2008 NHL Eastern Semi’s Game 4 Preview - Canadiens vs Flyers.
April 30, 2008
Carey Price’s inconsistent series could land him on Montreal’s bench.
Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau declined to announce his starting goaltender for the pivotal Game 4 against Philadelphia on Wednesday night. The Flyers lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-1.
Price was replaced by Jaroslav Halak after allowing three goals on 12 shots in a 3-2 loss Monday night. The 20-year-old rookie has an .853 save percentage in the last three games, but was outstanding in the regular season and in a first-round victory over Boston.
“Obviously (Price) was upset with everything that happened,” Carbonneau said Tuesday. “But there is nothing after the game that you can do. The worst you can do is be mad for four days. You have to be able to forget in this business. Sometimes it’s hard, but that’s the only way to do it.”
The first goal Price allowed in Game 3 wasn’t really his fault. There was quite a bit of traffic in front when Scottie Upshall fired a wrister through to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period.
But Price should have stopped Mike Richards’ short-handed goal that made it 2-0. The puck was in his glove, trickled out and hit the inside of the post before going in.
Price then gave up a rebound, allowing R.J. Umberger to score the decisive goal.
If Price does get the start, he needs to step up his performance to have any chance at becoming the third rookie goalie - Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy were the others - to lead the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup title.
“I feel fine,” Price said. “Eventually it’s going to change. I still feel confident, though. We carried most of the play for two periods.”
Price sounded like someone who expects to be in net, trying to help the Canadiens avoid facing elimination when they return home.
“He (Carbonneau) told me to just hang in there,” Price said. “I’ve been through a playoff series before. We’re one game away from turning it right around. What can you do? The pucks have eyes. Sometimes they hit the ice and bounce straight up in the air. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way.”
Price is used to pressure. He was named the outstanding player of the 2007 world junior championship after leading Canada to gold, and led Hamilton to the AHL title last spring.
When veteran goalie Cristobal Huet was dealt to Washington at the trade deadline, Price took over as the No. 1 goalie and helped the Canadiens finish atop the conference standings. He was 24-12-3 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 41 games.
“I’ve had the chance to play with a bunch of great goalies in my career and I think Carey will be among that group, but he is 20 years old,” Carbonneau said. “He’s learning. He has to accelerate that with the fact that he’s our No. 1, but I think he has done a good job and I’m sure he will be back.”
Across the ice, there’s no goalie controversy for sure.
Martin Biron has been downright sensational for the Flyers in his second playoff series as a starter. Biron stopped 32 shots in Game 3, and has a .923 save percentage in the series.
“He has been amazing, especially the past two games,” center Danny Briere said of his longtime teammate.
The Flyers could get an offensive lift from right wing Mike Knuble, who might play for the first time since he sustained a partial tear of his left hamstring in the fifth game of the first-round series against Washington.
“The guys are playing well,” Knuble said. “You just want to come in and try not to mess up what’s going on. Do something to help.”
Knuble’s return presents Flyers coach John Stevens with a dilemma. He’ll have to sit one of his forwards, possibly rookie Steve Downie, and juggle his lines. Umberger filled in for Knuble on a line with Upshall and Jeff Carter.
“That line of Knuble, Carter, Upshall has been really strong, going back to the regular season and through the playoffs,” Stevens said. “I feel bad for R.J. He doesn’t really have a home on a line. That’s what makes him such a valuable player. Whether he plays with Richards or somewhere else, I think you will see good things from him.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Buffalo hits the jackpot as Bills play 8 NFL games in Toronto.
April 30, 2008
The Buffalo Bills will receive $78 million — more than double their calculated 2006 operating income — to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years.
The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications’ 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Centre.
In becoming the NFL’s first team to play annual games outside the United States, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason match at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.
Rogers spokeswoman Jan Innes would not comment beyond the one-paragraph statement included in the company report, except to say the $78 million figure was in Canadian currency. The Canadian dollar hovered around par to its U.S. counterpart during the first quarter this year.
