Game Face

Michael Jordan gets set to introduce the Air Jordan 2009 on Jan. 8, 2009. (Max J. Dickstein/amNewYork)

By Max J. Dickstein

Michael Jordan considered the issue.
“Who is going to be the next Michael Jordan?” he asked, repeating a reporter’s question. “That’s not for me to answer.”
After all, Jordan was in town Thursday to launch the 24th edition of history’s most coveted sneaker, Air Jordan 2009.
But then he took a shot.
“It’s basically going to be the consumer response to that individual,” Jordan said. “I’ve been blessed obviously, and to say that someone else won’t be blessed down the road — I’m pretty sure they will.”
To Jordan, this was not a really basketball question on the relative greatness of Kobe or LeBron.
That’s because for the purposes of Jordan Brand, MJ’s unmatched career from 1984-1998 — his five MVP awards, his six titles with the Chicago Bulls, his NBA-record 30.1-point career average — is not the primary cause of his success as CEO of his own Nike spinoff since 1997.
To explain that, Jordan instinctively cited his connection with consumers.
“I think we did a beautiful job,” Jordan said as he admired the porcelain-white shoe. He compared it to a Ferrari among Volkswagens, on sale Feb. 14 for $190. “I think you guys have got to admit that this is a beautiful shoe.”
Behind Jordan’s striped sport coat beat the heart of No. 23, the fearsome champion. But the manner and tone of this Jordan suggested the self-possessed embodiment of a shoe and apparel company, whose chief executive and figurehead turns 46 next month.
“He’s maybe one of the most perceptive and learning people I’ve ever met,” said Keith Houlemard, president of Jordan Brand, describing his boss’ “bandwidth” (Jordan’s day job is president of the Charlotte Bobcats).
And once, before his business acumen overtook his court legend, Jordan played basketball.

While looking for photos to help illustrate a column I'm writing about Michael Jordan and his new Air Jordan 2009, I came across a series of never-before-seen-by-me images of the six-time NBA champion chasing Sergio Garcia down a fairway in 1999.
I felt compelled to share this.
Here is the caption accompanying the photo on gettyimages.com:

Michael Jordan and Sergio Garcia
6 Oct 1999: Sergio Garcia of Spain leads basketball legend Michael Jordan of the USA in a sprint down the 16th fairway whilst playing in the Pro-Am of the Alfred Dunhill Cup at the Old Course St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. \ Mandatory Credit: David Cannon/Allsport

— Max Dickstein

Brian Murray, left, attends a Giants-Eagles game with Philadelphia fans.

BY Ryan Chatelain

Philadelphia Eagles fans have pelted Santa Claus with snowballs and cheered when ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury.

So imagine being a fan of a rival team while living and working in the heart of Eagles territory.

Welcome to Brian Murray’s personal hell.

“They’re brutal here,” said Murray, 30, a lifelong Giants fan and Brooklyn native who now lives in a Philly suburb.

Continue reading "It's 'hell' for Giants fan in Eagle country" »

Darren Sproles of San Diego (Getty Images)

This weekend’s four NFL postseason games consist of upstarts facing rested conference powers. Here are amNewYork’s picks:

Ravens at Titans
Sat., 4:30 p.m., CBS
With standout defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch ailing, the Titans desperately needed a bye week. The well-rested duo is expected to return this week and should help Tennessee slow a surging Baltimore rushing offense, putting the game in the hands of the Ravens’ rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco.
No rookie QB has ever won two playoff games.
Tenn. 16, Baltimore 10

Continue reading "It's hard to pick against rested NFL powerhouses this weekend" »

When Florida faces Oklahoma in the BCS national title game in Miami on Thursday, one Gators fan in attendance will be repeating a ritual she has performed in every title game since the powerhouse school's basketball and football programs began racking up national championships in 2006.

"I love the Gators," said Weinstein, an advertising copywriter in Chicago and University of Florida graduate. "They are such an incredible team. And when they are this good, like national-championship level, I really love watching them play. Plus the whole pride thing of saying I went to all four — and that I am their good luck charm."

The good-luck charm, Wienstein figures, is her, plus the orange-and-white school tie that she has worn around her neck at every victorious Gators title game — April 2006 (basketball), January 2007 (football), April 2007 (basketball again) and this Thursday, when top-ranked Florida (12-1) will be four-point favorites over the No. 2 Sooners (12-1).

