Thursday, May 24, 2012

Who is Abe Vigoda?

Who is Abraham Charles Vigoda ? The acting and entertainment world knows him as Abe Vigoda, he is  an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to June 1978 on ABC. Vigoda was still also appearing on Barney Miller at the same time as he was on Fish during the 1976–1977 TV season; at the start of the 1977–1978 season, his character retired from the police force and left Barney Miller to focus full time on the spinoff.
He made regular appearances as himself (usually in skits relating to his "advanced age") on the television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien, including a cameo on that show's final episode.

Early life and family

Vigoda was born February 24, 1921, in New York City, the son of Lena  and Samuel Vigoda, Jewish immigrants from Russia.[1][2] His father was a tailor and his brother, Bill Vigoda, was a comic-book artist who drew for the Archie comics franchise and others in the 1940s.[3]
Vigoda was married once, to Beatrice Schy from February 25, 1968 until her death on April 30, 1992. They had one child, a daughter, Carol who gave him three grandsons Jamie, Paulie, and Steven. [4]

Career

Abe Vigoda in The Godfather


Abe Vigoda in Barney Miller
Vigoda gained fame through his supporting character roles, notably as elder mobster Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather (1972). He gained further fame playing Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on Barney Miller, and then led its brief spinoff Fish until it was canceled in 1978. Before Barney Miller, he made a few appearances on the ABC TV soap Dark Shadows as Ezra Braithwaite and Otis Greene. He has also appeared in several Broadway productions, including Marat/Sade (1967), The Man in the Glass Booth (1968), Inquest (1970), Tough to Get Help (1972), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1987). His trademark hunched posture and slow delivery of lines made him appear older than he really was.
On January 23, 2009, Vigoda appeared live on The Today Show. He said he was doing well, joked about previous reports of his death and in fact announced he had just completed a voice-over for an H&R Block commercial to air during the Super Bowl. On December 30, 2009 Vigoda was invited back to The Today Show to appear live on the set for Matt Lauer's birthday party. Vigoda was warmly greeted by Lauer who called him "our favorite guest of all times" on the show. Vigoda discussed his long career with Lauer. He returned to "The Today Show" on June 8, 2011 to celebrate Meredith Vieira's last day on the show.
On the set of "The Today Show" for Meredith Viera's last show
Vigoda appeared alongside Betty White in a Snickers commercial that debuted during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010.[5] The actor has also been honored with pop culture references, many in connection with false reports of his death. Jazz bassist Eric Revis's song "Abe Vigoda" appears on saxophonist Branford Marsalis's 2009 album Metamorphosen.

False reports of his death

In 1982, People magazine referred to Vigoda as dead. Vigoda took the error with good humor, posing for a photograph in which he was sitting up in a coffin, holding the magazine in question.
Erroneous reports of Vigoda's death as well as questions of whether he is alive or dead have become a running joke:
Abe Vigoda in Good Burger
  • A Late Night with David Letterman skit showed Letterman trying to summon Vigoda's ghost. Vigoda then walked in and declared, "I'm not dead yet, you pinhead!"
  • In a Comedy Central Roast of Drew Carey, with Abe Vigoda present in the audience, comedian Jeffrey Ross stated "and my one regret is that Abe Vigoda isn't alive to see this." He followed that with "Drew, you go to Vegas, what's the over-under on Abe Vigoda?"
  • Vigoda appeared in the 1997 film Good Burger as the character Otis (he was the restaurant's French fry man). Several jokes were made about his age, including Otis himself saying "I should've died years ago" while wearing an oxygen tank.
  • A November 2006 Conan O'Brien sketch showed an audience member summoning the dead. The "deceased person" turned out to be Vigoda.
  • Episode 7 of 2010 sitcom Running Wilde included a scene with various well known actors and their availability listed on a blackboard, Abe Vigoda appearing as "Dead(?)".
  • Season 4, episode 21 of Yes, Dear features a song entitled "Things I Think About At Work" with a line stating "I wonder if Abe Vigoda's still alive".