Innes declined to say whether any portion of the payment has been made to the Bills.
Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold also declined comment, citing a policy that the team does not discuss financial details of its business relationships.
The deal, announced in February, was reached with a group headed by Rogers CEO and founder Ted Rogers, and Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. Rogers also owns the Blue Jays as well as the Rogers Centre.
As part of the agreement, the Toronto group is effectively leasing the home games from the Bills. Buffalo will provide the team, the NFL provides an opponent, while the Toronto organizers will be responsible for selling tickets, concessions and promoting the event.
The Toronto group is using the eight-game series to show the city can support its own NFL franchise. The Bills sought the agreement to generate additional revenues by expanding their market to Canada’s largest city and financial capital, a 90-minute drive from Buffalo.
The $78 million payment eclipses what Forbes calculated the Bills made in 2006, in the magazine’s annual financial breakdown of NFL franchises. Forbes calculated the Bills had an operating income of $31.2 million after bringing in $176 million in revenues that year.
Broken down, the Bills will make nearly $9.75 million per game in Toronto, something they’d be unable to make at Orchard Park, where the small-market team has perennially had the lowest ticket prices in the NFL. The Bills’ average ticket price for this season is about $51 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has a 72,000 seating capacity.
Ticket prices for the games in Toronto have not yet been released, but are expected to average more than $100 at a facility with a 54,000 seating capacity for football.
Demand is already high after more than 100,000 single-ticket reservations were made for the eight-game series through a website established by the Toronto group. Tickets will be distributed via a lottery starting next month.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Pistons pound Sixers to take 3-2 series lead in Detroit.
April 30, 2008
The Detroit Pistons might have won Game 5 more than an hour before it started.
Music wasn’t rattling the locker room. Eyes were locked on the big-screen TV showing the previous matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Chauncey Billups scored 21 points, Richard Hamilton had 20 and Rasheed Wallace added 19 to lift Detroit to a 98-81 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.
“We knew Game 6 was going to be an elimination game either way it went,” Billups said. “We wanted to be on the upper hand of that.”
The Pistons lead in the series for the first time after being the first team to win consecutive games.
“We didn’t want to let an opportunity slip away,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said.
If the Pistons win Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia or Game 7 at home, they will advance in the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.
“I’ll be back,” Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks said to hecklers as the final seconds ticked off the clock. “I know you don’t believe me.”
The third-seeded Orlando Magic, who eliminated Toronto on Monday night, await the winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pistons insist they’re not looking ahead because they expect to see the Sixers’ best.
“I don’t think they’re going to lay down at all,” Wallace said. “It’s do or die for them. It’s not going to be a cake walk.”
Andre Iguodala scored a career playoff-high 21 points, finally putting together a night that resembled his play in the regular season.
“We hope that can propel him into the next game,” Cheeks said. “He’s been struggling all series.”
Iguodala didn’t have much help.
None of his teammates reached double figures until Andre Miller in the third quarter, but that was after the point guard missed nine shots in a row in the first half when the game was relatively close.
“We tried to pressure up on him and Rasheed had some blocks,” Saunders said.
Billups, Wallace and Hamilton combined for 58 points through three quarters, outscoring the Sixers until Rodney Carney made a 3 to end the quarter, cutting their deficit to 20 points.
Billups had a series high in points (21) and assists (12). Wallace had six blocks, one short of the playoff franchise record he matched in Game 1.
Jason Maxiell had a career playoff-high 11 rebounds, starting for Antonio McDyess, who is playing with a broken nose.
Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince finished with 17 points, giving the balanced team a fourth option offensively.
Miller finished with 13 points and reserve Louis Williams scored 16.
Billups seized control from the start, scoring 14 points and adding five assists as Detroit took a 35-21 lead after the first quarter.
“Chauncey, in the beginning of the game, took over the game,” Cheeks said.
