tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post6434945755020516867..comments2024-03-28T05:19:17.215-04:00Comments on Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report: Why Atlantic Yards affordable housing will be long-delayed, and why ACORN can't complainNorman Oderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07618087999719667586noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post-76663089739451130692009-05-19T19:10:54.769-04:002009-05-19T19:10:54.769-04:00With regard to lebron's public posturing about pos...With regard to lebron's public posturing about possibly joining the nets, knicks or some other franchise in 2010, this is standard operating procedure for top-tier nba free agents.<br /><br />All top-tier free agents publicly drop hints that they might jump ship, yet they all end up staying right where they are ... as long as they get paid top-dollar, and as long as their other demands - usually regarding the quality of their supporting casts - are met.<br /><br />Even the rabid editorialist at the daily news ... whom i strongly suspect to be mitch lawrence ... had to know that lebron was simply engaging in standard free agent-speak when he talked to the press about how much he liked brooklyn and several other nba towns.<br /><br />I'd be willing to bet that lebron has not once in his life set foot in brooklyn, or that he could even find brooklyn with a g.p.s..CRUZ COUNTRYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09387134609817547810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post-89250139114464718882009-05-19T17:57:56.173-04:002009-05-19T17:57:56.173-04:00Ratner certainly hasn't done a very good job o...Ratner certainly hasn't done a very good job of building the nets, but he's done a great job of destroying them.<br /><br />The nets won back-to-back eastern conference championships in 2002 & 2003, coming within 2 games of winning an nba championship the latter year.<br /><br />Ratner purchased the nets in early 2004, and it's been all downhill since.<br /><br />2004 ... 2nd round playoff exit <br /><br />2005 ... 1st round playoff exit<br /><br />2006 ... 2nd round playoff exit<br /><br />2007 ... 2nd round playoff exit<br /><br />2008 ... failed to make the playoffs<br /><br />2009 ... failed to make the playoffs<br /><br />With ratner cutting player payroll at breakneck speed, the nets can kiss the playoffs goodbye for years to come.<br /><br />Ratner is now cutting the salaries of nets assistant coaches by 50% ... which truly reveals how dire his financial situation has become.<br /><br />So yeah, i don't think lebron ever thought seriously about leaving one of the highest payrolls in the league (the cavs) for one of the lowest (the nets).<br /><br />Teams with cheap owners don't win championships in the nba ... never have, never will.<br /><br />If ratner ever takes on the zillions in debt from building atlantic yards, his penny-pinching with regard to the nets will only get worse.CRUZ COUNTRYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09387134609817547810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20743459.post-88835728697630560722009-05-18T10:24:00.000-04:002009-05-18T10:24:00.000-04:00The Daily News's rabid editorialist also convenien...The <I>Daily News's</I> rabid editorialist also conveniently neglects to mention that James's Cavaliers are currently 8-0 in this year's playoffs, while the Nets are home watching for the second year running. Maybe the fact that Bruce Ratner has been as good at building the Nets as he has been at building Atlantic Yards might factor in to LBJ's decision, no?Eric McClurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03076817365595659597noreply@blogger.com