Filmography

Upcoming

Television work

 

 

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Who is Mike Brown?

Who is Mike Brown? The pro Football world knows him as Mike Brown an American football safety that is a Free Agent in the NFL. He was originally selected with the eighth pick of the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Nebraska.

High school career

Mike Brown was born February 13, 1978 in Scottsdale, Arizona  graduated from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1996, where he starred in both football and baseball.
In football he was an All-State choice and ranked the top defensive back prospect in the country by SuperPrep, and named Arizona Player-of-the-Year by every major publication. Mike Brown was named the state's top running back and defensive back by The Arizona Republic , which was the first time in 10 years a player received both awards. Mike rushed for 2,036 yards (9.6 avg.) and 31 touchdowns as a senior.
In baseball he played center field and was an All-State choice as a senior, after batting .426, and posting 27 stolen bases.[1]

College career

Brown enjoyed a stellar college career and is still considered by many fans and experts of Nebraska football to be the greatest strong safety in the modern history of the school. Brown played cornerback as a freshman before playing both safety positions in final three seasons. As a junior, he set Nebraska single-season record for tackles by a defensive back with a career-high 102 and was named to all-Big 12 first-team. Brown enjoyed his greatest season as senior in which he was first-team all-America selection by Associated Press and Football Writers Association and a unanimous all-Big Twelve first-team pick and academic all-American. He started every game and finished the year leading the Huskers with 96 tackles while adding two sacks, one fumble recovery, six forced fumbles and five interceptions, five passes defended.

Professional career


The Chicago Bears drafted Brown as 39th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Brown was the only rookie to play in the 2000 season’s opener, eventually becoming the team’s starting free safety for all sixteen games of the season.[2] He recorded the second most tackles on the team that year and one interception that was returned for a touchdown.[3] He received accolades from Pro Football Weekly, Football News and Football Digest , but lost the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award to teammate Brian Urlacher.[2] The following year, he had two memorable performances, during which he returned two interceptions for two consecutive overtime wins.[4] The 2001 Bears finished the season with a 13-3 record and one of the league’s most prominent defenses. Brown recorded a team leading five interceptions that year. However, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the team in the postseason’s second round.
Brown recorded three interceptions and 111 tackles in 2002, despite sustaining a hand injury during the off season. One of his most notable performances came when he returned a fumble for a 68-yard touchdown, following a fumble and lateral pass from Rosevelt Colvin.[2] In addition to the return he had forced three fumbles that season.[3] However, Brown only intercepted two passes during the 2003 season, and tied for third among tackles on the team.[2]
After sustaining an Achilles injury in 2004, which forced him to miss the last 14 games, and a calf-injury in 2005 which made him miss the last four games of 2005, the Bears defense was noticeably less effective. Brown tried to play in a January 2006 Divisional Playoff game for the Bears against the Carolina Panthers, but had to leave the game in the first quarter. The Panthers would go on to win the game, 29-21. During week six of the 2006 Chicago Bears season, Brown suffered a Lisfranc fracture. The ailment forced him to undergo surgery, and sent him to Bears' injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Brown is also noted by teammates and coaches for his on-field coaching ability. He made the NFL transitions much easier for his fellow safeties Chris Harris and Danieal Manning by making sure they were in the correct positions. Brian Urlacher often referred to him as the actual leader of the defense.[5] Brown returned to the field during the 2007 season's mini-camp, making a recovery much earlier than expected.[6] Brown recorded an interception during the 2007 season's opener against the San Diego Chargers. However, he sustained a knee injury after Lorenzo Neal horse-collar tackled him.[7] Brown returned to the locker room, and emotionally stated that something in his knee did not feel right.[8] Further medical examination confirmed that Brown would miss the remainder of the season.[9]
Neal, who knew he was at fault immediately after the play,[10] apologized to Brown and the media.[11] Brian Urlacher, one of Brown’s longtime teammates and friends, stated he was unsure whether Brown would attempt another comeback.[12] The Bears reached an agreement with Brown on a restructured contract on May 20, 2008. This deal protects Chicago if Brown gets hurt for the fourth time in his career. He will still make his annual $2.44 million, but only $950,000 of it is guaranteed for being on the Week 1 roster. The rest of the money can be based on playing time. If Brown gets injured in preseason, he gets just $320,000. [13] Brown sustained a calf injury during the Bears' second-to-last game of the 2008 season, and was subsequently placed on the injury reserve. Brown was just one game away from completing his first full season in more than four years. [14]
On February 14, 2009, the Chicago Bears announced that they would not offer a contract to Mike Brown. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on June 24.[15] Brown started in all 16 games for the Chiefs, recording three interceptions and 79 tackles.
He is currently a free agent. There are many possible reasons for this but an obvious one is that he was replaced by the Chiefs' new prospect, safety Eric Berry.