The game was essentially over at that point. Detroit led 54-42 at halftime and 79-59 after three quarters.
“We all got to see the Detroit Pistons at their best,” Philadelphia’s Willie Green said. “That’s why they are one of the toughest teams in the Eastern Conference.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Mike Cameron’s debut is an instant hit for the Brewers.
April 30, 2008
Anxious and antsy before the game, Mike Cameron could finally relax when it was over. The veteran waited for his opportunity and made a big impact once he got it.
Cameron had three hits, including a two-run single in the seventh that broke open the game, and the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 10-7 on Tuesday night to overcome a shaky outing by Ben Sheets.
The game was delayed 13 minutes before the top of the third, when plate umpire Jerry Crawford went to the hospital because he was feeling ill. They went with a three-man crew the rest of the way.
Cameron, meanwhile, gave a slumping offense a much-needed spark after serving a 25-game suspension for testing positive twice for a banned stimulant while with San Diego. And the Brewers sent the NL Central leaders to their fourth loss in five games.
“I had a little bit of the jitters getting into the (batters) box,” Cameron said.
It certainly did not show.
Cameron, who signed a one-year contract in the offseason, singled inJ.J. Hardy and Tony Gwynn in the seventh after Michael Wuertz walked Jason Kendall with the bases loaded.
Cameron was relieved to see his name in the starting lineup, batting second and playing center, after seeing it linked with the word “suspension” in countless articles. He was restless, too. And he immediately unleashed his pent up energy — and frustration.
He doubled high off the wall in left in the first and scored, and added a single and run in the third.
“It was good to get that first one out of the way,” Cameron said. “After that, it kind of goes on cruise control, back to normal and everything. It was real good tonight.”
Bill Hall, Corey Hart and Hardy each had three hits, and the Brewers banged out 17 in all — the most for them since they had 19 against St. Louis on Aug. 14. Hall singled in Hart with two out in the fifth, putting the Brewers ahead for good 5-4. Milwaukee got another run in the sixth when Kendall scored on Ryan Braun’s force out.
That made a winner of Sheets (4-0), who had a question afterward.
“Have you ever seen me walk that many batters or throw that many balls?” he asked.
No one had. The seven he issued over five innings, while striking out two, were a career-high. He allowed four runs and three hits in his first appearance since leaving after five innings against Cincinnati April 18.
“Yeah, I felt rusty,” said Sheets, who missed a scheduled start against Philadelphia because of tightness in his right triceps. “I felt real rusty.”
Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 12 chances, but it wasn’t easy. Geovany Soto doubled with one out and Mike Fontenot walked with two out, before Reed Johnson forced the runner at third.
The inning — and the night — were wasted opportunities for the Cubs. They pounded out seven runs and 11 hits on a night when Sheets wasn’t himself, but came up short.
“We swung the bats well,” said Chicago’s Derrek Lee, who tied a club record for home runs in April when he hit his eighth. “They just outhit us.”
Lee joined Sammy Sosa and Lee Walls in the club’s record book when he went deep leading off the third, and the Cubs added another run in the inning to tie it at 4.
But like Sheets, Cubs starter Jason MArquis (1-1) struggled. He allowed five runs and 10 hits in five innings while walking one and striking out two, and the bullpen wasn’t much help. Four relievers combined to allow five runs and seven hits while walking three.
“I didn’t make the pitches when I needed to,” Marquis said. “They jumped on every mistake.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
John Calapari signs extension with the Memphis Tigers.
April 29, 2008
Memphis coach John Calipari signed a contract extension through the 2012-13 season that includes an annual raise of $500,000 and a $5 million bonus if he stays through the end of the contract.
Calipari’s new contract will pay him $2.35 million per year.
Calipari took the Tigers to the national championship game this year, the program’s first Final Four since 1985 and first NCAA final since 1973. Memphis lost 75-68 in overtime to Kansas.
