AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > May > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
(Yes, it’s still an AJC.com exclusive!)
10: The subject of whether racism is to blame for people slamming Barry Bonds during his home run chase has come up again. So let me just go on the record right now. I’d hate him even if he were white.
9: Let’s see. Drugs have artificially inflated his home run numbers and probably his longevity. He has been an openly hostile, rude and dishonest person to almost everybody around him since Arizona State days. He has never shown himself to be a team leader or a winner. Now he is trying to reshape his image on a weekly series on ESPN in which he largely has artistic control. That should do it.
8: A woman will get admitted to Augusta National — before Barry Bonds.
7: Kobe Bryant — now there’s a leader. (Kidding.)
6: People, enough with the e-mail “enlightening” me that Augusta National is a private club. I mean, duh. What makes the club’s exclusionary policies different is that the club hosts the Masters. No other private club hosts such a high profile sports event. (Here come another 100 e-mails.)
5: Oh look — Chris Paul won rookie of the year! Wonder where Marvin Williams finished? Was it higher than where Billy Knight finished in the running for top NBA executive?
4: A rumor re-circulated last week that North Carolina State was talking to Bobby Cremins about its then-vacant coaching vacancy. So I phoned Cremins. “No,” Cremins said. “I’m not going to tell you I wouldn’t talk to them if they called. But the biggest problem I would have is playing Georgia Tech.” (N.C. State hired Sidney Lowe two days after that conversation.)
3: For what it’s worth, Cremins would not close the door to ever coaching again “if the situation was right.”
2: Randy Moss’s agent, Dante DiTrapano, was arrested with enough crack cocaine (73 chunks) and powder cocaine (21 grams) to start his own South American country. So Moss fired him. I will take this as a sign of maturity.
1: David Blaine made it out of the bubble. Any chance Jorge Sosa would try it next?
Permalink | Comments (31) | Categories: Jeff Schultz, Quick Hit
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Bob in SF
May 9, 2006 11:23 AM | Link to this
Jorge would walk the bubble, then give up a home run to the oversized ice cube Blaine used in his last trick.
By Jamin
May 9, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this
Jeff, you are still an idiot
By Bruce
May 9, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this
Jeff, Do you hate Mark McGuire too!!!!
By uga4ever
May 9, 2006 12:34 PM | Link to this
I agree with the knock on Billy Knight. He is the Matt Millen of the NBA. What a joke? He gets the boot from Memphis, and what do they do. They go to the playoffs two consecutive years. It is time for Billy to hit the road. I will always disagree with you on your Augusta viewpoint.
By br
May 9, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this
Kobe Bryant is the most overrated, spoiled, piece of crap in the history of NBA…he has 3 rings because he rode Shaq’s coattails. Now HE runs the team and he absolutely quits in the deciding game? Then to top it all off, he tells his “teammates” to NOT shake hands with the Suns players…what an absolute joke! I want to punch that trouser-snake right upside his grill!!!
By bushwacker
May 9, 2006 01:53 PM | Link to this
OK I’ll take the bait, Explain to me why having a high profile event means they need to admit women?? what the hell does that have to do with aything?
By uga4ever
May 9, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this
Just because you host a high profile event doesn’t make it necessary to change your policies. Good luck getting an invite back Jeff!
By Don
May 9, 2006 04:13 PM | Link to this
Because a private club is willing to open itself to host a major tournament, keep revenues from television and advertising and ticket sales and concessions far below what they could be, THAT means they give up the right to decide who they choose as members? By hosting an invitational tournament they become subject to oversight from some self-appointed group of zealots?
Now there’s a powerful argument.
By Mark
May 9, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this
Does Knight still think the Marvin Williams pick was good? Even if Williams ends up being a solid pro, it will still go down as one of the worst draft picks in years considering the Hawks situation. One, the Hawks needed a point guard. Two, they already had two small forwards with great talent. Three, Paul is about the closest thing to Isiah in ten years. After all of this, Knight still chose a small forward with more questions than answers. Absolutely inexcusable. He should be fired just for that.
By uga4ever
May 9, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this
I agree- Knight needs the ax. Williams may turn out to be pretty solid, but Paul is one of the top 3 or 4 point guards in the league right now.
By GTGD
May 9, 2006 05:17 PM | Link to this
where were all you Hindsight Critics last year? i admit it looks like a horrible pick now, but back at the time, Marvin Williams was the #1 prospect in the draft aside from MAYBE Bogut, and Chris Paul was percieved to be small, soft on defense, whiny, and a bit overrated. If you recall he had just gotten in trouble for punching Julius Hodge in the nads during an ACC game. Paul was questionable, and was far from a guaranteed Isaiah at the time.
By GTGD
May 9, 2006 05:21 PM | Link to this
that was his lasting memory before the draft- when he punched Hodge in his last ACC conference game, went out early in the ACC tourney, then went out early in the NCAA tourney. and gave up TONS of points. he got lit up by Jarrett Jack at Georgia Tech. the game was close, but Tech scored 103 points on Wake Forest. and alot of it was due to a weak Chris Paul. but again, he looks like a stud now. it was hardly a can’t-miss pick, though.
By Mark
May 9, 2006 05:52 PM | Link to this
GTGD, You are definitely talking to wrong guy when referring to hindsight draft critics. I followed Chris Paul’s career at Wake from the time he was a McDonald’s All-American to the time he left Wake. He had one slip up in the heat of the moment against NC State. Other than that, he was the engine that led Wake to victories over Duke and UNC (including their championship year). We saw what happened to Wake after he left. Paul was outstanding and I was just hoping the Hawks wouldn’t do something stupid and pass him up. I am not sure if we can go back in the blog archives, but anybody that knows me can attest to the fact that I said from day one that the Hawks should take Paul. Considering it is a scout’s job to follow a career and not listen to the hype, they should have been on top of this.
