chauncey. They don’t play hard until things get really rough and then try to make up for it in the 4th quarter. So who better to have on our team than Sharpe. Hell, he might sleepwalk through the whole game. Perfect fit

WOI: Hmm….I never thought about it that way Joe. Now that you say it, it makes a lot of sense. No wonder you’re such a draft guru.

JoeD: I try. (his cell phone rings….inaudible conversation)

WOI: What was that about?

JoeD: I just made a trade. You’re not going to believe who we brought in.

WOI: Carmelo? Bdiddy? Elton Brand?

JoeD: No, somebody who has a lot of upside.

WOI: Who?

JoeD: A man you’re familiar with

WOI: Who?

JoeD: Darko Milicic.

WOI: What?

JoeD: I know, I know. I’m really excited too.

WOI: Joe, I’m no basketball genius but uh, Darko sucks.

JoeD: Darko never had the right tutelage. Larry Brown never wanted to use him and Flip was too scared to use younger players. Now that I have my puppet in Mike Curry, I can just start pulling the right strings. Darko will lead this team to a championship. Mark my words.

WOI: Joe, are you feeling ok?

JoeD: Yeah, why you ask?

WOI: Because that was the stupidest God Damn thing I’ve ever heard. It borders on mental retardation.

JoeD: Really? Shoot. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to him.

WOI: Listened to who?

JoeD: Well, ever since John Hammond left, I’ve been secretly consulting a guy who knows a lot of basketball. He’s had a lot of success in the past but people don’t see his brilliance. He helped me with the draft last night.

WOI: Who Joe?

JoeD: I’m thinking about hiring him as Assistant GM. He has a lot of job experience.

WOI: Who?

JoeD: A guy who’s beloved in Detroit

WOI: You’re kidding me…..you didn’t hire…..

All of the sudden the lights went out in the coffee shop.

WOI: Joe, what’s going on?

JoeD: You’ll see. Hit it Ken.

And then the weirdest thing happened. Ken Calvert, former Pistons announcer strolled in and grabbed a mic from the behind the counter.

I was so perplexed. Who the hell is Joe talking about. And then……then, it hit me…..

As Ken Calvert’s voice echoed in the background, a tear fell down my face….

With news that Mike D’Antoni might leave as coach of the Phoenix Suns, Guyism looks at other jobs opportunites for D’Antoni in today’s tough economy…..

He could be…..

A Stunt Double for Actor Tom Skerritt

Skerritt isn’t getting a lot of work these days, ]]>

With news that Mike D’Antoni might leave as coach of the Phoenix Suns, Guyism looks at other jobs opportunites for D’Antoni in today’s tough economy…..

He could be…..

A Stunt Double for Actor Tom Skerritt

Skerritt isn’t getting a lot of work these days, but D’Antoni can re-do some of his action scenes from Top Gun.

A Coach for The And1 Mix Tape Tour

Hey, they don’t seem to play any defense in that league either. Fits perfectly for Mike D’antoni’s system. The Professor could be the next Steve Nash. Ooh Baby!

A Hollywood Spokesman for Porn Star Mustaches

Is there a better representative?

Model for John Stockton’s New Clothing Line

I can see the catch phrase right now, “How to show off your Mooseknuckle”

Coach for the New York Knicks

Wait, nobody actually wants this job right?

Ken Calvert introduces the Bad Boys

Need4Sheed has the whole ceremony right now

I’m looking to download a digital copy but it might take me a couple of days. Until then, I will link to others who have it.

It’s Jennifer Ellison’s world, we’re just lucky be a part of it.

Isiah Thomas and the Fresh Prince Jinx {Epic Carnival}

D-Backs pitcher wins and then has surgery for cancer {ESPN}

ND Pitcher takes a shot to the head {

It’s Jennifer Ellison’s world, we’re just lucky be a part of it.

Ladies of the ’80s Finals {Ghosts of Wayne Fontes}

Richard HamiltonChauncey BillupsChris FordDave BingLindsey HunterBailey HowellJohn LongKelly TripuckaBill LaimbeerMark AguirreRick MahornTerry TylerRay ScottTayshaun PrinceJohn SalleyJames EdwardsRasheed WallaceBob LanierIsiah ThomasGene ShueVinnie JohnsonJoe DumarsDave DeBusschereAdrian DantleyGeorge YardleyGrant HillJerry StackhouseBen WallaceDennis RodmanJimmy Walker

If you are a diehard Piston fan and you missed this, I feel sorry for you. ]]>

Richard Hamilton
Chauncey Billups
Chris Ford
Dave Bing
Lindsey Hunter
Bailey Howell
John Long
Kelly Tripucka
Bill Laimbeer
Mark Aguirre
Rick Mahorn
Terry Tyler
Ray Scott
Tayshaun Prince
John Salley
James Edwards
Rasheed Wallace
Bob Lanier
Isiah Thomas
Gene Shue
Vinnie Johnson
Joe Dumars
Dave DeBusschere
Adrian Dantley
George Yardley
Grant Hill
Jerry Stackhouse
Ben Wallace
Dennis Rodman
Jimmy Walker

If you are a diehard Piston fan and you missed this, I feel sorry for you. Try finding someone who DVR’d it.

Great speech by Isiah Thomas and though I am a shill for Zeke, so it was nice to see how well the crowd responded to him.

He is still one of the greatest Detroit athletes of all-time.

Very sad to see that Dennis Rodman could not make it. Whether it be travel issues or something else, it would have been nice for him to return to the place where he made his name.

As for other things, it would be interesting to hear how the WOI readers rank the 89/90 Bad Boys against the 2004 version.

I think most know where I stand so I will keep my opinion to the comments section.

American Cheerleaders vs. European Cheerleaders, who you got? {FanIQ}

A video tribute to Isiah Thomas’ Front Office Career {The Angry T}

Attack of the GInger Athletes {The Legend of Cecilio Guante}

Losers of the Week {

American Cheerleaders vs. European Cheerleaders, who you got? {FanIQ}

Making up rules {Ghosts of Wayne Fontes}