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son no shame in what he said.
Van Gundy's Christmas complaint is a lump of coal.
The Orlando Magic and coach Stan Van Gundy will apparently continue playing the 'no respect' card well into the NBA offseason.
In a news conference, Van Gundy used the recently released NBA television schedule as evidence that his team is still not getting respect by the national media. "Normally on Christmas Day," Van Gundy noted, "you get a rematch of the teams that played in the Finals. But instead, we get a Christmas Day matchup of the teams that they (ABC) wanted to see in the Finals.''
The Lakers and Cavaliers -- the teams to which Van Gundy referred -- will indeed play on ABC Christmas Day, in the featured 5 PM ET timeslot. However, the Magic will also play on ABC Christmas Day, in a home game against the Celtics (2:30 PM ET).
This will mark the second year in a row, and the 5th time since 2000, that the Magic have played on Christmas. By contrast, the San Antonio Spurs -- who have won 3 NBA les since 2000, compared to the Magic's 0 les -- have played on the holiday only twice in the decade.
Additionally, Van Gundy was wrong about Christmas Day typically featuring a rematch of the NBA Finals. Only three times since 1965 has there been an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas: 1995 (Rockets/Magic on NBC), 2001 (76ers/Lakers on NBC) and 2005 (Spurs/Pistons on ABC).
The Magic have 24 national TV appearances during the 2008-09 season, one short of the maximum. The Magic are just one of 4 teams to have at least 24 appearances, and just one of 4 teams to have at least 5 appearances on ABC. The Magic will play on national television Thanksgiving night (at Atlanta on TNT), Christmas Day (vs. Boston on ABC), Martin Luther King Day (at the Lakers on TNT), Super Bowl Sunday (at Boston on ABC), St. Patrick's Day (vs. San Antonio on ESPN), and even on April Fool's Day (at Dallas on TNT).
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Note: Hit the link to vote in the Dangerfield poll.
Stan Van Gundy: Magic are underappreciated and disrespected
by Mike Bianchi
Is Stan Van Gundy turning into Rappin' Rodney Dangerfield?
The first game is still more than two months away and already the Orlando Magic are playing the disrespect card.
During a news conference to introduce newly acquired point guard Jason Williams Thursday, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, try as he might, just couldn't help himself when a reporter asked about the Magic already being dissed in the national media.
"For a team that went to the Finals, we really haven't gotten the respect teams normally do,'' Van Gundy said. "Based upon what we did last year, I think our players do feel a little underappreciated and under respected.'' (NOTE TO READERS: If you have time, please vote on your favorite Rodney Dangerfield no-respect joke at the bottom of this blog.)
Van Gundy pointed to a perceived slight by ABC, which usually puts the two Finals teams from the year before in the prime 3 p.m. slot on Christmas day. This year, it'll be the Los Angeles and Cleveland in the prime slot while the Magic play the Celtics in the prelim game.
"It's a lot of little things, and in the long run they're not very important, but you feel it,'' Van Gundy said. "Like the television schedule. Normally on Christmas Day, you get a rematch of the teams that played in the Finals. But instead, we get a Christmas Day matchup of the teams that they (ABC) wanted to see in the Finals.''
Van Gundy does have a bit of a point, but, still, the disrespect card has been played so often that the American sporting public has become numb to it.
I can still remember several years ago covering a Final Four when Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson railed about how he and his team were getting no respect in the national media. At the time, the Razorbacks were the No. 1 team in the nation and Richardson had just been named college basketball's Coach of the Year.
But in honor of coaches playing the disrespect card, our wildly popular Open Mike poll today will ask you to vote on the best Rodney Dangerfield no-respect joke.
What is your favorite Rodney Dangerfield no-respect joke?
* I get no respect. I was an ugly kid. How ugly? I was so ugly my mother breast-fed me through a straw.
* My dad didn't like my looks either. He carried around the picture of the kid that came with the wallet. I get no respect at all.
* My wife, she drives me nuts. She was afraid of the dark until she saw me naked. Now she's afraid of the light. No respect.
* My wife likes to talk after sex. The other night she called me from her hotel room. I tell ya, I get no respect.
* The other day I told my kid, "Someday you'll have children of your own." He said, "So will YOU."
son no shame in what he said.
What SVG said was right. It was also a way to fire up Dwight Howard and his crew.
If I was Magic I'd actually be happy, as much as a hate the Celtics. I think they will be better then the Lakers and the Cavs this season. So would be a better test for the Magic.
Actually it has been four times, 2008 (Celtics/Lakers-ABC)
SVG talks a lot of bull , and in this past year I have grown quite tired of him. But if he works in inspiring his team, which seems to be the purpose of his constant complaining, I guess that's all that matters.
If gettin' into the '09 Finals couldn't fire up Howard, television schedules & whatnot certainly have little chance.
Van Gundy was trying to get them into thinking that they are disrespected and underappreciated. I don't think he gives a about national games.
Is he turning into Phil Jackson? One whines about calls the other respect.
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