Hello, mate

And so it continues, the Nets tour across Europe, as we arrive in London around noon local time, which would be 5 a.m. at the practice facility on Murray Hill (by the way, a huge across the ocean shout out to my main man in tickets, Dan Harris, emailing the Sez from his desk at 6 a.m....that's the effort we're talking about!...but I digress). First, let's recap the events at the Bercy and the travel itinerary across the English Channel.

The crowd was great...as Vince said today, it was like a college hoop enviornment, and the players responded to the support...on both sides of the ball. The music and acoustics were NBA -friendly, Team Hype and Sly were joined by the Heat Dancers, D Wade put on a few moves, Devin countered, CDR showed no fear...and a Parisian W to start the preseason. Following the game there was a reception for the players and invited throng...and the most contact of the night was security trying to get the Fave Five of the Heat past the media into the event. Back to the hotel by midnight for that always delightful 12:30 a.m. meal...I felt like I was at my nephew's Bar Mitzvah...and then to bed for the 6:30 a.m. wakeup call...bus departing for the train station at 7:30, and then on our way.

The train ride was smooth, which brought us to the bus ride from the station to the hotel...let me frame it for you...picture driving through the Bronx for an hour (if you are not familiar, use your imagination...think crowded and lights)...then getting on the Deegan and trying to get to the Stadium...except that there is the new construction to deal with...so a cool hour and 15 minutes later...the hotel. And upon arrival, the adidas-sponsored players, led by Devin, joined the Commish for an NBA Cares event, and VC led 12 of his mates-sorry- for a court refurbishing sponsored by Barclays...where upon leaving, I got my first-ever call from the BBC for a phone interview for Ryan Anderson-the accent made the interview seem that much more vital. There really has been no start and end to the days...you're on speed-dial for 24/7...and I must acknowledge the Marist VP of Basketball Ops...Michelle Marks' husband Bobby...who has been doing Dr. Phil-like work on this trip...the Marks family will be growing by one come February, and Roberto has had great practice for that adventure during this one. Have a great weekend....and Cheerio.

You Must be Nets...

V-C-333...Vince was feeling good today...and appreciated the very vocal reception he received at the Bercy when introduced to the crowd...in case you forgot, Vince is a national landmark in France for the Weis dunk in the Olympics....Carlton, Koufax, Whitey...A short list of famous leftys...which is the first thought that came to my mind when the bus left the London train station on the left side of the street...you hear about it, you see it on TV, but the first-hand is a little wierd....Panic Room...And on the subject of driving, I woke up in a sweat last night... had a nighmare that I was taking my driving test in Paris...the instructor told me to get in the car and just drive...as he put on a blindfold....Final Jeopardy...Now that the Yankees have cancelled their closing event in November, it's official...the last event that took place at the Stadium was the Nets Players vs. Coaches Softball Game...which makes the last winning manager...Vince Carter.

Posted by Gary Sussman on October 10th, 2008 at 2:50 p.m., ET

French Pastry

Day 3 of Gay Paree', where the random u turn and cutting off other cars is an art form, which brings me to the Wednesday night excursion to the Louvre. I am not going to give you all the people in the traveling party, but let me put it this way-if I wanted to talk either hoops, herpes or homicides, I was covered. The NBA did a great job-tour bus complete with Elizabeth, the tour guide-who knew as much about the paintings and sculptures as the Little General knows about the pick and roll, pick and pop and the dribble-drive attack. In other words, we had a pro on our side.

As far as the museum itself, spellbinding. For most, 'The DaVinci Code' would be their only intro to these hallowed halls, stairs, escalators and yes, parquet floor. But on this night, it was a first hand look at some of the most remarkable artwork and craftsmanship that one could behold. Elizabeth told us that in order to see all of the paintings, one would have to spend 19 full days...24/7...inside the building. Our travel party was hungry after 19 minutes...but I digress. I cannot give it justice in these few lines...the Venus de Milo, Picasso and of course, the Mona Lisa-behind barricades and behind glass...but nonetheless, magnificent. And even the Mona was surprised that upon leaving the museum, who was waiting outside to enter for a bit of culture shock...the fans choice...the player they call Swat...Sean Williams. It was good to see some of the fellas taking in the sights and sounds that make this trip just a little bit different than that Midwest swing through Milwaukee and Detroit.

You Must be Nets…

Gwen Eiffel....Thursday morning saw a trek to the Eiffel Tower for a team photo shoot... the LG considered having the players run the tower steps prior to shootaround, but reconsidered when he knew they would take the elevator car down....Forrest Gump...Team ortho Dr. Riley Williams joined the team on Wednesday...didn't take the bus to practice at the Bercy...decided to walk...which was not around the corner...took him 90 minutes...he may have been looking for some tourists with torn meniscus....Expedia.com...Following three days of French TV commercials, I will be taking the family to Malaysia next summer.

Posted by Gary Sussman on October 9th, 2008 at 9:19 a.m., ET

Chez What?

Day 2 of the Arc De Triomphe Tour for the LG and the fellas was highlighted by the full blown media session at the Bercy Arena, site of the Thursday night matchup between your Nets and the Heat. The day had all the trimmings of the playoffs…without any of the consequences. A strong contingents of print and broadcast descending on the players and head coach, with the man at the center of the probing, the man who jumped over Frederic Weis. And Vince does play the straight man when asked repeatedly about that You Tube moment…and you can understand that after eight years…it may be time to move on move on. But on the other side, he is in France, he dunked on France’s head, and the questions are fair game. VC was very accommodating, and the inquiring minds were pleased with the opportunity to actually talk to the man who jumped over one of their own.

Besides the Weis connection, the most asked question…who does Vince like in the upcoming election…this is obviously a major topic at home, but it was a bit unusual to hear it asked by the foreign journalists…and Vince was very forthcoming with his answer…his pick…here’s the hint…he is the only one of the two Senators running who played high school basketball.

Practice lasted over two hours today, followed by a basketball clinic for Special Olympics. The weather is fine, no hot water in my shower, and the television choices make Toronto look like the home office for DirecTV…but that being said…not a bad way to spend a week.

You Must be Nets…

Wide World of Sports...I really need to see the late, great Jim McKay after a night in the room...how about womens' volleyball, soccer and cricket to get you going....CNN International...This week's feature...Eye on Poland...just thought you needed to know...The Great Mariano....Amazing career that hopefully will continue forward...surgery this week reminded me of the time former Nets assistant coach Mike O'Koren refused to shake Mo's right hand because he did not want to risk injury to the golden fingers...Contributions...Since we are thousands of miles from home, I will allow the following...as submitted jointly by assistant trainer Matt Reicher, and the Prince of PR...Director Aaron Harris...while in the City of Lights, the team is staying at the Paris Hilton...Goodnight everyone!

Posted by Gary Sussman on October 8th, 2008 at 10:39 a.m., ET

Bonjour, Mon Ami

This is officially the first-ever European Sez, as the fellas and company touched down in Paris at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, ready to engage the Heat in two contests, one in Paris on Thursday and then a second meeting in London on Sunday. The six-hour time difference made for a bit of a fjuzzy beginning, but the line of the day was asked by one of the NBA staffers to yours truly upon arrival..."How was the trip?"...lets see, my luggage was taken from the practice facility to the airport, I was provided transportation to the airport, sat in a private lounge area before departure, and enjoyed the comfort and food of business first class...and all on the arm...are you kidding me! (but I digress). I am pleased to report that everyone had all of their rooms and bags, breakfast was waiting for the traveling party at the hotel, and before you could look at all the of French channels on TV (inlcluding 'Happy Days'), the team was off to a 90 minute practice, just to get the blood flowing. But the team, despite no sleep, practiced hard, and the Little General was pleased with the teams first venture onto foreign soil. Sleep deprivation is the order of the day, the only two English channels on the flat screen in the room are CNBC and CNN, and I have greeted all of the fine staff with a Sez 'Bonjour'...who knew that those two years of high school French would pay off decades later. More tomorrow...whenever that actually is.

You Must be Nets…

24 hours at LeMans....The driving is crazy here...small cars, motorcycles darting in and out, traffic circles that could be used on Roller Derby... legendary Nets assistant Tom Barrise would have a field day negotiating the flow....Sightings...Thought I saw Mr. Bean coming out of one of the pastry shops....Nets Income...A Sez thank you for the kind words following the open practice...where I ran into one of the major players behind Nets Daily...I thought I had met the Wizard of Oz.

Posted by Gary Sussman on October 7th, 2008 at 10:17 a.m., ET

Milwaukee’s Best

Where were the fans…where were the scalpers…the last game at Yankee Stadium was not this past Sunday when the Bombers entertained the Orioles…no, no…the last game was Wednesday, when the Little General brought his troops to the hallowed Cathedral to take on the VC-led Players, in the 5th Annual Nets Coaches/Management/Ringers team against the Players. Now in the past, the games have been slugfests, whether at Giants Stadium the first two years, or on River Ave. the past three…but 2008 was different…a lot of D…and not much O. The final tally was the Players on top by an 8-2 count…and since your were not able to witness the drubbing…allow the Sez to give you the proper analysis, gleaned through the binocs from the Sheppard Booth-which is what the guys at the Stadium refer to the PA location-on the proceedings from the left field corner (that’s right-we do not get to play on the infield-that is sacred-so home plate is right underneath the left field foul pole- -but I digress).

When he looks at the tape, the Little General will see some of the same failings of his softball team as his favorite hardball squad-that’s right, he’s a Pinstriper-and painfully realize that he may have to assess whether the Jersey Boys-Hill, Barrise and Fratello-have been singing more than playing. The D was adequate, but as far as the sticks…can I recommend a session at Frozen Ropes?...and this is meant with no disrespect at all to my fellow AARP cardholders-but after The Czar flipped his bat in disgust following a whiff (that’s right, a K in slow pitch-that would be No, not a YES), the Little General now knows how Joe G feels.

And whatever happened to that key element of the Coaches team-the Ringers? Just because Pat Sullivan had taken his act back to Motown, does that mean there are not qualified batsman in Jersey to help the cause? Sully, who plays more angles than an isosceles triangle, always brought a member of the King and his Court with him, the most notable a guy who would not give his name-but they could all hit the rock, provide muscle to an aging lineup-Where have you gone, Joe from Route 3? And what about Zach (The Iron) Kurtain-who had a bust- out three homer game in Giants Stadium, but has been paralyzed ever since in the Bronx? The LG needs the Young Guns, because the Seniors are, no pun intended, shooting blanks.

