On the Road with Mike: Fifth Annual Dick Vitale Gala
May 21 by Leave a Comment
Nick Bollettieri and Mike Fratello attend the Dick Vitale Gala in Sarasota, Florida in 2008.
I’m in Sarasota, Florida for the Fifth Annual Dick Vitale Gala to benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Every year they recognize two people for their outstanding achievements. This year’s honorees are former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.
A number of coaching greats and sports personalities will be in attendance tonight including Magic Johnson, John Calipari, Nick Bollettieri, David Brooks, Tom Green, Mike Greenberg, Seth Greenberg, Bob Huggins, Tommy Lasorda, Steve Mariucci and Bruce Pearl.
I’ve attended the last couple years and witnessed some very special and moving moments. One time they spontaneously auctioned off four front row seats to the upcoming Duke-Carolina game. In 2008 Vitale pledged the use of his home for a 50-person catered dinner and he asked for $100,000. Pat Riley raised his hand, but told Vitale to forget about hosting the dinner. Instead, they’d go eat at a restaurant. Inspiring acts of generosity like that have transpired over the years.
2009 Dick Vitale Gala to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
I’m looking forward to spending a night of high energy with Dickie V who is the greatest at helping raise money to continue cancer research. His goal is to raise $1,000,000 for a pediatric research grant and local hospitals. If you would like to make a donation, please call 1-800-4-JIMMYV.
Dick Vitale with Mike Fratello at a Friends of Fratello Foundation fundraising dinner circa 1984.
Mike Looks Back: Fellow Jersey Boy Jon Bon Jovi
May 20 by 6 Comments
Jon Bon Jovi is coming up in concert at the New Meadowlands Stadium for three nights next week. I’ve been to his show before. In fact, I’ve been on stage with him. In Cleveland we had run into his manager the night before his show and he arranged to bring a group of us up on stage, off to the side. We stayed there for two or three songs. Then that group got off and the next group came up on stage, but they told me to just stay. So I wound up staying up there for almost the whole concert. I was actually behind Jon looking out at the crowd from his perspective. It was sensational.
Jon Bon Jovi and Mike Fratello at the Annual Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation Gala.
Jon and I first met at a Cleveland Browns game back when Bill Belichick was the head coach. Jon and I were both down on the field before the game. It was freezing, snowing. We were introduced and eventually I said, “Come on Jon, we sit in the box up there.” But he said, “No, I want to stay down here.” Then just before halftime he called me on the cell phone and said, “How do I get up there?” because it was so damn cold out on the field. So he came up and sat in the box with us for the rest of the game.
Jon is one of the nicest people you’ll meet. He’s also one of the hardest working guys I know. And he love sports – he’s a great sports enthusiast. He was one of the co-majority owners of the Philadelphia Soul AFL football team, which won the ArenaBowl in 2008. He’s also a Jersey guy who, like Frankie Valli and Bruce Springsteen, is one of the guys in the entertainment field who’s just done so much for the music industry. That‘s Jersey pride.
Mike’s Take: You Don’t Have to Win the Lottery to Hit the Jackpot
May 18 by Leave a Comment
Tonight is the annual Draft Lottery where most non-playoff teams find out what pick they will have among the first 14 of the NBA Draft on June 24 – though as a result of a prior trade the Utah Jazz will have the first pick of the New York Knicks. The top three picks in the Draft will be determined by the drop of 1000 ping pong balls, while the remaining lottery teams will select in reverse order of their regular season standings. The lottery selection is weighted towards the teams with the worst records, so the New Jersey Nets are the favorites to receive the #1 pick this year, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It does not always work out that way, however, as the Chicago Bulls found out to their delight in 2008 when they were able to beat the odds and select Derrick Rose with the first pick in the draft. In fact the team with the best odds has only won the lottery three times in the last twenty years, while the team with the third best odds has won it five times. And though last year’s #1 pick Blake Griffin is expected to significantly improve the LA Clippers franchise, he suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason and the Clips wound up 29-53.
While it may seem obvious that the goal of each team tonight will be to win the rights to the #1 pick, it may be just as valuable to simply be in the top 4-5 picks given the nature of this year’s talent pool. The draft this year is expected to be a deep one, but most would consider it lacking the LeBron James type that is clearly the player around whom to build a franchise. Two of the standard debates involved with any high draft pick may be more relevant this year, namely:
1) Draft big or small?
