Leslie Could Be Knicks Next Jeremy Lin

He may not have the same cultural impact as the Taiwanese-American Harvard grad who reignited the Garden's flame in the lockout-shortened 2012 season, but the most recent Knicks summer league pickup, C.J. Leslie, could make teams that passed over him in last week's NBA Draft very sorry they missed him.

C.J. Leslie with averaged 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds last season with N.C. State (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

At 6'9", Leslie is a remarkable athlete with a 7'3" wingspan. Though his game is still unpolished, he has developed a post game, making him a formidable opponent both on the inside and outside. His length and quickness for his size suggests that he could become a solid defender in the future. Leslie was heralded as a top 25 pick going into the draft, but his stock dropped, because teams felt that he lacked the assertiveness to become a contributor at the next level. Still, the former McDonald's All-American is a talented player that should have been drafted. The Knicks made a low-risk move by adding him to the summer league team, one which could pay great dividends if Leslie turns into the player that we thought he would be coming out of high school.

Former Knick Richardson Building An Unlikely Legacy In Canada

When NBA aficionados think of Micheal "Sugar" Ray Richardson, they generally don't associate him with Canadian basketball. Richardson began his 24 year professional career with the Knicks in 1978. He was selected 4th overall out of Montana, and was proclaimed to be the next "Clyde" Frazier. Two picks later, the Celtics drafted Larry Bird. Though Richardson never fully lived up to the hype, he still managed to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both assists and steals in just his second year as a pro.

In 1982, the Knicks traded Richardson to the Golden State Warriors, after signing Bernard King. Golden State quickly traded him to the Nets, where he made the all-star team, and led New Jersey to first-round upset of the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 playoffs.

Richardson's career took a wild turn in 1986, when he was banned from the league for violating the NBA substance abuse policy three times. Richardson tried to make an NBA comeback in 1991, but failed two cocaine tests.

Micheal Ray Richardson has won back-to-back NBLC titles with the London Lightning (Photo Courtesy of London Free Press)

It was during his time away from the NBA, that Richardson truly established himself as a legendary, albeit controversial, professional basketball player and coach. After spending one season with an AAU team, and one with a CBA team, Richardson went to Italy to play for Knorr Bologna, now known as Virtus Bologna, where he played for three seasons. He then spent one year in Croatia with KK Split, two years with what is now Libertas Livorno of the Italian league, three years with Olympique Antibes of the French league, and one season with French club Cholet. He spent two more years in Italy, with the now defunct clubs of Motana Forli and Basket Livorno, before ending his career in France with a second stint with Olympique Antibes, and finally the now defunct AC Golfe-Juan-Vallauris.

By the end of his pro career, Richardson had been a four time NBA all-star, and made the all-defensive first team twice, but his legacy as a coach has been far more successful. After working briefly for the Denver Nuggets as a community ambassador in 2003, he won the CBA title twice. He then won the PBL coach of the year with the Oklahoma/Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. Even in the CBA, Richardson couldn't avoid controversy. He was suspended from the 2007 CBA finals for telling the Albany Times Union newspaper that Jews were "crafty (because) they are hated worldwide." Richardson made the comments after he was offered a less than satisfactory contract by general manager Jim Coyne to coach his team in the CBA and USBL. It was also reported by the Times Union that Richardson had made an anti-gay remark at a heckling fan during the first game of the championship series against the Yakima Sun Kings.

In 2011, Richardson was named head coach of the London Lightning for the inaugural season of National Basketball League of Canada, what is the country's first established professional basketball league. In 2011-2012, Richards coached the Ontario-based club to a 28-8 regular season record, before defeating the Halifax Rainmen in the best of five championship series to become the league's first champions. This past April, Richardson and his Lightning defended their title, defeating the Summerside Storm in four games in the championship series. Richardson has garnered coach of the year honors in the both of the league's first two seasons.

Though the NBLC title is far from an NBA title, Richardson has proved that he has a knack for winning, as proven by his two championships. It may not be long before we see the former NBA all-star roaming a sideline across the American border.

NBA Must Penalize Cheap Shots More Harshly

If J.R. Smith was suspended one game for clearing the air space that he is entitled to as an offensive player by throwing an elbow into the jaws of Jason Terry, there should be numerous other plays in these playoffs that should be under review by the league offices. The fact is, what Smith did looked really bad, but for those of us who actually play the game, I think we all know that Terry deserved a shot to the chops for cutting off Smith's room to operate offensively.