"The gator nation is awesome," Weinstein added.

By Max J. Dickstein

When a player’s performance declines, fantasy owners must first find out why, and then be ready to take action.
Here are two players whose early-season production is looking a lot better than what we’ve seen from them lately — for very different reasons.

Continue reading "When the fantasy basketball good times stop rolling" »

Alex Ovechkin, last year's winner in the breakaway competition (AP Photo)

By Pete Catapano

It's safe to say, most All-Star games are pretty — to be nice — hard to watch. Fine, the MLB All-Star Game has slightly improved drama because the winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series.

The Pro-Bowl is unwatchable as players avoid getting hurt. Same for the NHL All-Star game. The NBA midseason "classic" meanwhile has as much defense as the pick-up games I see teenagers play at that schoolyard down my block.

However, the skills competitions can be fun: particularly the NBA Slam-Dunk competition that Vince Carter still seems to own the trophy for thanks to his insane performance in 2000.

The NHL now is trying to juice up its skills competition. In this years edition, on Jan. 24, there will be the "Gatorade NHL Elimination Shootout," just announced today.

Continue reading "NHL to jazz up All-Star skills competition" »

According to ESPN, Carl Pavano signed a one-year deal with the Indians. Their story said it's worth $1.5 million plus incentives, although financial terms weren't released.

"Carl was very impressed with everything when he visited Cleveland,'' agent Tom O'Connell told ESPN. "He's excited to be there and he feels like this is a tremendous opportunity.''

If he gets a career-ending paper cut finishing up all the paper work, I'll update this again.

— Pete Catapano

By Pete Catapano
This sounds like move right out of classic baseball flick "Major League."
According to ESPN.com, the Cleveland Indians might be looking to sign former Yankees disaster Carl Pavano.

Apparently, Florida and Toronto are also considering him.

This says a lot about the state of pitching in the major leagues. Here's a guy who signed a four-year, $39.95 million deal with the Yanks, only to spend most of the time on the disabled list. He made just 26 starts over those four years because of injury.

He also tried to hide two broken ribs he got in a car crash from the team in 2006.

This is all I can say to the Indians: Good luck with that.

Brian Schottenheimer (Photo by Getty)

By Ryan Chatelain

Our rankings for the Jets’ head coach search. Yes, we ranked them. Yes, we’ll probably be wrong.

1. Brian Schottenheimer, Jets offensive coordinator
He’s already interviewed. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Schottenheimer, 35, has emerged as the favorite to get the job – although retaining a Mangini protégé would be a tough sell to fans.

2. Rex Ryan, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
The Jets received permission to speak with Ryan, who probably helped his chances when his Ravens shut down the Dolphins 27-9 on Sunday.

3. Brian Billick, former Baltimore Ravens head coach
According to NFL.com, the Jets are expected to interview Billick, Rex Ryan’s former boss. No word yet on when an interview with the Super Bowl champion coach might happen.

4. Russ Grimm, Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line coach
The former Redskins “Hog” has drawn the Jets’ interest, but no interview is set yet, according to reports. He’s also drawing interest from the Rams, and nearly landed the Steelers job two years ago.

5. Ron Meeks, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator
He's expected to interview sometime this week for the job. Could be a sleeper.

6. Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College head coach
Jagodzinski would get fired from BC if he interviews for the job, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports. Further speculation on ESPN on Monday morning suggested that the situation between Jagodzinksi and BC’s athletic director, interview or not, is irreparable. The interview is reportedly set for Tuesday.

7. Steve Spagnuolo, Giants defensive coordinator
Mike Francesca said on his show Monday that Spagnuolo's interview with the Jets didn’t go well. The Newark Star-Ledger backs up the claim, quoting a source that said he “wasn't as prepared as one would think.” This news would appear to rule Spags out for the Jets’ job. He will likely get some other chances at a head coach job; the Broncos, Rams, Lions and Browns are reportedly interested. The Giants might also anoint Spagnuolo as Tom Coughlin’s eventual successor, NFL.com reports.

8. Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Several reports say the Jets have some interest in Frazier, but apparently not as much interest as the Rams and Broncos, who have received permission to speak with him about their vacancies.

