NBA All-Time Greatest, Who Are Your Top Ten?

Every year around this time Sports Talk Radio debates who are the greatest 10 NBA Players of all-time . Most would probably agree on the ten players , but the real battle is about rank.
So having watched pro hoops since I'm 8 years old, here's my humble opinion 1-10;
1. MJ
2. Wilt
3. Bill Russell
4. Kareem
5. Kobe
6. Oscar Robertson
7. Magic
8. Bird
9. Jerry West and
10. Tim Duncan, Karl Malone and Elgin Baylor(3 way tie)

Your thoughts?

Celebrity Trials ; Who Will Be Convicted, Who Will Walk?

With temperatures reaching 90 outside, the indoor temperatures in at least three Courtrooms has also risen . In North Carolina former Senator John Edwards is sweating out day 7 of jury deliberations . Tough to stay focused on anything during deliberations which can be paralyzing. Being a trial lawyer , Edwards has been there, done that!
In Washington, Roger Clemens is fighting for survival in the hostile,tense Courtroom of Judge Reggie Walton. The 7 time Cy Young Award Winner is in his second month of trial which has basically turned his life upside-down. At some point in the not too distant future , Roger will have to make the decision as to whether he will take the stand or not . Like to be a fly on the wall for the discussion with Rusty Hardin on that issue.
And now , Rajat Gupta , formerly a well-respected Wall Street Director is on trial for supplying confidential information to Raj Rajatnaram who traded on and benefitted from the information.
Three bright, rich individuals in their primes! All victims of greed , lust and ego. The usual !
So here are my predictions;

Edwards-hung jury on some charges, acquitted on others.

Clemens- Acquitted. Can't believe McNamee.

Gupta - convicted on all major charges. Your thoughts?

Legal analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

Rangers Actually Lucky To Only Be Down 3-2!

I'm a Ranger fan for 40 years....Began listening to games on the radio at my dad's workbench when I was 10. Marv Alpert was the play by play man back then. Have had a lot of heartache with this team. I, unfortunately gave up my season's tickets out of sheer frustration the year before they "Raised the Cup"!
So this year, like many fans I thought we had a great chance to win it all. Yes, we were the best team during the regular season, but the playoffs are all about being the " hot team" at the right time.
So far in the "Devil Series ", the Rangers have been thoroughly outplayed in almost every game . You can honestly attribute their 2 wins solely to the "super-human efforts " of Lundquist who has carried them through the post-season. The Devils, as you may recall have a pretty good goaltender themselves with Marty Brodeur in the nets.
So here's the bottom line. The Rangers are lucky to be down only 3-2 . It should be over now! They have to play the next game in Newark like it's a game 7 ..Just one game! Then hey, anything can happen in a game 7 at the Garden. Not going to be easy.

Remember, it aint over til the fat lady sings.

Hockey Tonight analyst "Yvon " Goldman reporting.

Edwards Trial..Jury Starts Day 3 of Deliberations....I Can't Help Thinking That Bunny Mellon's Memo on Check ,"Gift" Will Be Too Much for Gov't....

The Edwards Trial reached day 3 of deliberations today. Not long, not short for a somewhat complicated criminal trial. Complicated , because the law is unsettled and the Jury Instructions seem difficult to comprehend for "Joe Schmo " average juror.
During early deliberations the jury asked for copies of check(s) and accompanying memoranda from Bunny Mellon . As you may note, "the intent of the donor" (not Edwards) is at issue here for the jury. Well, there is no ambiguity in Mellon's memo on the check where she wrote "gift". She even paid a gift tax!
So at the end of the day, what more compelling evidence can there be than a description of the payment by the donor on her own check ? There is no other probative evidence on her intent .
This one word("gift") may just be enough to carry the day for "Mr. Sleezebag's " defense team.

Let's wait and see. Your thoughts?

Legal analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

Rajat K. Gupta "Insider Trading Trial " To Start Today: Do You Think It's Really Making a Dent in Pervasive 'Insider Trading " on Wall St.?

