1. Looks like another long day for my boy Tim Wagner: AMR announced it will cut 6,500 or more jobs by year end, possibly starting with 900 flight attendants on August 31. I know I have given American a hard time on occasion, but I used to work over there (HDQ1, what up?) and still have friends in the company (lady who served me black beans and rice every day for two years, holla), so I’m thinking good thoughts.
2. Patrick Waller will be a free man sometime today. That makes 19 men wrongly imprisoned in Dallas County exonerated by DNA evidence since 2001. Anyone want to put an over/under on what the number eventually reaches?
3. Totally missed this: former slam dunk champion Gerald Green is expected to sign with the Mavericks on July 9. Brief scouting report: he’s taller than I am, he’s from Houston, this will be his fourth team in four seasons, he can dunk, he can’t do much else, he looks good in shorts, and his name, thankfully, can’t really be shortened to a letter-and-a-syllable nickname (A-Rod, T-Mac, et al.) Instant opinion: can you say, “dynasty?”
22 comments
I want to root for the Mavs so badly, but they’re killing me right now. G Green & Diop?
I know the Mavs have a cap issue, but meanwhile, the 76ers court Josh Smith. The even got the Mayor of Philly involved.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/sports/20080703_Sixers__and_Mayor_Nutter__woo_Josh_Smith.html
Who is Josh smith? (from philly.com)
* The league’s No. 2 shot-blocker the last two seasons, each time finishing behind the Denver Nuggets’ Marcus Camby.
* The first player to block at least 225 shots and hit at least 25 three-pointers in the same season; he has had at least 200 blocks and 25 triples in three straight seasons.
* The third player in history to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in a season. The others are Hall of Famers David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Smith’s remarkable fourth season included averages of 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals.
And he won’t turn 23 until December.
Don’t forget we also have DeSagana Diop back. The best thing about that? The return of the DeSagana Diop song. (Remember, the De is silent)
DeSagana Diop
Do doo be-do-do
DeSagana Diop
Do do-do do
DeSagana Diop
Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!
Re: No. 2: Given that they’re reviewing about 400 cases, I’d say the over/under is close to 50, at least.
I’m glad to see innocent folks getting off as a result of DNA testing, but what I wonder is how many convictions have been confirmed by DNA testing?
Waller would’ve resulted in a conviction of someone else, if the statute of limitations hadn’t run out.
#1) I hope they cut flight attendants like this: http://atexaninargentina.blogspot.com/2008/06/we-american-airlines-and-bygod-you.html
Dub-G’s will be a vital cog to another flame out next year. At least we used another 1st round pick on JKidd. How many times are the Mavs gonna use a first round pick to acquire him?
Speaking of Mavs without any sort of nicknames, was anyone else really annoyed with the shortening of Juwan Howard’s name on Mavs games? I understand that Howard is not possible neither is J. Howard. But Ju. Howard? Really?
I also don’t have any better suggestions for abbreviating it since I should be using this day to prepare myself to celebrate freedom and not being here at work.
I was upset about them shortening Juwan Howard’s name too. They should have named him either failure or give up. Either one works great.
E-Cizzle here. Do we really want to be signing guys who are taller versions of Tony Dumas, or paying another underachieving (albeit fun-to-root-for) center for five years? What, we couldn’t talk Brad Sellers our of retirement? [Gunshot]
Eric, Roy Tarpley is available. So is Sean Bradley.
There’s no telling how many “not guilty” people went to jail during the decades of Henry Wade and the Ensuing Old White Prosecutors. This mounting reversal record is starting to take on the sound of the Soviet legal system,i.e., we have a court, therefore someone must go to jail. There should be criminal liability somewhere — lives were lost, families destroyed, public money ill-spent on post-verdict parties, etc. People ought to be outraged by these injustices and should demand total accounting from all prosecutors and cops who might have teamed to improve the conviction rate rather than seek justice. One or two might be a mistake, but this many indicates a pattern of deception and intent. Geez, get mad, Dallas.
I don’t know about you, public, but I was quite relieved when the county opted not to cut the program from Watkins’ budget. I have no idea if it was out of a sense of right or wrong, or just plain self-preservation after all the national media attention, but if the end result was that the program didn’t get cut, great.
It looks like the only difference between Mike Nifong and Bill Hill (along with Hill’s predecessors and deputies) is that Nifong was caught and stopped before he could actually bring his phony case to trial.
Nifong was massively punished – deservedly – for his wrongdoing. He was disbarred and publicly disgraced and has since filed for bankruptcy. I doubt anyone in the Dallas County DA’s office or relevant police departments will be held accountable in a similar fashion.
I know Watkins has been bucking for it. But a quick check of the state bar association Web site doesn’t show one grievance against Bill Hill.
You’d think by now one of the 17 would’ve done so.
You know I randomly introduced myself to Zac in the cafeteria when he was running for mayor. I swear, he looked at me like I was a tubercular leper. I never again got between the man and his lunch (and his magazine or newspaper, which he took to the farthest corner of the lunch room so nobody would disturb him). The black beans and rice are that good.
For insight into the Henry Wade era, one should watch The Thin Blue Line.
That’s probably true: awkward interaction, lunch in the corner, magazine or newspaper. That all checks out. No offense, of course. I usually don’t get chatty until I have a chance to take my “confidence medicine.” I like it on the rocks with a little water.
the Mavs need an enforcer. period. a la Rick Mahorn or Larry ‘Mr. Mean’ Smith. Green further crowds an alreay packed troop of 6′4″ (JET) to 6′7″ (Stack) off guards/SF
when you have three 7 footers that don’t bang hard enough you need a guy 6′8″ 240 that’ll put Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, Tony Parker or Chris Paul etc. on the floor every once in a while instead of playing the swiss cheese D the mavs big men play. until they get that enforcer they’re simply not gonna win the whole shebang
The Big German, Damp and Diop are more apt to shy away from contact that lower the boom every once in a while
i do like B Bass’ game but he’s still raw
I also hope Watkins will be able to call Hill and others from his office onto the carpet regarding the poor prosecutions. Several of the media reports mentioned by Bethany have included sound bites from “legal experts” who talk about how difficult it can be. But given the support Watkins recently received for the program, I have no doubt he will eventually get it done.
I like Gerald Green as a value signing (his deal is one year for less than $1 million) with very little downside and a lot of potential. The kid is only 22 (he came in to the league out of HS), and maybe he can get on the right track here. If not, it’s not like there was anyone else to fill a roster spot.
Now, if there is any way to get a hold of Mickael Pietrus on the cheap and a shooter like Gordan Giricek (36.8 career 3pt%), I’d say we would at least have a competitive roster and somewhat of a bench after losing all of our depth in two years.
I agree, Bethany. But one problem is that JWP and the commissioner’s court is gutting the public defender’s office. So we’ll probably create some more of these cases, even if the DA’s office is reformed.