The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Like their owner, Knicks fans singing the blues
First-rounder Frank Ntilikina excitedly spoke about joining a franchise that knows what it takes to win a championship. Columnist Chip Malafronte wonders if he knows he was picked by the Knicks.
Welcome to Jeopardy, the Sunday Gravy edition. I’ll take “Parenting in late June” for $200, Alex.
The answer: 9:15 a.m. on the first day of summer vacation.
(Click, click, click)
What is the first time you hear the dreaded words, “Daddy, I’m bored.” Correct. • Frank Ntilikina, an 18-year old guard from France, was the eighth overall pick of the NBA draft. Afterward, Ntilikina had little time as he was jetting back overseas to play in his European team’s championship game.
But he excitedly spoke about joining a storied franchise that knows what it takes to win a championship. It’s unclear if he understands he’s joining the Knicks. Because there’s been serious discussion about trading Kristaps Porzingis, the best thing to happen to the franchise since drafting Patrick Ewing, the perfect young centerpiece to build a team around.
Phil Jackson woke from a nap long enough to intimate the team will hang on to Porzingis, for now. We’ll see.
• As the franchise continues to burn, Knicks owner James Dolan spent draft night singing the blues. Literally. His rockblues band booked a show at a Manhattan club that evening. To be fair, the franchise is going on two decades as an active dumpster fire. And at least Dolan had the good sense to leave the on-stage fiddling to someone else.
• David Ortiz is officially a Boston immortal. Good on the Red Sox and Big Papi for not wasting any time retiring his No. 34, rather than milking a couple of seasons to build drama like a certain AL East rival and its shortstop.
• And while we’re on the Yankees ... Happy trails, Chris Carter. We’ll miss your lazy swing and even lazier glove.
• New Haven’s Tramaine Williams scored a dominant second-round TKO over an experienced and successful opponent in Las Vegas last weekend, a lead-in fight to Andre Ward’s victory over Sergey Kovalev for the light heavyweight championship.
Williams, sharp, fast and powerful, spent the majority of the two rounds using his opponent, Christopher Martin (30-8-3), as a punching bag.
When the referee mercifully ended the misery, stopping the fight to preserve what was left of Martin’s face, Martin threw a hissy fit, spending more energy yelling at the ref than he did fighting. When Williams came over to shake hands, Martin instead argued to Williams the fight was called too soon.
“He was going to take a beating for eight rounds,” Williams said. “The guy’s got kids to think about.”
Gary Russell — who went the distance against Martin in 2014 — is the WBC featherweight champion. Williams (11-0) clearly has world class skills. He said he’s ready for a title shot now. It may come soon.
• Connecticut lost a homegrown legend this week when Tony DiCicco passed away at 68. The lifelong Wethersfield resident was integral in raising the profile of American soccer, coaching U.S. women’s soccer teams to gold at the 1996 Olympics and an historic World Cup title before 90,000 at the Rose Bowl in 1999. He left just before the 2000 Olympics because the job kept him away from his wife and four sons for too long.
“I want to be considered a top-level coach, but I also want to be considered a top father and a top husband,” DiCicco told the Register shortly after the ’99 World Cup victory.
• Legions of fans have already flocked to the Travelers Championship, and another army will be on hand for today’s final round. Kudos to all for supporting a great event our state can be proud of. Especially when considering it’s a golf tournament, one of the few live sporting events where spectators can only see so much and really have no idea what’s transpiring. But there’s plenty of food and beer and walking and people. You don’t always need to know what’s happening in the event to enjoy the event.
• In an essay on The Players’ Tribune, Markelle Fultz, the top pick in the NBA Draft, wrote of his excitement to be part of the 76ers due in part to Philadelphia’s chicken sandwiches. Not the world famous Philly cheesesteak. He’s pumped because The City of Brotherly Love boasts six Chick-fil-A franchises.
Whatever blows your hair back, I suppose. But that’s sort of like saying you’re excited about moving to Italy because you can still eat at the Olive Garden.
• How long until LaVar Ball inks a deal to become a heel manager in the WWE? He’s Captain Lou Albano, Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan rolled into one loud, obnoxious, brilliant package.
• I typically write this column from my home office, which allows me ample to stare out the window into my backyard for, uh, inspiration? Yeah that’s it. Anyway, I just witnessed a giant hawk swoop down from the heavens, snatch a hapless chipmunk from the brush and carry him off to his doom.
Quickly called the boy in and explained what happened. I got a blank stare, then a golf clap. He’s still bored. On the bright side, school starts up again in nine weeks. I’m sure the time will zoom right by.