The Future of New York Knicks Basketball

Like the rumors that swirl annually regarding the status of Yankees GM Brian Cashman, the anticipation that fans build for their seemingly hopeless New York sports teams (i.e. Mets, Islanders), and even the Isiah Thomas files, more dramatics have commenced in NYC.  Talk is spreading that Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni may be headed out of the Big Apple after this year.  The speculation is coming while the Knickerbockers enter their first playoff series in 7 years, and the first time a winning record has been posted in 10 years.  The last time the New York Knicks reached the playoffs came in the 2003-2004 season, just before their deep plummet during the Isiah Thomas years. 

D'Antoni was hired near the end of these years, and while many argue that it would be best to completely clean house, that may not be the best option.  Upon Mike D'Antoni's arrival in New York during 2008, everyone was aware of the dark depths that the Knicks had sank into, and understood that rebuilding would take at least 2 solid years to have any chance at a winning season.  Now 3 years following the hiring, it is safe to say that the Knicks are now close to becoming a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference.  However, D'Antoni doubters still remain.

Not only does attracting Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix act as a bargaining chip in favor of Mike D'Antoni, but it represents a turning point for the Knicks franchise, a franchise that intends to make D'Antoni a part of the legacy.  Stoudemire and D'Antoni proved to be a successful tandem in Phoenix, and have now been reunited.  The main goal in this past off-season was to lure LeBron James from Cleveland, but he of course had plans to take his talents elsewhere.  Instead, the Knicks were able to sign Amare Stoudemire, and trade pieces that were seemingly built for the move to acquire Carmelo Anthony.  Immediately following the mid-season trade for Melo, some Knicks fans' hopes were set as high as a Championship this year, a typical dramatic over-exaggeration by New York sports fans and media.

Being a lifelong Boston Celtics fan, it is easy for me to observe the Knicks and compare them to the Celtics of the early 90's through mid 00's.  For twice as long as the Knicks, the Celtics were plagued with bad luck, from the deaths of promising young stars Reggie Lewis & Len Bias, Paul Pierce's stabbing, poor management, etc.  However, on draft night of 2007, Celtics GM Danny Ainge was able to deal many of the players that contributed to the prior year's abysmal 24-58 record, for Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and a second-round pick that turned into Glen"Big Baby" Davis.  The "Big Three" had the remainder of the summer to work with each other before the trek for banner 17 began.

Even the deals sending Kevin Garnett to Boston, and Carmelo Anthony to New York can be compared in the sense that numerous promising young talents were exchanged for a superstar in each trade.  For example, Al Jefferson (to Minnesota) and Wilson Chandler (to Denver) can be claimed as similar pieces.  This being said, obviously each team has lost their share of young talent, but did that hold the Celtics back?  No.  In one year, the Boston Celtics were able to successfully mesh together and win a championship in 2008.  For any fan to expect a phenomenon like this is simply outrageous, let alone a championship after playing only half of the season together.

If I were a Knicks fan, I would welcome Mike D'Antoni back to Madison Square Garden (absolutely not the most famous arena in the world), and finally enjoy the stability that the Knicks organization has long lacked.  Wake up.  The Knicks are back in the playoffs, just a few role players away from great success.  Two areas that the Knicks will be sure to address this off season include shooting guard, and center.  Landry Fields has underperformed since the blockbuster trade for Carmelo Anthony, and let's face it, Ronny Turiaf & Jared Jeffries at center will never lead a championship team. 

At shooting guard: Michael Redd, Leandro Barbosa, and J.R. Smith are all unrestricted free agents this summer. 
At center: Tyson Chandler, Nene, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Samuel Dalembert are all unrestricted free agents this summer.

Each of the few names listed can be seen as potential serious targets for the Knicks this off-season.  Depending on what happens between management and Chauncey Billups will decide how they draft.  If the Knicks are able to re-sign Billups for less than his option, the Knicks would be smart to draft a point guard in the first round to develop under "Mr. Big Shot".  As hot as Toney Douglas can get, someone inconsistent on offense, and non-existent on defense is not the answer as a franchise point guard.  If a deal cannot be reached with Billups, look for the Knicks to seek a veteran point guard instead of addressing the position in the draft (Chris Paul anyone?).  If this were the case, the Knicks would instead target an efficient 3-pt shooting guard in the draft.

Time is running out for the aging Boston Celtics.  Between the lingering retirement of Doc Rivers and injuries, the future is up in the air.  Regardless of winning or losing in the 2011 playoffs, the Knicks

The second half of this year has been a stepping stone to the next few years of success in New York, and the pieces are falling into place, molding together one game at a time.  Keeping Mike D'Antoni on board as Head Coach to stay his current course is crucial to New York's success.  The confidence, stability, experience, and depth of the New York Knicks will determine their future for years to come.

Bro Tunes Special Edition: Doug Bogan Mashups

As always, I'm going to be completely honest, I've never been big into the mashup scene.  But I've got to admit, these mixes are legit.  Over the past year and a half, Doug Bogan has established himself as a prominent mashup artist in the college music scene.  Fraternity parties have been turning into high-intensity shows spanning the northeast.  Among the shows were opening spots for artists such as Sam Adams, Chris Webby, Napalm, and The Dean's List, just to name a few.