After calling a timeout during game 2, Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook was undercut by Rockets guard Patrick Beverly, injuring Westbrook's knee. The play was clearly not accidental. Westbrook knew what Beverly had done as soon he slapped the press table in frustration. Beverly took out Westbrook's knees. It was a cheap shot, and one that could seriously dash all title hopes for the Thunder, who now must rely on the inexperienced Reggie Jackson to carry the load in the back court. It was a play that was much more condemnable than the one Smith had made, and yet there was not even a foul call, much less a suspension.

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook falls to the ground after being knocked over by Rockets guard Patrick Beverly. Westbrook is now out for the remainder of the season. (Photo by Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Westbrook was not the only one to be the recipient of a cheap blow. Though Carmelo Anthony stayed in the game, he was the victim of a dirty play on the part of Kevin Garnett. After setting a screen, Garnett yanked Anthony's shoulder, the same one Melo had injured earlier in the season. Carmelo was in pain for a couple of minutes, but stayed on the court. These types of cheap shots that are meant to injure other players have no place in the game. Garnett clearly intended to injure Anthony by pulling his arm. This is something that should garner a suspension. While Smith's blow to Terry's head looked bad, this act on the part of Garnett was absolutely deplorable. Further stoking Carmelo's fire, Jordan Crawford opened his big mouth and said less than savory things about Carmelo's wife. If there's any way to fuel a fire of an opposing team, it's talking about another player's loved ones.

Simply put, these cheap shots and out of line trash talk have no place in the game, and should be penalized far more harshly than Smith's elbow. The NBA needs to consider the fact that some plays just look bad, but that some really are bad, and are deserved of stiffer penalties, especially if they result in the effective injury of another player.

Knicks Down Wizards

Prior to tonight's game at Madison Square Garden, the Washington Wizards had lost two out of three meetings to the Knicks. Their lone victory over New York came on February 6th at the Verizon Center. Tonight, the Wizards made their final trip of 2013 to the World's Most Famous Arena, intent on evening the season series at two games a piece.

Wizards guard Martell Webster reaches in against Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (Photo by Andrees Latif/Reuters)

The Knicks led 58-43 at the half and held on for 120-99 victory, their thirteenth straight, behind 36 points from Carmelo Anthony. New York tied a franchise record with 20 three-pointers on the game.

Washington was led by John Wall with 33 points. Cartier Martin added 16 points off the bench.

The Wizards will return home to host Miami tomorrow night at the Verizon Center.

"Delusions Of Grandeur"

Are New York Knicks' fans delusional? In order to answer this question, you must delve deep into the franchise's 66 year history, one which started way back in 1946-47 in the NBA's inaugural season. The Knicks played in three consecutive NBA finals in 1951, 52, and 53, losing all three times, once to the Rochester Royals, and twice to the Minneapolis Lakers. New York wouldn't return to basketball's promised land until 1970, when they won their first championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games behind the likes of Clyde Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Dick Barnett. After losing the championship series to the Lakers in 1972, New York was back in the finals in '73, and again defeated Los Angeles, this time in five games. New York had added Earl Monroe to its back-court to play alongside Frazier. Some thought the two guards would be incapable of playing with each other, but instead found cohesion, and delivered New York's second championship. The Knicks didn't make another trip to the finals for another 19 years.

It was 1994. O.J. Simpson was on trial for murder. Michael Jordan was taking the year off from basketball to play minor league baseball, after his father's unexpected death, and the Knicks were in the NBA finals. This time around, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley led New York, coached by Pat Riley, against Hakeem Olajuwon, and the Houston Rockets. Though the Rockets had the better the record, Knicks' fans were convinced that this was their year, that somehow without Jordan there to crush their playoff dreams, the Knickerbockers would deliver that championship they hadn't seen in 19 years. Up three games to two, the Knicks headed back to Houston intent on securing the title, but Olajuwon's Rockets erased any hope of that happening, winning the last two games of the series, and bringing the title to Texas for the first time in the league's history. The next year, Jordan was back. The Rockets won their second straight title in '95, but MJ and the Bulls won three more championships from '96-'98.

