Tune in Thursday am for Be My Guest with Betsy’s Bits

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, one of the most anticipated showdowns of the 2012/2013 NBA season… didn’t happen.  The New York Knicks were scheduled to take on the brand new Brooklyn Nets at the $1 billion dollar Barclays Center.  This was supposed to be Game 1 of a rivalry that would span at least the next 50 years, and for the first time the Knicks have a rival in their backyard.  That puts pressure on them to win from a financial and an ego standpoint, because if the Nets out perform them, then Brooklyn, not Manhattan, could become the hottest (and coolest ticket in town).  But, on account of all the storm damage and closures to mass transit, New York mayor Mike Bloomberg declared that the game be postponed to a later date. It’s just too dangerous for people to try and get to the stadium, and the tone of the game doesn’t exactly feel appropriate at this point.

And out west, the Golden State Warriors have signed their star point-guard Stephen Curry to a 4-year extension worth $11 million per year.  Curry came into the league with high promise, and the Warriors were thrilled when he slipped all the way to them.  Curry has been fantastic in what we’ve seen of him, so much so that they even decided to ship one of their best players out of town (Monta Ellis) and officially hand the keys over to Curry.  Problem is… Curry has been battling injuries and has missed a substantial amount of time.  Now, the Warriors feel its time to make the leap, feeling they have the right clientele to do so — a strong front court with David Lee and Andrew Bogut, and a young, hot new rookie in Harrison Barnes.  Having Curry run that ship is a smart move, and this could be the year that the Warriors finally make the playoffs (that is, if Curry stays healthy).

FOOTBALL

Finally, after all the controversy in Philly, it appears that Michael Vick’s starting job at quarterback is safe.  This is notable, as the decision didn’t come in a super affirmative way (as in “Vick’s our starting quarterback and that’s that).  No, this was a calculated decision, as at the last press conference, Andy Reid told the media that he would be evaluating all his quarterbacks and make a determination.  The fact that he’s sticking with Vick is a sign of confidence in the star athlete, but mostly, probably a safe bet.  If Reid were to go with Foles, Vick would likely lose all confidence, and if Foles stinks, then that could send the organization into a bizarre place the rest of the season, as Foles won’t get the assurance of his head coach (likely we’d see Vick the following week if Foles didn’t play up to par) and they would be caught in purgatory the rest of the year:  Vick or Foles?