9. Bill Callahan, Jets assistant head coach/offensive line coach
Rumor has it that this was a courtesy interview and that Callahan isn’t a serious candidate. Despite leading the Raiders to a Super Bowl, Callahan was a flop as a head coach in Oakland and with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

By Max J. Dickstein

Did Brett Favre sneak into a Dolphins uniform to ruin Miami’s dream run yesterday? No, but Chad Pennington’s awful performance served as a harsh reminder of how quickly hopes are dashed in the NFL, where hype never lives long. Celebrated as the league’s Comeback Player of the Year last week — for the second time in three years — the former Jet, never comfortable against Baltimore’s fierce defense, repeatedly set his team back with poor throws. For Jets fans who thought the Favre-over-Pennington decision was regrettable this season, the lesson is this: You never know.

(Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

“I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion.”
— Barack Obama, on Monday Night Football, Nov. 3, 2008

Let’s imagine — disregarding how relatively unimportant the following concerns are in the grander scheme — that we have President-elect Obama’s attention for a moment.
We commend Obama’s stance on the ritual unfairness of the Bowl Championship Series, cited above. The BCS is not really a series, and its annual winner is the victim of an unworthy system unable to produce a championship between two truly legitimate, match-tough college programs.
But where else in the sports world could a President Obama — as he officially be known come Jan. 20 — be an effective agent for change?

Continue reading "More sports issues for the President-elect to mull" »

Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons visit the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. (Photo by Getty)

Watch out for the NFL playoff road teams this weekend. All four of them are amNewYork’s picks in the Wild Card round:

Falcons at Cardinals
Sat., 4:30 p.m., NBC
Let’s call Atlanta’s Michael Turner, who led the NFL in rushing attempts with 23.5 a game, “Churner.” He and steady rookie quarterback Matt Ryan spell doom for the Cardinals. Arizona’s high-flying offense, tied with the Giants for the third-best points average in the NFL — 26.7 — looked erratic in the final five weeks of the regular season, averaging just 21.6 points.
Atlanta 31, Arizona 28

Colts at Chargers
Sat., 8 p.m., NBC
The Chargers are riding a four-game winning streak and are at home. But the Colts, winners of nine straight, are peaking on both sides of the ball. Peyton Manning has completed 82 percent of his passes over the past month, and the defense has held three of its last five opponents to six points or fewer.
Indy 35, San Diego 17

Ravens at Dolphins
Sun., 1 p.m., CBS
The Ravens rendered Miami’s tricky Wildcat formation ineffective in a 27-13 victory over the Dolphins on Oct. 19. The Ravens’ offense, led by another precocious rookie passer, Joe Flacco, has matured throughout the season, with fullback Le’Ron McLain (10 TDs) emerging as a goal-line threat. As long as the Ravens’ crushing defense plays up to its league-best potential, the comeback Dolphins’ dream season will end on Wild Card Sunday.
Baltimore 21, Miami 17

Eagles at Vikings
Sun., 4:30 p.m., FOX
The Vikings and Eagles account for two of the NFL’s top four run defenses, meaning the quarterbacks will be key in this matchup. Since returning from a Week 12 benching, the Eagles’ 32-year-old quarterback, Donovan McNabb, has tossed nine touchdowns and just one interception. Meanwhile, inconsistent Tarvaris Jackson has a week-to-week lease on Minnesota’s starting job.
Phila. 24, Minn. 20

Hope Solo in beijing (Getty Images)

By Andrew Keh

Like an evergreen, soccer has a way of staying fresh in all seasons. For fans of the American game, though, the end of the calendar year is a time to reflect on memorable happenings of the past 12 months:

JOZY’S JUMP
There’s a measure of cognitive dissonance that plagues serious fans of soccer in America. Jozy Altidore’s transfer from the Red Bulls to Spanish club Villareal in June exemplified this phenomenon well. New Yorkers were devastated to see their brightest young star bolt to Europe. Still, there was something awesome about seeing an American player command a $10 million transfer fee from a top European club.
When Altidore notched his first goal in La Liga on Nov. 1, jilted Red Bull fans quietly rejoiced like proud parents.

IMPENETRABLE TIM
Lionel Messi and Argentina’s national team helped draw 78,682 fans to Giants Stadium for a friendly against the United States, transforming the stuffy venue into a rain-soaked cauldron of sound and color.
Argentina dominated possession but couldn’t find a way past American goalkeeper Tim Howard, who had seven saves en route to a 0-0 draw — no small feat against the world’s No. 1 team — and solidified his status as a world-class shot-stopper.