Jordan retired again at the end of the 1998 season, but the NBA was locked out due to labor negotiations until February of 1999. That year, the Knicks made the playoffs as the eighth seed in a shortened 50 game season, but upset Miami, cruised past Atlanta, and stormed past Indiana to reach the finals again, where they would take on another Texas foe, the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks were spearheaded by Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Marcus Camby. Ewing sat out the championship series with an Achilles tendon injury he had suffered in the Conference Finals against Indiana. Behind Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the Spurs took their first title, defeating the Knicks in five games, despite a valiant 35 points in the final game of the series by Sprewell.

New York fans didn't really believe the team had a chance in that series. Since then, Knicks' fans have seemed to think a title should be right around the corner every season. Knicks' management did everything in its power to facilitate this, but made all the wrong moves. Patrick Ewing was traded for an aging Glen Rice in 2000. Later, in 2003, Sprewell was traded for Keith Van Horn. In the Spring of 2004, Knicks' general manager Isiah Thomas acquired Stephon Marbury from the Phoenix Suns. Knicks' fans pinned Marbury with the responsibility of bringing the title back to New York, and he disappointed them to no end. The Knicks only made the playoffs once during era, but were swept by the New Jersey Nets in the first round in 2004.

During the Isiah Thomas era, the Knicks suited up Steve Francis, Larry Hughes, Quentin Richardson, Dikembe Mutombo, Vin Baker, and Penny Hardaway, hoping stars in the twilight of their careers would help bring New York a championship. The Knicks acquired Zach Randolph in 2007, hoping he would become the next great big man in New York to compliment Marbury. Again, the experiment failed. Randolph was shipped to the Clippers in exchange for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas.

The next summer, the Knicks drafted Danilo Gallinari. Again, New York fans were hopeful that a savior had arrived. Maybe the Italian could turn into another Nowitzki, and lead the Knicks to the championship. In 2010, the Knicks signed Amar'e Stoudemire. If Gallinari alone wasn't the answer the Knicks problems, surely it was Stoudemire. Immediately Stoudemire carried the burden of delivering that coveted NBA title to the Knicks, but owner James Dolan had other plans. Apparently Stoudemire wasn't enough. The next February, the Knicks mortgaged their future, trading Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Timofey Mozgov for Carmelo Anthony. All of a sudden, the burden had switched shoulders from Stoudemire to Anthony. Now Knicks' fans could rest all of their hopes on Carmelo to bring them the title.

The Knicks were knocked out in the first round by the Celtics in the 2011 playoffs. Again, there was a lockout. The Knicks signed Tyson Chandler, following the end of the labor dispute, in hopes that he would add toughness to their front line. In a 66 game shortened season, the Knicks struggled out of the gate. Both Carmelo and Amar'e missed time to injury. Then, out of nowhere came Jeremy Lin. For two weeks, he captivated MSG, stealing the spotlight right out of Carmelo;s hands. The sensational performance by the neophyte again convinced Knicks fans that there was hope. New York fans were so desperate that they believed that Lin could be their savior, just like Patrick Ewing, just like Stephon Marbury, just like Amar'e Stoudemire, and just like Carmelo Anthony. These stars all have one thing in common. At some point in their career, they have carried the burden of bringing a title back to New York City. Lin suffered a left knee injury that kept him out of the Knicks' playoff series against Miami, one in which New York won their first playoff game in 11 years.

This past summer, the Knicks let Jeremy Lin walk to Houston, refusing to pay a back-loaded contract worth roughly $25 million over three years. Whether it was really due to Carmelo's disdain for playing alongside Lin remains unclear. They brought back Raymond Felton, and brought in aging vets Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, and Jason Kidd. Most recently, the Knicks signed Kenyon Martin, another veteran who has seen brighter days in this league.

On Friday night, the Knicks, and their fans, descended upon the Verizon Center. The players on the team are treated like rock stars. Fans chant their names if they play well, and harass them for autographs during warmups. Steve Novak and J.R. Smith are two of the most popular Knicks. New York fans crowded the court during shoot-around to watch Novak drain three-pointers. Smith was doing his thing, too, entertaining the gallery of Knicks' fans who had gathered behind the New York bench. Older fans shouted out to Clyde Frazier, who was providing color commentary for MSG Network.