Former Goldman, Sachs Board member Rajat K. Gupta's criminal trial begins today . He has been charged with divulging confidential, inside information to those who traded on it and profited . Alleged recipients of this "illegal information " include Raj Rajaratnam and others. The big question is , did Gupta benefit financially directly or indirectly from his communication of alleged confidential information ? Did he curry favors? Receive inside information in return? Cash? Gifts ? Or nothing at all ? That will be be the most difficult prong of the Prosecution case to prove .
But all this leads to an even bigger question . With the 66 prosecutions, pleas, convictions, publicity and tens of millions of dollars spent by the Government, is all this really any kind of deterrent to the improper use of inside information that is passed each and every day by those on Wall Street? Unfortunately, I think the practice is too rampant, too ingrained in "Worldwide Wall Street Culture " and moreover the regulatory-enforcement agencies are outnumbered, understaffed and inadequately funded to tackle this way of life.
The one practice which might lessen is talking about " things " on the phone . Insider Trading unfortunately is here to stay! Your thoughts?

Wade and Lebron Dominated Second Half....But if They Have to Perform Like This Every Night,They're in Deep Sh_t!

Lebron played a spectacular all-around game today against the Pacers ! Wade finished with 30 , most coming in an uncanny second half scoring exhibition , and the Heat barely survived. Don't get me wrong . It was a huge, gutsy win and the victory allowed Miami to regain home court advantage. Now that's the good news.
The bad is that Lebron and Wade scored about 40 points in a row for the Heat, finished with 67 or so between them and scored almost 70% percent of the team's points. Not to mention, that the Spurs and OKC, both possible finals opponents are both much, much better teams than the Pacers . Even with nightly Herculean efforts from the "big 2", and /or a healthy return from Bosh , in my opinion the Heat are "one true big man away" from winning it all.
Just can't see Haslem, Anthony, Chalmers , Battier and Miller being the consistent supporting cast needed to reach the promised land. Hey, don't count them out...But, ten(10) more playoff wins may be too high a mountain to climb.
I can tell you one thing. Tonight's flight back to South Beach was definitely a joyous one!

NBA analyst, "Skitch Goldman reporting.

Edwards Case in The Hands Of The Jury....We Know He's a Sleezebag...But Did He Violate Federal Law?

So the testimony wrapped up. Closing arguments were given and the Judge instructed the jury on the applicable Law . Yes, that's right. The Judge instructed the jury on the law . In this case, almost one of first impression, the verdict will certainly hinge on the jurors determining what the billionaire heiresses intent was when she gave about $725,000 to Edwards.
If the jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that one of her purposes in giving the money was to influence an election, then that would be sufficent to convict . Of significance, is that Ms. Mellon declared the payment to be a gift, and actually paid a gift tax on it. Was she helping Edwards cause she was enamored with him or was she trying to "influence" an election,whether it be the primary or the General Election down the road.
Going to be very difficult for the jury to creep into the mind of the donor , decide her intent and render a sustainable verdict. In my opinion, there is not enough evidence in front of the jury regarding Ms. Mellon's intent. Without these proofs, it would appear to be next to impossible to meet that "beyond a reasonable doubt" burden.
My prediction, Edwards is acquitted or if convicted by the Jury, the verdict is tossed on post-trial motion.

Your thoughts.

Legal crackerjack S.F. Goldman reporting.

Don't Look Now, Dow Jones Down 800 Points In The Last Couple of Weeks!

The one thing about investing in the market is that you can never get too complacement . Things may be looking good, positive news and indicators galore....Then boom! The bottom falls out and panic overwhelms you.
That is exactly what has happened here . The Dow peaked at just over 13,300 and as of 15 minutes ago it had plummeted to 12,500. Ouch! 800 points in such a short time is not insignificant. How much is attributable to European debt issues? The economy? Jobs, manufacturing ? Tough to tell.
Has the fallout from the JP Morgan trading debacle contributed adversely? I believe so. Investor's psyches'(as we know) are very sensitive and any minute sign, trend or indicator can set things off .
One thing is for certain. There is never any "certainty " in the market . So give yourself a break. Hit Atlantic City, Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun .....Lay back, de-stress.
This has been Wall Street analyst Steve " DJI" Goldman reporting.