2) Draft to fill a need or pick the best player available?
The current trend in the NBA is for teams to go small and/or versatile with the point guard position probably having the most depth in the league. For this reason, John Wall of Kentucky and Evan Turner of Ohio State are widely assumed to be the top two picks in the draft. There are two big men in the draft behind them though that could end up being a steal for the teams that draft behind the top two. They are Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech and Demarcus Cousins, also of Kentucky.
The traditional wisdom is that teams this high in the draft should go for the best player available so teams may pass on Favors and Cousins even if they need a big man. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted Greg Oden with the #1 pick three years ago to fill a need, and while they remain committed to Oden’s future with the team, they have been forced to watch Kevin Durant (drafted #2 that year) blossom into a leading MVP candidate. And perhaps more famously The owner of the #1 pick will also be aware that its pick is going to be scrutinized for years to come. This pressure sometimes forces front offices to make the “safe” pick – i.e., the player who is the pre-draft favorite – rather than taking a shot at a less likely candidate.
When you consider that the Chicago Bulls landed Michael Jordan with the #3 pick back in 1984, winning the #1 pick tonight would clearly be a nice situation to be in, but it may not be all its cracked up to be.
The 2010 NBA Draft Lottery will be held May 18 at the NBA Entertainment studio in Secaucus, New Jersey at 7:00 PM ET.
Czar’s Playoff Preview: Western Conference Finals
May 17 by Leave a Comment
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Phoenix Suns tonight in Game 1 as the Western Conference Finals get underway. Both teams have had the week off after sweeping their opponents in the semis and both teams needed the rest. Steve Nash still has a shiner but is looking much better after taking an accidental Tim-Duncan elbow to the eye in the last series. Kobe Bryant, who recently had fluid drained from his right knee, has had some time to heal, get his legs back under him again and return to his dominating form. The long layoff was a welcome break for Bynum as well, who has been playing with torn knee cartilage and visibly hurting. Bynum will have surgery as soon as the season ends, but his injury could continue to deteriorate in the meantime – which would be a major factor in this series.
Despite these physical challenges, the defending Champions come into this round with a tall, talented team that just seems to have caught its second wind and picked up the level of their game. After, in many people’s opinions, barely escaping the Oklahoma City Thunder’s challenge, they are focused and have gotten back to playing Laker basketball. In addition to Kobe having five straight 30+ point games, the big guys Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have all played better in this last series. Gasol has been a dominant force in the past couple games, putting up huge numbers. Odom has given the second unit a spark and breathed life back into the second unit, which gives Phil Jackson great flexibility with his front line.
Although I favor the Lakers in this series to move onto the NBA Finals, you can’t overlook what Phoenix has accomplished. The Suns, who knocked LA out of the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, are coming off of six straight playoff wins. They are playing with great momentum right now and with great belief and confidence in one another. Not only are Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire playing outstanding pick-and-roll basketball, but Jason Richardson has found his groove on the offensive end as well as being a hard-nosed defender.
Starting small forward Grant Hill is also playing great and, with the daunting task of guarding Kobe, has taken on the role of being the defensive stopper for their team. Now in his fifteenth year in the league, this is the longtime veteran’s first trip to the Conference Finals and likely his best shot at getting to the NBA Finals. Robin Lopez will return to the starting lineup for the first time in the postseason in order to counteract the size of the Lakers and attempt to slow up their low post play. Beyond the first string, the reinforcements have been extremely effective off the bench throughout the playoffs and will give the Lakers bench a run for their money.
The Lakers will look to control the pace, capitalize on their home-court advantage and take the early lead in the series. They are an especially formidable force at home, having lost only lost seven games at the Staples Center in the regular season. The run-and-gun Suns will try to get out and push the ball in order to attack in transition and find points in the paint or dish outside the arc before the Lakers have time to set up. If they are shooting and making 3-pointers, they will be a very difficult match for the Los Angeles Lakers. It will come down to the size and length of the Los Angeles Lakers versus the speed, quickness and athleticism of the Phoenix Suns.