Amar'e Stoudemire was signed to a $99.7 million contract over five years in the summer of 2010 to help bring championship basketball back to The Garden.

Despite recent woes following the acquisition of fellow superstar Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire is still considered an integral piece to the Knicks' championship puzzle.

Jason Kidd, who turns 40 later this month, is one of five current Knicks over the age of 35.

The Knicks defeated the Wizards 96-88, behind 30 points from the franchise's current savior, Carmelo Anthony. Felton chipped in 23 points and 6 assists. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 29 points and 11 rebounds, but the Wizards were defeated, and their fans drowned out by the enormous contingent of Knicks' fans, who managed to just about fill the Verizon Center to its capacity.

Wizards guard John Wall races up the floor

Wall is mugged by Knicks point guard Raymond Felton

Wizards forward Trevor Ariza drives around Knicks guard J.R. Smith

A driving Trevor Ariza is confronted by J.R. Smith

Carmelo Anthony averages 28.6 points per game. He is also tied for third in the league with 11 technical fouls on the season.

John Wall looks for an open man

Raymond Felton is defended by John Wall

John Wall dribbles towards the basket

A driving Wall is chased down Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton on his way to the bucket

John Wall contemplates his next move

With the departure of Jeremy Lin this past summer, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, right, entrusted the starting point guard job to Raymond Felton.

The often impulsive J.R. Smith fouls out of the game

Carmelo gets an explanation from referee Jason Phillips

Wizards guard Bradley Beal shoots over the outstretched arms of Knicks swing-man Iman Shumpert

If last night's game was any indication, the Knicks are headed in the right direction, but are New York fans delusional to think it possible that their team could win a title this year? Maybe a little. After all, it hasn't happened in 40 years, so just the idea takes a lot of imagination.

"Posting And Toasting"

I had two goals going into tonight's Washington Wizards game against the 31-15 New York Knicks. One was to take over 400 fan pics for my job as fan photographer. The other was to meet Walt "Clyde" Frazier. As a New York basketball fan, the Knicks color commentator has been a hero of mine from a young age. His unique vernacular embellished the Knicks games in such a profound way, that even during the team's dark years from about 2001-2010, watching the team every night remained exciting. In many ways, it was more spectacular listening to Clyde's verbal wizardry than watching a team that hadn't made the playoffs for 10 years. Not only does Frazier provide the most enjoyable soundtrack for watching a basketball game, he is also the quintessential representation of the Knicks' championship teams in 1970 and 1973. Clyde is known for his vivid, stylish wardrobe, and his cool demeanor. Incredibly, the former point guard never received a technical foul in his 14 year NBA career.

On an exceptionally warm afternoon in D.C., I exited the Chinatown/Gallery Place metro stop that runs underneath the Verizon Center, and realized that I still had about 25 minutes before I could enter the building. So, instead of making my usual pit stop at the administrative entrance lobby, I decided to relax in the fantastic atrium inside the National Portrait Gallery, which is located conveniently across the street from the arena. I must admit that I don't frequent museums on a regular basis, and didn't actually tour any of the galleries on my visit today, but their sun-lit indoor atrium is one of the few warm, and non-abrasive public locales in Chinatown to spend a few peaceful moments, read a book, or in my case listen to my i-pod without any disturbances. After I was done listening to about 15 minutes of the Smashing Pumpkins on my miniature music device, I walked across the street to the arena to pick up my concourse credentials for tonight's game.

I went in with two of my co-photographers, one of whom followed me down to court-side to get a glimpse of my team, the Knicks, warming up before the game. Amar'e Stoudemire was shooting around, displaying his new moves he had presumably learned from NBA legend-turned-mentor to the stars, Hakeem Olajuwon. Like several of today's star players, the Knicks forward had worked with Hakeem to expand his offensive capabilities, and has been eager to show off his wider range of skills so far this season, since missing the first 30 games with a knee injury. This evening, he was displaying a Euro-step move accompanied by a reverse dunk finish that caught the attention of rookie forward Chris Copeland.

After spending the first five years of his career overseas, Knicks rookie forward, and Orange, New Jersey native, Chris Copeland is getting his first taste of the NBA at the age of 28.

STAT: Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire has averaged 14.2 points in 16 games this season, since returning from a knee injury on January 1st.

