LITTLE ROCK — Christmas presence not wanted
Stan Van Gundy has a request for the NBA: no more Christmas games.
“I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game,” the Orlando Magic coach said.
The Magic played Boston on Friday in Orlando, Fla., one of five NBA games on Christmas.
Van Gundy said he understands the high-priced TV contracts generate money for the league and it would be difficult to stop such games. He said at the very least he wishes the league had fewer games on the holidays.
The Magic play games on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day this season.
“I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else,” Van Gundy said before the game. “But that’sthe way it is. There’s nothing more important than the NBA on Christmas Day.”
Van Gundy feels the day is best spent with family. He woke up early but managed to spend only about 15 minutes with his wife and four children. They went to church services the day before.
Van Gundy said he hadn’t even had a chance to open his family’s gifts before the tipoff at 2:30 p.m.
The only time he could recall watching a Christmas Day game was when his brother, Jeff, was coaching one of them. Van Gundy also said he doesn’t watch NFL games on Thanksgiving.
“Christmas to me, obviously basketball is very important to me, but there are some days of the year where it’s got to take a back seat to something,” he said.
Celtics Coach Doc Rivers wasn’t quite as adamant, but he didn’t disagree.
Rivers said it’s tough for players to be away from family, but he realizes the league is not going to stop playing on the holidays. Rivers lives in the Orlando area and was able to wake up Christmas morning in his own bed.
He said he always watched Christmas Day games growing up because the league features the marquee teams.
“As a kid, you wanted to be on [Christmas],” Rivers said. “Then when you get to the league, you don’t want to be on anymore.
You’re like, ‘No, I changed my mind.’ But it’s going to happen, so why try to fight it? I tend to look at it as a reward.”Christmas Fish
Los Angeles Times columnist Chris Erksine says he’s no scrooge when it comes to NBA games on Christmas, and former UALR and Little Rock Parkview player Derek Fisher is one of the reasons for Erksine’s cheer.
“The Lakers are just something you can count on at Christmas,” Erksine wrote.
“Derek Fisher is what, 87 now, and he still comes down the court like a teenager with a bag full of cheeseburgers. I like that in an NBA player. I like that in anybody.” Lose the losers
Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post knows what Tiger Woods needs to do first if he wants to remake himself: “Dump all the enablers.”
“By that, I don’t just mean the jerk caddie,” Jenkins wrote.
“I mean the so-called mentors who taught him how to play renta-hostess in Vegas. I mean the fawners who laughed at his crude jokes, and looked the other way when he was rude, or penurious.
I mean all of the apologists, even the well-meaning ones, who conspired to create such a towering phony.”Quote of the day
“My record does not
stand up against the greats in this business.” Mark Martin, who has finished second five times in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points race
Sports, Pages 22 on 12/26/2009