But at the end of the day, the game was determined by the play of the third baseman on the Blue team, Milwaukee’s Best. Now, there has been a great deal written about who got the better of the deal in the big trade last winter-on the hardwood-without anyone discussing its impact on the diamond. Because the guy now in Dallas-as Larry David would say-pre-t-t-y good with the glove. But after watching Number 34…let me just say he had 15 assists, perfect throws on each one, and punctuated the afternoon with a Jeter leap from the hole. He may have picked the wrong sport!!! And as he said to his entourage after the game (they did not witness due to traffic) “ I was good”. Oh baby, was he ever. Milwaukee’s Best. And for Nets fans, I think the best is yet to come.

You Must be Nets…

Awards…The Robinson Cano Award to Josh Boone, for nonchalanting a flyball off the bat of fellow UConn undergrad A-Rod Harris into a two-base error….The Manny Ramirez Award…also awarded to J. Boone, for failing to hustle out of the box on a routine drive to center, which was played expertly into a double….The Dale Berra Award to Mo Ager, for not once, but twice being tagged out on the basepaths (for those who may not recall, Berra ran up the back of Bobby Meacham during a game several moons back and both were tagged out at home plate- on the same play)…The Paul Blair Award to Captain Video, Pete Williams, for his outstanding one hand grab of a screaming liner in left center, preventing the Players from inflicting even more carnage on the Red team and finally, The Billy Crystal Award, to Nets coach Roy Rogers, who had a particularly tough day at the plate (see Fratello, Mike)…’You can call me many things, but slugger is not one of them”. Amen to that!

Posted by Gary Sussman on September 25th, 2008 at 9:38 a.m., ET

The Calm Before the Storm

As with any job, there is a certain ebb and flow to the NBA season…and off season. And this week before the start of training camp, at least for the PR staff, would fall into that ebb category…except for the fact that there are actual live bodies in the gym working out. If I can put this little note in perspective, there was a time in the late 90’s…the coach was a fine gentlemen from San Diego with an Irish name, whose point guard at the time wears the uni of the team that plays in midtown Manhattan, who had a certain rookie who wore long socks…you get the idea…that year…there may have been a player or two dribbling in the practice facility a day prior to media day. This year, 2008, the courts on Murray Hill have looked like the Forest Hills JCC on a Sunday morning…complete with the yipping and yapping that goes along with such celebrated contests. Rookies, vets, free agents and the occasional All-Star (Carlos Boozer) who wanted to get a run in…must have been on his way to the Garden State Plaza and needed to kill some time. And since the Sez has been witness to the proceedings, as a public service, a brief glimpse as to the proceedings that have been transpiring inside the confines of the gym formerly known as the Nets Champion Center (with this caveat; some of you have asked for more behind the scenes…which would be great if you, not me, were paying the tuition at the Big Red Ink…but the Sez has to balance the wishes of the Head Coach and not scooping the beats with serving the needs of The Flock…a blogging Flying Wallenda, if you would…but since Vince has said he has my back if I ever get fined by the league, I figure he can cover room and board as well).

For the uninitiated, the month of September brings with it the race for the Cup…not the Ryder, not the Davis, not the America’s…but the Buford. That’s right, the Buford Cup, named after Number 2 in your program, Rodney Buford, which is given annually to the player who performs above and beyond during the month of September…prior to the season. And even though these performances are not viewed by the masses…it’s still an award, and provides a glimpse of what might become…not necessarily what will…but isn’t that what the pre-season is all about…this just happens to be the pre-pre-season. But before we get to the leader, a little bit about the routine…which is dominated by the Doctor…Dr. Rich Dalatri, the Nets assistant coach strength/conditioning, who often confuses pleasure and pain. The Doctor puts the troops through a solid 45 minutes of conditioning…and unlike the gym teacher you loved to hate…gets a response that would have made Vince Lombardi proud. Following the spilling of bloods, sweat and tears…let the games begin. Just like any other pickup games you’ve seen…no coaches, no refs, call-your-own, and run for the woods if you call soft. A few highlights…Sean has put on some shot-blocking clinics, Keyon has been like Kenyon is his approach, both verbal and physical, the rookies all like to play, you forget Yi is a seven footer the way he runs and shoots, VC is just fine…and check out the guns on Milwaukee’s Finest…he has pumped up…looks great…and is shooting lights out. Devin has come ready to play…which is a very good sign. And don’t read anything into the players who have not been mentioned…these are just highlights, not a player by player preview…all of the guys have been in at one time or another over the past three weeks…and all have practiced hard.

And as far as the race for the Cup…there is still some time to go…but the leader in the clubhouse…Julius Hodge…who has been in the gym more this off season than Timmy the Trainer. Media Day is one week away.

You Must be Nets…

Now batting…The fellas and the coaches will play their annual Yankee Stadium softball game next week…now, due to the upcoming playoffs in past years, the teams had to square off in the left field corner…since the last hardball will be struck on the 21st, do you think we’ll see the real home plate?... an update next week…Reunion…Have run into both J Kidd and RJ over the summer…no hard feelings on either side…I trust they will both hear cheers when they return to the Swamp…the PA announcer will give them both a special spot in the pre-game lineup…PR Shuffle…Please welcome Patrick Rees to the Nets PR department, filling the void left by the Nets former Number One draft choice, Matt Tumbleson, a.k.a. Tumbleweed, who has taken his act and attempt to write a witty blog to Memphis…Patrick comes to us by way of the Spurs, who also were the mentoring service for Matt…forget the PR rotation...how about sending the Sez a ring?...Europe Live…In case you’re not planning on attending the preseason games in Paris and London in person, you can watch both on TV…ESPN 2 from the Bercy Arena in Paris on October 9 and NBA TV from the 02 Arena in London on October 12…both games can be seen at 2:00 PM…Trivial Pursuit…And for the loyal Nets fan…when someone asks down the road who was the last public address announcer at Yankee Stadium…not Bob Sheppard…not Jim Hall…that’s right…the Sez…who knew?

Posted by Gary Sussman on September 19th, 2008 at 9:33 a.m., ET

Labor Pains

The Sez had retired for the summer (much to the delight of the haters from the blogs...but even they must get tired of reading the large print from the classifieds...but I digress), but there were a number of developments that transpired over the past several days, headed by the defection of the PR Departments former Number One Draft Choice, the Tumbleweed (more on that later), so the draw to the laptop was just too strong to let the mind be dulled by another brilliant August day.

There were a number of fellas in the gym last week, all except Yi, who had some business in Bejing. And despite the early prognostications, (which make the price of gasoline seem like good news), it's a very good thing to see this type of activity in the facility on Murray Hill this early in the campaign. But the true hoops will be here soon enough, as training camp opens the last weekend in September, as we are traveling to Europe...which will be my first international Sez (I don't count Toronto-beautiful city, but I don't have to fly over the ocean to get there, only Buffalo)...so as we await nervously for the delivery of those very special U.S. Open tickets, which include parking (just use your imagination-think the price of tap water)...let us proceed to our end of the summer...

You Must be Nets....

Which way to Graceland?...As I noted above, our own Matt Tumbleson, a.k.a Tumbleweed, has decided to leave his luxury abode in Hoboken and take his act to Memphis to join the Grizzlies on the business PR side...a product of the Spurs winning legacy, Matt's experiences in Jersey included seeing his first bagel store, tipping the gas attendant (even though it's illegal in Jersey to pump your own gas) and making the sweater a staple of office dress...he will have a long and successful career...and Cal has even offered to let him drive his wife and kids to the college games... No Doze...Oustanding work done by our own Double C, Chris Carrino, on the NBA Olympic basketball channel, live from 30 Rock...whether at 2 a.m., 4 a.m., 6 a.m., Iranian men, Chinese women, Yi, Yao, Rudy or Pao, it was a pleasure to listen...my only question...did he broadcast while wearing his pajamas?... Mike and The Dog...Can you count how many things you've done for 19 years...that is a long, long time...and especially when talking about the media market that is NY...I dealt with the boys on many levels, and the story I will share comes from my days at Yonkers Raceway, circa 1992, early in their career together...an autograph session at the Hilltop, joined by Ralph Branca, a horseman and frequent dining room guest...with a little bit of baseball history...so Ralph, a truly wonderful man, is walking with the FAN duo through the assembled patrons (I'm being kind), when one older fellow starts berating Ralph for the infamous pitch...at which point Ralph, known for his comportment, proceeds to rip the guy a new backside...much to the delight of Mike, Chris and your host...it was funnier if you were there....Condolences...And speaking of my former home, condolences to current Yonkers PR chief Frank Drucker (the column castigator of Vecsey fame) on the loss of his mom....Re-Deem This!....NBC could get the swimmers to enjoy the chlorine at 10 a.m. so we could view the competition in prime time, but I don't think Kobe and boys wanted to play during shootaround time...2:30 in the morning?...Spain vs. the US of A?...a great game regardless of when you saw it....The Bronx is Burning....Not a five -alarmer just yet...but you may have to call the arson squad pretty soon...not even The Great Mariano can douse these flames....The Big Red-Ink...Junior year for The Diva, sporting a spectacular new look...and can I say this about move-back-in-day...it's like a triathalon for parents...pack (the vehicle)...carry (the assorted bags, water, clothes, fans, bedding, etc) and climb (the stairs...did we need three stories)...and then there is the wife...they say an ant can carry a thousand times its weight...I believe my wife can do the same...I almost leased her to the sorority for the weekend....Chillin' Man...I know you need this type of info, so as a public service, just wanted you to know that the Nets former GM, the Travelin' Man, has settled in at the shore for the final week of the summer after a very, very, very active off-season...but I have this question...why do the Philly writers refer to him as Eddie Stefanski...did I miss something...was it him or Eddie Haskell on 'Leave it to Beaver'?...Rocky Mountain High...The Denver Nuggets have closed their offices for the week due to the Democratic National Convention...but let me ask you this...if you are a true Nets fan, regardless of your political affiliation, what would you donate to see Kenyon jump onto the stage with Barack and Biden and exhort the crowd?...prancin', pumpin', yellin' and screamin'...let your minds run wild....One Final Olympic Moment...Considering the venue that was and is 'The Bird's Nest'...don't you think the powers that be at the Peacock Network could have found a broadcast perch for 'The Bird'?