 

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Who is Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy?

Who is Jeffrey Marshall Foxworthy? The entertainment and comedy world knows him as "Jeff" Foxworthy, he is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy has released six major-label comedy albums. His first two albums were each certified 3×multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Foxworthy has also written several books based on his redneck jokes, as well as an autobiography entitled No Shirt, No Shoes... No Problem!.
Foxworthy has also made several ventures into television, first in the mid-1990s as the star of a sitcom called, The Jeff Foxworthy Show. He has also appeared alongside Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy in several Blue Collar television specials, most notably Blue Collar TV. Since 2007, he has been the host of the quiz show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? on Fox (2007–09) and syndication (2009–present). Foxworthy hosted a nationally syndicated radio show called The Foxworthy Countdown from April 1999 to December 2009.

Early life

Foxworthy was born September 6, 1958 in Atlanta, Georgia, the first child of Jimmy Abstance Foxworthy, an IBM executive, and Carole Linda (Camp) Foxworthy.[1][2] His grandfather, James Marvin Camp, was a fireman in Hapeville for more than 30 years.[1]
Foxworthy graduated from Hapeville High School. He attended Georgia Tech in Atlanta and graduated in 1979[3]. He worked for five years in mainframe computer maintenance at IBM (where his father also worked). At the urging of IBM co-workers, he entered and won the Great Southeastern Laugh-off, at Atlanta's Punchline comedy club, in 1984.[4]

Comedy albums

Foxworthy received the award for "Best Stand-Up Comic" at the 1990 American Comedy Awards.[5]
In 1993, he released You Might Be a Redneck If…, which started the "You Might Be a Redneck" fad, topped the comedy album charts and sold more than three million copies.
His July 1995 release, Games Rednecks Play, received a 1996 Grammy nomination for "Best Spoken Comedy Album".[6]
Totally Committed was released in May 1998. In conjunction with the CD was a one-hour HBO stand-up special by the same name. The CD reached "gold" status and received a 1999 Grammy Award nomination.[7] The video of the song, Totally Committed featured frequent references to then-Atlanta Braves pitcher, Greg Maddux as well as an appearance at the very end by Maddux himself (along with teammate, John Smoltz).
In 2001, he received a nomination for "Best Spoken Comedy Album" at the 43rd Annual Grammys.
Foxworthy hosted Country Weekly's ""TNN Music City News Country Awards" show for 1998, 1999 and 2000.[8]

Television

In 1995, he starred in The Jeff Foxworthy Show, a sitcom created out of his stand-up comedy persona. It aired on ABC, but was canceled after one season. NBC subsequently picked up the show, but it was again canceled after one season. Foxworthy later remarked that the network did not understand how to properly market his humor; thinking his routine was "too Southern" for a national network ("Has anyone heard me talk?", he commented in one of his stand-up routines), they based the first season of his sitcom in Bloomington, Indiana. The show later aired on Nick at Nite and CMT in 2005 and 2006. He also appeared in Alan Jackson's video for I Don't Even Know Your Name in 1995.
Foxworthy hosted the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? which aired on Fox in prime time. He hosted the syndicated version of the show from September 21, 2009 until its cancellation on March 24, 2011.[9] In addition, he is a host on The Bucks of Tecomate which airs on Versus with Alabama native David Morris.
Jeff will also be a potential investor on about half of the next edition of the ABC reality series, Shark Tank, where moneyed entrepreneurs decide if they will invest in new products, ideas and the like from those requesting funding in exchange for a percentage of ownership.[10]
He was the subject of a Comedy Central Roast in 2005.

Blue collar comedy

In the early 2000s, Foxworthy had a career resurgence as a result of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, in which he and three other comedians (Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White, and Bill Engvall), specializing in common-man comedy, toured the country and performed for record crowds. The tour lasted three full years, constantly being extended after an initial run of 20 shows.
In 2004, he launched a new television show called Blue Collar TV on The WB Television Network, Comedy Central, and Comedy Network (2007). He served as executive producer, and starred alongside Blue Collar Comedy Tour-mates Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. (Ron White turned the show down but made occasional guest appearances). The show was relatively successful compared to the anemic performance of the WB's other sitcoms. On Larry the Cable Guy's website, he posted that the show was canceled on October 17, 2005 by WB. Reruns of Blue Collar TV continued until the network merged with UPN to form The CW.
Jeff resurrected the Blue Collar TV format (albeit with only himself participating along with some of the Blue Collar TV co-hosts) on Country Music Television (CMT) with Foxworthy's Big Night Out. The show began airing in summer 2006 and was cancelled after one season.

Books

Foxworthy has authored several books, including You Might Be a Redneck If... (1989), as well as his autobiography, No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem! (1996). Artist Layron DeJarnette provided illustrations for the Redneck Dictionary books. R. David Boyd has been the exclusive illustrator for most of Foxworthy's books and album covers.
He also has released a cookbook entitled The Redneck Grill, co-authored with Newnan, Georgia artist R. David Boyd, and "Redneck Extreme Mobile Home Makeover" (2005), a book with some of his redneck jokes.
His books are:
  • Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of (2005)
  • Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary II: More Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of (2006)
  • Jeff Foxworthy's Redneck Dictionary III: Learning to Talk More Gooder Fastly (30 Oct 7)
  • Rednecks In College
In February 2008, Foxworthy released his first children's book, Dirt On My Shirt. This was followed by Silly Street in 2009 and Hide!!! in 2010, both of which were illustrated by Steve Bjorkman.
In May 2008, Foxworthy released How to Really Stink at Golf, with co-author Brian Hartt and illustrations by Layron DeJarnette. In May 2009 he released How to Really Stink at Work, A Guide to Making Yourself Fire-Proof While Having the Most Fun Possible. This book was also co-authored with Brian Hartt.

Radio work

In April 1999, Foxworthy began The Foxworthy Countdown, a nationally syndicated, weekly radio show, which featured the top 30 country hits of the week, as reported by Mediabase. He received a Country Music Association nomination, in 2001, for "Broadcast Personality of the Year". The program's last broadcast, the 2009 year-end countdown, aired the weekend of December 27, 2009.[11] Blue Collar Comedy Radio airs on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 103 and is associated with Raw Dog Comedy on Sirius 104.

Personal life

Foxworthy has been married to Pamela Gregg since September 18, 1985 and has two daughters, Jordan (born in 1992) and Julianne (born in 1994).[12] A noted hunting enthusiast, Foxworthy has appeared as host and featured guest on several programs on the Outdoor Channel and Versus.[13] Foxworthy is also a devout Christian, and performed stand-up at a Young Life conference.[14]

Discography

Foxworthy has released five comedy albums for Warner Bros. Records as well as one for DreamWorks Records. One of his albums included the novelty Christmas song "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas", which reached number 18 on the Hot Country Songs charts in late 1995-early 1996.

 



 

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Who is Isiah Lord Thomas III?

