Normally the release of the schedule for the upcoming NBA season is an oasis in the off-season. It gives us something, anything, to talk about. We get to complain about the rough schedule to close out the year, the four games in five nights on the east coast, and how the Lakers only play two away games the first three months of the season.
Instead, today's release of the schedule is like reaching that oasis only to find the water does nothing to quench your thirst. I understand they have to still schedule things in the event that the impossible happens, but it's just another kick in the mouth to me. "Here's what you could be getting." It's just going through the motions essentially. Because if there is a season, we're going to miss games and that means a revamped schedule.
So it will almost be pointless to discuss it when it comes out this afternoon (2:15 EDT), but not pointless enough for me not to post on it.
Congratulations to Ty Corbin on receiving the key to the city today in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. From the Deseret News,
"We are proud to have this opportunity to celebrate Tyrone Corbin and all he has accomplished both on and off the court," Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin said in a release put out by the Jazz. "He is one of Columbia's brightest stars and an example to our children of what is possible if you work hard and dream big."
I've always been disappointed to know that the key to the city doesn't allow you to open everyone's house.
It's also interesting to note that Corbin has a degree in Computer Science. So he's at least turned on a computer I presume as opposed to his predecessor.
While the NBA and NBAPA haven't been talking, Stern will be meeting with FIBA today due to the fact that the NBA normally pays part of the insurance cost for the players playing in FIBA events such as the Olympics,
David Stern, FIBA leaders expected to discuss lockout impact on world game - ESPN
A spokesman for FIBA would not disclose the exact topics on the agenda, but it's expected to include two important issues: the prohibitive cost of securing insurance for foreign NBA players who wish to play for their national teams this summer, and the legal ramifications of FIBA issuing letters of clearance to players such as Deron Williams who have signed contracts with overseas teams.When the lockout took effect July 1, the NBA suspended a program it operated in accordance with FIBA that provided an infrastructure for national federations seeking to purchase insurance policies for the NBA contracts of their best players. Foreign federations are now grappling with the fallout, attempting to hastily assemble a program that would provide a group rate to insure the dozens of NBA players who want to represent their countries at Olympic qualifying tournaments.
So it's not to put the kibosh on player movement. This is something that the NFL doesn't have to worry about. Oh, and all signs point to them being back to work this Saturday. As if the NFL doesn't have a big enough advantage over the NBA in popularity, all football and no professional basketball this winter would squash the casual fan base.
As I speculated in a previous Downbeat, the Jazz won't have to lay off any of its employee (at least for the foreseeable future) due to crossover opportunities within the LHM conglomerate,
Part of the reason is the organization's ties to the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, which controls the Jazz, Triple-A Salt Lake Bees and Miller Motorsports Park, among other business entities. Many LHM employees work for multiple enterprises and hold interrelated job titles. By avoiding layoffs, LHM can keep other sports-related businesses running at full force and be prepared for the 2011-12 NBA season once the league resumes operations.
Good luck to those that would be affected. Hopefully things between the players and owners can get worked out before more bystanders are affected.
This isn't related to the Jazz at all but I assume that if you're reading this online, you're at least love technology a little bit. Some of you may or may not know that SB Nation, the network that SLC Dunk belongs to, brought on Josh Topolsky and a handful of other tech writers formerly of Engadget.
They've been running things at This is My Next for a while now while they wait on the SB Nation tech team to build them a new site. Last night, on Jimmy Kimmel, Josh announced the new name of the site, The Verge,
Yes folks, the rumors are true. Extra true. Super true. Our new home come fall-time will be called The Verge. Why The Verge, you ask? Well put simply, I don't think a single idea better defines the news we cover or the way we cover it. Everything that we think about, talk about, and dream about is on the brink, the cutting edge... the verge. Even when we're looking at or reviewing familiar products, our angle is not just about what that technology means now, but what it means up ahead. Our goal is to communicate what the complex and sometimes confusing roadmap for the future looks like in understandable, approachable ways. We want everyone to know and love technology the way we do, and we're working hard every day to make that possible.
It will launch in the early fall and by itself will be fantastic. I would be excited for that alone. In addition though, we should see some great new tech from the site that could make its way to other SBN sites.
I haven't received an SBN memo to promote this site. I think you're going to see something great and something that you haven't seen before. So even if you just have a small tech itch to scratch, this will be a great site for you.