Tony Mejia

“Knicks preview: Embattled Isiah Deserves One More Season”

… The title sounded sooooooo promising. Perhaps a refreshing “counterpoint” piece to all the Isiah garbage and near last place predictions being peddled out? But like most coverage we’ve been accustomed to on Mr. Thomas, just some more smoke and mirrors. Today’s COSELLOUT target is Tony Mejia of CBS Sports. Well, with all of the writers making their money, pleasing their advertisers, and keeping fans coming back by bashing Isiah, why pick on Tony? I mean wasn’t New York’s Mike Lupica, Peter Vescey, or Mitch Lawrence’s daily column available? Well, if COSELLOUT responded to every single hatchet job that was ever written about Isiah, we probably would have also taken over the legal reigns at his sexual harassment trial. So then, how does one choose an article? Simple. We’ll specifically call you out if you spread blatant factual errors that show the world just how important it is for you to do your homework. And that is probably the reason why we never previously mentioned Mejia’s impressive body of Isiah bashing work that includes gems like this one: “New York took Renaldo Balkman? Seriously? A second round pick with No. 20 … didn’t I ask the Knicks to stop embarrassing themselves?”


And that brings us to his latest column (Note: hat tip to “Knicks Defense”[1])  While Mejia acknowledges that Isiah “drafted pretty well” (note: he is the best drafter in the entire NBA) and had the rare decency to bring up the Knicks 2003 inherited roster – one that we suggest might compete for the worst in history for any GM can take over, Mejia’s glowing review as to why Thomas deserves another season pretty much ends there. Mejia then writes:
“ Fan favorite Latrell Sprewell was swapped in a four-team deal that brought Keith Van Horn to New York.” He played 47 games before being traded in for Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed.”
Let’s get started.
·         Thomas never traded Sprewell for Keith Van Horn, previous GM SCOTT LAYDEN DID! Now, I don’t believe this error was blatantly intentional, just intentional enough that if you want to believe bad stuff about Isiah, you will not even take the time to perform a background check that might take 30 seconds worth of Google clicks that might dispel your opinion. And doesn’t an outfit like “CBS Sports” have big-time editors? Where were they at? But the misinformation continues…
 
·         Now let’s talk about that Van Horn trade NOW. Yes, Thomas traded Van Horn (now retired) for Nazr Mohammed. His next trade was Mohammed for Malik Rose and the draft picks that netted DAVID LEE and MARDY COLLINS! Did you follow all that Mr. Mejia? I saw that you praised the DRAFTING of David Lee, but like every other single sportswriter who dogged the Nazi Mohammed trade at the time, you simply won’t mention that Thomas TRADED for Lee and Collins. To this day most sportswriters refer to it as the “Malik Rose trade” instead of the “David Lee and Mardy Collins” trade. Such an accurate title might actually INFORM the fans, even if it will get you fewer internet clicks.
 
Mejia also writes: “He [Isiah] came in guns blazing and happily made sweeping changes, but the reason he deserves so much blame is because few have worked.”  Perhaps if one believes that Thomas made trades that he never actually made (Sprewell), and gives no credit to INCREDIBLE trades that he DID make (Lee and Collins), then no wonder that the author came to this conclusion. For the real scoop on Isiah’s trading record, see the “The Truth about the Thomas Trades”. Mr. Mejia, your feedback is also welcome.

There is absolutely no reason to expect our nation’s cadre of hating sportswriters to eat humble pie and give the apology to Isiah that he so richly deserves for the beating he originally took during the so-called “Malik Rose” trade (you too Mr. Peter Vescey!). But a few basic facts and reporting accuracy along the way is not too much to expect. Mejia’s article is merely one of so many examples of why “the myth of Isiah” continues on in mainstream media.

 

[1] Something VERY special is happening in the Knicks Defense comment section. It is simply BLOG POWER in action. Knicks Defense and Starburyfan,recently received mass import of the most informed Knick commenters that I’ve come across. On the Mejia article, specific hat tip to "Lives in NJ, Loves New York". And to the rest of the commenters, keep scoring points for truth and accuracy in reporting.