The new site is finally up.

Check Sixers4guidos 2.0 as part of the Bloguin network here:

www.sixers4guidos.com

Easy, uh?

I will spread the same BS and blog the Sixers as always, but on a cooler site !

Follow us there. This site will stay here, as memory of how it all started and developed through the years.

I am sorry, but this is a missed chance.

Call me nostalgic, call me old fart, call me (uhm, what’s the opposite of “up to date”?), but these uniforms (pics via Sixers.com)…

… that you can also see here…

… still cannot compete with these:

..meaning the, classic, storied, glorious, TRUE SIXERS uniforms that we signed the petition for, and that we outscooped everyone about. The kind of unis that never get old, to sum it up.

Few hours before unveiling the 2009/2010 jerseys, Sixers said via Twitter, in reply to a tweet by your fav guido blogger, that the new uniforms would have been “a nice blend of old and new”. As soon as I read that, I started having a bad feeling…

I think that by simply going back to our 1982/83 jerseys – ok, minus the short shorts - we would have done a better job.

But I don’t want to sound too negative or only complain: they are still a HUGE IMPROVEMENT over the ugly ones we wore for more than a decade.

Let’s see the half full part of the glass: it’s nice to definitely get rid of the nonsense black jerseys. And the fact that the new ones have our old logo on (the real, Sixers logo !!) is a big plus, that’s true.

But the red ones look “too Clippers” to me (hey, I love the Clippers and I think their jerseys are very cool… but it’s their jerseys !), and the white ones…well… uhm… they look like… a missed chance.

Not horrible, not bad, and not even mediocre, don’t get me wrong.

More like “coulda/shoulda”, if you know what I mean.

I just came out of a 30 minute conference call with Ed Stefanski, where 5-6 bloggers, including my sorry arse, had the opportunity to put him several questions.

Too busy to have the full transcript, check www.sixers.com lately or other (better, LOL) blogs such as Depressed Fan, Recliner GM, Philadunkia, Real GM, The 700 Level or Liberty Ballers (all attending, all their links on the blogroll), anyway here are some of the thoughts he expressed:

- were seriously interested in signing Warrick but Bucks’ offer was better for him cuz it guaranteed him more playing time. They have 13 players under contract now and want to reach 14.
- were also interested in Ramon Sessions but they are so pleased with what they are seeeing in Jrue that decided not to go after him
- (answering my question) confirms my feeling that Sixers are currently the 4th team in town and that Philly is mainly a football city
- doesn’t believe that having our own D-league team would help
- EXPECTATIONS ARE “making the playoffs” and “making some noise” in them (pretty realistic if you ask me)
- extremely happy with Jrue, his natural position is PG but he thinks that Holiday can play WITH Lou Williams
- seeing Holiday in the gym every day they realized he’s very strong, a good finisher, his shot is better than expected, even if he has to work on making the release quicker. He’s a “willing defender” which is highly appreciated
- open competition for 2 guard but thinks that the lineup will be LW, Iguodala, Thad, Brand, Sam
- Thinks team has a lot of versatility and a lot of different lineups can be used
- thinks that Kapono signing is underrated cuz nobody talks about him (LOL)
- Jason Smith had 4 full months after being totally cleared to do anything on the court, has showed very good signs, can shoot and added bulk (250 if I got it well)
- similar for Brand, he’s “on a mission”, did a lot of rehab also in LA, he’s fully healthy and wants to show what player he is
- Willie Green’s situation is “interesting” (LOL), WG is in competition for minutes at the two but he says that in NJ they played with Kittles and Lucious Harris as back up PGs and can’t exclude that the same won’t happen here (= that’s pretty scaring, LOL)
- has no problem with int’l players (my question again), in NJ they drafted Krstic, Planinic, Nachbar, Sixers didn’t sign them so far only cuz of circumstances but they are looking at foreign players
- Flip Murray wasn’t signed cuz he asked for a “sizeable payday”
- Andre Miller wasn’t dealt last year cuz the offers they got weren’t interesting, same for sign & trade options this summer. They are happy with what he did in helping us to the playoffs
- Iguodala will play some point as well
- thinks playoffs experience for young guys will be a huge factor in their growth

I’m sure I missed a lot more so check the sites I told you for full coverage, this is the best I could do.

If someone ever wondered why I haven’t written an update in over than a month, answers are:

1) a shitload of work

2) my home computer decided to die and I still have to buy a new one

3) I am working at building Sixers4guidos 2.0.

