WATERCOOLER CHAT: LAKERS HIRE D’ANTONI, FOLES FUTURE FOR EAGLES? ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, after all the media hoop-la (no pun intended) about Phil Jackson re-taking the reigns as the Lakers coach, the Lakers decided ultimately not to go with him.  A strange decision considering that just about every sports media pundit in the country thought it was a done deal.  Nope, the Lakers went in a different direction, hiring Mike D’Antoni as the head coach.  This is an interesting decision because D’Antoni is typically known for a run-and-gun offense, meaning it’s about running fast and getting the shot off quickly.  While D’Antoni used this formula with Steve Nash throughout the last decade, it was also with a much younger Suns team.  The Lakers have a 38-year old point guard (Nash), a 34-year old shooting guard (Kobe) and a 31-year old power forward (Gasol).  They’re not exactly built for his style of play.  However, D’Antoni is an all around good coach, and the Lakers are already showing signs of improvement with their recent 2-game winning streak.  The good news is that all the Lakers stars seem to be excited about D’Antoni joining the squad.  This could be for the best.

FOOTBALL

And in the NFL, it looks like Philly QB Michael Vick’s concussion injury from Sunday’s game against the Cowboys was quite serious.  Back-up rookie quarterback Nick Foles came in, and while throwing some picks, threw some touchdowns as well.  It’s quite possible that Foles is the future in Philly and what better time to give him a chance than when they really have nothing to lose.  Each week, they slip a little out of the playoff race, as their defense ranks among the league’s worst.  If Vick has to miss considerable time, they should just toss the rookie in there and let him get his feet wet.  It looks like that’s the plan, as the Eagles have officially announced that they will start Foles against the Redskins next week.  The fans got excited about Foles entrance into the game, as they were looking for anything, anything at all, that might give this Eagles team a spark.  There’s also a chance that Vick might have to sit out the remainder of the season.

BASEBALL

And finally, in baseball, the awards are starting to roll in.  Yesterday, it was the announcement of the American and National League rookies of the year.  Unlike in year’s past, where the league had to scour the rookie ranks to find the best rookie performer, this year they were able to hand it to what appear to be some future superstars.  And by ‘future’, this could mean as early as next year.  The two winners are so good that they can probably both expect max contracts soon.  In the National League, it was the Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper, the phenom out of High School that helped lead the Nationals to the #1 spot in the National League and establish them as a powerhouse for at least the next few seasons.  And in the American League, a guy that came out of nowhere: Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels.   Around the All-Star break, everyone was touting this guy as among the league’s best.  They couldn’t believe just how good he was.  He’ll be in an Angels jersey next year, but teams will be eager to sign these two when they become free agents.  They are both worthy of being the face of a franchise.

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