Who is Isiah Lord Thomas III? The Professional Basketball world knows him by his nicknamed "Zeke", Isiah Thomas  is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA Championship in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. During the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

Early life and college career

Thomas was born on April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois. The youngest of nine brothers and sisters, he commuted from the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago to play high school basketball at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois for Gene Pingatore.[2] He would wake up at 5 am and commute 90 minutes to attend the private school.[2] During his junior year, he led St. Joseph to the State Finals. He played for Bob Knight's Hoosiers at Indiana University. In 1981, Thomas led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament National Championship and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. After accomplishing this in his sophomore season, Thomas made himself eligible for the NBA Draft.

NBA playing career

In the 1981 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons chose Thomas with the #2 pick and signed him to a four-year $1.6 million contract. Thomas made the All-Rookie team and started for the Eastern Conference in the 1982 All-Star Game.
In the opening round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons faced off against Bernard King and the New York Knicks. In the pivotal fifth game, Thomas was having a subpar performance, while Bernard King was having an excellent game. However, Thomas scored 16 points in the last 94 seconds to force the game into overtime. King and the Knicks, however, held on to win in overtime.
In the 1985 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and his team went to the conference semi-finals against the 15-time NBA champion Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Detroit couldn't shake the Celtics in their six-game series, eventually losing.
In the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons went to the Eastern Conference Finals and faced the Boston Celtics. It was the furthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne when they were the Zollner-Pistons. The Pistons were able to tie the Celtics at two games apiece. Detroit's hope of winning Game 5 was dashed at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining in a play by Larry Bird: Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball, Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.
In 1988, the Pistons' first trip to the Finals saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Prior to the series, Thomas and Johnson would exchange a courtside kiss on the cheek prior to tip-off as a sign of their deep friendship.[3][4] After taking a 3-2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6.
One of Thomas' most inspiring and self-defining moments came in Game 6. Although he had severely sprained his ankle late in the game, Thomas continued to play. While hobbling and in obvious pain, Thomas scored 25 points in a single quarter of the game, an NBA Finals record. However, the Lakers won the game 103-102 on a pair of last-minute free throws by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer. With Thomas unable to compete at full strength the Lakers were able to take advantage and clinched their second consecutive title in Game 7, 108-105.
In the 1988-89 season, Thomas, along with fellow teammates Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman, James Edwards, John Salley, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre, guided his team to a then-franchise record 63-19 record. Detroit played a brash and dominating brand of basketball through the playoffs that led to their nickname "Bad Boys". First they defeated Boston who had been suffering persistent injuries. The Pistons then defeated Michael Jordan and the up and coming Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals to set up an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. Thomas and the Pistons then won their first of back-to-back championships when they defeated the Lakers in a 4-game sweep. The following year, Thomas was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the 1990 NBA Finals after averaging 27.6 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game in the series with Clyde Drexler's Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons continued to play well between 1991 and 1993 but were not able to return to the NBA Finals as they were eclipsed by the growing Chicago Bulls dynasty. An aging and ailing Thomas decided to end his career at the end of the 1994 season, but he tore his Achilles' tendon in April 1994, forcing him to end his career as a player a month earlier.
Thomas was named to the All-NBA First team three times and is the Pistons' all-time leader in points, steals, games played and assists. He ranks fifth in NBA history in assists (9,061, 9.3 apg) and ranks ninth in NBA history in steals (1,861). Thomas was known for his dribbling ability as well as his ability to drive to the basket and score. His #11 was retired by the Detroit Pistons.

International career

Thomas was selected to the 1980 Olympic team, but like all American athletes he was not able to play in Moscow due to the Olympics boycott. The boycotting countries instead participated in the gold medal series, a series of games against NBA teams, a French team and the 1976 Olympic gold medal team in various U.S. cities, recording a 5-1 record (losing to the Seattle SuperSonics). Thomas shot 22-55 from the field and 14-17 from the line. He led the U.S. in assists with 37 (the next highest total on the team was 17) and averaged 9.7 points per game.[5]
Despite his talent, Thomas was left off the original Olympic Dream Team, possibly as a result of an alleged feud with Michael Jordan.[6] In the book When the Game Was Ours, Magic Johnson relates that he, Jordan and other players conspired to keep Thomas off the Dream Team.[3][7]
After Tim Hardaway left the team due to injury he was named to Dream Team II for the 1994 World Championship of Basketball, but did not play due to his Achilles tendon injury that caused his retirement.[6] He was replaced by Kevin Johnson.