The new site (new network, new domain, new graphics, new features etc) will be up …well, soon, I hope. I won’t say any precise deadline because I already missed like 2-3, but it will be… uhm, surely before the first tip off of 2009-2010, ok ???

BTW the latest deadline I scheduled, and missed, was today, the day of the opener of Eurobasket 2009 in Poland. But you can follow my updates about the games on Twitter4guidos:

http://twitter.com/sixers4guidos/

Let’s meet there ! I will be rooting for my beloved Serbia, that shocked favored Spain in the first upset of the competition.

Thanks for your patience, it will be rewarded !!

Again, not many news on Sixers’ side, uh?

Yes, no blockbuster trades at the horizon, no all star signings, apparently.

Still I managed to get some info that I wanted to share with readers. 

No breaking news or anything shocking, I warn you.

But still it’s important to make some things 100% sure.

So here is what Sixers4guidos just learned:

NEGOTIATIONS WITH ANDRE MILLER

Few days ago Stefanski said that Sixers were in “sign-and-trade” mode.  No updates since, so that should give us an idea about the situation with Andre Miller and the likelihood of his return.

= no Andre Miller in 2009/2010 (not good news, to me).
 
COMPLETING THE ROSTER

The fact that Sixers are looking for three more players to round out the roster, and reach 14, is confirmed: Stefanski said “a guard, a swingman and two big men”. 

No direction about specific skills they are looking for in those players (off/def minded, young/vets, specialists etc), but Stefanski has a list of players at those positions he is keeping his eye on in regards to the team’s needs.

(I hope Calvin Booth didn’t make the list, same for Kevin Ollie)

MAKING THE SUMMER LEAGUE AND SPLITTING THE TEAM WITH THE NETS

As coach Jordan said in Orlando, this particular instance worked for Philly and New Jersey because Sixers and Nets have many links and various relationships.  Coach Frank followed up by saying, “In these economic times, look, you’ve got to be fiscally very responsible and I think you just have to be prudent in the decisions you make”.

“Every group is different. This worked for us and Philly and it made sense, and who knows what the future holds.”  So there was basketball thought and a financial component that Sixers took into consideration. 

(still doubtful about the effectiveness of the decision, from a mere bball perspective I mean, but whatever, no big deal. That’s why it’s called SUMMER League, after all)
 
ABOUT JORDAN & DALEMBERT RELATIONSHIP AND THEIR RECENT CONVERSATION

“There wasn’t ever anything that needed to be cleared up between them”, it’s said, nor was there any animosity between the two. It was a good chance for them to meet face-to-face and they both came away with optimism. 

Jordan said that everyone is going to start with a clean slate – Sammy included – but if players are unable to fulfill or accept the roles that are defined for them, he will hold them accountable and make necessary adjustments. 

(Good news. Still amazed by how can anybody talk to Sam for three consecutive hours… shoulda have taped that, LOL) 

THE ELTON BRAND SITUATION

Brand is cleared and has been working out this off-season both in Philadelphia and Los Angeles and he will be ready for the start of training camp.  A story on his off-season will be up on Sixers’ official site soon. 

(cool. Few talked/talk about Brand, if you noticed. I think he will bounce back and have a good season)
 
INT’L SCOUTING (OR LACK THEREOF)

Courtney Witte recently returned from New Zealand for the Under 19 championships. While it can’t be said anything about bringing in a non-american player this season, if there is a player available that Sixers’ scouts think would fit, they would certainly pursue him.

(Euro Championship 2009 will start in Poland this September, Sixers will keep an eye on the event for sure.

BTW I’ll try to cover it on Sixers4guidos 2.0: let’s just hope the next int’l Sixer will fall in the Nocioni/Scola/Kleiza rather than the Rentzias/Giricek/Bavcic category…)

In a pretty quiet period with (no) real Sixers-related news, Hoopshype made this nice interview with former Net Bostjan Nachbar.

Why I post it here?

First because I have to prove I am alive, second because it’s an interesting read, especially in terms of understanding the economic situation of int’l bball and reminding the differences between european and NBA hoops, third because there is a fun Sixers reference at the end, as you will check.

Since the quality of the video from Hoopshype is not very good, I found another video of the same play, that you might ‘enjoy’:

So much for the “intimidating presence”.

Sam got shawnbradleylized there…

UPDATE: since we are in a You Tube mood, enjoy also this great Dr. J – George Gervin video, via Twitter4guidos – FreeDarko:

(NOTE: I will be working at my new site in the next days, I hope I will be able to launch Sixers4guidos 2.0 soon, let’s say within the end of the month. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great, brand new blog)

As promised this is a great day for all of us old school loving Sixers fans,  following the official announcement of the return to the old logo.