Calipari said the offer was made a month ago, but recruiting and other duties kept him too busy to sign the deal. He said other schools used that against him by implying he was still looking at other jobs.
“What this contract has done is wiped out 99 percent of that stuff, and I told them that I appreciate that. It’s not only the base salary, but it’s also the longevity bonus which wipes out the others. There are no other places. This is the place,” Calipari said Saturday at a news conference.
The Tigers had an NCAA Division I record 38 wins this season and captured their third straight Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. Calipari won his second Naismith National Coach of the Year award, joining Mike Krzyzewski of Duke as the only coaches to win more than once.
His Tigers are 104-10 over the past three seasons, tied for most victories in a three-year stretch in NCAA Division I history.
Calipari will have to virtually start from scratch next season. All five of the starters from this year’s team are testing themselves in the NBA Draft, and Calipari is confident freshman point guard Derrick Rose, junior All-American Chris Douglas-Roberts and senior Joey Dorsey should hear their names called.
“One of them may be the top pick the draft, another may be in the top 15 and the other may be taken in the 20s. If you look at our staff, they all got jobs. So from all of this we all have benefited,” Calipari said.
Athletic director R.C. Johnson said he was excited to get the deal signed, and acknowledged there were some nervous moments the last few weeks.
“You always worry about everyone in your department. Obviously, John is a much higher profile coach or else you all wouldn’t be here today,” Johnson said. “We had a great year in Tiger athletics, and we have a great staff so you always worry about trying to get everyone back. When you have success, people tend to move on and get offers.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Brewers franchise ranks high in fan satisfaction survey.
April 29, 2008
The results of ESPN The Magazine’s annual “Ultimate Standings: Fan Satisfaction Rankings” have been released and the Milwaukee Brewers placed 13th out of 122 major league franchises in the survey. The entire survey and rankings appear in the just-released edition of the Magazine.
More than 60,000 fans participated in the survey, which rated each franchise in eight categories. The Brewers placed among the top 10 franchises in the categories of Affordability (#5), Stadium Experience (#8) and Bang for the Buck (#9).
Last season, the Brewers placed 16th in the Magazine’s survey.
“Fan satisfaction is our ultimate and only report card, and we take great pride in receiving high marks from not only our fans but people across the country,” said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers Executive Vice President - Business Operations. “We understand that we need to continue a focus on delivering a consistently competitive team and an improved Miller Park entertainment experience, and we will make a concerted effort to apply the valuable feedback that we receive from the fans.
” Following is an excerpt from the magazine’s recap on the Brewers: “What explains the new celebrity, measured in part by the team’s 20% jump in attendance and franchise-high 31 sellouts in 2007? How about the first winning season since 1992 and a lineup card of exciting young players, such as Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy. Better yet, an expected ‘08 payroll of about $83 million, a nearly threefold rise since ‘04, demonstrates commitment from ownership. Bargains at Miller also contribute to the team’s Affordability rating. Game costs ($30.86) are 29% below league average, fueled by tickets starting at just 8 bucks ($1 for the obstructed-view “Uecker Seats”) and hot dogs for less than $3. And to help spread Brewers love, the team stages Brewers Block Parties in the community, complete with free dogs and games, and players attend to sign autographs.”
The Brewers and Miller Park have placed among the top teams in several recent media and fan rankings. In the two most recent “Fan Value Index” rankings by SI.com, the Brewers placed first among Major League teams in a media poll (2005) and fourth in a vote by fans (2006).
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Sixers and Pistons set for Game 5 in 2008 Eastern Semi’s.
April 29, 2008
The Detroit Pistons see it and feel it.When the Pistons are down in the playoffs or hearing from their doubters, they’re at their best.
When a series is even or they’re ahead and outsiders rave about them, they’re at their worst.
Can’t the Pistons just trick themselves into creating a sense of urgency?
“That’s something that has been happening since I’ve been here,” Rasheed Wallace said Monday. “It’s a good question. I don’t think I have an answer.”