Clemens Trial; As The Beat Goes On.........

Can you believe it? Week five already in the Clemens retrial? Only two jurors dismissed for sleeping so far .....How much longer will the case last? (Snore!)
This is a tense, unhappy Courtroom . Clemens is miserable, Judge Walton hates the case! The Prosecution Team is on edge . The jurors can't stay awake. Only the national news media and the bloggers are enjoying things . The cross-examination of Brian McNamee should be one of the highlights of the trial . Sparks will be flying . As well as syringes!
Other than that , many are wondering why we are here in the first place . And the saddest thing of all, the seven time Cy Young award winner's life , reputation and legacy continue to spiral downward.
Roger, unfortunately you don't have have a lot of sympathizers. But Prosecution, then again, neither do you .
Steve "HGH" Goldman reporting.

JP Morgan, Big Banks....It's Like Playing With Monopoly Money...Really!

The fallout from JP Morgan's trading loss of at least $2 billion(could be more ) has dominated the news for the past week . How could it happen? Do you really believe a loss of this magnitude could take place without the CEO knowing about it? He better implement some better "quality controls " for next time . Did anyone say "turning a blind eye"?
In today's financial world and the topsy turvy derivatives market you can(and they do ) insure against almost anything. They make sh_t up as they are going along. It wouldn't even surprise me if they bought insurance insuring themselves against this trading loss , which had effectively insured numerous hedge funds for fluctuations in values of other publicly traded stocks. Not so far-fetched, is it?
At the end of the day, Morgan will make up the loss somewhere else...Probably with each of their millions of customers absorbing a small, transparent amount in their monthly statements, ATM charges or some other innocuous place. Don't shed a tear for JP Morgan! They wouldn't for you !
And you know what ? They don't have to make good on the $2 billion plus loss until 2017 . Yes, 5 years to scheme and shift and maneuver . Spread it out over 5 years .
So let's get finished with the resignations and firings of "the sacrificial lambs ". We have other important things to get to .

Reporting, Steve "Credit Swaps " Goldman.

I Love Big Banks; Yeah, It's Only a $2 Billion Loss...No Big Deal!

Big story in the Times this morning . JP Morgan admits to a trading loss of $2 "billion ". [Billion you say? ]. You know what's great? It's always some "rogue trader in Europe " trading on risky derivatives. Or some " wildman on the "Delta Desk". Yeah, you know the same guys the bank patted on the back and gave huge bonuses last year when " things were good ".
What struck me though about the losses is the bank's "ho hum " attitude . Yes, it is true that JP Morgan made $19 billion last year.....But there goes $2 billion right out the door. "Easy come, easy go! We'll make it up somehow on our customers next year."They'll hardly notice.
So while "Morgan " is shaking off this huge trading loss , I have to stop and ask myself : Will they be so nonchalant the next time a customer has a whopping $82 overdraft on his checking account ? Or will they dunn and harass him until the cows come home?
Ah, the "rich get richerrrrrrr!
JP Goldman reporting.

Josh Hamilton a Free Agent At Year's End....So What Will He Be Worth?

Holy smolee ? Josh Hamilton exploded last night and hit 4 homers and a double in one game . Haven't seen a power performance like that since he jacked out like 27 homers in the Home Run Derby at the "Old Yankee Stadium " a few years back!
His 2012 Numbers ; 14 homers, 36 RBI's , and batting .406 . I know it's only the second week of May, but Hamilton with his amazing strength and sweet swing(Did anyone say Roy Hobbs?) may have just added a few zeros to his free-agent value .
Could you imagine him hitting in Yankee Stadium or Fenway with their respective right field porches ? Scary . Big question is, will anyone really pitch to him the rest of the year ? I don't think so!
Anyway, think about this. Hamilton finishes with 45 homers, 130 RBI's and hits .350. Now remember he's 30 years old. What type of deal would this mega-free agent get?
Maybe $210 million for seven years . More? Your thoughts?