Posted by Gary Sussman on August 25, 2008 at 10:58 a.m., ET

Meatballs

And then, on the 6th day, he spoke…no, The Sez is not referring to the Dalai Lama, who blessed the Olympics being held in China (by the way, if you want to keep yourselves amused over the next three weeks, read Filip Bondy’s Olympic blog in the News…he makes cranky an art form…but I digress)…or the Packer coach talking about Favre, or Favre talking about Favre, or Peter King talking about Favre….or more importantly, Oh Tannenbaum talking about Broadway Brett on a 1:15 a.m. conference call to announce the trade…much to the delight of the beat reporters…who had to write as if they were pulling an all-nighter, or the Jets PR staff, who most certainly had to pull one…no, the Blogger is talking about the Nets’ Number 15, who held his one and only media session at the Vince Carter Youth Basketball Academy…summer camp at the practice facility off Murray Hill in East Rutherford. Now the scribes and our friends at News 12 documented the words of VC, and the message boards dissected his answers as if it was the FBI interrogation of the mad anthrax scientist (as a sidenote, the psycho scientist was apparently infatuated with the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority…which happens to be the sorority of choice for The Diva at The Big Red in Ithaca….the creep factor here is not even on the charts)…anyway, back to Vince, who made Hoops Hype regarding the team, his role on the team, all the new faces, etc. etc. But there was not much mention of the reason VC is spending a week in August in Jersey rather than the homefront in Orlando…and that would be the summer camp experience for the 150 campers, two sessions, little guys and girls in the morning, their bigger counterparts in the afternoon. And so as a public service, since those who get paid to write for a living detailed the entrée portion for Nets Daily and the like, The Sez will not give you the dessert…what summer is all about…summer camp.

The players lot is flooded with parents, kids, cars…dropping off the loved ones at 8 a.m., when the largest of the SUV’s pulls in…VC emerges, with dog in hand (and then cage, it’s a small dog)…and the seas part…a few glad hands, but for the most part, Vince is reporting to work, and he will mingle with the masses on the floor. And make no mistake about it…Vince is involved, very involved. He jokes, he laughs, he barks, he encourages, he pats, he dunks (just a little) and as always, he enjoys. Vince is the biggest camper, and he doesn’t just give the kids a token appearance…he gives them VC for their entire experience…campers such as Big Country, a young man who sports a Mohawk, and while not the most skilled of players, is encouraged and cheered by campers and coaches throughout the sessions…and will emerge with a very positive experience…or Robert from Haworth, four foot plus with blond hair who is a cross between Nash and Kidd, whipping passes to teammates cross court, through the legs, behind the back…and who asked The Sez for his autograph, thinking I was Rod Thorn…that, my friends, is a special camp moment. And The Sez would be remiss if I didn’t mention the sideshow that is a staple at every morning session…that being the Vince Carter Basketball and Dance Academy…here’s all you need to know…one camper came up to VC before the first session and said he didn’t play much hoops…but he did like to dance…and then showed his moves during every break in the action…after witnessing that, there’s no need for ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

You Must be Nets…

Bird’s Eye View…From the fairways and greens at this week’s PGA Championship, The Eagle has landed…Ian calling the action for DirecTV…just as he did with the Masters…and added to his work on the French Open and U.S. Open, the Bird Man has certainly expanded his broadcast horizons….Turkey Shoot…Many thanks to the league office for allowing the team to vacation in Sacramento on Thanksgiving…with all due respect to the residents of the California state capitol, I don’t believe the Govern-ator will be in the office either that day…The Bronx is Burning…Not quite a four alarm blaze just yet…but I’m starting to see some smoke in left center field…Mazel Tov…To Nets’ YES producer Frank DiGraci and his lovely wife Carol, on the birth of their third child…who is named Jayson…beating out Dikembe, Jabari, Gheorge, Lamond, Mikki, Pace, Michael Ray, Sleepy, Khalid, Hassan, Benoit, Evan, Kerry, Jason, Jud, Elden, Armon, Shawn, Chucky, Soumaila, Rodney and Bubbles.

Posted by Gary Sussman on August 7, 2008 at 11:37 a.m., ET

Sly-a-nora

During the time of the year when fans should be unwinding and regrouping, the message boards have been reminiscent of ‘The Exorcist”…spinning 180 degrees in reaction to the various comings and goings…and there have been quite a few since the end of the regular season…goodbye RJ…hello Bobby and Yi…goodbye Boki…Hello Jarvis and Eduardo…hello Keyon…and apparently a goodbye to Nenad…although if he does go play in Moscow…following in the footsteps of one of the Sez’s all-time faves, Travis Best, the Nets still retain his rights…so a half-hearted see ya if you will…there is another going that has not been publicized…but deserves the attention and applause of all Nets fans…young and old…who have been in his furry presence over the past several years.

Although I cannot provide his true identity due to the MWPP (Mascot Witness Protection Program)…the man known to the PR department as Miguel Angel Cordero, Jr. has retired from the mascot business. Although Sly will continue to entertain both on and off the Izod court, the man who has held down that spot on and off for the past nine years has taken his Fox head off for the last time…deciding that at this time in his life, dunking with the dancers is just not in the cards anymore. And for all who have seen his performances, you would have to question why now, when the Dunking Divas has become the act that would welcome the most fan participation if open to a vote, the Man inside the Fox would call it a day…or a night…or whenever he would climb out of the vehicle known as the Slymobile…which I am told was actually used for the show ‘Cash Cab’. There were hundreds of dunks, skits, high fives and dancing jives…but the all-time favorite had to be when he repelled from the top of the arena-1998, first game post-lockout- and just missed smashing into the backboard…after which time such hijinks were banned from the NBA…and what greater accolade than to be the person who changed the face of Mascot Land…by being so crazy that the league had to stop him from himself. My man Miguel is headed down south…and if you’re driving through a state such as North Carolina, and see a guy leaping from telephone pole to telephone pole…give a shout out…Sly would appreciate it.

You Must be Nets…

Borscht Belt…For years, the Nets link to the famous resort region of the Sullivan County Catskills in New York was Jack Eagle, the late father of Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle, who performed his comedy routine at the many hotels that made the area unique…until 2008, when not one, but two Nets appear headed for Moscow…I wonder if Boki’s new team will provide a team-issued Russian diplomat hat (you know, the big fur ones)…The Batman…Sez summer movie review time…just give the Oscar to the family of Heath Ledger right now…no reason to wait… I liked the first one just a tad better only because it was so unusual and delved into the origin…but the current installment still worth the Senior discount price of admission….and you probably need to see it twice just to capture all of the flavor... this review was a bit longer in honor of Ebert and Roeper, who have called it a day…Steel City…My favorite Pirate used to be Roberto Clemente…now it’s the present GM who delivered Nady and Marte to the Bronx…VC…Will be back in town next week for his summer camp at the practice facility…this is not a no-show gig…think Lou Gossett, Jr. in ‘Officer and a Gentlemen”….Congrats…To former Nets radio man Bob Papa-shot on landing the NFL Network post…outstanding choice…Double C$....And speaking of radioheads, look for our own Double C, Chris Carrino, with a major NY Giant presence this fall…Driving Miss Daisy…The Sez transporting five teenage girls to a concert…the chatter?…think cicadas.

Posted by Gary Sussman on July 28, 2008 at 2:10 p.m., ET

The Young and The Restless

It was barely two years ago…Summer League in Orlando….that the Sez took flight…chronicling the fortunes of the Nets young guns, led by Marcus Williams and Josh Boone, which eventually led to the cartoon and all the fame (none) and fortune (none) that has come with the musings over the past two seasons…in truth, the blog at that time was supposed to be the thoughts of the then Travelin’ Man, and now the second coming of William Penn (that would be E.Stefanski-President of the New Millennium of the Sixers, for the uninformed), who was to provide the fans back home a sense of what they could expect in the fall…but being the dutiful PR servant to my mentor, I offered to take on the responsibility, and the rest, as some would say, is bad history…but that being said, it’s been a little while since we visited…and I’ve heard from the four people who consider themselves loyal followers (they could be considered the leaders of The Flock…but I digress) that the Sez has given up the rope…gone soft…traded in his laptop for the Ban De Soleil…more interested in ph than ppg…in crosscourt forehands than crossover dribbles…in designer sunglasses than cleaning the glass…and so as the champion Nets, led by Tom Barrise, arrive back in Jersey with their 4-1 mark (by the way, the entertaining podcast of Dante and Galante kept calling my man Baris-ee)…it was time for the Sez to shake off the Novocain recently administered by the team dentist and provide some perspective on the last few weeks…which lay rest to the misnomer called the off season…not this year anyway.

First, let me begin by addressing the man-child known as RJ…Richard to his friends, something else to the PR staff…the only player that I ever threw a clipboard at, who from the beginning of his tenure to the last week, took delight in pulling my shirt out of my pants at practice…whether it be a Tuesday in February, or the NBA Finals…The Prankster did not discriminate…but one of my former coaches, B. Scott, told me to remain calm in the face of The Prankster, keep my composure, and don’t throw anything that could injure…that would be, let see, a bad move…and so seven years later, Richard has moved on to Milwaukee…where I seriously doubt he will pull the shirt out of the pants of my Bucks counterpart…but you cannot be with a player for seven seasons, which included six trips to the playoffs and two NBA Finals, without feeling a certain sense of time gone by…and with Richard, that would be time spent in detention…but that was off the court…on the court, you could go to war with Richard…and I wish him only the best.

On the player front, we’ve already exceeded the PR budget for press conferences…first for the draft picks (more on them in a moment)…and then the international spectacular for Yi and Simmons (no disrespect to Bobby, but Yi is the last name, not the first…so we are symmetrical, if you know what I mean…but I digress)…and the free agent signings of Hayes and Najera…and what does this all mean…well, for the marketing mavens…one player who is Chinese (Yi), one who is Mexican (Eduardo) and one who is Cuban (Lopez)…can you say promotion?...and I spoke to the PA guy…he told me his goal is not to insult one billion Chinese as well as our neighbors south of the border…that is a very tall order.

As for the rookies…c’mon now…you didn’t see this coming…you did not see 4-1…and you did not see significant contributions from not one, not two, but all three players…Lopez down low…Anderson outside…and CDR all over the court…now I realize that the majority are passing this off as the summer rantings of a guy paid to sell…but tell me the last time you saw a player who had success in the league who did not have success in the summer…and, truth be told, vice versa…so what you saw should be very encouraging…not a guarantee, but an encouragement…an early validation of the strength of the 2008 draft process…the first for Thorn-D-Weghe…and I can see some of you smiling. You were ready to pounce, and now you have to reconsider. The beauty of basketball in July.

You Must be Nets….

The Food Network…Considering the Nets new international flavor, the media may think they visited the Disney World food court in the press room this season-use your imaginations….Freddie the K….The blogs that our veteran beat guy from the Post filed from Orlando were exceptional…I’ve pegged Charles Durning to play Kerber in the movie version of his life….Opening Act….Lost in the magnificence of Roger/Rafa at Wimbledon was the power and pace of Sister, Sister in the Womens’ Final…Venus and Serena were magnificent…even if you could care less about a rally or a volley…it was a great sports weekend….Dante and Galante….Superb week of podcasting from Orlando for the Magic duo…11 thousand emails would make the founders of Google proud…and they would read the Sez’s writings…outstanding….Arnie and Jack…Just finished the most recent book by Ian O’Connor on the lives of the two golfing legends…as someone who grew up watching, but not really understanding, the dynamics between the two men…the book is a must read…it is riveting in its detail…the Sez gives it three VC-3-3-3-3-3’s….Summer Fun…You know the nights are a bit tedious when the best thing on TV is the Law and Order marathon on USA.

