http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...cdonald_m.html
October 01, 2007
Jeff McDonald: Meet the new guy
For most people, Spurs media day was a lot like the first day of school. Everybody knew everybody. Everybody -- players, coaches, media members -- took some time to reconnect after a lazy summer vacation.
Not me. I was the new kid. Well, me and Ime Udoka.
As some of you might already know, Johnny Ludden -- our esteemed Spurs beat writer for the past nine seasons -- has left the paper to move to Los Angeles and work for yahoo.com. It was the biggest free-agent signing to hit the L.A. basketball scene since Shaq.
Johnny will be a national NBA reporter for yahoo. I'm the poor sap left to try and fill his Shaq-like shoes here. I will be proud to be able to fill even one of them.
At this time last month, I was covering the University of Texas for this paper. A little more than two weeks ago, I was in Orlando, covering UT's game against Central Florida. That's when I got the call that would immediately change my life, not to mention my future travel plans.
Cancel that Oct. 6 trip to Dallas for Texas-OU. Book a trip to Dallas Oct. 9 for the Spurs preseason opener.
That's why Monday at the Spurs practice facility was such a surreal day for me. (Incidentally, it's almost certain that Gregg Popovich was in a infinitely better mood Monday morning than the coach I used to cover, Mack Brown. Check this space later for more on Pop unplugged).
Here's hoping for a quick transition from UT to the Spurs. I'm confident Ime and I will be able to find our way around eventually.
The E-News beat writer can operate in two ways:
1. Have the Spurs virtually write a lot of his stuff (implied in this is that he gets the inside stuff)
2. Thinks he Know enoughs about BB to have some ideas of his own. Unfortunately, this often puts a writer at odds with the team management and coach and results in less and less inside stuff.
Of the two, I'd druther have him follow the first model. I get all the independent thought from basketball experts here at Spurstalk that I can stand.
I like the new guy so far. He has a little bit of decent dry humor to him.
We'll see if he can deliver the inside knowledge like Ludden was able to.
oh that? I was lol when I read itCheck this space later for more on Pop unplugged).
Jeff McDonald: Pop unplugged
Gregg Popovich was the unabashed star of the Spurs' media day Monday, filling up camera film and reporters' notebooks on a variety of topics, such as ...
His eagerness for the start of camp: "You can only lay on your back and drink so much wine. After that, you have to get back to work."
Whether he will approach camp differently with 12 players returning: "We go back to the beginning every year. We're really big on not trying to skip steps. The building blocks have to be there. I don't want anybody to skip something, forget something, take something for granted. We'll go back to fifth grade, chairs on the floor, doing little pivot drills. We will start at the beginning."
The relatively quiet offseason: "That's why R.C. (Buford) and I did it. We don't have to worry about trades, we don't have to worry about contracts, we don't have to be smart. Just bring 'em all back. We added a couple new guys, I don't even know their names."
His impending induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame: ""It's a great honor, something one doesn't expect. There are a lot of people they could have talked to. They must have run out of names or something. They're digging pretty deep."
The NBA's decision to reinstate referee Joey Crawford: ""Joey's one of the very best referees in the league. Having him back is important, because we need as many great officials as we can get. "
*******
Other tidbits from media day: Like Popovich, Tim Duncan also supports the reinstatement of Joey Crawford. Notable, because it was Crawford's confrontation with Duncan last April that resulted in Crawford's suspension. Said Duncan: "I have no problem with it. It's fine. He's a vertan ref. If they feel it improves their staff, it's good for the game."
Francisco Elson, who fractured his eye socket in international play in August, has been cleared for all workouts, Popovich said. Elson will have to wear a protective mask at least throughout the preseason.
Popovich says he expects a steady contribution out of newcomer Ime Udoka, who started 75 games for Portland last season. "He's somebody who can play immediately for us, and hopefully for the next four or five years," Popovich said. "He's not specifically a 3-point shooter or a rebounder or a defender. He does everything well."
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so who's going to distribute the doughnuts during practice?
Thing about Ludden...he actually has inside info from a lot of the players. He may not necessarily express them...but he has a real idea of what is going on. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes this guy, if he ever, to get into the "circle."
Yeah it will be hard to have any clue whats going on with the team.
Who got married in the media this past summer that Pop was giving to?
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