The second-seeded team in the Eastern Conference has trailed the Philadelphia 76ers twice in their first-round series and responded to each deficit with a lopsided win.
After losing Games 1 and 3, Detroit is determined to take its first lead in the series Tuesday night when it hosts Game 5.
Which Pistons team will be on display in the pivotal game?
“I’m not a fortune teller,” Wallace said. “We’ll see.”
Detroit coach Flip Saunders said the team has to tweak its mind-set.
“We have to have the mentality of being the underdog even when we’re the favorite,” Saunders said.
The Pistons have been saying that for years with mixed results.
With three current starters playing key roles, they’ve trailed in a series for the 10th time dating to the 2003 playoffs, when they dug their first of many holes by falling behind the Orlando Magic 3-1.
Detroit has advanced five times and been eliminated four times after facing a deficit at some point in the postseason.
“It’s a three-game series and we’ve got two at home. That’s an advantage,” Detroit’s Chauncey Billups said. “I think another advantage we have is we’re starting to figure them out finally.”
The Sixers are still searching for answers in the matchup of small forwards.
Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala is averaging just 10.5 points - after averaging a team-high 20 in the regular season - on 22-percent shooting and has missed all nine of his 3-pointers.
He made only one of his last 11 shots and misfired on several wild attempts in Detroit’s 93-84 series-evening win Sunday.
“This is a basketball team. This is not just about Andre Iguodala,” Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. “We’ve won and got to this position because of us as a basketball team - not just relying him to score 25 or 30 points.”
Tayshaun Prince’s defense, which has helped Detroit reach the past five conference finals, has been credited with slowing down Iguodala, but he hasn’t done it alone.
“Whenever I get by (Prince), there’s always a big stepping up,” he said. “They do a good job of drawing charges. Sheed is always there.”
Prince is making Iguodala work hard at the other end of the court, too. He is averaging 17.3 points, making 66 percent of his shots, to trail only Richard Hamilton in scoring.
“I think that’s a challenge Tay takes personally,” Wallace said.
Prince has often played a supporting role for the Pistons since going from bench-warmer to a surprise stopper, who shut down Tracy McGrady to help them rally against the Magic five years ago in the first round.
Wallace, Billups or Hamilton usually lead the way offensively and Prince follows.
Saunders is ready for the pattern to change.
“As I told Tay prior to these playoffs, it was time for him to step out their shadow,” he said. “He has a tendency to defer a lot. His mentality is changing.”
Iguodala doesn’t want the Sixers’ mind-set to change as doubts grow about their ability to pull off a stunning upset over Detroit in the series.
“We’ve still got to stay positive,” he said. “We’re still further ahead than what people thought we would be.
“We’re playing to win. We can’t get caught up in what’s being said and what’s going on outside of our team. We’ve got to keep believing.”
Hookscenter.com wire report.
The Eagles sue Terrell Owens to get bonus money back.
April 29, 2008
The Philadelphia Eagles sued their former wide receiver Terrell Owens for bonus money he has not repaid the team.
The suit for nearly $770,000 was filed in U.S. District Court on Monday. Owens lost in arbitration earlier this year, a ruling calling him to repay $1.7 million in bonuses the team paid him when he played in Philadelphia in 2004 and ‘05.
Neither the team nor Owens’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, returned phone calls from the Associated Press seeking comment.
The Eagles suspended Owens for conduct detrimental to the team midway through 2005, one year after he helped them get to the Super Bowl. Owens lost $965,000 in salary from the final five games of 2005 after the team withheld game checks.
He was released after that season and the Eagles now are trying to get back the remaining sum: $769,117.
Owens subsequently signed with the Dallas Cowboys for $25 million over three years.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Kyle Busch emerging as top dog at Joe Gibbs Racing.
April 29, 2008
Maybe Joe Gibbs can afford to let Tony Stewart go.
The ol’ coach already seems to have NASCAR’s next star on his roster.
