Incidentally, in his role as a muckraking troublemaker, Wise also attempted to make trouble. Flip...

Incidentally, in his role as a muckraking troublemaker, Wise also attempted to make trouble. Flip Saunders was on with the Sportsy Junkies this week, and was asked which Eastern Conference team made itself mo' betterest between the Magic, the Cavs and the Celtics. His answer was the Wizards.

"I think the other three teams, when you look at the end of the year, their records will not be any better and probably worse than they were last year," he said.

One of the Junks mentioned the Shaq experiment in Phoenix.

"How'd that work out in Phoenix?" Saunders asked rhetorically. "It's totally different when you have a center that's in the paint all the time, because there's someone there always for help. They've always played their best, in Cleveland, when they've had the ability to spread the floor and have openings for LeBron."

So Wise conveyed these general sentiments, with perhaps a little more enthusiasm, to Shaq.

"Flip Saunders should have said what I did to him when I busted his ass earlier," Shaq replied, more or less. "I remember all comments, I'm taking all comments. I'll see him very soon. Keep after Haywood, keep after McGee, because I'm coming."

Swell.

We'll be waiting, Shaq.

over 2 years ago Mike Prada 25 comments 0 recs |

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Comments

Agree on Shaq taking up too much space in the middle, Lebron’s main and some would argue only weapon is the drive and take it inside or kick outside. With Shaq in the middle he’s going to have less room to operate and Shaq on the perimeter is nonthreat. I wouldn’t go so far to say Shaq is a blackhole on offense but unless the offense runs through him, he becomes a determent.

by Fundefined on Jul 24, 2009 8:11 PM EDT reply actions

I

despise Wise. He is one of the local reporters who fancies himself a “New York style” media member. Meaning any chance you get to rake the local team over the coals, you do it. I understand having Shaq on. He’s a polarizing figure and always provides fun quotes. But what, exactly, is the reasoning behind putting him in a position to “dis” the local team. Is Wise’s show not a local show?

by CJHutch on Jul 24, 2009 8:50 PM EDT reply actions

You don't like Wise?

(Warning, this might be as bad as not liking Haywood in my book. Just kidding).

Wise is one of my faves because he actually does have his pulse on the local team more than any columnist in town. He does real reporting. He searches for interesting angles on stories and reports and writes them. Nobody other than possibly Steinberg is closer to Arenas.

He tends to be a fanboy for the Wizards if anything too. Wilbon and Kornheiser don’t care about the team.

Wise and Shaq go back. Why not have him on his show that he just started and needs guests for?

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 24, 2009 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree

Wise and Shaq go back. Why not have him on his show that he just started and needs guests for?

Shaq is a good pull for him. Wise is (way) above Sally Jenkins in my book, and I know he is partial towards the Wizards, but I still think he would rather talk bad about the team then talk good. Of course, this could be more about the Redskins than any other team. But I still question why he would want to put Shaq in the position to ridicule the hometown team. Everyone knows that Shaq’s comments make the national circuit, so it’s a good bet that the Wizards will once again become the butt of the joke in the national press. I’d like to see us get GOOD PRESS for once.

Also, forget about the fact that Flip was right, and that Shaq really isn’t a great fit for Cleveland. That will go un-acknowledged.

’Sides Mike, I expected you to take Shaq to task on here for Calling out Brendan.

by CJHutch on Jul 24, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions

don't you hate on Sally Jenkins

I thought that her evisceration of Dan Snyder was a thing of beauty.

Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!

by Sean Fagan on Jul 25, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I also got no problems with Jenks

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 25, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions

she's fine

but totally in the tank for lance armstrong, which bugs the hell out of me.

"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler

by little stevie colter on Jul 25, 2009 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Well

She DID co-author his books. Kinda her job to be on his side, right?

And really, Wise and Jenkins are two of the best local sportswriters in the biz right now. Hard to hate on either of them.

Getting buckets since 2003.

by Icantfeelmyface on Jul 26, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

For that reason along

Sally Jenkins rules!

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jul 27, 2009 9:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm with Prada

Wise clearly puts a lot of thought/work behind his stories and doesn’t just churn out opinion-based pieces for shock value.

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on Jul 25, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Admittedly

I follow his Redskins pieces less, so perhaps he’s more of a drama guy with them.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jul 25, 2009 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

The only way to keep a rivalry interesting

is to get all parties involved. Wise is a Wizards fan. He brings in a superstar who is new to our rivalry and throws a few quotes at him to let him know that he won’t be welcome in the Verizon Center this year. It forces Shaq to either embrace the rivalry or distance himself from it (and, therefore, his teammates, who all take this rivalry seriously). This is good for the rivalry and good for Wise’s show’s ratings.

ESPN: "Don't take it so hard, Lebron. Everybody gets dunked on."
Me: "I never have, punk."

by kseandoyle on Jul 24, 2009 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions

I hate

to be the curmudgeon here, but the only way to HAVE a legitimate rivalry is for BOTH teams to win some. Right now we’re just a punching bag to Cleveland, and therefor the source for a good laugh. Much like they were to Chicago in the Jordan era. Hopefully that will change this year.

by CJHutch on Jul 25, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Well he was a writer for a New York paper before coming to the Post

I want to say Daily News perhaps? I will always love Wise for pulling back the curtain on the Michael Jordan era for the rest of the country to see what a Love Canal disaster it truly was.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jul 27, 2009 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I like Wise

especially since at last year’s game 3 of the playoffs, he was interviewing Stern for WaPo Live and he asked “Why does the league let LeBron travel so much?” and “Why does the league want the Lakers to win the championship?”. I’m not really doing it justice in my description but it was hilarious to see Stern avoiding the questions.

by ooba on Jul 24, 2009 10:21 PM EDT reply actions

Game 3 of what series?

Link?

ESPN: "Don't take it so hard, Lebron. Everybody gets dunked on."
Me: "I never have, punk."

by kseandoyle on Jul 24, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Game 3 of Wiz v Cleveland last year -

No link, this took place at the Phone Booth. I was watching the filming. Sorry.

by ooba on Jul 25, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

And also these....

David Stern was on Comcast before the game talking with Russ Thaler and Mike Wise of the Washington Post …who was hitting him with some hard questions, albeit halfway in jest….such as:

Why does LeBron travel worse than Patrick Ewing in the 80s? Laughing non-answer. Or….
Why do superstars get calls? Evidently Stern can prove that this is not true with statistics, but doesn’t have the time….yeah riiiight.

From this blog post.

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on Jul 25, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions