THE LOCKER ROOM 5/15 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Isiah Thomas is scouting two European lottery possibilities. (NY Post)
• Mike Mussina won his fifth straight start down in Tampa. (NYY)
• Aaron Heilman had a rough outing in the Mets' loss to Washington. (NYM)
• Manny Ramirez made a catch, high-fived a fan, then turned two. (MLB)
• Justine Henin and Annika Sorenstam retired on their own terms. (ESPN)
• Sen. Arlen Specter wants an independent investigation into Spygate. (AP)
• A suspect in Sean Taylor's slaying will serve 29 years in prison. (AP)
• The OHSAA ruled O.J. Mayo's HS team can keep its state titles. (ESPN)
• NYU Grad William Lopez dashed onto the Yankee Stadium field. (NY Daily News)

MSG, NY Hot Topic: Knicks Lottery Pick

Want to speak your mind about the big issues in the world of sports? Here's your chance!

TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:

What position should the Knicks target with their lottery pick?

Post your thoughts in the comments section below and tune in to MSG,NY to see if your response is featured.

MORE:

• Hot Topic: Knicks Playing Style
• Hot Topic: Knicks Hire D'Antoni
• Web Reactions to D'Antoni Hiring

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/14 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Mike D'Antoni is a face of hope and change for Knick fans. (NY Daily News)
• Hank Steinbrenner says the Yankees better start earning their money. (NY Post)
• Stephon Marbury's heart is still with the Knicks. (NYDN)
• A day after his "softball girls" comment, Nelson Figueroa was cut by the Mets.  (Newsday)
• A new indictment charged Barry Bonds with 14 felony counts of perjury. (ESPN)
• The Boston Herald issued an apology for its incorrect report on Spygate. (BH)
• Annika Sorenstam will "step away" from competitive play this year. (AOL Fanhouse)
• The NCAA has "new information" on NBA draft prospect O.J. Mayo. (AP)

MSG, NY Hot Topic: Knicks Playing Style

Want to speak your mind about the big issues in the world of sports? Here's your chance!

TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:

Would you rather the Knicks adopt defense first or play run-and-gun?

Post your thoughts in the comments section below and tune in to MSG, NY to see if your response is featured.

MORE:

• D'Antoni Introduced as Knicks Coach
• Knicks Name 24th Coach in Franchise History
• What's Your Take on D'Antoni Being Hired?

Mike D'Antoni Introduced as Knicks Head Coach

Mike D'Antoni was introduced as the new Head Coach of the New York Knicks today.

The 24th coach in franchise history is excited about this new opportunity.

WATCH: Donnie Walsh discusses why he selected D'Antoni to coach the Knicks.

WATCH: D'Antoni answers questions from the throng of New York media.

WATCH: D'Antoni explains how he plans to change the Knicks' culture.

WATCH: Al Trautwig gets D'Antoni to explain what his first priority is.

WATCH: Walsh explains the process of choosing to hire D'Antoni.

WATCH: Quentin Richardson is glad to be reunited with D'Antoni.

WATCH: Stephon Marbury can't wait to play a more up-tempo style.

WATCH: Nate Robinson is ready to give D'Antoni his all.

MORE:

• D'Antoni Named 24th Coach in Franchise History
• What Do You Think About the Hiring?
• Reactions From Around the Web

Knicks Name Mike D'Antoni Head Coach

Here's the official word from the New York Knicks:

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that Mike D’Antoni has been named the 24th head coach in the franchise’s 62-year history.

Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"After thorough discussions with several impressive candidates, it was clear that Mike D’Antoni is the right coach to lead the New York Knicks," Walsh said.

"Mike has established himself as one of the top coaches in our game and his expertise will be key as we work towards our goal of bringing winning basketball back to New York."

D’Antoni has compiled a .608 winning percentage (267-172) in six seasons as an NBA head coach with the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets.

Named NBA Coach of the Year in 2004-05, D’Antoni has guided the Suns to 54 or more wins in each of the last four seasons while earning a reputation as one of the top offensive minds in the game.

The Mullens, WV native brings over three decades of professional basketball experience to New York as a player, coach, front office executive and scout in the NBA, ABA and the Italian League.

"It is an honor to be named head coach of the New York Knicks, one of the most storied franchises in all of sports," D’Antoni said. "I am thankful to Donnie for this opportunity and I look forward to the challenge of producing a winner for New York."