Posted by Gary Sussman on July 14, 2008 at 3:55 p.m., ET

In the Heat of the Night

The days are getting longer, and hotter…soon to reach the solstice on June 21…not only the first day of summer, but the date of birth of both Derrick Coleman and Richard Jefferson (a little Nets trivia for you as we roast)…the Yankees and the Mets are stuck in neutral….the NBA Finals marches on (more on that later)…and the parade of college youth trek to the facility on Murray Hill to audition before the assembled Nets multitude (if you don’t know who they are…and call yourself a Nets fan…then why read further…even though after each Suz entry, regardless of the time of year, there are always the fans on the message boards who can’t stand the way I write…or understand what I write…so I ask…WHY READ….entertain yourselves with SLAM and call it a day….but I digress)….but back to the parade of college athletes…which is refreshing to see…players of all shapes and true sizes (rule of thumb…when you see a height listed in a college guide…subtract two inches)... going head-to-head to try and advance to the ultimate hoops showcase…and there have been some wild battles in the gym that Cal built ( I felt the need to reference one of my former head coaches, since we had both Joey Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts from his Memphis Tigers in the house last week…but I digress)…now, I realize that you would like to know some of the behind-the-scenes…who looked good, who could do what, who had the true rep and who had the inflated balloon…but even though it’s June, I must constantly remind you of that one word that dominates The Bloggers psyche…tuition (did they have to jack it up another two grand…was the bursar not aware we failed to make the playoffs)…but I can tell you this…in one of the sessions, I thought I saw Kimbo Slice in the locker room getting ready …the players were clawing, diving, slapping, flapping, running, gunning, pushing, shoving, boarding and sweating…all looking to impress. And as Kiki has stated numerous times in his post-workout media sessions, one of the aims of these workouts is to see how the players perform when exhausted…who’s going to give up the rope…and who can summon that extra bit of reserve and move forward…who’s going to be able to function in the last two minutes of a game… and who’s going to take a pass…who can compete…and who will shrink.

So the process moves forward…and I know that the Nets faithful are looking for a hint…a nugget from these workouts…or on the trade front…or from the free agent wire…and all The Bolger can tell you is…be patient…The President and Kiki are hard at work…analyzing and interviewing…taking calls and making calls…doing their due diligence to make the team better…but since I have seen every workout…and every pass and dribble…and watched these young men go head-to-head ..I feel I have an obligation to give you something…a small slice of June…a morsel to ponder…and here it is…Kiki can still shoot. Keep the AC at 75!

You Must be Nets….

Three Million Dollar Man…Can’t my man Scal, the former People’s Choice, wear a suit…even if he doesn’t want to put on a tie…how about a nice jacket and dress shirt…with all the money that J Kidd made for him, he can buy his own Men’s Warehouse… Nets Classic…There’s a fan in Boston…front row…who would go nuts on every call…screaming and berating when it didn’t go his way…and he’s still courtside…standing and yelling at Kobe…so let me reflect and tell you there was nothing sweeter than seeing him sink back into his seat when your NJ Nets ruined his day in 2002…I got a real good look after Game 4, if you know what I mean…Black Mamba…That nickname is so good it should be trademarked…VC…The rehab is progressing very nicely…no complications…he’s still able to text at rapid speed…Password…Back on the air…if you’re a younger reader, you wouldn’t remember…Sunday’s at 8, Channel 2, with Regis…superb show…Jaba…I’ll pass…team gives me a good parking spot….Gas Attack…I was just wondering if the soaring price of gas will have any affect on the number of flashing lights patrolling the Route 17 corridor…even though they caught so many violators the other day at the Bendix Diner island, it looked like they were giving away free food…Top Chef….One of the highlights of having The Diva home from school is the variety of cuisine served almost every night…we recently set a Sez family record of no takeout for an entire week…and that little tidbit is more astounding than $4.00/gallon...Happy Father’s Day!

Posted by Gary Sussman on June 10, 2008 at 4:17 p.m., ET

I Know What You Did Last (Spring) Summer

The Blogger had become the Blah-gger…sentenced to hours and hours of watching, not participating in the playoffs…for the first time in six years…now, I am fully aware that, yes, All Things Must Pass…but did that mean big screen TV imprisonment had to include hours upon hours of ads for The Closer, The House of Payne and a guy by the name of Bill Engvall and his VERY FUNNY family (I would actually rather entertain the fans behind the bench in Philly than have to watch one more of these ads…but I digress )…and so for the first time since I had the pleasure of welcoming K-Mart to the Swamp as the Number One draft pick…(I killed the budget by flying in for Media Day a real Cincy bearcat…who bit his trainer prior to the festivities, leaving a nasty trail of blood on her arm …along with the Big O…who did not bite anyone and was very gracious…along with three cases of Skyline Chili…all to make Kenyon feel at home…which did nothing to stop him from yelling at me numerous times over the next several years… but he was never attacking me, just warning me…very sweet gesture…but I digress)….The PR guy and the PA guy were both on the outside looking in…who could write in the throes of hoops nausea…and then I heard the chirping from some very loyal members of The Flock…Matt the Night Stalker, the Nets fan who thinks he has a relationship with the Sez…John (you the) Schuh-mann from NBA.com…KC (and the Sunshine Band) Johnson from the Chicago Trib…Citizen Kane, the most famous resident of Ridgewood…and the lovely ladies from Kappa Kappa Gamma on the campus of Cornell, who wanted to know how The Diva got her nickname…the questions that inquiring minds wanted to know….did you take the rest of the year off?...did you pack it in?...were you feeling sorry for yourself?...has the Cartoon retired?...No to all…we just needed a little creative Red Bull…which brings us to the 20th of May…when The Blogger made a triumphant return to Secaucus and the Draft Lottery…a real-live smorgasbord of food, execs, players….and more importantly….material.

First, I would like to thank the league office for the schedule change…back in the day…anytime 1996-2001 BT (Before Thorn)…the Loser’s Ball was conducted on usually a beautiful afternoon…as in Sunday afternoon…as in another drive down the majestic Route 17…which made the experience even that much more tedious (unless you get that Numero Uno-that is a good day’s work any time, any place)…but in 2008, we make the trek to NBAE on a Tuesday night…a short treacherous drive (the Nets PR Director at the wheel-he’s had better days) from East Rutherford, all in the symmetry of the work day…that, my friends, is an outstanding effort by the powers that be…and unlike the past daytime experiences, the mood at 450 Harmon Blvd. was just what the hoop doctor had ordered…who needed the EC Finals in Beantown…give me handshakes from my friends in the league office…a hug from Doris Burke…a hello from John Martin of ESPN Radio…remembering back in the day when we were close with our national brethren….my fellow PR counterparts, who had to schlep all the way to Jersey from around the nation…while we got to make the seven minute drive….and two outstanding buffets under the tent in Secaucus!!!!

The stars were out…DWade …the Commish…Pat Riley…Larry Bird…Kevin Durant…and the biggest of them all…representing your New Jersey Nets….Jay Z….his security detail looked like it was on loan from the Cannes Film Festival…and when various scribes asked for an interview…I could tell them my contract only allows me to deal in letters A – W. But the atmosphere was electric…the league always goes first class…and after having to sit on the sidelines waiting for any connection with the outside basketball world for the last five weeks…it felt great to be back in the league….and the spread did not hurt…a few highlights…the opening buffet included salmon, chicken, pasta bar, assorted cakes and cookies as well as an entire snack basket of M&M’s, Oreos, etc…and that was before the event…because after the proceedings…an unexpected bonus…grilled cheese…chicken fingers…soft pretzels…pizza slices…what did you think….I was going to detail my intense discussions with the various media members on the state of affairs on Murray Hill?…let those that get paid for a living talk about the college players they have only seen on TV…the Sez gives you the essence of the night…which was an aroma that one must feel if trapped in the kitchen of Top Chef….yes, it was a superb evening…we didn’t lose any ground, as the President and Kiki will now attempt to find the Bo Derek of draft picks (for the younger readers, just Google the name…and then you’ll understand)…and the Blogger feels rejuvenated…let the workouts begin!

You Must be Nets….

Tiny Tim….And that is what VC has been able to do, throw away his crutches…Number 15 looking mah-ve-lous following ankle surgery…working diligently with Timmy the Trainer on his rehab…watching Timmy massage Vince’s ankle and leg is similar to viewing Ron Dutrow rub down Big Brown prior to the Derby….French Pastry…For the second year, our own Ian (Bird Man) Eagle will be on site in Paris for the French Open…Channel 217 on DirecTV if you care…The French are not aware that Capriati once told Ian to be quiet several years ago when he was broadcasting her match at a tourney in Mahwah… Al Gore, please….Playing tennis the other night…outside...middle of May….48 degrees…no feeling in two fingers…did I miss the press release on global warming?.... Kiki….Since we talked last, the former Bruin promoted to GM…congrats on the move, and there will be no nickname…I can’t do better than Kiki….Travelin’ Man….And yes, the Blogger still communicates with the present King of Philly…who had no problem in contributing to my misery at not making the playoffs… which will cost him in a very large dinner bill on our next visit to his pit of Brotherly Love….It is High, It is Far….It is a mess!...HBO…In the spirit of good sportsmanship, I wanted to let you know that ‘Entourage’ will not be on air until September…probably wanted to make sure than Turtle could bring Kobe in for a guest shot….Parting gifts….Good luck to The Teardrop on his next career move…Mark was always a pleasure to deal with in his three years with YES, and I’m sure wherever he winds up, he’ll always be able to shop till he drops…Bada Bing…It’s been a little while, and we all miss Tony and the boys (and girls)…so as a PSA…the brown Caddy still sits outside the club…but is now missing a right front hubcap…I was told you can go inside and call Triple AAA….Recession…Due to the price of gas, I have asked all the women in my house if they can car pool when they go to get their nails done…sweet!!!!

