Howard Apologizes, Will America Forgive?

There's been some offseason controversy surrounding Dallas Mavericks All-Star forward Josh Howard. Howard recently apologized for a July rant he made regarding the Star-Spangled Banner at a charity event. Howard was caught on video saying he doesn't celebrate the song "because he's black". A 4 minute video of Howard's remarks/incident is available at YouTube. Now in the aftermath, Howard made the right move and issued a public apology on Monday for his remarks and behavior over the past 5 months.

From DallasNews.com:

"I know that's not me," he said. "I love this country. If it wasn't for this country, I wouldn't be out here playing basketball. For me to have that opportunity is the greatest.

"That's not me. That's not Josh Howard. That was an idiot."

The apology is considered heartfelt by most in the media, but maybe not so much by the American people. CNN Headline News ran a viewer poll with 69% saying they didn't believe Howard's apology was sincere, while only 31% said they felt it was. It could be a sign of the times, or the general bias against the NBA and athletes. NBA players have always been viewed in a poor light, as if they are all thugs or hooligans. Recent policy changes supposedly highlighted this by forcing players to dress up for games, rather than arriving in any outfit, such as doo rags, throwbacks, etc. Regardless, this is an isolated incident from just one player, who's allowed forgiveness. Let's move on and get to the regular season.

Full DallasNews.com story on Josh Howard's Apology

2008-09 NBA Preseason Info

According to NBA.com, the NBA season is a little over a month away. In the meantime, the preseason schedule was announced last month and features plenty of action to get fans ready for the 2008-09 season. Preseason tickets can often be purchased cheap for great seats, even front row! Some of the games are held at smaller arenas, maybe even in your own backyard area. Keep in mind that many teams may be looking to rest or preserve superstars during these games so you might not see your favorite stars on the court. I've had the opportunity to see both Lebron James and Michael Jordan play in preseason games, as well as Paul Pierce, Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. So you just might get lucky if you choose the right game!

Several teams will also be overseas for a few contests. The Heat and Nets will suit up to play one another for two games in Paris at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy on October 9th. The two teams meet several days later in London for a game on the 12th. France basketball may be most famous for the 7 footer Vince Carter leapt over and dunked on during the Olympics several years ago.

On October 14, the Wizards and Hornets will play in Berlin, and move to Barcelona for a October 17th game.

There's also the NBA China Games 2008, featuring the Bucks and Warriors. The teams will play twice; once at Guangzhou Gymnasium in Guangzhuo on Oct. 15, and at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena on Oct. 18. The games were scheduled in anticipation of bringing former Buck star Yi over to the Chinese fans, but he was traded in the offseason to New Jersey. The China Games will be aired on ESPN.

There will also be a unique outdoor game played at Tennis Garden in Palm Springs, CA. The game will feature the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets. The October 11th game will be televised on TNT.

There's plenty more action to check out this offseason including several Euroleague teams competing against NBA teams, games at different arenas and a chance to check out all the teams vying for this year's title!

You can view the full NBA preseason schedule here.

Oklahoma City Prepares for Thunder!

Oklahoma City expect heavy Thunder in your sports forecast this 2008-09 NBA season! The once Seattle Supersonics have moved to Oklahoma City. The team will no longer be called the Supersonics, but instead the Thunder. New place, new name, new jerseys as well. The personnel has stayed the same for the most part, with franchise superstar, and last year's ROY Kevin Durant, still on the team.

According to AZCentral.com, news of the new name and logo leaked early:

The local ABC affiliate reported in mid-July that Thunder had been chosen as the nickname. Then the NBA Web site listed NBA.com/thunder as a link to the Oklahoma City team's page. Then the Orlando Magic's site listed games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Even the logo and colors leaked out over the weekend. Then, prior to the 5 p.m. announcement, Thunder merchandise started showing up on the NBA's online store.

Early reaction to the name is it may sound a bit like a NBDL or WNBA team's name and will definitely take some getting used to. The Seattle Supersonics name bring up memories of players like Gary Payton, Sean Kemp, Nate McMillan and other stars from the past. Recent Celtics superstar, Ray Allen, also called Seattle home for most of his career, breaking Reggie Miller's 3 point record while playing there. The Sonics are coming off a disappointing 2007-08 campaign, despite the bright spots Kevin Durant supplied. But now come rain or shine, there's always Thunder in Oklahoma City!

As mentioned bove, there's already Thunder merchandise available at NBA.com which features the new look logo and jerseys. See the merchandise at the new Oklahoma City Thunder NBA homepage!