Performing nearly every weekend for the past year, Bogan is no stranger to working his ass off to get noticed.   Last weekend he performed with The Dean's List at Bucknell, and is in the process of finalizing a concert in NYC with artists 5 & a Dime, Kap Slap, Brenton Duvall, and Greg Golterman. 

Below I've posted a few of Bogan's tunes I'm high on, Free Fallin' Forever, The Gifted Zone, and Like This All Star.  I want to give Mr. Bogan a ton of credit with the Free Fallin' Forever mashup.  I've heard so many people try to touch Tom Petty's tune and butcher the hell out of it, now I finally have a modern version of the great song I actually enjoy listening to.  The Gifted Zone is his newest release, and how could I not post it with the much anticipated KiD CuDi concert approaching quickly?  Finally, there's no way I couldn't include Like This All Star, a mashup featuring Smash Mouth's All Star which in my mind helps define most of my generation's childhood.  Among my other personal favorites are Thirsty, and Doug Bogan Vol. 1 & II.

Find more Doug Bogan on his Facebook FanPage, and on SoundCloud.  Bogan is open to any, and all potential performance opportunities.  To get information/check availability for future shows, contact Ryan Gardner at DougBoganMgmt@gmail.com.  Enjoy the Tunes Bros.

   Free Fallin Forever by dougbogan

   The Gifted Zone by dougbogan

   Like This All Star by dougbogan

"Hey, you guys ready to let the dogs out?"

The monkey standing on a passed out Phil, Stu's Mike Tysonesque face-tat, Alan's shaved head... I think I leaked a little bit in my pants when I saw this for the first time. 

The release of the poster tells us to expect a true movie trailer soon, which is a relief since the teaser trailer did exactly what the name entails, tease.  So, keep your eyes open during the next few days.

It's a bit of a bummer that Heather Graham won't be returning as Stu's wife, which means no little Carlos.  Regardless of Justin Bartha (Doug) again being excluded from the movie poster, as long as the movie can live up to the hype, I don't mind.

Ken Jeong is returning as Mr. Chow, Mike Tyson returns as himself, and Liam Neeson also makes an appearance.  Of course Alan, Phil, Stu, and Doug are back, this time wreaking havoc on Bangkok.  The Wolfpack is back!

Looks Like You've Got a Little Shrimp in Your Pants

MSN - DOVER, Pa. - A central Pennsylvania man faces robbery and assault charges after he allegedly stuffed a bag of frozen shrimp down his pants and attacked a grocery store security guard.

Northern York County Regional Police say 37-year-old Brian McDaniel was spotted hiding the shrimp in his pants and struck a security guard who tried to stop him inside a grocery store Thursday in Dover Township. The guard sustained minor injuries.

McDaniel was caught in the store's parking lot by the security guard and a bystander. He is being held on $10,000 bail.  It was not immediately clear if McDaniel had an attorney.

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Word.  So I guess this is just a typical day in central Pennsylvania right?  No big deal, just throwing some cold crustaceans in my crotch so I can eat them later, can't think of anything better to do in PA.  It goes to show that you can't run too far with a frostbit shrimp, and maybe a better planned prawn stealing scheme would be a good idea next time.  Leave frozen foods out of pants, check.

The Drugs Win Again

We know that feeling, maybe you can't move, maybe you pass out like my roommate did mid-walk, drugs put up a killer fight.  Unfortunately, the sad outweighs the sexy in this situation.  As much of this chick's great ass that we see, it doesn't compensate for her insanity.  Bet she's an animal in the sack though.  Kids with their E these days...

P.S. - I love how casual everyone at the public pool is acting.  No big deal, some bitch flopping like a dying tuna.  Gotta love the Euros.

Bro Tunes: Mike Stud Edition

So I'm crusing the laptop, in a stall, looking for the next edition of Bro Tunes and BOOM, Mike Stud.  This bro is spitting straight fire.  I'm wondering, how haven't I heard him yet?  But the real question is, how haven't you heard him yet?

Thanks to the internet & Mike Stud, I'm sharing a pair of songs with you in this post, only the first two songs of his that I've listened to.  It's just that good.  There are so many things that I like about Stud's tunage; the beats, rhymes, references, you name it.  The best thing is, he isn't your everyday college musician pushing the hell out of his music, the All-American Duke baseball player, and Georgetown grad student lets the music speak for itself. 

Check out Mike Stud, "The Smarter Type of Fresh" at his soundcloud page, Youtube, and MikeStudMusic.com

Bro of the Week: A Pong Legend in the Making

It's been about a week since I've posted anything on The BroCave, having more important things to deal with like a much needed vacation.  It has been even longer since anyone has been named Bro of the Week.  I'll keep it short and sweet, this time I'm going to shake things up a bit with the choice being a 12 year old pong Jedi master.

There are so many different videos of pong trick shots over and over again, but you've got to give credit when credit is due. I don't know whats more sad, the fact that this kid would run the table on me, or that he spent so much time assembling obstacle courses and practicing these shots.  If this little bro had no friends before this video, then he sure as shit should now.  This is for middle schoolers everywhere, if you don't know this kid, get to.  You're looking at the beer pong table's best prospect for the next 15 years.  Props to the little sniper Bro, the newest Bro of the Week and eventual BPHOFer (Beer Pong Hall of Famer).