Post-NBA career

Toronto Raptors

After retiring, Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and his future responsibilities. During his four-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and high schooler Tracy McGrady.

Broadcasting

After leaving the Raptors, Thomas became a television commentator (first as the lead game analyst with play-by-play man Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for the NBA on NBC. Thomas also worked a three-man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.

CBA

Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. Thomas purchased the CBA for $10 million, and in 2001 the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded, shortly after NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to create his own development league, the NBDL, to replace the CBA.[8] Many CBA managers blamed Thomas for the league's failure, citing mismanagement and out-of-control spending on his part. At the time of the league's collapse the managing of the CBA was in a blind-trust, due to Thomas' position as head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana Pacers

From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the Eastern Conference title. Thomas attempted to bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. However, under Thomas the Pacers were not able to stay at the elite level as they went through the transition from a veteran-dominated, playoff-experienced team to a younger, more inexperienced team. In Thomas's first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets, both of whom eventually made the NBA Finals.
In his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided the Pacers to a 48-34 record in the regular season and coached the Eastern Conference team at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. As the third seed, the Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics. With blossoming talents such as Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, the perception existed that the Pacers' unfulfilled potential stemmed from Thomas' inexperience as a coach. In the offseason, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle.

Hall of Fame

In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

New York Knicks

On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts.

On June 22, 2006, the Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and owner James Dolan replaced him with Thomas under the condition that he show "evident progress" or be fired.
During the following season the Knicks became embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets, which Thomas allegedly instigated by ordering his players to commit a hard foul in the paint.[9] However, he was not fined or suspended. NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he only relied on "definitive information" when handing out punishments.[10] Later in the season, nine months after James Dolan demanded "evident progress", the Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" contract.[11] After Thomas was granted the extension, the Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season.
During the 2007 Draft, Thomas made another trade by acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.
Thomas also compounded the Knicks' salary cap problems by signing fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to full mid-level exception contracts. Neither player saw any significant playing time and both were often injured and highly ineffective when able to play.
Despite the constant criticism that he received from Knicks fans, Thomas maintained that he had no intention of leaving until he turned the team around and he predicted that he would lead the Knicks to a championship, stating that his goal was to leave behind a "championship legacy" with the Knicks, just as he had done for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread skepticism.[12]
On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Walsh would not comment definitively on whether or not Thomas would be retained in any capacity at the time of his hiring.
One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Thomas had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially 'reassigned' on April 18 "after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal."[13] Thomas posted an overall winning percentage of .341 as head coach of the Knicks, fifth lowest in team history. As part of the reassignment agreement Thomas was banned from having contact with any Knicks' players under the rationale that he could willingly or unwillingly undermine Donnie Walsh and the new head coach.[14]

FIU

On April 14, 2009, Thomas accepted an offer to become the head basketball coach of FIU, replacing Sergio Rouco after 5 losing seasons.[15] Thomas announced that he would donate his first year's salary back to the school.[15] Thomas was quoted as saying, "I did not come here for the money."[15]
After posting a 7-25 record in his first season at FIU, on August 6, 2010, Thomas announced that he was taking a job as consultant to the New York Knicks, while keeping his position as head coach at FIU.[16] According to the New York Daily News, "nearly every major media outlet panned the announcement of Thomas' hire," and it led to a "public outcry" among fans.[17] In a reversal on August 11, Thomas announced that he would not be working with the Knicks because holding both jobs violated NBA by-laws.[17]
Thomas finished his second season at FIU with an 11-19 record (5-11 in conference games).

