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Monthly Archives: August 2012
Teen Lydia Ko Selected Top Female Amateur Two Years Running
By F. Edwin Miller
15-year-old Lydia Ko can add another unwordly accolade to her even more unworldly resume.
After accepting the Mark H. McCormack Medal last year as the top ranking female amateur in the world, the then 14-year-old Ko won the Bing Lee/Samsung Women’s New South Wales Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG) in January. The event made her the youngest person to ever win a professional golf tour event. Yet somehow, the teen has found a way to outdo herself.
For the past 68 weeks and counting (and entering last year’s rankings), Ko has remained at number one. Her consistent play has earned her a second McCormack Medal according to officials from the R&A and U.S. Golf Association.
(Matt Roberts, Getty Images AsiaPac)
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Ko about her streak.
“After I got the medal last year, I haven’t lost the No.1 position since then. It’s good to continue it. I’ll continue to get more invites to professional events. It’s always good to be World No. 1.”
To continue her string of success, Ko defeated American, Jaye Marie Green, to seize the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship title at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio little under a week ago.
Other wins for the teen include the 2012 Australian Women’s Amateur and the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open where she earned a silver medal as the top amateur player. However, the teen had a historic year in 2011 when she became the first player to win the Australian Ladies’ Stroke Play and New Zealand Ladies’ Stroke Play in the same year. In addition, she won the 2011 New Zealand Women’s Amateur Matchplay Championship.
“It’s good to have your name along with those big names,” said Ko about others who have held the number one position. “There are so many great players’ names on there.”
The 2012 McCormack Medal reserves her a spot in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open; yet more importantly, an opportunity to play against “so many” of those “great players.” Look for Ko to add another win to that special resume of hers in 2013.
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Teen Lydia Ko Selected Top Female Amateur Two Years Running
By F. Edwin Miller
15-year-old Lydia Ko can add another unwordly accolade to her even more unworldly resume.
After accepting the Mark H. McCormack Medal last year as the top ranking female amateur in the world, the then 14-year-old Ko won the Bing Lee/Samsung Women’s New South Wales Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG) in January. The event made her the youngest person to ever win a professional golf tour event. Yet somehow, the teen has found a way to outdo herself.
For the past 68 weeks and counting (and entering last year’s rankings), Ko has remained at number one. Her consistent play has earned her a second McCormack Medal according to officials from the R&A and U.S. Golf Association.
(Matt Roberts, Getty Images AsiaPac)
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Ko about her streak.
“After I got the medal last year, I haven’t lost the No.1 position since then. It’s good to continue it. I’ll continue to get more invites to professional events. It’s always good to be World No. 1.”
To continue her string of success, Ko defeated American, Jaye Marie Green, to seize the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship title at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio little under a week ago.
Other wins for the teen include the 2012 Australian Women’s Amateur and the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open where she earned a silver medal as the top amateur player. However, the teen had a historic year in 2011 when she became the first player to win the Australian Ladies’ Stroke Play and New Zealand Ladies’ Stroke Play in the same year. In addition, she won the 2011 New Zealand Women’s Amateur Matchplay Championship.
“It’s good to have your name along with those big names,” said Ko about others who have held the number one position. “There are so many great players’ names on there.”
The 2012 McCormack Medal reserves her a spot in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open; yet more importantly, an opportunity to play against “so many” of those “great players.” Look for Ko to add another win to that special resume of hers in 2013.
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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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The Knicks Need More
The Knicks have made many moves this off-season to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. The expectations are higher than they have ever been as the Knicks seek their first title in over thirty years. The way I see it, the Knicks still have more moves to make if they want to compete with the Miami Heat. Lets compare the projected starting lineups.
New York Knicks Miami Heat
Raymond Felton Mario Chalmers
JR Smith Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony LeBron James
Amare Stoudemire Shane Battier
Tyson Chandler Chris Bosh
A lot of this season will depend on how well Amare Stoudemire can play. We all know that Melo will be the same guy he was for the United States Olympic team and that Tyson Chandler will continue to be a powerhouse defender. But there are many questions surrounding Amare who had an injury plagued season in 2011 and has not been able to prove that he can play with Carmelo Anthony. This is the make or break season for Stoudemire. He averaged eight less points last season than in the 2010-11 season. STAT needs to turn that STAT around and start hitting his jump shot if the Knicks have any chance of making a playoff run.
And what about the point guard position? For a while, New Yorkers believed that Steve Nash would be the starting point guard. Then it was Jeremy Lin. Fans thought there was no way that management would let the big hit Linsanity leave New York City. They were wrong. Raymond Felton is the starting point guard with Jason Kidd backing him up.