GOLDEN REDEMPTION
The U.S. women’s national team was in disarray in 2007 after a 4-0 loss to Brazil in the World Cup semifinal; keeper Hope Solo was in the U.S. doghouse for disparaging coach Greg Ryan.
In August at the Beijing Olympics, under new coach Pia Sundhage, Solo and the team earned their redemption, beating Brazil 1-0 in extra time to earn the gold medal.

CINDERELLA BULLS
The Red Bulls’ long-suffering fans received a rare thrill this fall when the club snatched the final spot in the MLS playoffs after bumbling through the regular season. But the excitement didn’t end there. With a reshuffled lineup and restored verve, the Red Bulls knocked off the defending champion Houston Dynamo in the first round, then earned a gritty win over Real Salt Lake in Utah.
With two wins, RBNY reached the MLS Cup final for the first time in franchise history. Their loss to deserving champion Columbus did little to dampen the good vibes that fans hope will carry over into the new year.

Bill Cowher is expected to interview for the Jets' head-coaching job. (Photo by Getty)

By Ryan Chatelain

How badly do the Jets want Bill Cowher? So badly, apparently, that Mike Tannenbaum may be willing to give up the general manager’s job to land the Super Bowl champion coach.

Tannenbaum would restructure his job so that Cowher could bring in his own GM, ESPN.com is reporting. Cowher plans to speak with the Jets about the job, but no date for the interview has been set, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

ESPN reported Tuesday morning that Cowher was not interested in the Jets job because he wants to bring in his own personnel director. By the afternoon, however, the network was quoting a high-ranking Jets official as saying the team is willing do “whatever is necessary” to hire Cowher.

Meanwhile, Newsday is reporting that the GM position might not be a sticking point at all in the Cowher negotiations.

"We plan to speak with him," a team source said. "But there have been no discussion yet. We have gotten no indication from him that he would not take the position based on the front office power structure."

Eric Mangini was 23-25 in three seasons as Jets coach. (Photo by David L. Pokress/Newsday)

By Ryan Chatelain

It wasn’t just a late-season collapse that cost Eric Mangini his job as Jets coach.

When Gang Green’s front office splurged before the season, doling out $140 million in free agency and then trading for future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, it put the pressure on the coach once dubbed “Man-genius.”

“The team was built to win now,” said Joe Pietaro, editor of New York Sportscene magazine. “It wasn’t in rebuilding mode.”

The Jets yesterday fired Mangini, who compiled a 23-25 record in three seasons and led the team to the playoffs in 2006. After an 8-3 start this year, the Jets appeared to be a cinch to reach the postseason but lost four of their last five games, cutting their season short.

Continue reading "Mangini couldn't withstand pressure" »

Michael Strahan shows you who's Super Bowl champion. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

Top that, 2009.
With a field rich in historic achievements from Beijing to Glendale, Ariz., ranking 2008’s best sports stories is difficult. amNewYork gave it a shot and came up with these:
1. PHELPS AND BOLT TAKE BEIJING
The convergence of two of the world’s greatest athletes, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, marked the Games of the XXIX Olympiad for all of history. Phelps won all eight races he entered — seven in world-record time. With 14 gold medals in two Olympics, the Baltimorean swimmer earned eternal consideration as the greatest Olympian. Bolt, the dynamic 6-foot-5 Jamaican sprinter, set records in the 100 and 200 meters with energy to spare in China.
2. GIANTS SHOCK IN SUPER BOWL
The Giants’ 17-14 upset of the perfect Patriots could hold the No. 1 spot, too. With 97.5 million viewers watching the action in Arizona, the Giants topped an 18-0 team that would have otherwise been anointed history’s best. Big Blue’s Super Bowl roll continues. Heading into the playoffs at 12-4, the Giants could repeat as champions on Feb. 1. What’s already being repeated — by other NFL teams — is a Giant-like emphasis on a ferocious pass rush and stout running.
3. SPAIN OWNS WORLD SPORT
Rafael Nadal, of Mallorca, defeated five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer at the All England Club in the greatest tennis match ever played, but his ascent to No. 1 is just one of his country’s fine athletic achievements this year.
Spain won the quadrennial Euro Cup for its first major soccer title since 1964, overcoming its choker image against powerful Germany. Spanish athletes also claimed a third straight Tour de France (Carlos Sastre), tennis’ Davis Cup and a close-call silver medal behind USA Basketball’s Redeem Team in Beijing.

Continue reading "Looking back on sports in 2008: More highs than lows" »