...And Here Comes the Mafia!!!

Read the following sentence and tell me it doesn't sound like that:

"Russia's richest man has a deal to buy a controlling interest in the New
Jersey Nets and nearly half of a project to build a new arena in Brooklyn."

So, a Russian billionaire is going into a business deal with a Jersey billionaire? C'mon, how can that NOT be mafia-related!?

Somewhere, Tim Donaghy just shivered...

Same old, same...wait a minute

The NCAA (that organization that claims college athletics is honest and pure while slapping a logo and advertising on EVERYTHING) made a small announcement about future tournament sites today. Seeing that it isn't basketball season, it was easy to miss the news...and even easier not to finish the article.

Much has been said - all of it fact - that the NCAA looks out for the ACC come tournament time. The farce that is "pod system" is merely in place to make sure the most North Carolina schools are still in the tournament for the sweet 16 will continue in 2011 with games in Charlotte. In 2012, there will be games in Greensboro.

But then...in what clearly has to be a mistake, comes the 2013 schedule.
NO GAMES IN NORTH CAROLINA

and...

The West Regional will be IN LOS ANGELES

How in the hell could this happen? Do they know what they've done? They've brought back NCAA tournament games to Los Angeles County (the county with the largest population in the country) for the first time since 1994. Guess the Honda Center in Anaheim was booked, huh?

No, Anaheim will have games in 2011.

Just making us wait.

Another Seemingly Good Decision By KAHN!

The Wolves signed PG Ramon Sessions to an offer sheet today for a reasonable contract worth about $4 million per season. The lead guard position is in the best condition it's been in since Sam-I-Am moved his sack-juggling act out of town. We have the youngster who has a ton of potential in rookie Jonny Flynn and we have the old, greasy veteran to help show the youngster the ropes in Chucky Atkins. Assuming Milwaukee doesn't match the Wolves offer, Sessions will give us a little mix of both youth and experience. When he's been given consistant playing time Sessions has had some success and averaged 11 points 6 assists for the Bucks last season.

With Sessions in the mix the Wolves won't have to rely on Chucky Atkins for significant minutes or worry so much about wear-and-tear or injury with Flynn. Plus, like I said, Sessions ain't half bad as a player, and he'll be eager to play and contribute. Worst case is that Milwaukee matches and we don't have to pay another point guard for 4 more years.

I can't help but push the idea that we spend a lot of time pushing on this here blog, but I've been really impressed with the decision-making abilities of Kahn! They may not all work out, but they all seem well thought out, both short and long term, and serve the betterment of this franchise.

No jersey for Dave Sniznawski... yet

Well, it's official. Mr. Rubio is staying in Spain for 2 more years. He'll be 20 when he comes to play in the Great White North, and by then, we will have gone through two horrible losing seasons.

BUT!

Kahn! knows how to draft them, and we'll be sitting pretty good with young talent and contracts, so this doesn't hurt as bad. The simple facts are that it is what it is, and we can't change it, so it doesn't do any good to talk about the "what ifs". "If Rubio came to the Wolves this year they would sell more tickets and I would eat fried ham at the fair and BURRRRRRRRR" Whatever. Tickets aren't the problem. The Marlins routinely compete for division championships in front of 300 fans. The problem is success... long-term success. People don't go to games to see the hot new rookie who can't shoot. They go to see a team who is good at basketball play another team that is good at basketball and hopefully beat them.

Kahn! handled this as best he could, and I sure would've liked to see Rubio next year, but now we know, and that's that. We'll move into the season with an untested group of young kids and see what we can do. Gone are the Antoine Walkers of the world, and that is a good thing. The roster appears somewhat set, so let's begin.