Posted by Gary Sussman on May 21, 2008 at 10:37 a.m., ET

All Things Must Pass

And so after six glorious seasons of playing into June, and May and even late April, the most successful run in Nets history has come to an end...and even though many Nets fans (and aren't we all) are moaning and groaning, venting and lamenting, gesticulating and hyperventilating, this is no time to be down, to self loathe, to feel one with misery (if you want misery, may I present one of my former head coaches and his squad, the Memphis Tigers under the direction of Coach Elvis, who were on the precipice of national glory...but instead of looking out over the ecstasy of celebration, fell into the abyss...that, my friends, was misery...but I digress)...this is a time to sit back and reflect...The Sez has tried to quell your fears during this season of discontent, but in the words of The Great Tuna...you are what your record says you are...and so it's on to Secaucus...where it was not too long ago they had a permanent seat with the Nets logo attached...but all that changed...the draft choices plus the trade that turned the franchise in the north direction produced a chemistry on and off the court that was a marvel to behold...and then with all the changes...the playoffs were still on the menu...six straight...who would have thought that possible...but it happened...it was a great ride...and unfortunately, we ran out of tokens...but there is hope, there is optimism, there is a shining light in the President's office on the Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel...but that's for the people who get paid to keep you informed to detail over the coming weeks and months...what you need to do is just sit back, enjoy the warm weather, watch reruns of The Biggest Loser for inspiration...and reflect on what we have just seen.

I have attempted several times to list some of my favorite recollections...but it becomes to voluminous, and at this stage of the season, volume is not high on my list...but I will say in those first two years, there was a chemistry and camraderie amongst most of the fellas (if I said all then that would be, how would we say...false)...but certainly more than enough...and the results took the flock to rarified air...K-Mart rockin', Kerry flyin', J Kidd dishin', RJ jammin, VC flyin', Veal subbin', Toddly passin', Sweet Lou drainin', KVH bombin', Rodney swishin'...and on and on...from Deke to Jabari, to Twin and Z, to A-Train, JV and Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood...you know what...I can stand the lottery every seven years (I look at it as a plague...but I digress)...especially since they have now moved the unsealing of the envelopes to a weeknight, so The Sez doesn't have to kill an entire Sunday... Bring on the ping pong balls...give me a couple of draft picks...and save The Sez a place at the pasta station...the NBA Lottery Buffet, where amazin' happens!

You Must be Nets....

Sounds of Silence...Nets officials can't discuss any underclassman until they officially declare for the draft...which should be April 27th...and then Kiki will be like Clapton...unplugged....Philly Cheesesteak...Rumor has it that city officials are debating renaming the Ben Franklin Bridge the Ed Stefanski Bridge...You Can't Handle the Truth...The women coaches are far more forthright than their male counterparts in the walkoff interviews in the NCAA's...and if you didn't watch...Candace Parker...pre-t-t-y good....Dorothy, you must be in Kansas...I am very proud to say that I did pick the Jayhawks to win it all (even though I was brutal in the pool overall)...but as a Nets employee with closets of free gear, I was rooting for my man Cal to climb the ladder after the final buzzer...and knowing my former head coach, he would have had the ballboy cut the net for him....Road Kill...Final multi-day road trip of the season includes the garden spots of Cleveland and Milwaukee (Toronto, besides the VC obsession, is a beautiful city)...and the home of the Rock N' Roll HOF did not disappoint...at shootaround on Wednesday...fresh bird droppings on the court...the howling from the fellas could be heard back in Secaucus...Maple Leaf...And on The Sez's continuing battle with Toronto TV...on Thursday, only showed the first half of the TNT double dip...must have felt the ice was going to melt before they got to the hockey highlights....Battle Zone...The other night on the jewel of a road called Route 17....bridge construction...two major accidents within a mile of each other on 17 south....six different cop cars flashing...this has to be the closest thing to driving in Baghdad....Yankee Baseball...If the injuries continue, they may want to petition the league to use 10 fielders....Puck-er Up...Let's see...the Devils and Rangers played eight times during the regular season...and may play seven more times in the playoffs...these guys are really going to hate the smell of each other....and by the way...after all the experimentation...all you needed to watch hockey on TV....HD....it's so clear you can see the smoke emanating from Double L's suite...Baskin Robbins....Nets last game of the season will be seen on YES-extra...which doesn't really exist...but is created when the Yanks and the fellas clash...and Channel 9 says not tonight...which they did on the 17th...seems that night is also the season premier of the new Flava Flav series...if we made the playoffs, rumor has it we would have been bumped for the premier of the Pee Wee Herman Story....Big Red-Ink...I would like to thank the keepers of the Ithaca Ivy for another $1000 bump in tuition...spoke to a sweet lady in the bursars office...told her she could take it from my playoff share.

Posted by Gary Sussman on April 12, 2008 at 9:44 a.m., ET

10

So we have come to this....a Phil Rizzuto from the end of the campaign...and The Sez has tried to be there for you...from the Hunt for Red October....thru the Marverick Revolution....and now to spring break...and what do we have?....it's fast....it's hot...it's high flyin'.... and it's not underage....it's....NETS GONE WILD!!!!!!!

C'mon now Nets fans (and aren't we all)...we all want to make the playoffs ( and please, to all the scholars who post on the various message boards that it would be better not to make the Elite 8 in order to get a higher draft pick...and discontinue a run that only four teams in the league can boast...which right now is six consecutive seasons playing when everyone pays attention...exactly what is the downside of the playoffs...too much entertainment outside the 'Zod...but I digress)...and the Little General has the sweats at night (by the way, lets get something else out of the way-I am particularly fired up today-the head man of the Cubanos was a floor general, thus he gets the title Little General from his playing days...but my man, my Jersey guy, learned at the towel rack of the hoop Patton, The General-RM Knight-the sweater maven...so he has also earned the moniker...if Mariano and Wagner can both play the same song, then we can have two LG's-which is also another shout out to the sponsor at the top of the page...who has showered The Sez with parting gifts...but I digress).... back to my Little General...who has nightmares of the Washington Generals...but as we chase the 8th...your Nets have become Phoenix East!!!

This is what you have been waiting for...points...and more points...and then some more points...these are not your Daddy's Nets...when a jump shot was met by a bang and clang...but no more...we just dish and swish...pick and pop...screen and roll...and most of all...run and gun....pull up from five...pull up from 10...pull up from 20...as Lou Costello would say (use Google search for the younger readers)...'It Doesn't Matter!!!!....Milwaukees Finest going end to end....goal to goal...belly to belly(Opening Day is Monday, in case you forgot to watch Yankeeography)... VC soarin'...RJ flyin'....Boone jammin'...Boki, the Slovenian Sniper...Nenad, the Serbian Sensation....and add a little Diop in the Bucket!...

You have dreamed of this day...Showtime is back...and Bo Derek will be signing jerseys on Saturday night!!!!

You Must be Nets....

The Candidate....Mark Jackson had so much press around him pregame at the Garden I thought he was running for Mayor...and the Teardrop told The Sez that if he should coach anytime in the future, his first hire will be Walter Berry as his SWAT coach....Tiger, Phil....and The Bird?....Sez newsroom has learned that the Nets Endangered Specie will build a nest at Amen Corner the second weekend in April, as Ian does Augusta for DirecTV...no word if Spanarkel will try to play in the Pro-Am....Hello, Paris....Will someone please call the party animal and have her ask her family to upgrade the TV's in their hotels...do I really need to watch the NCAA's on a set from 1982?....Bada Bing....Just and update for you...the brown Caddy is still in the lot...over a year now...but there was a cop car next to it this morning....I think the least the employees could do is give it a good wash....Dancing with the Stars...The move when Devin splits the double team...sweet!...God Save The Queen...The Sez headed to Europe in October...Eiffel Tower...Roland Garros...Big Ben...Wimbledon...Do you think they read the blogger in Buckingham Palace? Do I bow if I meet Prince Charles?....Can I invite Frederic Weis to the team dinner?...this trip, my flock, will be priceless.

Posted by Gary Sussman on March 28, 2008 at 10:49 a.m., ET

Devin Sent

Let's count the point guard ways...running a one-man fast break...throwing the showtime lobs...giving up his body...diving on the floor...displaying the toughness of a winner...is the Sez throwing bouquets to the traded?...oh, so sorry, you can read more about him in my book...no, those are the traits of the tradee, the prime real estate in the new foundation being developed by the firm of Thorn and (Find A) Weghe...apparently, for the uninitiated, it does take a few games to acclimate yoursleff to your new mates, even though the masses would like a seamless transition (since most of the readers have never been traded...maybe fired, but not traded...so the closest the writing staff could come up with was going from middle school to high school...how did that first week work out?...but I digress)...and after coming off a brutal trip to the land of fine eats and tough hoops...when the new guy could have taken the path of least resistance...the Swamp faithful are treated to a two-game display of hoops that made Nets fans (and aren't most of us) think back to...ok, let's not carried away just yet, but there were some familiar sightings in the Land of Zod.

Runnin' and gunnin', dunkin' and thumpin'...was that KK and K Mart flying down the floor?(you can see the current Nugget on Friday, in case you forgot what he looked like..but I digress)..no, this was the 2008 version...RJ still flying...but like Santa's reindeer...here comes J Boone...and VC....and Boki...and whoever else is on the floor...the break coming in waves, applying pressure, forcing the action...and then, just like their successful forefathers, taking the hit...in fact, not just a hit, but a full roundhouse to the jaw...like Frazier on Ali at the Garden ( for the young ones in the crowd, get the DVD)...first The King...did you know he's only 22...what were you doing at 22...and then Carlos (don't call me Emerson) Boozer...The Beast of Burden...40 plus...back to back...belly to belly (opening day March 31)...but the fellas would not fold...would not quit...would not make an excuse...and you know what...it started at the point...just like it had...and just like it will be. Light a Cuban cigar...sit back in a Hollywood seat...and listen to one of the great songs in the history of musicology...Led Zeppelin...with a distinct Nets flavor...we call it the Stairway to Devin.

You Must be Nets...

Clinton Library...Bird Man and Sparky headed to Little Rock for their annual NCAA bonding...11 years together...Ian's kids refuse to call Jim 'Uncle'...Pairs Competition...The Sez research department has uncovered these former college radio teams…Fordham- current Nets play-by-play virtuoso Chris Carrino and analyst Mike Puma, now of the NY Post...and at the University of Maryland...current Nets' YES producer Frank DiGraci as the lead voice...with his analyst, now Daily News hoops maven Frank Isola...I pay my staff well...Tiger...Houston going for 22 in a row...and you felt the need to see what was taking place on the links...as he needs to make a putt on 18 to win...again...and he makes it...again...which justified my changing the channel in front of six people who only wanted Kobe...California Dreamin'...Big Red flying west to take on Stanford...what was the selection staff thinking-a 14/3 upset, or a comparison of SAT scores...Good Knight...Need to call my friends in Bristol and find out if the Little General's mentor is having a good time on the set...and if I can get some of those sweaters...Bar Mitzvah Boy...That would be my good friend Mitch, the proprieter of Hoop One, who looks forward to this weekend with his eyes wide open, and his face in a permanent grin...because Mitch is the guy who supplies almost all of the men and womens NCAA teams (don't miss the word all) game tapes of their opponents...think of it this way...it's tax season, and you're the only accountant...Mitch is so grateful he flies his dad up from Florida to run the register...Who Knew...Game of the Year...Nets/Hawks...March 19...just like you also knew that Yao would get hurt and his team would never lose again.

