Billy I Sure Hope You know What You Are Doing!

So the Sixers GM, Mr. Dukie himself, Billy King, selects Thaddeus Young from G-Tech with the 12th pick in the NBA draft. All I can say is that he better know what the hell he is doing, because I usually go with my gut with NBA drafts, and my gut is not feeling anything with this one. He might be a nice (and I mean just that, nice) player in the NBA one day, and I might live to regret these words, but somehow I don't think Mr. Young will be in the league in the next four years. I see where some scouting services are saying that if the Sixers are lucky he will turn out to be like Antwan Jamison; well dream on.

So Billy, you had a stud-Al Thornton who could come in and helped the Sixers right away and you select Young? The guy was rated the 26th best player in the draft for crying out loud! You had a pick at 20, and I bet you could have gotten him there. But you are a Dukie, so I know it's your mission in life to make me miserable. My only question would be this; why does Ed Snyder still have you around?

Now I will say this; I like Jason Smith from Colorado State, I think he will be a double double guy one day. But this Thaddeus Young pick really has me shaking my head. And then I see Seattle getting the fifth pick in the draft and some nice young players for Ray Allen, and I see what you got for A.I., who in my humble opinion is a better player, and I really have to say, just WTF are you thinking?

Hey, at least you didn't take Josh McRoberts.

As I type this post, the Phillies are losing to the Metropolitans once again. (Jimmy I thought you guys were going to take the division this year?) That would be three in a row, and now they are six games behind the division leading Mets. I know they have had some injuries, but Pat Gillick should have done a better job getting the Phillies bull pen help this off season.

Poor Phils, I guess they have the most losses of any American sports franchise for a reason. Another summer of discontent for the poor Phillies fans. I have to work among these people, so believe me, this isn't easy for me either.

I'm out.

The Field Negro's Latest Sports Rant

Boy where do I start, so much sports so little time.

Let me start by congratulating the Spurs for pulling out the broom on King James and his Cavs. (Sorry Cleavland, still no championship for you. What is it now, 40 years?And I thought we had it bad here in Philly)The problem with the Cavs is that King James had no back ups. I am sorry, but you ain't gonna win a championship with Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, and Donyell Marshall. They need to surround King James with some players like the Bulls did for MJ. But this isn't about the Cavs right now, it's about the Spurs. They have quietly built a dynasty. Four rings in nine years will get you that title.

I see Tiger came up a little short in the U.S. Open. I ain't mad at Tiger, he was grinding all day, and he gave it a hell of a run. I don't think we really appreciate how good Woods is. This cat is right there every Sunday, and there is no letting up in sight for him. I don't know, maybe now that homey is a father, he will drop back to the pack a little.

I caught my Tigers take two of three from my hometown Phils last weekend. One observation: The Tigers and the Phillies have the same problem; a week bull pen. They both have good hitting, decent fielding, and in the case of the Tigers, great pitching. But if there bull pens can't hold up, none of them will be playing come October.

And speaking of baseball, will the Yankees ever loser another game? The Red Sox better be glad they are playing lights out baseball themselves or the Yankees would have caught them already.

I am still trying to figure out who the Sixers should take in the draft. Although I think that now that Jeff Green has decided to go into the draft, I think they should seriously consider him. I also hear some people around here giving props to Thadeus Young from Georgia Tech. Apparently my mans workouts went pretty well. And I am glad that Philadelphia's Sean Singletary decided to go back to UVA. My man wasn't quite ready for prime time. He has got to work on that jump shot before he enters the NBA.

Finally, did LaVar Arrington learn anything from happened to Big Ben in Pittsburgh, and Jayson Williams in Chicago? Homeboy almost killed himself after he decided to take his motorcycle into a highway ramp in Maryland. Sadly for him, he was at the end of his career, and I doubt if he will ever suit it up again in the NFL. Let's face it; his career was pretty much over even before the accident.

And Kobe, please just shut up and play. Enough of you already!

MUSINGS FROM MY SPORTS PAGE

I wish I could say congrats to the Anaheim Ducks, but sorry, besides the fact that they knocked off my Red Wings, I refuse to acknowledge a team called the "Ducks". And people wonder why interest in hockey is dying. I think the Devon Horse Show got higher ratings than this years Stanley Cup playoffs.

I see Eric Snow is back in the NBA finals. He couldn't shoot when he was here with the Sixers, and he still can't. But at least this time he has King James as a side kick. I mean A.I. was nice, and I love the guy, but he ain't no LeBron. Still, I have to go with the Spurs. Too much experience and too much team defense. And I have seen Bruce Bowen shut down Kobe. Spurs in six!

So people are pissed at Gary Sheffield because he is speaking his mind. Now I don't agree with him, but the last time I checked this is America, and the man has a right to speak his damn mind. Besides, he plays for my Tigers, and he can straight stroke it. So please leave Gary alone; at least until he leaves Detroit.

Speaking of athletes people don't like; I caught the Barry Bonds show last weekend at Citizens Bank park, and he didn't go yard once. The skitzo Phillies were their usual up and down selves, but at least they kept Bonds in check.

R.I.P Howard Porter! I have never been a big Vanilla-Nova fan, but they are in the Big Five, and Jay Wright has done a lot to make them a part of Philly basketball, so I don't despise the boys from the main line as much as I used to. But back to Porter. He left Nova under a cloud, and he struggled with drug addiction. But when he met his tragic end in a St. Paul Minnesota alley way, he already seemed to have gotten his life in order and had beaten off his addictions. I saw some old film of some of his Big Five games and he [Porter] was a tremendous player. His battles with Lasalle's Kenny Durrett were classics.

Hey, whatever happened to Larry Spriggs?