By Mark
May 9, 2006 05:57 PM | Link to this
One more thing, the Hawks needed a POINT GUARD, not a small forward. If you have a PG available who is worthy of a top five pick and you need one, you just don’t pass that up. You can’t win championships with five small forwards. It doesn’t take a brilliant basketball mind to figure that out.
By uga4ever
May 9, 2006 06:11 PM | Link to this
The bottom line is- Billy Knight is not getting the job done. 39 wins in 2 years!!
By alllen
May 9, 2006 06:11 PM | Link to this
hawks need to sign brian oliver a former tech star 1990 as a back up 2 guard an get a point guard and center where is brian oliver do any body know email back
By alllen
May 9, 2006 06:18 PM | Link to this
does any body know where is brian oliver, dennis scott, kenny anderson hawks should sign them and get a center mutombo
By Michael
May 9, 2006 06:27 PM | Link to this
The AJC is a privately-owned newspaper yet that hasn’t stopped the cream of the crap from posting their misspelled opinions on here. :)
Of course Augusta National won’t take women. What do you expect from a sport that is primarily based on snooty old men thinking they can withdraw themselves from societal progress?
By alllen
May 9, 2006 06:32 PM | Link to this
hey mike where is brian oliver is he over in spain playing ball i think he is a good fit for the hawks bench good leader
By alllen
May 9, 2006 06:38 PM | Link to this
will some body email me about the hawks guys i said they need we need them guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By uga4ever
May 9, 2006 07:24 PM | Link to this
don’t understand that language “alllen”
By geechee
May 9, 2006 09:41 PM | Link to this
Jeff this was a an entertaing column and Michael that was a very entertaing post.
By Hugh G. Rection
May 9, 2006 11:01 PM | Link to this
Get rid of Knight, he’s a joke.
By northwestDawg
May 10, 2006 06:25 AM | Link to this
Excuse me ,Gentlemen&Gentlewomen, Jeff’s column about Billy Payne and Augusta National has been closed. So,I just MUST throw in a comment. Jeff, Ha!Ha!Ha!, if the idea of your column was to put pressure on Payne, you did and you found out that what I blogged to you was right. You don’t try to push around 1st String ALL SEC DEs like Billy Payne. Question? Did his comments regarding women in Augusta situation answer any questions you had? I’m not a golfer, so I don’t care one way or another; but as a former TV. & Radio reporter in J’ville, I always liked to see so called “PC” reporters trying to make a name for themselves and fall flat on their face. Billy Payne put you down!
By NotADawg
May 10, 2006 08:27 AM | Link to this
Poor nwDawg. Exposure to something intelligent from that dastardly “liberal media” has you all upset, doesn’t it. Get in your horse-and-buggy, go home and have a good cry. Your mommy still loves you.
By ed
May 10, 2006 08:34 AM | Link to this
Racism is one factor among many as to why Barry Bonds is unpopular. As far far as the Masters, The good old boys like to keep things in place keeping the patriachy intact at the Masters.
By ed
May 10, 2006 08:35 AM | Link to this
Racism is one factor among many as to why Barry Bonds is unpopular. As far far as the Masters, The good old boys like to keep things in place keeping the patriachy intact at the Masters.
By steve in virginia
May 10, 2006 09:59 AM | Link to this
Jeff, have you gotten your 100 e-mails yet? Why does hosting a high-profile event mean that private clubs have to give up their right to pick and choose their members?
By northwestDawg
May 10, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this
Poor lil ole NotADawg, talks about intelligent but doesn’t know the definition of the word Private. Just to make you feel better, I will, as a tour guide this weekend, drive my horse and buggy. A 2600 pound., Black Clydesdale pulling a $10,000 carriage in the middle of downtown Seattle.
By Jake
May 10, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this
The Hawks had Brian Oliver in camp the year after the League and Union had their bruha. Oliver wasn’t the best of ball handlers and his shot was very suspect at the pro level. Good college player, that is all.
For the Knight bashers think before you leap. I bet many of you would have passed on Avery Johnson (2 rings and coaching the Mavs), Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups. Stephon Marbury and Kenny Anderson looked like winners too and what have they done since hitting the big time.
It’s tough assessing what levels of greatness -or lack of- a point guard will reach in the League. Name 5 lottery pick point guards in the last 7 drafts that start for their current teams, won ROY honors and/or made the All-Star game in their 3rd year (the rooks vs sophs doesn’t count)?
By ayersling
May 10, 2006 03:52 PM | Link to this
Billy Knight built the Memphis teams that are now going to the playoffs every year. The reason they didn’t before is consistency. This team has had its roster completely turned over from the eleventh man off the bench to the coach and GM. Give it two more years before you pass judgement, besides another year out of the playoffs might land us a young man named Greg Oden(for all those unware of this young man, watch Ohio State basketball this year)! For all who say Barry is hated because of his skin color, you are RIGHT! We were discussing how to end his career at my last KKK meeting which I had to slip out the house to get to. I didn’t want my black wife or mixed child to know ALL white people are still plotting the downfall of the black race. I grew up in a black neighborhood and I figured out at Tri-Cities High School that biggest reason racism persists is because of lack of communication and miscommunication. I love Hank and would rather sit down and eat with Hank but I would rather see Barry play and all of Barry’s wounds are self inflicted. He has no one to blame but himself same as you or me. Notice how I hold myself accountable for saying that stupid cynical crap in the first few lines of the Barry post.