Posted by Gary Sussman on March 17, 2008 at 9:29 a.m., ET

O-fer

I was present...I was a witness...I was not a participant (no post game interviews)...and in keeping with the need to always include a baseball reference during March...the road trip could be categorized as the following: Spurs- groundball back to the pitcher,Grizzlies- strikeout (caught looking-full count), Hornets-ground ball to short, Mavs-foul tip, third strike, and the Rockets-three swings-another K. No reason to belabor the point...the flight home was smooth, The King on tap on Wednesday...and the days are longer. So let's move on to the true essence of the adventure into the great Southwest, as we present the following thoughts on how The Sez celebrated Daylight Savings Time, in another installment (the barbeque, salsa and gumbo version) of....

You Must be Nets....

Rodeo Drive...Flight to San Antonio was so rocky that TV's Beadle prayed to both her employers...YES and People.com...swore to never say another bad thing about Britney if the plane would stop swooshing...pre-game spread was impressive...and the thought that kept crossing my sometimes furtile imagination was that we are in cow country...where they fatten their animals for future rewards...and when you visit the Spurs, who are almost invinceable at home, you get they feeling that they are just fattening the opponents for the eventual results...even though I didn't see anyone in the press room wearing a jersey....Elvis was not in the building....Atmosphere at the Fed Ex had all the trappings of a preseason game...not a good situation when the town just waits for the next time Cal and his troops take the court....highlight of the overnight-former Net Jason Collins staying at the same hotel as the team... so if that was the only highlight, you have a problem....but it was a new hotel, so the freeloaders (such as the Blogger) had no reason to complain...A-Paul-ing...Need to find dinner near Bourbon Street...hook up with Leroy the Security Guy...street smart former NYC detective...who had recently stayed in the area on league business...go looking for eats...Leroy says up here, down there, over hill, over dale...we walk for 30 minutes...and end up at the restaurant...which, if one had walked out the back door of the hotel, was within free throw distance...didn't ask him if he was asssigned to desk duty while on the beat...at the arena, the beat goes on for Byron's guys...reminds the Sez of the Nets back in the day (2001-03)...and the point guard, in the words of L David...pre-t-t-y good....Kittles in the house...but since he couldn't stick the three or run the floor, he falls into the Twin category...ex-Net seen on the trip....JR Ewing...Personal highlight...played tennis with my former longtime partner, who has relocated to Dallas...and we were kicked off the courts for a park and rec clinic...just like at home....outstanding...Personal lowlight...the pr seat at the press table felt like I was sitting in a classroom at the local elementary school..complete with the two kids next to me who were jumping up and down like it was recess...and my thoughts on the media circus...that J Kidd was certainly chatty, wasn't he?....you can read the rest in my book....Oprah Book Club...And on the subject of books...long trip, another successful reading venture...went fiction, which is unusual for The Sez..."The Appeal" by John Grisham...my review...I think Grisham has a future...two Joey Crawford bobbleheads up....Houston, we do not have a problem....Asked Deke if he was going to play till he was 50...thought I asked him if he was 50...and he laughed...and then you wonder...didn't he used to play for us?....but the trip did close with an outstanding press room buffet, complete with some type of bread pudding...which I don't think I'll see on 'Top Chef'.....The Long and Winding Road...And the trip always must conclude with the ride up 17 in a mental fog...and the question begs...who are these people that call to talk Mets at 4:15 am?

Posted by Gary Sussman on March 11, 2008 at 3:30 p.m., ET

Texas Primary

So here we go...the race is on, as the fellas travel to the great Southwest, where many have said the votes will be cast regarding the remainder of the campaign....but as we negotiate the tolerance for beans, The Blogger is not looking for Eva...or Tony...I want to see Hillary...or Barack...or even Bill for that matter....this is where all the action is on the second Super Tuesday...and since Matt Winick thought it would be great for team morale to play the defending champs back-to-back and almost belly to belly (by the way, all those theories that since the President worked in the league office the boys from the Swamp get some slack...how's that working out right about now...but I digress)...would it be too much to ask for a few celebrity sightings while we do battle in the Land of Salsa...which leads me to the true essence of this trip through the Triangle...with stops to see Elvis and Byron...forget Bruce or Bon Jovi...this is the true Jersey renunion tour, as The Sez gets set to break bread (or since we're in Texas...a taco) with all of the former fellas who no longer have to avoid The Blogger during media availability.

We start off at the now AT&T center....the site of the first Nets NBA Finals wins as well as the lead through three in Game 6 (don't get me nuts...the trip has just begun...but I digress) and the home of JV...Rock-Jacque-Jayhawk...always smiling...always clean...and one of the nicest gentleman you will find in any walk of life...from there it's on to Graceland...where on an earlier visit several years back, the former Coach Cal and the present day Elvis made a pre-game entrance...sat at midcourt...and then left at halftime...beautiful...but where the FedEx is now home to Twin, aka Jason Collins, who is tended to by trainer Drew Graham, who learned his trade at the foot of the training table of our own Mr. Tim Walsh...then on to Mardi Gras and B-Scott, who looked better than the stars in his taliored threads on the sidelines at the All-Star Game....and after saying hello to the Kittles clan and various forms of gumbo, it's on to visit Jerry Jones...as well as my former Captain, 'Toine and Malik...always a pleasure to spend a Saturday night in Big D....I'm sure there will be love in the air...which is how we will proceed to our final destination...where the team plays the Rockets...but the Blogger is going to look for The Rocket....it is Houston...he lives nearby...how would that be for a sighting?....but in the arena, a hello to the former Net part-time center and now years down the road the new starting center for Tracy and Friends...Dikembe...Kon-Deke...who may be one of the five nicest men on the planet...who built...not went to the opening...or lent his name...but built a hospital in his homeland in honor of his mother. This is a great man. So the table is set...a little hoops...and looking for a Clinton....an Obama....and The Rocket (although Kellen Clemens would suffice). My plate is full. Enjoy the late games.

You Must be Nets....

Name That Tune...The PA guy appreciates all of the suggestions regarding the arena calls for the new guys...on the phone..on the web...even on the radio...I have listened...I have studied...and yes, I have even copied...bless you all....The Natural....Was that a debut for Milwaukee's Finest against his hometown?....and a two crossovers up to the fans who initiated the game ending chant...the Izod crowd getting creative...who knew?....The Big Red Machine...Stefanski,The Former Travelin' Man, crushed as the Big Red cop the Ivy for the first time in 20 years...talked to me for years as if Penn invented hoops in the league that plays on Friday and Saturday nights...so depressed that he had to go to Milan to avoid the calls from The Blogger...at least Ridgewoods own Citizen Kane, NBAE's Tim, former Princeton baller, took it like a man...sent his congrats to me and The Diva...we accept humbly...and point out that Cornell has everyone back next year...sweet!....The Father...The Son...and The All-Time Scorer....A huge Sez congrats to Taylor Barrise, son of my guy, Nets assistant coach Tom Barrise, who last week ended his scholastic career as the all-time leading scorer in Northern Highlands history...which will rank as one of the top moments in the family scrapbook, not to be outdone by his beloved Dad, who several years back, after hearing some disappointing news, firmly established his place in Nets lore by depositing all of his Nets gear that was in his car, most still in the dry cleaning wraps, on the tables in the lunch room...where the in-house vultures enjoyed the harvest...priceless....March Madness..The Bird Man and Sparky getting ready for the NCAA tourney with a superb broadcast of Texas and Texas Tech last Saturday...Ian and Jim have been together longer than Felix and Oscar....Beautiful Mind...Noted sports magazine listed an exhibition baseball game as one of the sporting events to watch during the upcoming week...how can a game that doesn't count played in March with players running laps in the outfield be a must-see?....Ohm meter....Good to see the fomer Nets beat guy in the house on Sunday...working freelance....which means he can now treat me to indoor court time....Fear Factor...The feeling one gets when your accountant stares at the computer screen to determine if you are the payer...or the payee...thankfully the kids are still deductions.

Posted by Gary Sussman on March 3, 2008 at 7:32 p.m., ET

Indy .500

In the grand scheme of things, this probably looked pretty good to Matt Winick when he was putting the schedule together last summer...Nets/Pacers...home and home...back to back...belly to belly (I think that at this time of year you must use at least one baseball reference or else you can't really capture the sports pulse of the metro area...p-l-e-a-s-e...since when did hardball morph into your corner 7/11... all talk 24/7 without time off for major holidays?...but I digress)..two recent rivals...fairly short trips...star power...what could be better?

Let's start on the court...no J's..O'Neal for Indy...and our recntly favorite J was getting fitted for a 10-gallon hat...and a Cuban cigar...but the fellas had a solid win over Chicago at home...and spirits were high...but the weather forecast was a bit ominous as we trekked to Newark at 3 PM for the 3:45 flight(my man Benner in Indy,longtime Reggie valet, had informed The Sez of some nastiness around 4)...so I wasn't suprised when we didn't lift off till 4:30 under pleasant skies in Jersey...which is the last time I will use the word pleasant in this entry...as about 45 minutes in...can you say shake, rattle and roll...I signed up for basketball, not being a test dummy in the space launch simulator...assistant coach Sully actually called Coach Smith in Chapel Hill and asked him if he could offer the pilot a full scholarship if he would ease the pain...and then when we finally do make it to the snowy plains of Indy...the bus driver says that we're stuck..can't get out of the airport...but trainer/travel secretary Mr. Tim Walsh blasted that baby to the RCA Dome.

Which brings us to Friday night...major storm at home...but things have mellowed in Indy...and after the L on the hardwood ( by the way, it appears that more people go to a Jose Canseco book signing that go to the Pacer games in Canseco...but I digress)the bus pulls up to the airport gate...and they won't let us in!...as we sit...and sit...for 20 minutes...and when we do get to the plane, I didn't know I had to bring my ice scraper from home to clean the windows...no de-ice..and why, you may ask...because the plane was not in the right area...but the Pacer plane was...are you kidding me?...is Oliver Stone in the control tower?..is this the true meaning of (Larry) Bird-rights?...whoever heard of home tarmac advantage?...as the Pacers fly, the Nets stew (well, truth be told, plenty of steak and pasta, no stew)...and I'm sure they made it to Jersey City in plenty of time to rest up for the Swamp matchup...but the stall tactics didn"t pan out...too much RJ...too much VC...too much Marcus...and the karma of Aaron Ross. Start your engines.

