Isiah nixes Knicks? Not so fast

Basketball Betting Lines

08/12/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Isiah Thomas' status in New York is all about semantics now.

Consultant or not, it's clear Thomas still has the ear of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, a scary thought for Knicks fans who regard the former All-Star guard as a pariah who ruined their favorite franchise in the 4 1/2 years he was the team's basketball chief.

A controversial reunion between Thomas and the Knicks that stunned Gotham was spiked by NBA commissioner David Stern on Wednesday.

On the surface Stern was concerned about a possible conflict of interest since Zeke is still the head coach at Florida International University, but you can't help feeling the commish was throwing Dolan a life raft, trying to save the Knicks owner from himself.

Thomas was allowed to bow out gracefully, releasing a statement that he was declining the consultant position because of possible red tape. NBA bylaws state that league personnel are forbidden from having contact with players who aren't eligible for the draft.

"After speaking with commissioner (David) Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws," Thomas said. "Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team."

Now let's be honest, FIU is not exactly Kentucky or Duke and with Thomas at the helm likely never will be. But, by pointing to his involvement with underclassman not eligible for the upcoming draft, Stern was able to nix the deal that the Knicks announced last Friday.

"We have been informed by the Knicks that Isiah Thomas has rescinded his consulting agreement with the team," Stern said in a statement. "As a result, it is not necessary for the league to take any formal action on the proposed arrangement. However, we have reminded the Knicks of NBA rules that prohibit team personnel, including consultants, from having contact with players not eligible for the draft."

New York fans are probably at the florist in droves today firing off thank you bouquets to Stern but they best be wary. This ruling only buys Dolan time to come to his senses, something he has shown no penchant for in the past.

In fact, Dolan has already informed us all that Isiah will always have "strong ties" to him.

"Although I'm disappointed that Isiah will not be working with the Knicks as a consultant, I continue to believe in his basketball knowledge, including his ability to judge talent," Dolan said. "He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team."

And let's be honest, Thomas had already been working as a consultant to the team. Remember, it was Thomas who "helped" the Knicks during free agency when he, not current president Donnie Walsh, was dispatched to Ohio to speak with LeBron James' camp, and Walsh was actually forced to single out Thomas during a press conference to announce the signing of Amare Stoudemire.

With Stern's blessing or not it's conceivable Dolan and Thomas have already agreed to a wink-wink deal and Isiah will put the wheels in motion to leave FIU, while Dolan figures out a way to gracefully push Walsh out the door.

It's certainly clear Thomas would like a second chance to clean up the mess he created when he was team president from December 2003 through April 2008.

"One of the biggest regrets of my life is that the Knicks didn't perform up to the standards the fans had every right to expect while I was in charge," Thomas said. "I take full responsibility for that."

"Consultant" is just a job title. With or without it, Dolan will find a way to keep Thomas involved with the Knicks. Stern simply can't legislate taking advice from a friend and he certainly can't force Dolan to make prudent decisions.

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American Idol odds : Blake Lewis the Early Standout

An important American Idol betting lines recap from February 20 Guys episode. The 12 men came out flat overall with Blake Lewis appearing to have the early edge after the first hour and a half.

Rudy - was quite good singing "Free Ride" to start off.  Randy was not impressed though.  Paula thought he started off fantastic.  "Never had anyone stop off so lively" said Paula but Simon (who does not like Rudy) does not feel he has a distinct voice and was not impressed either. 

Brandon was a little pitchy according to Randy and Paula agreed.  Simon said he was a good singer but the song was "too safe" and he needs to make an impact.  He was listed at +1200 odds or $1200 paid out on a $100 bet should he win the competition. 

Big favorite Sundance came in with a flat version of "Knights in White Satin" and the judges let him have it, including Paula.  Randy claimed the song was out of pitch throughout.

Korean American - and a Jenny Woo favorite - Paul Kim was up next.  Another pitchy flat one but Randy said he still liked his potential.  Kim at +3000 odds was said to have sung a "third rate version of that (George Michael) song" according to Simon Cowell.  He sang "Careless Whisper".

22 year old Chris Richardson was up next.  He was listed with +1100 odds coming in.  He got the best response from the judges though Simon did not believe the vocal was that great. 

Nick was boring and pitchy.  Simon didn't think he was that bad though and predicted he would be back next week.  Nick Pedro was a big +3000 dog coming into this competition. 

Beat boxer Blake Lewis was listed with early +1000 odds or $1000 payout on a $100 bet if he were to become the next American Idol winner odds .  These of course were the early odds.  He was considered original for picking an "odd song".  He did not beat box and the judges felt it was the best vocal of the night. 

Sanjaya came in as the second biggest favorite after Chris Sligh but his performance Tuesday night was not very good. 

Chris Sleigh was the early favorite at +450 odds.  Great voice and a great sense of humor.  He's a real standout.  Randy felt it was on point but maybe ahead of the chorus a little bit.  Simon Cowell said he felt like he was in some "sort of weird student gig". 

Jared Cotter followed.  He was listed with +2000 odds early on to win the competition.  The judges felt he needs to take more risks but looked good. 

22-year old AJ Talbado, who has tried out for American Idol five times, was up next.  "Kind of a theme park performance" said Simon.  Though the judges felt he performed okay.  Simon did feel AJ might be better than he originally thought.

Phil - this season's military favorite - came into this competition with +1200 odds to win the competition.  He was the last to perform.  He was certainly strong enough to get through this stage of the competition and perhaps the best one after a shaky start. 

Tomorrow night, the ladies perform and I sure hope they do a better job than the boys.  Check out all the American Idol betting odds here.

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