Joe Netsfan - Media - Inspirational Verses



	Where Joe Goes The Marbury/Kidd Trade + Rod Thorn's Draft Night Moves. Reactions from around the league to the Nets' two big summer shake-ups. Funny Business. Quotes from around our terribly humorous league, and beyond. September 11th. Quotes centered around the terrorist attacks on America. Gut Punch. Ow. Harsh words that may take the wind out of you. Inspirational Verses. Good News for Modern Nets fans. CNN/SI Basketball Pretty amazing, entertaining site. Power rankings, NBA Week at a Glance, and great sort 'em yourself stat section. NJ Online Nets Section Nets news from the Newark Star Ledger. Don Burke, Nets beat, and Dave D'Alessandro, one of our favorite b-ball writers. NYPost Sports Section Freddy Kerber, Nets beat reporter, and you have to read Peter Vecsey Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Nobody is more "inside" than Vecsey. Phil Mushnik entertains Champagne on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. NBA.com For obvious reasons. Links to every team site, plus a standings page that gives teams' conference rankings helps you chart Nets early drop from playoff picture. Nets Salaries Want to know why the Nets can't improve? Check this chart, along with all other team salaries, courtesy of USA Today. Their NBA section sometimes informative too. Nets/NBA page, Bergen Record Steve Adamek, Nets beat. Adrian Wojnarowski and Steve Adamek are two of the best pull-no-punches writers on the Nets. NY Daily News Basketball page Michael James, Nets beat NY Times Basketball page Liz Robbins, Nets beat. Mike Wise covers the league, and Champagne likes Harvey Araton's general sports columns. Sporting News NBA Section Excellent NBA coverage. We like both Sean Deveney's columns and his very entertaining Mailbag. New Jersey Nets Photo Zone Jim Poorten's site. HoopsAvenue NBA news, fantasy leagues plus. InsideHoops.com Large news and rumors clearinghouse. American Red Cross, Helping.org and Libertyunites.org Relief Organizations.		October 29, 2001 - June 11, 2002 Inspirational Verses Good News for Modern Nets Fans: Lawless "Odds say it can't be done. But logically, there's possibly four more basketball games, and there's no laws of the earth that say it can't be done, just laws of history." - Todd MacCulloch on coming back from an 0 - 3 Finals deficit, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, June 11, 2002 Awakenings "I saw the play develop, right when Kerry drove. I knew I was going to get the shot. The history of their defense was that they collapse. I anticipated the whole play, but I didn't expect Kerry to make the pass with his left hand falling out of bounds. There aren't a whole lot of guys in the league that can do that." - Keith Van Horn on his shot-clock beating three-point make with 50 seconds left in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 6, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, June 1, 2002 "Those final seconds? Like an out-of-body experience." - Nets GM Rod Thorn on the elation he felt at the end of Game 6 in Boston, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, Bergen Record, June 1, 2002 "I think they will win the Finals. Because I think they have as good a point guard as I have ever seen, they got a tremendous bench, great starters, they're big, they're a difficult team to prepare for, they keep you off-balanced. I think when you have a MVP candidate like Jason Kidd where he controls the backboards, he controls the basketball, he is a great defensive player. "I think the West is in for a rude awakening. I think they will bring the NBA championship back East, I think they're that good of a basketball team."- Celtics coach Jim O'Brien, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, June 1, 2002 New Perspectives or Pure Denial? "Game 3, as crazy as it may seem, was probably the best thing that ever happened to our franchise. Because now we really understand what this is all about. You have to understand that there is no lead safe in the N.B.A , especially in playoff time." - Byron Scott on the Nets' history-making collapse against Boston and subsequent winning ways, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, May 30, 2002 "We'll take this situation any day of the week. We're going home. We've got an opportunity to tie this thing up. We're a team that loves to play with our backs against the wall. "We're not worried about the pressure of that. We've got the opportunity of a lifetime. We're two games away from going to the N.B.A. finals. I've got all the confidence in the world that the guys in this room can perform well, that I can perform well, and we're definitely looking