The Knicks added 6'7" swing man Ronnie Brewer over the off-season for his defensive prowess on the perimeter.

Knicks swing men James White, left, and Ronnie Brewer, right, converse during pregame warmups.

After watching a few minutes of back-up Knick point guard Pablo Prigioni work on his three-point range, I made my way up to the storage closet behind section 117 in the Verizon Center to pick up my Nikon SLR camera for work, then immersed myself in a pool of New York fans who were camped out behind the Knicks bench looking for autographs. There was a definitive New York presence in the building. I have a feeling it was about 50-50 Knicks fans to Wizards fans, but it seemed like 60-40 at some points. Unquestionably, there were more Knicks jerseys than Wizards jerseys, especially those of Carmelo Anthony, who grew up in Baltimore, and legendary Knick center Patrick Ewing, who played four years for the Georgetown Hoyas, the collegiate inhabitants of the Verizon Center.

After playing for 17 years overseas, Knicks rookie point guard Pablo Prigioni, a native of Argentina, is in his debut NBA season at the age of 35.

Prigioni takes time to pose with a fellow Argentine before the game

Knicks fans were particularly photogenic, and were more than willing to take a handful of pictures. Some posed for the camera, others wanted photographs of their Knicks gear, including one guy who encouraged me to take a picture of his orange and blue Air Jordans that matched his Carmelo Anthony jersey impeccably. There were a substantial number of New York jerseys representing every era. Some of the more popular jerseys worn by fans included those of Anthony, Stoudemire, Ewing, John Starks, and Jeremy Lin. I also spotted at least one jersey of Willis Reed, Clyde Frazier, Bernard King, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Kurt Thomas, Iman Shumpert, and Steve Novak.

A Knicks fan holds up a cardboard cut-out of Carmelo Anthony's face

At the beginning of the first quarter, I started making my rounds about the concourse, encouraging fans to smile for the camera, when I noticed a huge crowd of people gathered around a tall man near one of the first floor executive suites. Moving closer, I realized that the commotion was over Magic Johnson, who decided to drop by and watch the game in the front row along with Kentucky coach John Callipari, and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. I tried to get a couple fans to pose with the NBA legend, and take a picture, but he was quickly ushered back into his suite by a security guard once the huge line of people around him requesting an autograph, or a personal photo, started to congest that region of the concourse.

It was a late-arriving crowd, and the flood of people coming into the arena didn't completely stop until halftime, so I accumulated most of my pictures tonight standing by one of the main entrances to the arena. Unlike most nights, I didn't make any excursions to the other floors. Instead, I stayed mostly rooted in one place, but was still able to get about 450 photos given the size of the crowd. One usher estimated the attendance must have been around 14,000, though the official attendance was listed as being over 18,000, which far eclipses the typical number of fans for a weeknight Wizards game.

After more than meeting my quota of fan pictures, I was able to watch the last couple minutes of the game. I was shocked to see that the Knicks, who had won the last 10 meetings between the two clubs, were trailing by 8 points with just over 2 minutes left to play. The Wizards ended up cruising, impressively, to a 106-96 victory behind 21 points and 9 assists from John Wall. The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony with 31 points in the Knicks' first loss in 11 games against Washington.

It wasn't until after the game, that I got the thrill of a lifetime. In most NBA arenas, announcers and commentators operate from the court-side press table, but at the Verizon Center, there's a table that is home to both the home and away broadcasters, and is located at the top of one of the lower level sections. I stand in front of this table every night, and see Wizards color commentator Phil Chenier before every telecast, so I know exactly where it is. I figured if there was anywhere that I could introduce myself to Clyde, it would be there. Of course, there was a line to talk to him, so I waited patiently for some of his other admirers to take some pictures with him, before handing him my business card, and getting his take on the Knicks' fiasco tonight against the Wiz.

He seemed a little surprised that I would hand him a card of all things, but he was extremely amicable and told me he'd check out my site. His analysis of the game was completely astute, and was said with one of his own patented phrases. "They [the Knicks] played swiss cheese D," he told me. I couldn't agree more, Clyde. The Knicks' porous defense allowed the Wizards to shoot 52.3 percent from the field, including 55 percent from downtown. Wizards guard Martell Webster, alone, went 5-9 from three-point range, scoring 19 points on 6-11 shooting overall. Incredibly, the Wizards have only 13 wins on the season, but have managed to beat 5 of the 6 NBA division leaders. 