In related news, here is the exclusive interview I did with Lara Price, Sixers’ senior vice president of business operations. 

Remember, as Sixers4guidos revealed in January, she was the first to announce, to a group of season ticket holders, that Sixers were ‘going retro’, switching permanently to the old classic uniforms and logos in the 2009/2010 season.

While we all should give credit the franchise for listening to the fans and taking this wise decision, I would like to publicly thank Eric Blankenship, Sixers’ marketing vice president, that had a key role in the process of making this comeback possible.

I’ve been in contact with Eric for a pretty long time and he was always supportive in this ‘battle’: he immediately said to me that he was a fan of the old unis/logos, that in the front office there were fellow “old schoolers” (also at the top…) and definitely pushed me keeping the petition & the ‘lobbying’ activity going.

Bottom line, the franchise takes into great consideration fans’ opinions and feelings, which is is less obvious than you might think (LOL).

But let’s listen to mrs Price.

(S4G) My blog, Sixers4guidos, last year started an online petition to bring the old Sixers uniforms back. More than 130 fans from all over the world signed it and the word was spread all around the Internet: evidently a lot of Sixers fans cared. Reactions after the news of the switch were pretty much enthusiastic, 90% were like “about time”… How did the feelings of fans affect your decision? Did you make any survey, poll, market research before you took it? In case, what were the results saying?

(PRICE) We always appreciate the input from our fans and season-ticket holders.  We take a proactive stance when it comes to surveying them so we can accurately gauge their opinion on a great number of topics, which includes our uniforms and logo. 

As a result, we believe we made decisions pertaining to those elements that will be very well-received both locally and nationally.  
 
I know for sure that Ed Stefanski is a fan of the old unis. Did he play any role in the decision of “going retro”? And Snider/Luukko?

Mr. Snider, Peter Luukko and Ed Stefanski all had major input and were very supportive of the decision to return to the traditional red, white and blue logo. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that the NBA and Adidas were also very helpful as we went through the design and approval process.  

(great ! thank everybody !!)
 
Can we now safely say that changing the uniforms’ colours and the logo wasn’t exactly a smart move? (NOTE: maybe it paid back in terms of revenues, but I don’t care…). I don’t recall Lakers wearing black jerseys, or Knicks adding gold to their logo, so don’t you agree that Sixers, like Celtics, Lakers, Knicks etc, are such a storied franchise that they wouldn’t need to follow “fashion” trends but they should stick to their glorious tradition? (I’m asking also because next winter among the trendy colours there will be purple, and I am scared…) 

Very rarely do teams go through their entire existence without altering their logo or implementing changes to their color scheme to reflect the times. For example, the Knicks and Celtics adopted black as a primary part of their uniform or logos at various points, while the Pistons changed their logo altogether before returning to a modified version of an earlier version. 

Our previous black, silver, gold, red and blue logo was very popular for many, many years but at this point in our franchise’s history – coming off of our 60th Anniversary – we were ready to make a change to our traditional logo.

(have to check about the other franchises, this research could be interesting. Our logo with black, gold etc MIGHT have been popular for a while but sucked big time, I’m sorry)

Can you anticipate something about the look of the 2009-2010 uniforms? Will they look 100% like the old ones or will something be changed/restyled? In case, what? (please make sure that whoever styled the unis of the ‘Shawn Bradley era’ does NOT take part to this process..)

Again, our uniforms will be a modern interpretation of traditional uniforms featuring the red, white and blue color scheme. We will wear white uniforms at home and red uniforms on the road with no alternate uniform for the 2009-10 season.

(sweet to hear)
 
Let’s talk $ a little bit, if you don’t mind. How much does the total of unis sold count in terms of revenues for the franchise (% on the total of merchandise turnover and/or overall figures, if available: number of jerseys sold per year, total of $ made out of those)?

Per team policy, those are figures that we do not discuss publicly.

(uhm, ok. I won’t complain since this is a day of joy !)

THANK YOU MRS PRICE, THANK YOU ERIC, THANK YOU SIXERS !

Now let’s do the same with the uniforms

(UPDATE: reading Kate Fagan’s article, you gotta love Stefanski’s words…

Stefanski said the organization reached out to fans and received an “overwhelming” response to return to the old logo and uniforms.

We guys were “overwhelming”. How cool is that ??)