You Must be Nets….

Italian Job....So in last week's musings, The Blogger lamented his lost bag in Toronto, casting aspersions on the Loonies north of the border...how can you lose luggage on a charter?...and then, the bag shows up in my room in Indy...Assistant Trainer Reicher (aka Matt the sock guy) and his sidekick, Gary the equipment tool (aka Chris Moneymaker) actually found the bag in Jersey...and transported it to Indy to have a laugh on The Blogger...my response...a heartfelt congrats to Dumb and Dumber...Under the Capp....The Capper filling in on TV Saturday night, teaming with Marv for a spendid encore (I can't see it live, I'm busy)...gushed over a VC feed "It was like Tom Brady looking off his primary receiver"...magnificent...except Eli was stunned by the Patriot reference....Milwaukee's Finest...Devin resplendent in red velour Saturday night...asked him why he took out his diamond earrings...said didn't want to draw too much attention...I love this guy...Big (Bad) Red...Cornell ready to cop the Ivy...10-0...must be a big deal on campus...the older daughter was all over it...Fear Factor...By the way, do I need to hear an ad for sexual dysfunction on a Saturday morning while I'm listening to sports radio with the younger daughter in the car...how can I jump out the window and drive at the same time?...Tiger...Is he playing minature golf?...Two out of three...Amount of times the town salt truck has obliterated my mailbox during the last three storms...thankfully the mail didn't fall into the yellow snow.

Posted by Gary Sussman on February 24, 2008 at 7:32 p.m., ET

5...

So another Sez family tradition was in full swing…enjoying the tropical 20 degree temps and glorious assortment of snow flurries in the garden spot of Central New York…the home of the first place Ivy League hoopsters…the site of the annual Presidents Weekend chili cookoff…where slush is the equivalent of sod…downtown Ithaca, as the family unit (three women and yours truly…so to say things were tranquil would be like saying the SI swimsuit issue was available in elementary schools around the country) got together for a couple of days…and on the first night, I woke up in a sweat (the room a tad to warm for the Blogger’s liking), having dreamt that my Captain had left to have dinner with Jerry Jones…and that Keith was coming back to East Rutherford, where it all began…but I turned up the air, went back to sleep…and then awoke again…had visions of not only Keith, but Chris Gatling, Jim McIlvaine ,Gheorghe Muresan and Elliot Perry all returning to the Swamp…but luckily in the dream, when they former Netsies pulled up the to arena, they saw the name Izod Center, got confused, and went looking for Jamie Feick…except Keith, who went looking for his house in Franklin Lakes.

So the era has come to an end…and I will leave it to the prognosticators and castigators, commentators and soothsayers, to examine the Nets career of my Captain…but as someone who saw just about every minute of every practice and every game, a few snapshots of a Kidd at play…first day, first practice, first full court…dives headfirst after a ball going out of bounds…Hello?...this is not your daddy’s Nets….Sports Illustrated cover shoot…the one that looks like he’s walking on water…in the car on the way back (got to go on a lot of nice car rides courtesy of my Captain)…discussing the media attention…said to him, it didn’t seem that even though his was All-NBA ,he had ever received this level of recognition…and to my surprise, his answer…”Never”…The double OT win in game 5 against Indy, when he refused to let the team lose a game that changed the history of the franchise…Semi round, game 3 vs. Charlotte…collides with David Wesley…goes into the locker room looking like Arturo Gatti…he didn’t need a surgeon, he needed the Fight Doctor, Ferdie Pacheco…got stitched up and went back on the floor…and the next day, had any eye that only a mother could love…EC Finals…Hate spewing from the stands in Beano-Town (plenty of gas to go around from the blowhards)…win game 4 after the game 3 meltdown…and then clinch the crown in front of the Fleet faithful…who would trash #5 without mercy…and then ask him for his autograph….how about the famous bowling pass to Lucious, the half-court alley-oops to Kenyon…and his unforgettable Globetrotter display at the Garden, culminated by the no-look over- the- head touch pass to Richard for the jam…

After a while, we took his brilliance for granted…except for those who remember what it was like before he got to Jersey…and now, it’s time to go West young man…and then on to Bejing, which I have felt for some time would be his legacy…having never lost in international competition and hopefully leading the U.S. back to the top of the medal platform…as I have noted numerous times in these musings…for all Nets fans (and most of you are)…you will never see another like him again.

You Must be Nets….

Oh, Can-a-da…It’s bad enough you have to carry around the useless change, but a brief overview of 24 hours north of the border…let’s begin with a 2:40 am arrival…and then customs makes the team sit on the plane for another half hour…then traipse through the snow to pick up our luggage off a cart, then go through a customs check…and finally arrive at the hotel in the 3:35 am vicinity…which could only be topped by arriving home the next night and discover that the baggage handlers had lost my luggage…and then had to sit on 17 for 20 minutes at 1:30 am as the cops closed the road to allow some big rigs to park…but at least I had Coach Barrise in the car to keep me agitated… Lou Gehrig….Who said in that famous speech, that he was the luckiest man alive…can Keith gets seconds on that…and he didn’t even have to go to the convenience store and buy a lottery ticket….Superman…I actually felt that D. Howard could have worn a Batman outfit, which would make Gerald Green Robin….because as great as Howard was…you have to admit that blowing out the candle was pre-t-t-y good….Groundhogs Day…And one more thing about the land of the Maple Leaf…Vince hasn’t played there in more than three years…you’re all smart enough to fill out the rest of the sentence… One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest….After an intense two days with the women of the house, I am now an expert on America’s Next Top Model…I’ll take the small yellow pills, Nurse Ratchet.

Posted by Gary Sussman on February 19, 2008 at 2:23 p.m., ET

Curly

It came from beyond the three point line….after weeks of rehab… countless hours of running and jumping, biking and hiking, pumping and thumping, sweating and fretting…there’s been a Serbian sighting…and we thought all along the man they call Curly was preparing for battle against the best in the world in the land of the Swamp…not quite… it seems that all this time he was channeling Rod Benson…forget about the Eastern Conference…with all his free hours, Number 12 has turned his sights on The Cartoon…we know about the sweet stroke…the ability to spread the floor…the baseline spin…the tireless work ethic…that works well on the hardwood…and what a great sight it was to see him back on the floor…but it now seems that there is more to his game than first realized when he hit the Jersey Shore four years ago…because we now have Nenad in the Blogosphere…everything you wanted to know…and probably didn’t want to know…about this wild and crazy guy.

The Sez loves the comp…where else can you find out that a player likes to go to the mall in his spare time…or watches Tony and the fellas strolling into the Bada Bing…or that there is a three hour time difference between the West Coast and Jersey…I can deal with that…but if we are going to make this a match worthy of the UFC (or how about The Villages retirement community in Florida)…can we give my man a little love…like a title worthy of his contribution…with all due respect…Nenad All Access…toe to toe with The Cartoon?…he needs a marketing shooting coach (Thate can’t draw)…because there are pearls in the Curly narrative that cannot be duplicated…because this may be the line of the year (even though it’s only February)…”When I was playing, I would get recognized. Right now, nobody knows me. I’m just a tall guy”…Priceless!...Lose the vanilla…give my seven-footer some swirl with sprinkles…as we welcome him back…battling for the LG (Little General) and against the LG (another shameless plug for The Sez sponsor who provided the family with the lovely Voyager)…Tennis is king in Serbia…your countryman just won the Australian Open…so in the spirit of good sportsmanship…your serve.

You Must be Nets…

On the Way to Grammy’s House….YES’ Beadle on the red carpet in Hollywood this weekend for People.com…sure she gets the same buzz walking L Frank down the IZOD hall for his pregame interview…Emmy Lou…And speaking of my good friends from Yankeeography…New York Sports Emmy nominations…Marv, Bird, Teardrop…and Nets basketball…Congratulations…Charlotte’s Web…Good to once again see the fan who sits next to me in Carolina in his hoop jersey-Jason Richardson…and tourquoise boots…which he bangs on the floor incessently…outstanding ambiance…Big Blue…Always a lift when one of the Giants in the house…Tight end Kevin Boss courtside for the Mavs…would have been nice if he gave the PA announcer one of those G-Men t-shirts…Boxing after Dark…The fellas taking it hard the last few games…RJ against the Lakers…VC vs. the Mavs…as well as Antoine…who looked like Ricky Hatton after his bout with Floyd Mayweather…All-Star Break…Looking for a tanning salon in Ithaca this weekend as we visit the older daughter…forecast for low 20’s and snow showers…beautiful…Pardon the Interruption…And on that note…I informed the lady formerly known as The Diva that the Big Red hoopsters were atop the Ivy…undefeated…trying to be the first team besides Penn or Princeton to win the title in 20 years…and the excited response…”I’m not really interested”…I am Gilligan.

Posted by Gary Sussman on February 11, 2008 at 11:55 a.m., ET

China Syndrome

The core is melting. And in sports, it's bound to happen. Jason Collins (The Sez always called him by his given name, rather than his gym name) on his way to visit Cal and see if the Memphis Tigers can claim their first NCAA title...the college and pro teams on Beale Street share the same home court...and we've all read the comments by my Captain...another member of the core...and then there is RJ...who sees his name everywhere but the All-Star roster...the three remaining members of the most glorious space ride in Nets history (with all due respect to our ABA forefathers)...the two trips to the NBA Finals and the six consecutive dippings into the post season per diem (my kids thank you very, very much)...those who get paid to write for a living have told you all the stats of Number 35...both the pro and con...and have examined the statements of his teammates (I would have liked to see a Kenyon or Kerry retrospective, but that's just me)...so there's no need for the Blogger to venture into Fifth Estate territory...I will just give you a couple of snapshots of one of the nicest, classiest and regular guys that I've had the pleasure of dealing with over the past 12 years.

The first thing you have to realize about the President of the Class (my nickname ...came in with Richard...big contract-treasurer...Veal...left school early... and Brandon...flunked out)...is that even when he tried to be difficult, he had no idea how to pull it off...so he was always a great go-to guy for both PR and the minions from community....especially when one 10-year old wrote that she had just interviewed a 'giant'....and when he turned serious, you listened intently...like the time he approached yours truly after a practice about something I had written in this space...which I thought was a harmless comment about a shooting contest incident from the previous practice...but JC was not so hospitable...voice inflection was all that was necessary...the message-what was acceptable for comment within the family should not be confused with exposure outside the family...and which also demonstrated to me that all the boos and barbs that had come his way over the past few years did indeed take its toll.