As a Knicks fan, it was a tough one to swallow. It's never a pleasant feeling seeing your team lose to one of the lower echelon teams in the league by double digits. But no matter how disillusioned I was, it wasn't the time, or the place, to walk out of the arena with a long face. After all, I'm currently a contracted worker for the Wizards, and in some ways, I represent their organization, even if it is somewhat on the periphery. As far as tonight was concerned, I was just happy to be in the building, and meet a childhood hero. That was all I could possibly ask for.

Media To Blame For Te'o Saga

On a topic completely unrelated to basketball, or to fan photography, I would like to comment on a situation that reveals more about the monster that is the American media machine than any of the characters involved in the bizarre incident.

By now, most of the sports world is well aware of the continuing saga related to Manti Te'o, the Notre Dame football star who had developed an online relationship with a female who faked her own death only, only to realize she did not really exist. Whether or not the linebacker was involved in the situation has been the lead topic on Sports Center, and in many of the nation's sports pages for about a week now. As soon as the news was released that his supposed girlfriend, Lennay Kekua did not actually exist, there was an all out character assault directed at the 21 year old NFL prospect, the likes of which I have never seen.

When analyzing this situation, we need to start with one basic and fundamental fact. The kid did nothing illegal. Whether he was bamboozled by one of his high school friend, or he really did make up this bizarre story in order to attract attention from the media is besides the point. He's not a criminal, and he shouldn't be treated as such by the national media. Not only is Manti only 21 years old, but he's also an amateur football player, for now. Regardless of where his career is headed in the future, he is first and foremost a college student, and one that happens to be a star football player. The media has treated him as though he is already a seasoned professional with the capability of deflecting such an incredible barrage of media backfire. We're not talking about Kobe Bryant, Ray Lewis, or Barry Bonds. This kid doesn't yet make the millions of dollars that those stars accrue as part of their job of dealing with antagonistic media hounds when they stick their foot in the mud either on or off the court. Until he is drafted by an NFL team, he is still unprofessional and does not deserve the onslaught of professional media attention, especially related to something that could potentially be a sensitive incident for those who were involved.

Manti Te'o has suddenly received for more attention for his online dating history than for his performance as a linebacker

To relate this to basketball, Carmelo Anthony was recently recorded on the court by Knicks owner James Dolan, who set up parabola mics near the court that would relay whatever Anthony was saying to a truck outside the arena, in order to decipher how much crap Melo takes during a given game from trash talkers and officials. This was instigated by a fight between Anthony and Kevin Garnett, who supposedly made derogatory remarks directed at Carmelo's wife Lala Vasquez. This form inside espionage has brought Dolan both criticism and praise from media outlets, and any notions that the Knicks organization was doing something illegal were shot down by David Stern, who was asked about it during a trip to London for the Knicks game against the Detroit Pistons, telling USA Today, "Anything that is said on my court is really subject to being picked up." So there ya' have it. Not only does Stern approve of Dolan's interrogative behavior, but he actually likes it for media purposes.

Who wouldn't want in on this conversation?

Now that we have entered the sports era of players being wired during games, tweeting on their off days, and publicizing their relationships, the media takes all this information and blows it all way out of proportion. No longer do we simply enjoy athletes for their on-court performance. The media, the fans, and team ownership must know everything about their players from what they're saying on the court when trash talking, to what they're tweeting, and who they're dating, whether they be real or imaginary.

So this is what happens when the social media and sports media collide and spin out of control. Manti Teo's alleged involvement in this online hoax has nothing to do with whether or not we should look at him as a victim or a villain. In this case, whether or not he was wrong for creating a fake story to spin to the media in order to garner the attention of Heisman trophy voters is not for us decide. Let the people close to him, and close to the situation decide that for us. And, whether or not he was victimized shouldn't even be a question, because he was, but not so much by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, his high school friend accused of orchestrating this well thought out prank, not by Diane O'Meara, the avatar supposedly posing as Manti's beautiful girlfriend dying of cancer and then miraculously coming back to life weeks later, but by a cruel and exploitative American media that has the ability to make any incident far more dramatic and devastating than it really has to be.