D’Antoni guided the Suns to the postseason in each of the last four seasons, including consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006. After coaching Denver during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, D’Antoni went overseas and led Benetton Treviso to the 2002 Italian League Championship before being named head coach of the Suns 21 games into the 2003-04 season.

The 57-year old D’Antoni coached the 2007 Western Conference All-Star Team and currently serves as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s Men’s Senior National Team that will compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

MORE:

• Is D'Antoni the Right Choice?
• Reactions From Around the Web

MSG, NY Hot Topic: Knicks Hire D'Antoni

Want to speak your mind about the big issues in the world of sports? Here's your chance!

TODAY'S HOT TOPIC:

How do you feel about the hiring of Mike D'Antoni?

Post your thoughts in the comments section below and tune in to MSG, NY to see if your response is featured.

MORE:

• Reactions From Around the Web
• D'Antoni Accepts the Knicks' Offer

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/13 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Mike D'Antoni will be introduced as the Knicks head coach Tuesday. (AP)
• D'Antoni wouldn't mind trading Marbury for his favorite Suns. (NY Daily News)
• Could there be a "Dash of Nash" in New York after next season? (NY Post)
• D'Antoni's hire could be a big opportunity for little Nate Robinson. (Newsday)
• Nelson Figueroa likened the Nats to "softball girls" after the Mets' loss. (NYM)
• A-Rod's strained quad will force him to miss the Subway Series. (AP)
• Ian Kennedy will be recalled from Triple-A SWB to start Thursday. (NYY)
• Goose Gossage is not a fan of Joba's excessive celebration. (NYY)
• Pedro Martinez is frustrated by his hamstring rehab progress. (NYP)
• Spygate could end today when Roger Goodell meets with Matt Walsh. (ESPN)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/12 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

The New York Knicks have agreed in principle with Mike D'Antoni to become the next head coach of the team. A press conference will be scheduled upon the completion of the contract.

Here are the reactions to the move across the web:

• Could the Knicks' hiring of D'Antoni open the door for LeBron? (Newsday)
• Marc Berman gives kudos to Donnie Walsh on the hire. (NY Post)
• Mitch Lawrence suggests D'Antoni should be the Knicks' GM. (NY Daily News)
• The Knicks' rebuilding process just got a huge jumpstart. (AOL Fanhouse)
• D'Antoni faces a big challenge with a roster that needs work. (SI)
• Marc Stein answers five burning questions about the teams involved. (ESPN)
• Walsh finally got his man, but is it the right one at the right time? (Yahoo!)
• Knicks now being shown in "3D" - Dolan, Donnie and D'Antoni. (NYDN)
• Peter Vecsey feels Walsh should've chosen Mark Jackson. (NYP)
• Walsh's first big moves show he's going to walk the walk. (ESPN)

Mike D'Antoni Accepts Knicks Offer

The New York Knicks have agreed in principle with Mike D'Antoni to become the next head coach of the team. A press conference will be scheduled upon the completion of the contract.

D'Antoni, who led the Phoenix Suns to three division titles and two trips to the Western Conference Finals, was the NBA's coach of the year in 2004-05 after the Suns tied a franchise record with 62 victories.

Prior to his coaching career, D'Antoni played three full NBA seasons before pursuing a long career in Italy, where he was one of the best players in Europe. He went on to become one of the top coaches in European basketball before landing his first NBA job with the Denver Nuggets in 1998.

Since D'Antoni came to Phoenix in December 2003, the Suns have gone 253-136 for the fourth-best winning percentage in the league over that time span. Only the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons won more games than D'Antoni's Suns.

D'Antoni, 57, grew up in West Virginia and attended Marshall University, where he enjoyed a standout basketball career before being selected in the second round of the 1973 NBA Draft.

MORE:

• Mike Breen Answers Your Questions
• What's Next for the Knickerbockers?
• Who Does Clyde Think is Going to the Finals?

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/9 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Donnie Walsh has turned up the heat on Chicago for Mike D'Antoni. (ESPN)
• Bernie Bickerstaff could help Mark Jackson land the Knicks gig. (Newsday)
• Third time's the charm? David Wells wants to pitch in the Bronx again. (NY Post)
• Donald Trump threw Alex Rodriguez under the bus. (AOL Fanhouse)
• The Yankees broke out of an offensive funk vs. Cleveland. (NYY)
• David Dellucci took issue with Joba Chamberlain's celebration. (NY Daily News)
• Willie Randolph puts up with a lot and has been grossly misunderstood. (NYDN)
• The Nets promoted Kiki Vandeweghe to General Manager. (NJN)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/8 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Knicks are still in the running for head coach Mike D'Antoni. (NY Post)
• A dominant Cliff Lee handed Chien-Ming Wang his first loss. (NYY)
• Former Mets prospect Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle against Chicago. (ESPN)
• John Maine shut the Dodgers down on the mound and at the plate. (Newsday)
• Roger Clemens isn't welcome on the U.S. Olympic baseball team. (AP)
• Matt Walsh won't be bringing down the Bill Belichick regime. (NY Daily News)
• Nets forward Richard Jefferson was charged with assault in Minneapolis. (AP)

Mike Breen Responds to Your Questions

Thanks for sending in your questions for Knicks TV analyst Mike Breen.

You submitted them, I asked them, and Mike supplied the answers. Check out if your question made the cut.

MORE:

• Phil Simms Answers Your Questions
• Breen and Frazier Talk Knicks Offseason
• Which Knick Most Impresses Clyde?

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/6 - Evening Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...

• Even A-Rod's wife questions her husband's masculinity. (Deadspin)
• Donnie Walsh met with Avery Johnson today. (Yahoo!)
• Roger Clemens was allowed to keep his lawyer in his defamation suit. (AP)
• Ozzie Guillen defended his team's use of inflatable dolls as "slump busters." (CST)
• Ken Griffey Jr. expects to be traded by the Reds. (AOL Fanhouse)

Ask Tom Coughlin and Mike Breen

This week, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and Knicks TV analyst Mike Breen join me on the Boomer Esiason Show.

I will be asking them questions that you, the fans, submit.

So if you want to pick the brain of either Coughlin or Breen, drop your question in the comments section below and check back here to see their responses.

MORE:

• Phil Simms Answers Your Questions
• Strahan Uncertain About Return
• Breen and Clyde Frazier Talk Knicks Offseason

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/2 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Rangers avoided elimination against Pittsburgh in Game 4. (NYR)
• Phil Hughes will be out of the Yankees' rotation until July. (NYDN)
• Bobby Murcer is ready to begin broadcasting Yankees games again. (NYY)
• Avery Johnson and Mike D'Antoni are on Donnie Walsh's radar. (NY Post)
• A former stripper claims she had an affair with Roger Clemens. (NYDN)
• David Wright needs to have a bigger clubhouse conscience. (Newsday)
• Jose Canseco's $2.5 million home was foreclosed on in Los Angeles. (AP)
• Why are statutory rape allegations against Karl Malone being ignored? (AOL)
• Tim Montgomery has been indicted on heroin distribution charges. (ESPN)

THE LOCKER ROOM 5/1 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Rangers will be looking to stave off elimination tonight at The Garden in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series with the Penguins, but they'll have to do without Sean Avery, who is out for the season with a lacerated spleen.

• Phil Hughes became the latest Yankee to join the walking wounded after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday night due to a strained right oblique muscle.
  
  Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez could make his return to the lineup in as little as two weeks.

• Avery Johnson lost his job as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday, a move the team referred to as "relieving him of his duties."

• Kevin Durant, the Sonics' dynamic young star, will be named the NBA Rookie of the Year at a news conference Seattle has scheduled for today.

• Hard-throwing right-hander Max Scherzer wasted no time in earning a spot in the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation. The 23-year-old has been tabbed as this year's Joba Chamberlain.

• The BCS rejected a plan to turn the much-criticized system for deciding a national champ into a four-team playoff, starting in the 2010 season.

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/29 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Country singer Mindy McCready confirms a long-term affair with Roger Clemens in this NY Daily News story.

• Carlos Delgado defended his decision to not take a curtain call after his second home run in the Mets' win over Atlanta Sunday.

• Alex Rodriguez aggravated his strained right quadriceps and said there is "no way" he could play as the Yankees return home to open an nine-game homestand.

• Pat Riley stepped down as head coach of the Miami Heat, but will remain team president. Erik Spoelstra, 37, was chosen to replace Riley and is now the NBA's youngest coach.

• Barry Zito, the $126 million man, was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief.

• The Philadelphia Eagles sued their former wide receiver Terrell Owens for nearly $770,000 in bonus money he has not repaid the team.

• Larry Brown will be taking over his ninth NBA team after reaching an agreement to return to the NBA as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.

• Washington's Brendan Haywood says LeBron James should stop complaining and play basketball.

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/28 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Rangers find themselves in a 0-2 hole after being shut out by the Penguins 2-0 Sunday in Pittsburgh. The best-of-seven series shifts to The Garden Tuesday.

• The Jets stayed at No. 6 in the 2008 NFL Draft and selected defensive end Vernon Gholston out of Ohio State. A record 33 trades were made, turning the draft into a swap meet.

• In the weeks leading up to the draft, the New Orleans Saints and several other teams approached the Giants about a trade for oft-injured Pro Bowler Jeremy Shockey, who admittedly was unhappy with his role. The Giants listened, but that was it.

• Jorge Posada is headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career following a recurrence of the right shoulder injury that has limited his ability to catch for the Yankees this season.
  
  Chien-Ming Wang improved to 5-0 after beating the Indians at the site of his 2007 postseason meltdown. Mariano Rivera notched his 450th career save in the 1-0 win.

• Kenny Smith, a TNT analyst and 10-year veteran of the NBA, confirmed his interest in the Knicks' GM position. (NY Times)

• According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic's Hedo Turkoglu will be named the NBA's Most Improved Player.  (Via ESPN.com)

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/25 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Good news for the New York Jets? Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said the team is giving consideration to moving down from the No. 4 spot in the first round to make up for the fact that Oakland's second of five picks doesn't come until the fourth round with the 104th overall selection.

• More e-mails involving SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett have been revealed that could slow or even stop the team's move from Seattle to Oklahoma City, a move the NBA overwhelmingly approved last week.

• Joe Crede's walk-off single off Joba Chamberlain handed the Yankees rookie his first Major League loss on a night where Joba's fellow young star Phil Hughes pitched just two innings due to lengthy rain delays.
  
  Kyle Farnsworth, Alex Rodriguez and Brian Bruney all hope to avoid the DL.

• The Mets struggles continued with an ugly 10-5 loss to the Nationals in D.C. Thursday night.

• Tamika Catchings won't rush back from a major foot injury for the start of the WNBA season, instead focusing on playing in the Olympics in Beijing.

• Ryan Potulny scored at 2:58 of the fifth overtime to give the Philadelphia Phantoms a 3-2 victory over the Albany River Rats early Friday in the longest game in American Hockey League's 72-year history.

• Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, starting for the first time since November, left the game after injuring his surgically repaired knee in the first half Thursday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/24 - Evening Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...

• The Boston Red Sox jersey secretly buried under the new Yankee Stadium in a failed curse attempt sold Thursday for $175,100 in a charity auction.

• Roger Goodell is fully prepared to crack down again on the New England Patriots if his meeting with Matt Walsh uncovers a tape made of the St. Louis Rams' final walkthrough practice before the 2002 Super Bowl.

• Baseball commissioner Bud Selig hinted strongly Thursday that management officials implicated in the Mitchell Report won't be suspended or fined.

• The Oakland Athletics agreed to terms Thursday with designated hitter Frank Thomas, who was released Sunday by the Toronto Blue Jays to become a free agent after getting frustrated with his lack of playing time.

• The Jets have agreed to ship defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson to the Denver Broncos, an NFL source close to the situation told ESPN.com.

• Nets guard Vince Carter had surgery to remove a bone spur from his right ankle on Wednesday.

• Larry Brown resigned Thursday as Philadelphia's executive vice president after barely two years on the job.

• CBS executive Tony Petitti was hired Thursday as president and chief executive officer of the MLB Network, baseball's 24-hour-a-day cable channel set to launch on Jan. 1.

• Marian Gaborik has a hip injury that will keep him from playing for Slovakia in hockey's world championship tournament next month.

THE LOCKER ROOM 4/23 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• The Rangers will play the top-seeded Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after the Flyers beat the Capitals 3-2 in overtime to win Game 7 of their quarterfinal matchup Tuesday night.

• Bobby Abreu's grand slam and Johnny Damon's three-run homer helped the Yankees make up for Alex Rodriguez's absence (strained quad, new baby girl) in a 9-5 win over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Chien-Ming Wang won the 50th game of his career.

• John Smoltz became the 16th pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters when he fanned Cincinnati's Felipe Lopez in the third inning of the Braves' 6-0 loss to the Reds.

• The Mets suffered through defensive miscues and a rough day at the plate as they lost to the Cubs 8-1 in a Tuesday matinee at Wrigley Field.

• The Seattle Seahawks cut former MVP Shaun Alexander after the running back completed just two of the eight years in a $62 million deal he signed in March 2006.

• Former Seattle SuperSonics owner Howard Schultz has filed suit in federal district court in Seattle seeking to undo the sale he made in 2006.