"Skippy " Goldman reporting.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn; New York Trial Court Judge Rules "DSK " Does Not Have "Absolute Immunity " and Must Therefore Defend Case Brought By Maid!

DSK's attorneys motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit brought by the "hotel maid "(aka, "the victim") based on the contention that DSK was immune from civil actions as the Chief of the IMF was denied by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon . DSK's attorneys argued for absolute immunity under a number of treaties and international conventions, but at the end of the day the Court reasoned that at the time of the "alleged incident " he was not acting in his official capacity and the encounter was unrelated to his official duties with the IMF. Tell him that!
In any event , the case proceeds with the discovery stage. Lawyers get richer , DSK gets dragged thru more mud and the victim longs for a potential payday!

Ah, justice at work.

Legal analyst Steve Goldman reporting.

Clemens Re-trial; Prosecutors May Be in Deep Sh_t Again After Pettitte Concession on Cross-examination !

Trial lawyers know well and good, that a witness is only as good as how he or she performs on cross-examination . Direct examination usually rehearsed over and over again is "a walk in the park " compared with the pressure , stress, fatigue and hostility that a strong cross-examination will bring. I actually had a witness leave the stand during a break on my cross , who never came back to the witness stand and was never heard from again.
Well this scenario was never more telling than in the testimony of "Prosecution star witness ", Andy Pettitte . Pettitte , as expected on direct examination said that in 1999-2000 Clemens told him that he used HGH . On cross-examination , Pettitte testified there was a 50 percent chance he could have been mistaken . Oh my God!
The Prosecution team probably sh_t a collective brick . Case may have just gone down the tubes too . Could the Prosecution have anticipated this ? Did they intentionally turn a "blind (deaf, dumb and blind) eye to this possible response ?
I'll tell you this . If the jury discounts Greg McNamee as a chronic liar, they CANNOT convict Clemens on Pettitte's "I don't really remember testimony ".
And remember, Judge Walton hasn't liked this case from the beginning!

Scoop Goldman reporting.

"Roger Mentioned That He Had Used HGH in 1999-2000 To Help His Recovery ". Ouch!

Well Andy Pettitte finally took the stand yesterday in the criminal trial of Roger Clemens . Clemens and Pettitte were formerly best friends, workout partners and teammates . Pettitte idolized Clemens growing up. So on Tuesday, Pettitte testified for about two hours after being called by the US Attorney. He will be cross-examined by Clemens' legal team today . Like to be a fly in the courtroom today.
At the end of the day if the jurors believe Pettitte and his testimony(remember Pettitte admittedly used steroids), "Roger mentioned to me that he used HGH in 1999-2000 to help his recovery "..that could alone be enough to convict Clemens on several of the charges. Especially in light of the fact that Brian McNamee , Clemens' former trainer and the Prosecution's "star witness " carries tremendous amounts of baggage and his testimony could be discounted completely by jurors.
Should be a volatile session today .
Moral of the story: Always be careful what you tell your best friend.

Steve "HGH" Goldman reporting.

Don't Look Now, Dow just hit 13,313 !

Wowee, the DJI just broke 13,300 almost on cue ! What can and will the Obama detractors say about that ? Considering on November 21st 2008 when Obama took office the Dow had "bottomed out " at 7,449, there is not much the Republicans can say.
Actually, Wall Street should be kissing Obama's a_s as the market is reaching new all-time highs. Are happy days here again?

So investor confidence has risen despite the European economy, despite credit issues, unemployment and a sagging housing market . Go figure.

Only in America!

Wall Street analyst S.F. Goldman reporting.