Mike Lupica wants it both ways.

It is a little difficult to keep track of Mike Lupica's contradictory statements, but a whole three days ago he wrote an article in the same newspaper which was entitled, "Knicks only pay for mistakes, not stars." He seemed to be lamenting the fact that the Knicks could not afford Shaquille O'Neal because they couldn't match the Yankees and their "vulgar" payroll.

Three days later, he's criticizing the Nets for trading Kenyon Martin. Years and years of criticizing Steinbrenner's "vulgar" payroll, he then criticizes Ratner's budget-cutting, build-for-the-future move.

Make up your mind! You're either happy that the Nets and Knicks can't build an evil, vulgar, unfair dynasty like the Yankees ... or you're unhappy about it! It should not be bad news for the Nets, it should be good news for the Nuggets. Hooray for the salary cap!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to baseball, the article also includes this tidbit:

"When the Braves, who weren't supposed to do anything this season, need a 5th starter, they don't buy one, because they don't have the money to do that anymore.

Here is what they do: They pick up a former phenom like Jaret Wright off waivers from the Padres last August, and then they develop him into a starter themselves.

Imagine that."


It's shockingly inaccurate on so many levels. Just one paragraph could be this inaccurate and misleading.

The Braves really weren't supposed to do anything this season? I suppose the Phillies were the favorite in the NL East, but nobody in their right mind counted out the Braves after winning more than a decade's worth of consecutive division titles.

The Braves didn't buy a #5 starter? They did buy Jaret Wright. With money. Jaret Wright doesn't play for free and he doesn't barter his services.

Did Lupica just conveniently ignore the Yankee #5 starters this season? Talk about your reclamation projects or unproven youngsters. Try Donovan Osborne, Jon Lieber, Tanyon Sturtze, Orlando Hernandez, Alex Graman, and Brad Halsey. What heartwarming stories, one and all. "When the Yankees needed a #5 starter, they didn't go out and just buy one. They reclaimed Orlando Herdandez from the Expos disabled list. Imagine that."