Kyle Busch did it again Sunday, this time conquering a track that had always given him fits. As he pulled into Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway, there appeared to be nothing this 22-year-old phenom can’t do - even it means filling the shoes of his teammate Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.
Busch has already won twice in nine races on the Cup circuit, trailing leader Jeff Burton by just 22 points. He’s third on the second-tier Nationwide Series, right on the tail of Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards, and was leading the Craftsman Truck Series until he missed a conflicting race in Kansas City, dropping him to sixth in the points.
In all, Busch has won seven races in the three series on tracks of all varieties - a road course, an intermediate track, a pseudo-short track and now a superspeedway.
“He’s red hot,” Gibbs said.
The Super Bowl-winning coach has put together a race team that rivals his glory years with the Washington Redskins. Busch, Stewart and Denny Hamlin are all in the top 10 a quarter of the way through the season.
But the Talladega weekend began with reports that Stewart wanted out, possibly as part of a deal to run his own team. Naturally, Gibbs wants to keep his dream team together — and his senior driver is under contract through 2009 — but he may face some hard financial decisions.
Just like he did when running an NFL team.
To borrow a football phrase, Gibbs would probably feel inclined to put the franchise tag on Busch instead of Stewart if forced to make a choice. Busch is 14 years younger than Smoke, and he’s already shown himself to be a talented, fearless racer who’ll mix it up with anyone.
“The thing about Tony is we have been together for 10 years,” Gibbs said. “It’s been a great ride, and that’s why we don’t want it to stop. We would love to have it work out pretty much the way it did the last time” Stewart signed a new deal with Gibbs.
But, if Stewart decides to bolt, Busch would be a worthy successor.
Heck, he already looks like the team’s No. 1 driver.
“I am fortunate to be hooked up with this bunch,” said Busch, who turns 23 next week. “I guess I’m a decent enough driver, and when you give me a good enough car, we can do something with it and put it in the right position and we’re able to run up front and do well.”
As good as Busch has been, he could have been even better. He was leading at Bristol when his power steering broke. Mechanical problems also plagued him at his hometown race in Las Vegas, where he started from the pole, and on the fender-banging short track at Martinsville.
But, as he showed at Talladega, a harrowing track where he had failed to finish four of his last six races, Busch is racing in a different gear than most of his rivals.
He fought his way back from a lap down after missing his pit box and having to go around again without any drafting help, benefitting from the “lucky dog” rule. Then, with just 18 laps to go, Busch tangled with Jamie McMurray coming through the backstretch, the No. 18 car nearly going sideways before he managed to save it.
Busch claimed the lead with five laps to go, blocked a couple of passing attempts and coasted to the checkered flag when a massive crash took out a dozen cars behind him, bringing out the yellow.
“We’re blessed to be a part of it, to see it,” said J.D. Gibbs, the ex-coach’s son and team president. “And the exciting thing is you forget how young he is. How many years we have left to grow together is really encouraging.”
And to think, this guy was fired from his last gig.
Busch was dumped by Hendrick Motorsports after last season, the powerful team deciding to go with fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. While no one doubted Busch’s potential, he was known for being reckless and impatient, as likely to wreck his car as get to the finish. Plus, he was a bit of a brat, rubbing plenty of folks the wrong way with his irrational behavior.
Busch still operates with a bit of an edge, but he’s definitely grown up on the track.
“I learned years ago that first you must finish to finish first,” he said. “I let that slip my mind for a little while and became an idiot for a bit. I sort of remembered someone telling me that again, and it’s sort of worked out.”
J.D. Gibbs knew he had a superstar on its hands after watching Busch’s test at Atlanta Motor Speedway last October, his very first time working with JGR and crew chief Steve Addington.
“We realized we had something very special,” Gibbs said. “You could see it in Steve’s eyes. I just think there’s a lot of things that really fit in the package, and first and foremost, you need to have that guy behind the wheel. And he just has a natural talent.