Felton is 28 years old and has the potential to be a great distributor on the court. When he played with the Knicks in 2010, he had career highs with 17 points and 9 assists per game. Since then, his numbers have decreased but unfortunately his weight has increased. He was definitely looking a little chubby last season in Portland.
But if Felton can get back into shape and start nailing his jump shot, the release of Jeremy Lin will not seem as crazy as most people thought. Lin struggles with turnovers way more than Felton and Raymond’s pick and roll style meshes quite well with Stoudemire according to the 2010-11 season. Felton could actually be a good fit for this team.
The problem for the Knicks is depth and three-point shooting. It’s not so much that the Knicks lack depth, but the Heat are just an incredibly deep team. The best three-point shooter in the history of the National Basketball Association is the BACK-UP shooting guard for the Heat. Ray Allen was part of the big 3 for the Celtics and yet now he is coming off the bench for Miami! Udonis Haslem is the second string power forward even though he would start for most teams in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and defender making him a great asset to have off the bench. Proven sophomore point guard Norris Cole will chip in some minutes for the much-improved Chalmers. And the Heat were able to bring in another veteran three-point shooter in Rashard Lewis.
With so many lights out shooters on this team (including Mike Miller if he is healthy), they will be almost impossible to defend. Every time Wade or LeBron drives to the lane, one of these guys will be wide open for the three. The Knicks do not have enough firepower to keep up with the Miami Heat if they do not make a few tweaks.
New York does have a great back-up center in Marcus Camby but until Iman Shumpert comes back, the starting five will have to lead this team throughout the regular season. Jason Kidd will most likely split minutes with Felton and the Knicks best shooter Steve Novak will come off the bench. Other than that, this team has a bunch of guys that have no value. The Heat are much deeper and they have better shooters. Not to mention, LeBron James is the best player in the league.
I believe that the Knicks need to make more moves right now. Carmelo and Tyson are in the prime of their career and it is time to surround them with as much talent as possible. I know that is what the organization is trying to do, but I think there are more free agency signings and trades that could be made.
The Knicks definitely need a solid power forward coming off the bench. Right now they are pursuing Kenyon Martin. If they get him, it is a huge bonus. But if K-Mart decides to sign elsewhere, who will back up the aging Stoudemire? If they could, I would say that New York should trade the former All-Star but I don’t think any team would be willing to take on his lucrative contract. So what should the Knicks do?
They could sign a guy like Ben Wallace who is an old veteran that can still play solid defense. However, I think having Wallace and Chandler on the floor at the same time would decrease New York’s offensives efficiency substantially. That is why the Knicks need Kenyon Martin or even a guy like Matt Barnes who can play defense and shoot. He is more of a small forward but Carmelo could always move to power forward. Another option is to sign free agent Josh Howard who averaged 20 points in 2007-08. Although his numbers are in a steady decline, he is 32 years old and still has something left in the tank.
The Knicks are without a doubt a top five team in the Eastern Conference. This year it is crucial for them to shoot for the #2 seed in order to avoid playing the Heat until the Eastern Conference Finals (assuming they make it that far). Iman Shumpert could not come back soon enough and I believe that the Knicks need to go after guys like Kenyon Martin or Matt Barnes if they want be considered a serious contender.
Right now I have the Knicks finishing as the 4th seed but if they make the right moves, who knows what could happen? The regular season is full of unknowns. Maybe some minority bench player who has been cut from multiple teams will come out of nowhere becoming the best player on the team and start an entire movement? Hey, it’s happened before…
Posted in Amare Stoudemire, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Championship, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Eastern Conference, Heat, Iman Shumpert, Jeremy Lin, JR Smith, Knicks, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mario Chalmers, Miami, NBA, New York, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Raymond Felton, Shane Battier, STAT, Steve Novak, Tyson Chandler, Udonis Haslem
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October Plans
With pitching struggles continuing and CC back on the DL for a short stint most Yankee fans including myself are chomping at the bit for the return of Andy Pettite. The Yankees however are being very “cautious” with the return of their aging ace, especially after Pettite had a set back in the recovery of his ankle while doing stair climbs in rehab.
The Yankees are a cautious team when it comes to injuries because from the outset of the season they include October automatically in their baseball plans. Anymore set backs for Andy would mean the possibility of missing playoff baseball, if the pitcher with the most wins in playoff history can’t throw in October, then Pettite’s return from retirement would be pointless to say the least.
“I know now that if I have another setback, that we’ve got serious problems and my season’s probably over,” Pettitte told the New York Times on Tuesday. “Now we’re probably going to be overcautious and try to figure out what we can do, just to make sure I’m back, and what I need to get ready.”
With Hughes and Nova struggling, getting Pettite and CC back is what the Yankees need in order to be ready for playoff baseball. Pettite is in week 7 of the 6-8 week projection for his return, however mid September is now looking like a more likely time line for Andy to get back on the mound.
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