forward to the challenge." - Antoine Walker says, "Nah, who wants to be up 3 games to 2 in the Eastern Conference Final?," as reported by Chris Broussard, New York Times, May 30, 2002 Beginning of Something Big? "This is becoming a pretty good rivalry right now. These teams are pretty much tailor-made for each other. It is going to be a hard-fought battle for the rest of the series. This could be the start of something new as far as Eastern teams are concerned." - Byron Scott on Nets/Celtics animosity, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, May 29, 2002 Mad as Hell "I was tired of being humble." - Jason Kidd explains the venting he did against the Boston fans after the Nets' Eastern Conference Final Game 4 win, May 27, 2002 "Dip"-sy Doodle "They get a 'Yeah.' I get polite applause and, 'That's good basketball, good footwork right there.' So I'll go home and watch ESPN, there's nothing there, but the team wins."- Todd "Dip" MacCulloch on the way fans react to his teammate's good plays, as opposed to how they react to his own, as reported by Steve Popper, New York Times, May 20, 2002 Moving Mountains "There were so many nights when it seemed like an important game like this was always sitting on the other side of a huge mountain. And winning a game like this...well, that was always what someone else was doing." - Lucious Harris after Game 5, Round 2, as quoted by Mike Vaccaro, Newark Star-Ledger, May 16, 2002 Dogs of War "If anyone on the team doubted he'd play, I didn't hear it. We just assumed, if he could see out of one eye, he'd be all right. Even if he didn't, he'd find a way to play – a Seeing Eye dog, or something. That's Jason – he would find a way." - Todd MacCulloch on the ability of Jason Kidd to play Game Four in in the Conference Semi-Finals versus the Hornets, as quoted by Adrian Wojnarowski, Bergen Record, May 13, 2002 When Doves Cry "It might be one of the biggest shots in franchise history, considering the circumstances, the way Kerry was shooting the ball previously, the magnitude of this game. I was so happy for him, I almost started crying." - Keith Van Horn on Kerry Kittles' Game 3 winning shot, April 28, 2002 The Time is Now "There is no promise of next year. We have to do this now." - Jason Kidd to his teammates prior to the Nets' Round 1, Game 2 win against the Pacers, as reported by Mike Wise, New York Times, April 23, 2002 Assist King "I didn't think I would reach that. I credit my teammates for putting the ball in the basket." - Jason Kidd on becoming the Nets' single-season leader in assists with 803, breaking the record of 801 set by Kevin Porter in 1977-78, April 17, 2002 Thorn Rolls Back the Rock "Thorn's place in NBA history was set when he drafted Michael Jordan in 1984, but the stunning turnaround of the Nets this year is his greatest accomplishment. The Nets are the NBA version of Lazarus, all because of Thorn [...] Thorn's steal of Jason Kidd, the drafting of Kenyon Martin, the signing of Todd MacCulloch and the trade of Eddie Griffin to the Rockets for Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong have reshaped the Nets into a team, no easy task in this age of the selfish, ego-endorsed player."- Kevin Kernan, New York Post, April 11, 2002 Doug Collins Helps Us Rub It In "I can only think what they're thinking in New York right now when Madison Square Garden's going to be quiet and all the excitement's going to be over here."- Doug Collins on the Nets clinching the Atlantic Division, as reported by Steve Adamek, Bergen Record, April 10, 2002 Cinderfellas "Because no one anticipated that Jason and the new players would change it in one year – nobody. I mean, look at the history of the N.B.A. I don't think you've seen this, ever. You talk to the other owners, and you talk to the commissioner. I think everybody is delighted to see the Nets because they were the underdog. And now, everybody is enjoying the Cinderella team. It's wonderful."- Lewis Katz, the Nets' prinicpal owner, on why this season is so satisfying, as reported by Liz Robbins, New York Times, April 7, 2002 Everybody Listens "Jason gets this look in his eyes, and everyone knows it's time to listen. It's why I call him E.F. Hutton. He doesn't talk all the time, but when he does, man, people listen. We sure do."- Lucious Harris on Jason Kidd, as reported by Mike Vaccaro, Newark Star-Ledger, April 4, 2002 Martin for M.I.P.? "Kenyon would be, at least in my mind, the front-runner for most improved player in the league. He gets a rap right now because people think he's a dirty player. He doesn't play dirty. He's extremely competitive. He plays with a high amount of energy and emotion."- Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders on Kenyon Martin, as quoted by Liz Robbins, New York Times, April 2, 2002 The Greatest "We want to be the best team in Nets history. If that means trying to win 50 games, that's what we're going to try to do."- Jason Kidd, as quoted by Don Burke, Newark Star-Ledger, March 29, 2002 Passing Fancy "I wasn't showing anybody up. It's just a part of the game, and I thought it was a great play." - Jason Kidd, on his unbelieveable pass off the backboard to Kenyon Martin, which Martin flew through the air and slammed home in the Nuggets game a la Tracy McGrady at the All Star game, February 17, 2002 Where's My Espy? "I didn't get to see the finish. I always miss the good plays. Hopefully, I'll see it on TV." - Kenyon Martin, on the above dunk, February 17, 2002 Rockin' Rod "I'm happy in New Jersey, and I'm not going anywhere unless Rod slips on a rock and trades me, bangs his head, and says, 'We've got to get rid of Jason'."- Jason Kidd, February 10, 2002 En Pointe "Every now and then you see ballerinas dancing and how fluid and graceful they are. That's our offense. When it's really working, it is to me like poetry in motion." - Byron Scott as quoted by Liz Robbins, New York Times, February 2, 2002 Kidd for MVP "He plays with passion, he plays with love, he's a winner. He's going to win games for you. He transforms a whole team. If I couldn't vote for Michael, I'd vote for Jason for MVP." - Wizards coach Doug Collins, as quoted by S. L. Price in the cover story on Jason Kidd, January 28, 2002 issue of Sports Illustrated Pencil in the Playoffs "I think our goals should change. Get the eraser out. A team should raise the bar. Not just get to the playoffs, but be one of the elite teams in this league." - Jason Kidd, January 22, 2002 Who Are These People? "We love one another. We actually push one another to get better." - Jason Kidd, January 23, 2002 Unspeakably Good "C'mon, man, that guy's amazing. He does whatever it takes to win. He definitely makes everyone better. His intangibles and the things that don't show up on the stat sheet are phenomenal. ... He just brings so much to this team it's just unspeakable. ... I don't think I've ever seen a guy who plays as hard as he does nonstop for an entire game...He has a determination to win like no one I've ever played with before." - Kerry Kittles on Jason Kidd, December 30, 2001 Things Are Different Now "Any other year and that would be his knee... Luck is on our side this year." - Keith Van Horn, on one of the many differences between this year and last, after Kerry Kittles injured his ankle running a fast break against the Knicks, December 16, 2001 Rod Thorn, Genius? "The Suns will be terrific with Marbury, but nothing could've happened Wednesday night in the Nets' 106-87 victory to change the truth that this trade [Kidd for Marbury] stands as GM Rod Thorn's brightest hour as an NBA executive, shoulder to shoulder with his decision to draft Michael Jordan for the Bulls." - Adrian Wojnarowski, Bergen Record, December 6, 2001 Let The West Coast Swing Begin "This is a different East Coast team – everybody's from the West Coast. So, everybody will have lots of tickets, which means they're going to have to bring their 'A' game."- Jason Kidd, November 19, 2001. Eight out of twelve Nets were raised out west. Mystery Men "You've got to stand up for yourself in this league. We're not soft or anything like that. We're no soft team. We won't let anybody take advantage of us." - Kerry Kittles, November 1, 2001 "Who stole the Nets and replaced them with this team, with all its gumption and resilience?" - Steve Adamek, Bergen Record, November 1, 2001 Inspirational Verse I "There is no day off. Some guys [take days off]. The great ones don't. The great ones come in every day, no matter if they have a headache, kids keep them up, flat tire, traffic. Once they get here, this is their job. You've always seen the great ones from Dr. J to Magic to Larry Bird -- with the aches and pains, they always showed up to play. Those are the guys I want to follow." - Jason Kidd, as quoted by Steve Adamek of the Bergen Record, October 29, 2001 Inspirational Verse II "There are some people who have the credibility to change people or get new people. If you ain't going to play with Kidd, you ain't going to play with anybody. He only does everything right." - Jeff Van Gundy, as quoted by Steve Adamek, October 29, 2001 Archive \| Backlash \| Bio \| Calendar \| Champagne's Blog \| Diatribe \| Game x Game \| History \| Home \| Joe Netsfan's Blog \| Media \| Opponents \| Players \| Playoffs \| Search \| Specials © 2001, 2002 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski