Entering the new year I told myself to stay upbeat despite the struggles of the teams I both coach and pull for. Lets be honest winning as a fan and as a coach makes you very happy but you can not let that dictate your everyday mood and outlook but this was a strange week in the life of the coach, much of it good, but one event sad and bad.

Between my team returning from vacation in poor shape, somehow restraining myself from getting double T'd in last Thursdays game and watching Tony Allen possibly sustain a career ending injury it has been a bit of a heavy week on the basketball front. OK, real heavy, like the porterhouse for 3 and the rib eye for you and your buddy at Wolfgangs. But you gotta fight thru the crap, no matter how challenging things get. Over the last few years I have been knocked to the mat many times in a variety of ways and there is only one response for me, you and Tony Allen, get back up.

Tony's injury last week was downright horrible. The guy has been playing unbelievable basketball. Many say it started when Pierce went out of the lineup but those people were just not paying attention. Allen was actually starting next to Pierce and his play was improving on a nightly basis. Then Pierce went down with the foot injury. Many thought Allen's recent surge had to do with feeding off of Pierce (including myself) but then Tony stepped it up to another level without the Captain. Allen had scored double digits in his last 14 games, including over 20 in 7 of those outings. He had 3 or more steals 6 times and was playing with the pride and passion that every fan wants to see out of one of their own.

Then came January 10th at home against the Pacers. I was planning on watching the game on the DVR delay before I went to sleep. I was on the phone with my boy PR and asked him not to tell me the score if it came across his screen. A minute later he said "Yo, you do not want to see the game." Never did I think something like Allen's injury occurred, I thought the Green were just getting whipped at home again. When he told me what happened I just froze, I could not respond or even comprehend how this could happen to a guy like Allen. He just plays so hard and has a Superman mentality that makes him seems both fearless and indestructible. It was the 3rd quarter and Allen already had 19 points and 5 steals. He was simply just taking it to Steven Jackson and the Pacers. Then Allen was fouled on the perimeter on the right side. After the whistle blew he took another dribble and soared to the hoop to hammer in a dunk that would clearly not count but I guess he was sending another message to his opponent that his effort and hunger were far from fading. Next thing you know he comes down awkwardly his knee buckles and that was that. Tony Allen lost for the season with a torn ACL and two torn meniscus.

His teammates and coaches were stunned as Allen lay there grabbing his knee on the Garden floor. As they helped Allen to he locker room Tony, did not go quietly. As Allen was passing the Indiana bench he had a message to pass along to Steven Jackson who had attempted to match up with Allen that evening. "Tell Jack, I own him." Allen said. When I heard that it made me smile. Smile because I know that this will not be the last we hear out of Tony. Smile because this guy now knows how good he can be and he is going to rehab the hell out of that knee so he can get back onto the court.

In my coaching world the holiday break as expected took the wind and any momentum we had away from us. It was clear the first day back that many did not do anything over break to maintain the level we left off at which was discouraging. As a coach I am learning more and more that I can only do so much. That first Monday was very difficult on them which they handled pretty well. But between having no intensity on Tuesday and 3 sophomores showing up 15 minutes late on Wednesday made for a lot of unnecessary running and some not so nice verbal displays by yours truly last week. Wednesdays practice did end on a high note however and I felt confident going into Thursday's game that at least we would compete, which we did. We could never just get into a flow offensively as my 5 man struggled with foul trouble as did my point guard. Worse than that though my 2 guard went down with a knee injury (not quite as bad as Tony Allen's) and we may be without him for the remainder of the season.

Now I rarely put anything on the officials at this level but one of the guys working was one of the worst I have ever had. At one point we had a stare down and he was baiting me to cross that fine line, I thought about biting but I have grown up a bit on the sideline and chose to make him look like the idiot for getting into it with me instead of officiating the game. At one point I asked him if he was trying to be my father as he kept giving me these empty threats and staring at me. I told him to watch the game before he did something stupid, still no technical. The more I think about it the more evident this guy is a total pussy. Before the game the opposing coach whom I am friendly with told me this guy was bad news and he was right. The funny thing though was he did not have the balls to T me, not even one time.

Though we lost an ugly game we played hard and actually got a lot of good looks, many just did not go down. I was very happy I kept my cool and tried to communicate that to my kids in the post game. Some were listening, some were worried about the studying they had to go home and do. I hope some of them at the least understood my message.

Whether I am coaching, teaching, dealing with my fastbreak kids program or just dealing with everyday headaches and obstacles I have to stay upbeat. I am on the path I always wanted to be on, doing the things I have been wanting to do for the last few years. Well now they are finally here, it is all very exciting and I must keep moving forward.

Special shout outs: Todd (was Denver gorgous?) 15J deluxe, Team Fastbreak, Ross and Jared, Ithaca Crew, Eisenberg and Bell, Ninja, PR, Garbs and his Bears, and of course Jack Bauer.

Next Blog: MLK Day hoops and the return of Bauer and 24.