That was never more evident than when Busch somehow kept his car between the lines while jostling with McMurray.
“The save, I didn’t know what was happening,” Busch said. “I thought I was going out of the park. Luckily, somehow, we got off each other and kept it straight.”
Then Juan Pablo Montoya hooked up behind Busch, pushing him to the front, where he was able to race for the win.
Montoya finished second to match his career best on an oval since moving to NASCAR midway through 2006. Hamlin was third.
“The whole race was crazy,” Hamlin said. “Everyone got antsy.”
That showed in the waning laps, which were marked by three separate accidents. The first came with 14 laps to go when Stewart was stuck in the middle of a huge pack of cars. Bobby Labonte got forced to the bottom of the track, and it set in motion a six-car accident that ended Stewart’s day.
Despite leading a race-high 61 laps, he dropped to 0-for-20 in Talladega Cup races.
“That’s what happens late in these races,” Stewart said as he surveyed his damaged car. “If it was my fault, I’m sorry. But by looking at the video, I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
Busch certainly isn’t doing anything wrong.
He looks like a franchise player.
Hookscenter.com wire report.
Larry Brown to be named next head coach of the Bobcats.
April 29, 2008
Well-traveled Larry Brown has reached an agreement to return to the NBA as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press on Monday.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Brown was expected to sign a contract on Tuesday. The Bobcats called an afternoon news conference for what they termed a “major basketball announcement.”
The 67-year-old Hall of Famer will be taking over his ninth NBA team, and it will be his first coaching job since a messy exit from the New York Knicks in 2006. Brown will replace Sam Vincent, fired on Saturday after going 32-50 in his one season.
Reached early Tuesday, Vincent said he wasn’t surprised that part-owner Michael Jordan decided to bring in a veteran coach.
“Michael never said that he was hiring Coach Brown. He just said they were going to make some decisions that were in the best interest of the organization,” Vincent said. “So I kind of assumed of going in the direction of hiring a veteran coach and someone who was very popular in the community.”
Brown’s agent, Joe Glass, refused to confirm or deny that his client was headed to Charlotte.
“I have no information on Larry Brown,” Glass said early Tuesday.
Brown won the NBA championship with Detroit in 2004 and the NCAA title with Kansas in 1988. He resigned last week as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Glass indicated Brown wanted to return to coaching.
The move means Jordan has turned to a fellow former North Carolina Tar Heel to try to get the fourth-year Bobcats into the playoffs for the first time. Jordan and Brown both played for former North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
Brown, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, is one of five NBA coaches with at least 1,000 victories.
While he has had contentious splits with several teams, he has had success at nearly every job before his poor season with the Knicks in 2005-06.
Terms of Brown’s deal in Charlotte were uncertain. But it’s likely he will get a much larger salary than Vincent. Having never coached in the NBA before, Vincent made about $1.5 million this season. He has one year left on a two-year contract.
“I wish Coach Brown all the success in the world,” Vincent said. “I think he’ll have a great group of guys and I wish him nothing but the best.”
Vincent entered the job last spring confident, saying he would be “incredibly discouraged and disappointed” if the fourth-year franchise didn’t reach the playoffs.
But Vincent struggled to develop a steady rotation and often clashed with players. The Bobcats finished with one fewer victory than in 2006-07 under Bernie Bickerstaff, who moved to a front-office position.
Vincent’s firing marked the second time in Jordan’s checkered history as an NBA executive that one of his coaches lasted only one season. Leonard Hamilton resigned after going 19-63 with the Washington Wizards in 2000-01.
The Wizards eventually fired Jordan. He bought a minority stake in the Bobcats in 2006 and took over the decision-making from Bickerstaff.
Now Jordan has turned to the veteran Brown to try to give a boost to the struggling Bobcats, who have also struggled to win over fans. The Bobcats ranked 24th out of 30 teams in attendance this season.
Hookscenter.com wire report.