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Reunited and it Feels so Hood

iverson1219Sports with Bob McFlurry

So the Answer is coming back to Philadelphia.  When I wrote the Iverson article last week I didn’t really think the Sixers would ever re-sign him given the acrimonious split in late 2006.  It’s the kind of homecoming you hope for as a true Philadelphia sports fan.  The situation reminds me of how Jeremiah Trotter and Hugh Douglas came back for the Eagles Super Bowl run in 2004. Hopefully Iverson is more Trotter than Douglas in terms of production.

It’s kind of bittersweet though in that I’m not really sure the addition of Iverson puts the Sixers in any real contention to win the Eastern Conference but stranger things have happened.  At this point, with Speights and Lou Williams gone for an extended period it can only help more than hurt.

So I’m not a real big sports radio listener and I choose not to listen to it especially when a big headline will dominate the airwaves for the next couple days as in Iverson, Vick etc. However, with the verbal jabs I’ve heard from colleagues and commentators about what kind of player and of what caliber person they perceive Iverson to be I do get somewhat miffed.

1) Iverson is not a team player:

Well if you hear any of his teammates talk about Allen Iverson I have never heard anything bad come out of anyone’s mouth.  Yes he clashed with coaches, yes he missed practice, yes he got into some situations which weren’t exactly kosher but if you think he had anything on his mind but winning when he’s on the court then you’re crazy.  If not being a team player is taking all the shots then I’ll refer you to the bullet point below.

2) Iverson the Ball Hog:

For much of Iverson’s Philly career the plan from Larry Brown was for Allen to take most of the shots.  Dart to the rim and get fouled. Allen takes the shots, they live on the foul line and the rest of the team plays great defense while allowing Iverson to expend his energy on the offensive end.  Who was going to take the shots? Eric Snow?

We never got him a complementary player, maybe because he didn’t want to share the scoring or any marquee player was afraid he wasn’t going to give up the ball but during his years in Philadelphia I ask you, who would you rather have shoot the ball?

3) He’s not a winner:

It’s true, Allen Iverson couldn’t win it by himself.  It’s also true he didn’t have a whole lot of help. Everyone slurps Jordan but he had players Iverson never had.  The Answer never had a Scottie Pippen.  Iverson only played concurrently with two All Stars, Theo Ratliff the year he got hurt and Dikembe Mutumbo, neither of which were known for scoring.

For every team that worked out a great trade or drafted a player that helped win a Championship, Iverson was given has been’s and never will be’s.  Chris Webber, Tyrone Hill, Jumaine Jones, Tim Thomas, Derrick Coleman, Larry Hughes, Toni Kukoc, Kieth Van Horne, Matt Harpring. Webber was playing on one leg and we paid him 36 million to not play, Coleman would have been a great 3rd option, Kukoc was 25 lbs overweight by the time he got to Philly and every guy we drafted we traded away or didn’t make an impact.

Granted it’s hard for a rookie to grow in a system predicated on getting the star player 30 shots a game but does anyone think if we got a legit second scoring option and still had the defensive players in place that Iverson wouldn’t go deep in the playoffs every year? (note: the unsung hero of the 2001 season in George Lynch who was never the same player after breaking his foot in the playoffs that year).

So we have Iverson back, if he scores 19 or 90 it’s good for the city, good for attendance and good for the fans who love the guy.  You can make insinuations about why they brought him back or that he takes time away from the young guys but the young guys aren’t exactly doing much right now.

If anything I hope the guy (and he does) realizes what a special place he has in this city and how coming back for his farewell tour is the kind of reunion only seen in Hollywood movies. To bring it all back where it started, to cap off a Hall of Fame career in front of the fans that made him a household name is something that most Philadelphia Superstars either never wanted to or never could do.  (Besides Dick Allen).

At the very least, I’m interested in Sixers Basketball again if only just to see one of it’s greatest players make one more playoff push.  It should be interesting.

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Confident Car Buying

By: Sean Millski

If you’ve been lucky enough to dodge the poor economy and still have enough money to even be considering buying a new or lightly used car, your among the fortunate. If you want to keep it that way you’d better become an educated consumer long before you ever set foot on a car lot.

Use these tips to help get you smartly behind the wheel of your new ride without the years and years of unmanageable debt that can come with it.

Lesson 1: Getting the Power.

There are many schools of thought on cash buying vs. utilizing your credit but we’re going to assume here that your financing;

NEVER get the car and the financing at the same place! If you do, you have squarely put all the power in the dealers hands. Think about it, if you need them for the car and the approval…what have you got in your corner? Nothing, that’s what. Instead, seek out financing from another source before you ever go to the dealership. You can obtain your own financing at your bank, credit union or one of many independent finance companies like Capitol One. If you secure the financing on your own, the dealership is only providing the car. That changes the game and makes that car no different than a vacuum cleaner or box of cereal….you can choose to buy it from whatever store has the best price. How many dealers sell fords or Hondas? A LOT, so the dealer is forced to earn your sale or risk losing it to his competitor across town. Side note: Capitol One for example has a blank check auto financing program online that takes about 1min to get an approval or denial. If approved, you get the terms and interest rate and they snail mail a blank check that you can use at any dealer within 45 days for up to the approved amount. If you don’t use it in the 45 days the check becomes void and you don’t have a loan with them to worry about. In short…your free to use your “power” wherever and whenever you choose.

Lesson 2: Using the power
Comparison shop. You compare Best buy, Wal-mart and Amazon if your looking for a big screen TV right? Why not with your car purchase!? Be sure to identify a car with incentives (Cash back, extra value trade-in’s, etc.) and check it’s price online with at least 2 or 3 different dealers. Once you’ve identified a car be sure to also check with your insurance company to see what your new insurance rate will be and figure that in to your monetary decision. Also look into or inquire about fuel efficient models that might be available. Check sites like KBBto find the value of any trade-in you might have. Knowledge is power.

Since you brought your own financing your in control of the deal….don’t get sucked into discussing how much a month your looking to pay, that’s a sucker move. Instead work on the overall price of the car. The monthly payments will work themselves out once you know the price of the car (you already know the term of the loan because you have it worked it before you got there). Be sure to let them know, that you know ,you can get this same car from their competitor for less or whatever price you got during your internet/phone search. Focus on the price of the car.

Be stern but try not to walk off the lot if your confident this is the best place…if you leave and come back they are going to know you couldn’t find a better deal and be firm on their price. If you have to leave though…do it, just go elsewhere.

If you’ve got the price as low as you think you can get it, (unfortunately if you’re not buying from a CarSense type place this part is all on your research, preparation and ‘Feel‘) then try to work some more value in by getting add-ons or upgrades. Seem hesitant and say something like “ If it had the better sound system or a portable DVD player I would be much more sure”. I’ve scored several times with that one. The dealer would rather lose a few hundred on the electronics than the whole car sale.

Last but not least, once you have everything worked out and your confident in the price your getting for the car, have them run you through their finance guy to see if he can get you a better interest rate or term. (If your financing isn’t in stone that is …That’s why I like programs like Capitol One’s) If they ask what rate you already have, tell them ¾ to a point lower and make their guy work to better the deal. If he does, take their financing and walk out confident that you got the best deal on not only the car but the financing too.

Car buying is serious business but as this video shows, no matter what you get on the car….get keyless entry.