Controversy

Michael Jordan rivalry

In the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Thomas was joined on the Eastern Conference squad by star rookie Michael Jordan. Jordan wound up attempting nine shots, a relatively low number for a starting player. Afterward, Thomas and his fellow veteran East players were accused of having planned to "freeze out" Jordan from their offense by not passing him the ball, supposedly out of spite over the attention Jordan was receiving. No player involved has ever confirmed that the "freeze-out" occurred, but the story has been long reported, and has never been refuted by Jordan.[18] Thomas has ridiculed the idea of him being the mastermind behind a supposed "freeze-out" as being "ludicrous" citing that he was a relatively young player on a team including Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Moses Malone.[19]
During Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Induction, a ceremony in which Thomas introduced John Stockton, who was also being inducted, Jordan dismissed the concerns about a freeze-out having taken place, saying "I was just happy to be there, being the young guy surrounded by all these greats, I just wanted to prove myself and I hope that I did prove myself to you guys."
In the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1991 NBA Playoffs, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for the fourth consecutive season in the playoffs. The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. The series was marked by a number of verbal, physical, and match-up problems. With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Thomas and eight of his teammates walked off the court, refusing to shake hands with the members of the Bulls.
In 1992, Thomas was passed over for the Dream Team apparently due to his relationship with Jordan.

[edit] Sexual harassment lawsuit

In October 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment by Anucha Browne Sanders. The matter came to trial in September 2007 and Thomas was determined to have made demeaning statements to Sanders, as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her.[20] Madison Square Garden was ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11.6 million, one of the largest sexual harassment judgments in history.
"I'm innocent, I'm very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing," Thomas said after the decision. "I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case." Thomas admitted under oath that he did in fact call Sanders a "bitch". During his testimony, Thomas also claimed it was appropriate to exchange hugs and kisses with co-workers.

Drug overdose

On October 24, 2008, Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center near his New York City area home after taking an overdose of Lunesta, a form of sleep medication.[21] According to Harrison, New York police, they were called to Thomas's house, where, finding him unconscious but breathing, they had him transported to the hospital. Police Chief David Hall stated that they "are calling this an accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill.” He was released from the hospital later that day.[22]
In the opinion of Harrison Police Chief David Hall, Thomas tried to "cover up" the incident by claiming his 17-year old daughter required medical treatment when in actuality he was the patient. Referring to Thomas' 17-year-old daughter, Hall said, "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."[23]
According to Thomas, in an interview with ESPN, his daughter had been taken to the hospital earlier in the day, and he was also admitted to the hospital after he accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills. Thomas also denied that it was a suicide attempt, and explained that he was so quiet about his hospitalization because he was focused on his daughter and family at the time.[24]

Prohibited workouts

Beginning in 2007, while Thomas was President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks, the team instituted a series of secret pre-NBA draft workouts for potential draftees, in direct violation of NBA league rules.[25] The league fined the Knicks $200,000 in February 2011, after an investigation into the incidents.[25] Thomas was not personally cited in the penalties.[25]

Career NBA statistics

[26]
  • Games played: 979
  • Games started: 971
  • Minutes per game: 36.3
  • Points scored: 18,822
  • Assists: 9,061
  • Rebounds: 3,478
  • Steals: 1,861
  • Points per game: 19.2
  • Assists per game: 9.3
  • Rebounds per game: 3.6
  • Steals per game: 1.9
  • Field goal percentage: .452
  • Free throw percentage: .759
  • Three-point percentage: .290

Coaching record

Team Year Regular Season
G W L PCT Finish Result
IND 2000-01 82 41 41 .500 4th in Central Lost in First Round
IND 2001-02 82 42 40 .512 4th in Central Lost in First Round
IND 2002-03 82 48 34 .585 2nd in Central Lost in First Round
NYK 2006-07 82 33 49 .402 4th in Atlantic Missed Playoffs
NYK 2007-08 82 23 59 .280 5th in Atlantic Missed Playoffs

Career 410 187 223 .456
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Florida International Golden Panthers (Sun Belt) (2009–present)
2009–2010 Florida International 7-25 4-14

2010–2011 Florida International 11-19 5-11

Florida International: 18-44 9-25
Total: 18-44
      National Champion         Conference Regular Season Champion         Conference Tournament Champion
      Conference Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion       Conference Division Champion

 

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