The 2011-13 NBA schedule
Tuesday the NBA released it's schedule as if basketball will be played! At this point most of us are unsure of the date the owners and players union will come to an agreement. Unfortunately I'm not as optimistic as I was when this thing first began. Eventually an agreement will be signed it might be December it could be January or maybe July.

What's up with this?
I didn't take time to check the entire NBA schedule, Yahoo's NBA page caught me off guard. The headline story pointed out the Knicks will be on national television more than the Heat and Lakers this upcoming season. What's up with that has the programming process of TNT, ESPN and ABC changed? Yes, Carmelo Anthony will be on the scene for a full season but will this team really compete in the east? "The Knicks are going to be on TV a whopping 29 times next year, which ties them for second with Chicago, behind Boston and Dallas (who are on national TV 30 times) overall." (Kelly Dwyer Ball Don't Lie July 19, 2011) The Knicks made the playoffs last year but finished the regular season a remarkable one game above .500. Until this Mike D'Antoni team begins to play a semblance of defense they will have a short run should they make the playoffs again.

The old rivals are at it again
This time off the court not on it, following the same scenario as the Lakers the Celtics are about to sign a long term television deal. Remember back in February Time Warner Cable signed the Lakers to a reported 20-year $3 billion dollar television deal. The Celtics are close to signing a similar deal with Comcast SportsNet New England. No dollars are mentioned in the press release however the Celtics deal is reported to be the same length of time 20-years.

His nickname
I realize when I wrote of Shaquille O'Neal last week I titled the story the Big Shaqtus. I was in error, Shaqtus was the moniker he used for an ESPN promo when playing in the desert for the Phoenix Suns. To my knowledge the only cactus in Atlanta (TNT & NBA TV studios) are probably house plants. I'm really unsure what name to use, in any event in his first NBA TV interview as a new hire Shaq launched a cruise missile and it exploded on Chris Bosh. All last season the media had various nicknames for the Heat trio, the name used most was the Big 3. Shaq says that's incorrect it's actually the Big 2, he appears to be unimpressed with Bosh and his game. Shaq played with Wade in Miami and James in Cleveland could that have anything to do with his statement? Chris Bosh is a very good player but is his game on the same level of James and Wade?

Another verbal commitment
I said it recently but I will repeat it again, I am still unsure if Mizzou's Frank Haith can coach. Despite my concerns about the coaching part the recruiting appears to be solid, he and his coaching staff continue to beat the bushes and it pays off. The Texas pipeline remains open, 6'7" 290 pound Simon Goines from Keller (Dallas) Texas gave a verbal commitment for 2012. Goines was an offensive tackle while in high school, Gary Pinkel might want to "borrow him" should the football team experience injuries with the offensive line. Does it matter where Haith and staff recruit? Does it matter the only Missouri player recruited to date is Raytown South's Ishmael Wainwright. Due to the states population recruiting is somewhat limited in Kansas yet KU is always competitive, why? They compete because they recruit from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Gulf of Mexico to Minnesota and all points in between.

True reconciliation does not consist in merely forgetting the past.
Nelson Mandela