And so we bid a fond farewell and good luck to JC...who for Nets fans (and most of us are)...was a valued and vital member of the most glorious run the franchise has ever seen. Don't take a discount on that NBA store item... because the Cardinal is, and always will be, a top shelf guy.

You Must be Nets....

Steffi Graf(t)....Tale of two LG's...the one in the locker room gives me grief...the one at the top of the page hovering above the cartoon gives me a Voyager...how sweet is that!!!...and I was so clueless, I couldn't find the phone in the box...outstanding...and due to the over the top gesture, you'll be hearing more about this little present in the months to come....Miami Nice...Classic on-the-road mistake...called home while baking...as an ice storm pelted the home front...at least I left enough salt for the driveway...Karate Kid... Wild pre-game entertainment in Atlanta...was waiting for Mr. Miyagi to make an appearance...Santana...In honor of the Mets signing, the Yankees have asked Carlos to perform on Opening Day...CSI Miami...You know things are tough in the land of the Heat when even Rony Seikaly isn't courtside...Oprah 'Book of the Month'...Now reading 'Covert', story of NBA ref Bob Delaney living undercover to expose the Mob...a little different than deciding between a block or a charge...early results-two striped shirts up...Sean-sational...Congrats to the BC rook for making the Frosh/Soph All-Star comp...as LD would say...Pre-t-t-y good....Bartlett's Quotations...In a final tribute to the Jersey Twin from Stanford...pregame in the Atlanta lockerroom... one teammate asks, "Do his points count for us?"...would've made Lucious proud.

Posted by Gary Sussman on February 4, 2008 at 5:00 p.m., ET

Road Kill

0-6

Here's my take...Yankee extra inning game...Jeter goes for the golden sombrero (4 K's for the uninitiated)...the Pinstripes fall... the world is caving in...and then he goes out the next day with a sweet 3-4, 2 ribbies and some nifty fielding...deal...or no deal?....that's all I got, so let's move on to the essence of the last nine days, as I present the Expedia version of...

You Must be Nets....

I Love LA....Randy Newman needed to take our seven hour flight....with the obligatory stopover in Oklahoma City to refuel...usually it's Nebraska, but they must have thought we needed a change of venue to stop and stretch...if you think about it...we could have been in London with the time it took us to fly cross-country....Upset Special...Take an early evening walk to one of the favorite eating spots on the road...Edies Diner on the marina, a scant 7 minute walk from the hotel (historical note-this is the famous walk where, several years ago, the Bird Man spotted Norman Fell (Mr. Roper) walking towards us while he was still 50 yards up the road ...and as he approached, the actor said to The Bird and The Sez..."Hello, boys"...priceless)...egg white mushroom omelette dancing in my head...and as I approach the hallowed ground...darkness...Edies- out of business....land too valuable, condos instead of pancakes.... bad karma to start the trip....Valley of the Dolls...Great rays....both days....lots of orange in the arena...you could easily live there in the winter...and I have never experienced the thrill of victory in Phoenix in my decade-plus tenure in the league...and it was not going to change on the second chicken leg of the trip...so let's move on to...The Terminator....As nice as Phoenix was...how does cloudy, raw and rainy perk you up... stay at a hotel across the street from the state house...I always keep an eye out for Arnold...or even Maria...but the closest I came was an Arnold bobblehead in the gift shop...Mark Jackson was the only celebrity courtside...and he was doing the game....which didn't go too well...as we bus to the... Streets of San Francisco....If you've never been here...hire our bus driver, Vincent...his bus -think Great Adventure, without the bars on the seats to hold you in.... Food Channel...Kudos to the staff at the Oracle, for the upgrade in the press room food....when you travel, you rank the press rooms like You-The-Schuh-Mann gives the power rankings on NBA.com...some rise, some fall, some stay the same...Golden State-rises a few spots in the rankings....and if you had sampled before, a sorely needed jump...Mile High...Felt good, as I finished "Clapton", the autogiography...very enlightening, with one exception...the book was far more interesting when he was stoned and drunk all the time....once he sobered up and got his life together, ..he was just like any other world-touring, mulit-millionaire father of four who loves to spend the holidays with his kids...even if those holidays were in Antigua, or Paris, or London or LA... at least it was entertaining for the first 275 pages....Orange County Chopper... John the bus driver looked like Paul, Sr., complete with Fu stash...Billie Jean...Went into the press room looking for the Aussie Open womens final...hoops on three tv's...and a pig auction from the Denver stock show on the fourth.... Soo-ee...or Sharapova?....Your serve....Fran Tarkenton....Movie theatre connected to the hotel...always a plus when you don't have to go outside in Minny (even though temps were acceptable)...saw 'Michael Clayton'....Now, I'm not Gene Shalit, or Jeffrey Lyons or even Yogi on YES...but in my humble opinion, and that of my wingmate, Leroy the Security Guy...this was a very good film...I give it two crossover dribbles up...Captain Kangaroo...Bus driver look-a-like...Pain Relief...Needed some medication after watching the time-out entertainment-did a 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' compeition...thought it was a joke, until the lady ran off the court like she had won the Super Bowl...worse I had felt since sitting through 'Napolean Dynamite'...Condolences...To longtime Nets broadcaster Jim Spanarkel, on the loss of his dad, Ray.

Posted by Gary Sussman on January 28, 2008 at 11:31 a.m., ET

Streaking

So it has been some time since we have conversed, and as I sit here in lovely downtown Sacratomatoes...stop number three on the Jersey Tour Across America...in my palatial suite on the 13th floor (and right there you have the essence of the home of of Arnold and the Kings-for all of the haters, that would be the Governor of California, The Terminator, since Sac is the state capitol...I'm sure you knew that already...but I digress)...I received an email from a loyal subject...the Night Stalker...who wanted, who needed to hear some words of solace during these difficult times...and he questioned why was I not performing my assigned duty to lift the spirit of The Flock during times of need...and five in a row on the down side would qualify...certainly not as much as the Heat, who need Hawkeye and the fellas from M*A*S*H to perform an intervention...but certainly a period in the season that could be a bit better. And as I watched Serena walk through her quarterfinal loss in the Australian Open...and Johnny Flynn miss his last eight from the floor for the Orange...with a little Democratic debate from Gamecock country...dining on some delicious chicken wraps that I also ate for lunch...I figured it was time to reach within...to dig deep...to persevere despite the record...to give you my new favorite drink...which was developed in the Nutmeg State...but has been blended perfectly in the Garden State.

He had flashes last year...in fact, had some truly superb games. And struggled early in his second season. But if you are a Nets fan (and aren't most of us)...you have to be enjoying the play of the taller of the two Connecticut Huskies. No stats here....that is for those who get paid to write for a living...just impressions on the play of Josh (Don't call me Daniel) Boone...who has been cementing his place in the rotation over the past month...bounding, dunking, blocking and running...quick to the glass...effective on the pick and roll...contesting shots and starting and finishing the fast breaks. Last year, during a press session, JB was asked about comments made by his college Hall of Fame coach....that the only obstacle to how good Josh can be is Josh himself...and JB just laughed...maybe he knew something that JC (Jim Calhoun -for the haters) didn't know...because at this point, in his second NBA campaign...when The Little General is looking for a tall drink...it will not be one of the famous concoctions of Dr. Rich Dalatri...it will be a very simple...JB...and water...on the glass.

You Must be Nets....

Nenad...The man they call Curly is making very good progress...accompanied the team on the West Coast swing... I forgot how soothing it was to hear that Serbian chatter on the bus...and he's very proud of the tennis exploits of his countrymen and women....for such a small country, they have amazing talent....I Love LA....Not to say that the Clipper crowd is a little different than the Laker bunch...but the biggest celeb in the house last week was Lucious Harris and his three kids...Sins of the Father...To show how I have matured over the years...I made sure that on Sunday while in Phoenix...and knowing it was single digits back home...not to call the family while I was sitting at the pool...and you were wondering where my daughter got those Ivy League smarts....Oprah Book of the Month Club...Reading 'Clapton'...autobiography of the music legend...truly amazing that he was still alive to write the book...a degree in musicology is not required... Sez gives it two 'Layla's' up....and unlike 'Pistol', I actually paid for the book...Game-Tyne(s)....The Big Blue providing some needed timeout respite on Sunday...monitors at courtside all tuned to FOX...couldn't help but sneak a peak...the quality of play was astounding given the weather conditions ...they"ll be able to thaw out very nicely in the Valley of the Sun... left some suntan lotion for Eli in room 504... Beadle Juice...YES's reporter making the West Coast jaunt...also did her People.com duties while in LA... interviewed George Clooney and The Little General in the same day... doesn't get better than that...Condolences...To our dear friend Ian Eagle, on the loss of his father, Jack...a renowned comedian and TV commercial legend...Ian's eulogy was an incredible display of humor and sadness, of wit and wisdom, of heartfelt thoughts and emotions...for those in attendance, it will never be forgotten...You had to think that Jack, the once and always Catskill comic, was smiling at his son's virtuoso performance....May he rest in peace.

Posted by Gary Sussman on January 22, 2008 at 10:47 a.m., ET

5

So with the writers strike still on ongoing issue, The Sez was debating whether to cross the picket line so he could join The Flock in the climb up the .500 mountain...as the fellas pulled into the plus column with another road win, this time in HotLanta...and as he always does, my Captain provided the spark, the impetus, the will for The Blogger to forge forward...not with the back-to-back, belly-to-belly triple doubles...no, that's what we expect (and I must say this again, because I really don't know how many are watching or listening...but if you are a Nets fan (and some of us are)....you really should play very close attention to what you're witnessing... Lebron may have the building poster on the shores of Lake Erie...but we have a closer-to-35-than -34 year old running around the court like he just came out of the dorm at Cal...do you realize how difficult it is to do what he's doing?....just watch closely...and marvel...but I digress)...no, my Captain has given me something much more valuable...he has given me material...with a capital M....as in mustache.

I received an email from the warped minds of those in charge of the AMI...that would be the American Mustache Institute...who wanted to interview my Captain, with the intent to provide whatever support they could in helping him promote the mustache...a little Monty Python-ish...but a real website, and the email was actually moving along quite nicely...until cute got in the way of humor (and in the spirit of full Rocket disclosure...where they turned me off is when they took a shot (not in the butt) at VC...in their attempt at humor, they annoyed me...first impression, and you're going to use the Tar Heel as a punchline?...so we sliced and diced them)...but the reality remains that the mustache has taken on a life of its own...I believe the last time #5 got bored with his look was when he went blonde in Phoenix...and I know what some of you (well maybe none of you) may be asking yourself...Sez...you had a mustache...would Lou have let J Kidd go forward with the lip hair?

Well, my main man Double L wo