Premise #1: this site was the first to campaign to bring the old Sixers uniforms/logo back.

Premise #2: this site was the first to announce that Sixers were switching permanently to their old jerseys/logo, back in January (= reaching the all time peak of traffic, btw).

Premise #3: on June 11th in a live chat with fans Ed Stefanski announced that the new logo would have been introduced…tomorrow.

12:08
[Comment From Guest]
Are the Sixers officially back to the old logo?
12:09
Ed Stefanski: No hints, but I’m an old school guy and you should be ready for an announcement about our logo on June 23.

Premise #4: Sixers just released this announcement regarding their branding. Excerpts:

…The public is invited to attend the Philadelphia 76ers re-launch of their brand identity in the lobby of the Comcast Center…

…Hip-Hop – who will be temporarily sporting a new look in conjunction with the announcement…

All of the above to remind that tomorrow will be a great day for all Sixers fans.

We will dump this shit:

 and finally go back to this:

or something very close to it (I am curious !).

To celebrate this huge battle won, I’ll have an exclusive interview with a Sixers’ top manager up. So stay tuned and party, as a new/old era started for this storied franchise.

After the logo, we would like to go back to the successes of those years also !!

Tomorrow, be here.

Just released on Andre Iguodala’s Twitter page:

“I’m so far gone right now…at a beautiful place on earth…”

He didn’t say where he is but guido sources I can 110% guarantee you that’s ITALY !!

The billboard on the left is from ENI, Italy’s #1 oil company… eheheh…. the city should be Rome, if I am not mistaken (EDIT: it is, actually. That’s ’scalinata di piazza di Spagna’, or ’spanish steps’, for you american guys ! And between the two buildings in the background there’s Via Condotti, Rome’s Fifth Avenue… Andre went shopping for sure)

Andre, enjoy your stay in guidoland, have some pasta fun and holla if you need tips !

And don’t forget to shoot 300 free throws per day (LOL) !!!

Sixers4guidos, where insightful offseason posts happen.

From someone who watched him closely for the last two years.

What follows is the result of a Q & A session I did with Romy from Hoop Heads North, the Raptors site of Bloguin network. I think it’s worth a read. We owe Romy also the nice pic, taken at Bosh’s birthday party..

S4G: are you happy for the Kapono/Evans trade? Were you a Kapono fan or critic?
 
HHN: The biggest thing missing from the Raptors this past season was “toughness” The team knew it, Bryan Colangelo knew it, the fans knew it and it was an area that needed improvement for the offseason. 

We had a little bit of it with J.O. but lost it when he was traded to Miami. So when I heard about Reggie Evans, I know it was Colangelo’s attempt to cover that void. From what I’ve ever seen from him, he’s a great rebounder and can bang around down low. He has all the skills that Andrea Bargnani lacks. I can see Evans as one of those guys can grab 20 boards but won’t do much offensively.
 
I liked Kapono in Miami but not so much with the Raptors. He just didn’t fit into the system but will probably flourish in Philly. The Raptors were overloaded with mediocre swingmen, so dropping Kapono was a step in the right direction.
 
S4G: can Kapono play SG or is he more of a SF? can he create his own shot?
 
HHN: Create his own shot? I think he’s better as a catch and shoot guy. Creating his own shot can be disastrous. I’d say he’s more of a SF, and he’s a perfect fit for the Sixers as they’ve struggled with the three point shot.
 
S4G: it’s pretty safe to say that Kapono is not a great defender (and Sixers didn’t get him for defense, obviously), but can he play SOME defense or, to quote the immortal Donnie Brasco, we have to “fuggeddaboudit”?
 
HHN: Fuggeddaboudit. (S4G: LOL)
 
 S4G: do you see Kapono being a good fit in Philly, with Eddie Jordan’s Princeton offense system? will he thrive or struggle?
 
HHN: Well, I think the Sixers were missing that Kyle Korver type of player to knock down threes, so I don’t see him having a problem fitting in. 

The Sixers have a great crew of players that can create their own shots, Kapono can wait on the wings for the big shot. He’s a great team guy and off the court seems like a pretty easy going and funny guy. I honestly think this is a trade that works for both sides.
 
S4G: any skill or flaw he possess and that few analysts/fans noticed during his career?

HHN: Well he’s a shooter and that’s what he does best, outside of that don’t expect much more. The problem is that his one major strength wasn’t utilized in Toronto.

(Note: I will return the favour and reply to Romy’s questions about Evans later, I’ll edit the post to add the link – EDIT: here it is, my answers to his Reggie questions)